FRONT OFFICE:

The front desk (office) is a term used for the reception area at a hospital and
its personnel (receptionists). Receptionists must have a great deal of talent in
proper communication skills and customer service skills. They must also be great
at things like scheduling the appointments and handling billing errors.

DEFINITION:

Marketing, Sales, and services departments that comes in direct contact with
customers and liaise with back office departments to maintain a two way
communication and information.

What Happens in Front Office:

The work that goes on in a hospital front office can vary depending on the
size of the hospital, and the number of employees that work there. In general, the
office includes a reception desk to greet patients and visitors as they enter the
hospital, and provide information about where to go, or the services that are
provided. Registration services may also be available in the front office of the
hospital; patients can provide their name and contact information, as well as any
other information requested, such as emergency contact details.

Certain administrative tasks may also be completed in a hospital front office,

such as the maintenance of records and paperwork throughout the hospital.
Generally, however, larger hospitals will have different methods of administrative
record keeping and maintenance for each department to make it easier for staff
members to access and update paperwork and files. There may be one central
location for patient files, provided the hospital has not completely digitized this
process, but these files will generally not be kept in the hospital front office.
Generally, the purpose of a front office is to provide assistance for people when
they first enter the hospital.

The receptionist in the front office of a hospital will greet people when they
enter and determine how he or she can help them. Larger hospitals will frequently
have a separate registration department where people entering the hospital for
treatment, whether it is emergency treatment or a scheduled procedure, can check
in and provide their identifying information. Smaller hospitals might streamline
this process right at the front desk and check patients in here. Providing directory
assistance is another common task for someone who works in a hospital front
office.

People coming in to the hospital might need directions to certain areas to

visit someone, or they may need to get in touch with a particular person. Security
staff might also be stationed at the hospital front office so they are ready to be
called to a specific area if needed. Incoming calls to the hospital may also be
routed to the front office, if the hospital does not have a separate call center and
switchboard. Working in the front office of a hospital can be a stressful, fast-paced
job, and it is necessary for anyone in this position to enjoy working with people,
and to be able to remain calm in challenging situations.

Basic Responsibilities of Front Office Department

Following are the most basic responsibilities a front office can handle.

 Creating patient database

 Handling patient accounts
 Coordinating other service
 Trying to sell a service
 Ensuring patient satisfaction
 Handling in-house communication

Front-office Operations

The customer can interact and see these operations, hence, the name Front-office
operations.

Few of these operations include:

 Interacting with the patient to handle the patient.

 Collecting detail information while patient registration.
 Creating a patient record with the FO accounting system.
  Settling patient payment at the time of discharge.
 Determining the type of patient (fresh/repeat) by checking the database.
 Ensuring preferences of the customer to give a personal touch to the service

LOCATION:

 It must be at the entrance

 Positioned at an adequate height and reach.
 An adequately lit-up area.
 Aesthetically furnished.
 Preferably near the lobby and lift.
 Preferably near the sitting area.
 Wide enough to make the staff member communicate with the patient
and visitors across the desk.

Qualities Of Front Office Staff

 Scheduling the appointments at the correct time and with the correct doctor
 Listening to clients well and communicating in a positive and confident
manner with those over the phone or clients in the reception area
 Handling billing errors and detailing client invoices
 Collecting payment to ensure the practice turns a profit so everyone can get
paid
 Being on the frontlines of many complaints
 Pulling up medical records for the doctors
 Copying, faxing, and e-mailing documents between clinics, hospitals, and
clientele
 Keeping the reception area clean
STAFFING

Medical Receptionist Responsibilities:

 Greet and attend to patients in person and over the phone.
 Professionally assist doctors, staff, visitors and patients.
 Maintain business inventory such as checking supplies, scheduling
equipment and maintenance repairs.
 Answer all phone calls in a professional and courteous manner.
 Perform all duties within HIPAA regulations.
 Maintain confidentiality of all doctor, staff and patient information.
 Schedule appointments between doctors and patients.
 Liaise between medical departments with discretion and professionalism
 Adhere to policy and procedures during all activates.
 Assist with admissions/treatment as per agreed protocols.
 Ensure that stock levels are adequate and orders are made timeously.
 Communicate medical results to patients under clinical supervision.
 Complete accurate documentation of patient visits.
 Medical Receptionist Requirements:
 Bachelors degree (advantageous).
 Administration certification (essential).
 2 years of experience at a healthcare facility in a Medical Receptionist role
(essential).
 Working knowledge of medical terminology, HIPAA regulations, ICD and
CPT coding (highly advantageous).
 Innovative thinker with strong conceptual and problem-solving skills.
 Meticulous attention to detail with the ability to multi-task.
 Strong organizational, administrative and planning skills.
 Ability to work under pressure and react effectively to emergency situations.
 Ability to use discretion while working with sensitive information.
 Excellent documentation, communication and IT skills.
 Passionate about healthcare excellence.
TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
 Appointment Scheduling
 Registration
 Treatment authorization
 HIPAA compliance standards
 Chart and records management
 Telephone communications
 Revenue and collection activity
 Mail management
 Facility management
 Patient safety and comfort

Access to resources for optimal task management

• Front office work station design
• Computer technology
• Communication systems
• Forms and procedure manual