Looking to fill an open position in your medical practice’s front office?
Whether it’s a receptionist or a medical admin assistant, your medical front office staff is the first point of contact for patients and guests. So, you must hire the right candidate to make sure your practice runs smoothly and efficiently.
In this post, you’ll learn the skills to look for during the recruitment process to hire the best talent. But first, let’s explore the key responsibilities of medical front office staff.
Key Responsibilities of A Medical Front Office Staff
You need to outline the responsibilities of your front office staff clearly to determine the essential skills needed to perform their roles effectively. Here are some of the key responsibilities:
- Receive patients & visitors
Welcoming patients and responding to inquiries, whether in person or over the phone. These are the primary duties of a medical front office staff, as they are the first point of contact in your medical practice.
- Schedule appointments
Medical front desk staff are in charge of scheduling patients’ appointments. They’ll collect the relevant information and provide a suitable appointment date and time. They may also send appointment reminders to patients.
- Assist patients & visitors
Patients and visitors often need help with completing paperwork, directions to offices and labs, and more. The front office staff provides this assistance, making sure that people who walk into your medical practice get what they need.
- Process Billings
Front desk staff may also need to take on some bill processing role, especially in small medical practices. For instance, collecting and verifying patients’ insurance details to ensure that payments are processed seamlessly.
- Manage Supplies
Front desk receptionists and medical assistants in small to medium-sized medical practices in Atlanta also handle supply management. They make sure that the inventory is updated and that the medical office never runs out of necessary supplies.
5 Essential Skills Needed For A Medical Front Office Staff
Now that you know the responsibilities of a medical front office staff, let’s outline the essential skills you need to look for to hire the best candidate for the position.
- Communication skills
Effective communication is the number one skill required, as front desk staff are in a front-facing role. They must know the right tone and manner to speak to patients and visitors and also possess the ability to listen actively.
Plus, they must be able to communicate effectively with other medical staff and visitors. This will make working together easier, and they will be able to get, process, and relay information correctly from medical staff to patients.
- Organization skills
Medical front desk staff have various duties they have to perform simultaneously. For instance, managing waiting patients, while also answering phone calls. So, they must be able to stay organized and multitask efficiently.
With good organizational skills, a medical assistant or receptionist will keep all required activities running smoothly. This will improve patient flow and reduce wait time, thereby increasing patient satisfaction.
- Empathy & compassion
Most of the people who visit a medical practice are sick and in pain. Hence, a medical front office staff must have empathy and show compassion when interacting with patients and visitors.
Beyond being polite and not snapping at people, front desk staff must be able to make people feel heard and supported. This means trying to understand people’s concerns and addressing them with care.
- Technical skills
Most medical practices use several technologies to improve workflow. From simple applications like online scheduling tools to electronic health records (EHR) and medical billing software.
Hence, a front desk staff must possess technical skills for booking appointments (e.g. via Calendly), collecting patients’ information accurately (i.e. EHR tools), and being familiar with verifying and processing insurance (with billing software).
- Basic medical knowledge
Although a medical front desk staff isn’t trained to provide clinical care to patients, they need to understand some basic medical terminologies. This will allow them to communicate more effectively with medical staff and also build trust and rapport with patients.
Hire The Right Front Office Staff for Your Atlanta Medical Practice
Your medical front desk staff will give visitors the first impression of your medical practice in Atlanta. Make sure you highlight the responsibilities and skills we’ve outlined in this post to recruit the best candidate for the position.
If you need help hiring an exceptional medical assistant, administrative assistant, or medical receptionist for your medical practice front office, contact us at RG Staffing today!
