Dental Clinic Receptionist

Job Summary

To act as receptionist in the Main Dental Clinic working with staff, students and faculty to serve 200-300 patients per day.

Organizational Status
Reports administratively to the Clinic Administrator that reports to the Senior Clinic Manager. Works closely with patients, students, faculty, and other staff.

Work Performed

• Provides guidance and instructions to students on dental plans, pre-determination procedures, and reimbursement processes. Liaises with dental insurance carriers to ensure patients receive maximum benefits. Verifies, prints, and submits dental insurance claim forms and resolves claim or processing issues.
• Allocates and reconciles payments in patient records from dental insurance remittances. Communicates with patients and insurance companies to resolve discrepancies and follows up on outstanding claims.
• Responds to telephone and in-person inquiries from prospective and current patients regarding treatment programs, billing information, and charges in patient records. Identifies and reports discrepancies in computer records for correction.
• Schedules appointments for routine and urgent care patients. Assigns students to urgent care cases and coordinates with the Urgent Care Supervisor to ensure patients receive timely treatment. Books appointments for non-registered patients in pain for the Urgent Care Clinic and confirms appointments daily.
• Processes daily patient payments by cash, cheque, credit card, and direct deposit. Accurately enters payments in patient records, issues receipts, and reconciles and prepares deposits each day. Contacts patients regarding outstanding balances or NSF cheques and follows up to secure payment. Closes patient accounts and compiles information for submission to collection agencies when necessary.
• Ensures pre-payment or pre-determination approval for laboratory items before processing. Enters dental laboratory invoices into patient records using the lab tracking module in axiUm.
• Maintains and updates patient records, ensuring completeness and accuracy. Downloads, scans, and sends radiographs and patient records at the request of patients or students while adhering to privacy and confidentiality regulations.
• Provides orientation and training to students, staff during the academic year on reception procedures, patient payment portal, patient access, laboratory processes, and dental insurance protocols. Assists in the training of new staff members as required.
• Performs a variety of administrative duties including sorting and delivering mail, maintaining office supply inventories, photocopying and restocking clinical forms, and delivering paperwork to designated UBC locations.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Work is performed under clearly defined guidelines requiring minimum judgment on methods used to perform work. Resolves some problems but refer most to the supervisor. Errors can be corrected but could result in patients not receiving treatment when needed causing angry patients, faculty and students missing valuable clinical instruction time.

Supervision Received
Works under general supervision with general instructions and guidelines. Routine duties are performed without ongoing direction.

Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation, plus completion of a Dental Office Assistant program (including terminology), plus one year of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

A high level of knowledge of dental insurance with at least three years of experience in preparing claims and reconciling payments.

Knowledge of Ministry of Social Services' dental coverage provided for patients with disabilities.

Knowledge of CDCP. Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.

Ability to type at 50 wpm and to operate the normal range of office equipment as may be required in the performance of duties, such as, data entry systems, calculators, copying machines.

Excellent communication and organizational skills required. Dental terminology required. Word processing/spread sheet/computer experience required (dental database preferred).

Ability to exercise tact and discretion. Experience with patients who speak English as a second language and also patients with disabilities.

Ability to work flexible schedules, evenings, and weekends.