Client Care Coordinator in Lansdale, Pennsylvania at North Penn Animal Hospital, Inc.

The purpose of the Client Care Coordinator position is to serve as a receptionist at North Penn Animal Hospital, to perform record keeping duties, to perform clerical duties related to animal patient care and treatment, and to provide miscellaneous support to the veterinary practice manager and healthcare team. These service functions include, but are not limited to, reception (visitor and telephone), maintenance of veterinary medical records, account maintenance, cash processing, data entry, word processing and mail service. This position requires a practical knowledge of hospital organization and services, the basic rules and regulations governing visitors and animal patient treatment, data transcribing, word processing, and a practical knowledge of the standard procedures, veterinary records and terminology used in the hospital.

Primary Job Responsibilities

• Uphold and model the NPAH mission statement at all times.
• Provide friendly, quality client care to the patients and clients of North Penn Animal Hospital.
• Receive incoming calls, screen those that are handled by other health care team members and take care of routine calls. The routine calls include those seeking information about veterinary services (“telephone shoppers”). Provide knowledge and sub-professional advice concerning the care and treatment of animals.

Follow established hospital policies and procedures in referring clients for immediate treatment of their pets when requests are accompanied by complaints of acute symptoms. Determine nature of injury/illness and attempt to reassure distressed pet owners. Determine whether immunizations and/or tests are current. Recommend update of necessary immunizations and/or tests to clients when applicable.

• Perform daily follow-up and reminder calls. Alert doctors/staff to any patient issues that require doctor intervention.
• Schedule appointments, obtaining all necessary data concerning the patient and owner. Prepare all required forms in advance when possible.
• Prepare to receive appointments by retrieving client records, preparing needed forms in advance of client’s arrival. Complete required forms; such as, new client form, patient visit form, client report, consent forms, estimates, payment agreements, etc. and obtain all necessary information.
• Check client in – greet clients in a professional, friendly, hospitable manner.
• Check out clients. Review the services that were rendered to the pet (verbally itemize the client receipt) and inform client of the total amount due. Review for accuracy of charges, make new appointments and set up future reminders in the system. Present client with invoice copies and answer client questions.
• Assure that all financial obligations are met by owners. Collect client fees, make change, process credit card transactions and assist clients with payment plans.
• Perform an end-of-the-day procedure each evening. This includes reconciling invoices and balancing the cash drawer, running end-of-day and end-of-month reports, preparing the bank deposit and presenting the reports and deposit information to the practice manager or owner.
• Open the practice and set up for the morning as directed.
• Close the practice for the evening as directed.
• Perform over the counter selling of specialty merchandise comprised of pet grooming aids and sundry veterinary items. Exercise technical knowledge of products sold and demonstrate salesmanship abilities. Explain and demonstrate products, answer questions concerning products purchase/use.
• Complete veterinary prescription refill requests with appropriate medication and dosing information; provide routine instructions to owners concerning prescriptions for medications.
• Collect lab specimens from pet owners, match patient record to the sample and submit samples to veterinary technician staff for processing.
• Assist in the updating of client files, prepare and mail thank you cards and “welcome aboard” cards and reminders. Follow-up with clients when clinic records indicate no recent visits.
• Enter date into the computer system, retrieve and modify computerized records. The practice management software includes, but is not limited to, such areas as reminder lists of patients for periodic notifications, receipt and/or invoicing to updated medical/financial records, client records, pet records, medical records; word processing to produce letters for general correspondence and special mailings to clients, etc.
• Perform a variety of clerical duties, receiving, sorting and distributing mail, sending out mailings, cleaning, organizing, and typing of memos, correspondence, reports and other documents. Assist in the ordering, receiving, stocking and distribution of supplies.
• Work well with all employees and ensure that your actions support the hospital, the doctors and the practice mission statement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Controls over Work

The client care coordinator works under the direct supervision of the client care manager and the veterinary practice manager, who will indicate general assignments, limitations and priorities. Recurring assignments are performed independently. Deviations or unfamiliar situations are referred to the supervisor. Completed work is reviewed for technical accuracy and compliance with established procedures.

Skills and Knowledge

• Possession of strong organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Possess exceptional interpersonal communication skills.
• Knowledge of hospital procedures and operating instructions for making appointments, assembling patient medical records, recording test results, relaying information regarding patient’s condition, and compiling and submitting data on patients treated.
• Knowledge of the spelling and meaning of commonly used terminology of veterinary medicine to accurately record results of tests and file veterinary medical reports according to alpha, numeric or subject matter headings.
• Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar.
• Ability to work independently on assigned tasks as well as to accept direction on given assignments.
• Requires strong client service skills. Personal contacts are with animal owners affected by a variety of problems, visitor and other healthcare team members. Considerable tact ad diplomacy is required. Must accurately relay owner’s account of the medical complaint(s) for the animals(s) involved to the healthcare team members who will be involved in treating the patient(s).

Physical Effort

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the primary functions of this job.

• Frequently position self and move about the reception area to file, use office machinery such as fax machines and computer, and assist clients with merchandise.
• Frequently transports inventory to stock shelves. Frequently handling 40 pounds and occasionally handling 50 pounds.
• Frequently required to bend, stand, stoop, walk, sit, talk, and listen, frequently working in a bent position.
• Often transports patients to weigh on scales.
• Frequently required to communicate with clients, team members and associates. Must be able to exchange accurate information.
• Frequently use hands to manipulate, handle or feel; will reach with hands and arms.
• Use strength or agility in capturing and restraining stronger, more active animals.

Occasionally handle dogs weighing up to and over 150 lbs. Assistance will be provided by team members when working with larger animals.

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to hazards associated with aggressive patients; hazards associated with infected animals and controlled substances; exposure to unpleasant odors and noises; exposure to bites, scratches and animal wastes; possible exposure to contagious disease.

Follow federal and state animal health laws and regulations including OSHA and DEA.

Essential Functions:

• Professionally administer all phone calls – answering client inquiries in a prompt and friendly manner, scheduling appointments, recording messages.
• Requires strong communication and client service skills. Considerable tact and diplomacy is required. Ability to greet clients in a professional, hospitable manner – check clients in and out.
• Collect client fees, post and record payments, make change, process credit card transactions and run end of day and month transactions.
• Input date into computer software system.
• Open and close practice.
• Perform a variety of clerical duties, mailings, cleaning, organizing reception area, type memos, correspondence, reports and other documents.
• Ability to multi-task.
• Regular attendance and timeliness are an essential function in order to fulfill the requirements of this position.
• Perform general physical activities that require bending, standing, stooping, moving from room to room, sit, talk, and listen; may be required to walk or stand for long periods of time; will use hands to manipulate, handle, or feel; will reach with hands and arms.
• The employee must be able to occasionally/frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.