Australia Medical Receptionist Jobs

Purpose and Mission

Medical receptionists are employed in hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices. They greet patients and visitors, and are responsible for scheduling appointments, making and entering patient records, keeping inventory and ordering office supplies.

After gaining experience, some medical receptionists move up into practice management, IT or patient care. At least a high school diploma is required for this position, and some medical offices prefer to hire medical receptionists who have earned professional certifications or associate’s degrees.

Reports To

A medical receptionist may report to a variety of supervisors depending on the position and facility. At a doctor’s office, a medical receptionist will typically report to an office or practice manager, at a larger hospital or clinic, she may report to a mid-level administrator such as a department head or service chief.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Most medical receptionists will have relatively few supervisory responsibilities, although there are exceptions, especially in smaller organizations, where the receptionist wears several hats. Medical receptionists are responsible for maintaining patient medical records private as mandated by policy and law.

Qualifications

With a few exceptions, medical receptionist jobs only require one or two years of post-secondary education (focusing on software and clerical skills). Larger hospitals or medical groups typically prefer to hire candidates with at least one relevant professional certification.

Responsibilities of a Medical Receptionist

Although the job varies a good bit by organizational structure, the primary responsibilities of a medical receptionist typically include:

• greeting patients and visitors as they enter the premises, and directing them to the person or department they are trying to find
• managing the front desk and providing security passes to visitors as required
• answering patients and supplier enquiries in person, by phone and via email
• providing information as requested
• using a software-based scheduling / booking system
• preparing and offering refreshments
• arranging future appointments and take payments for treatments.

If you are a medical or dental receptionist who is employed in a reception area that is less busy, you may be responsible for carrying out a broader range of tasks, including:

• making arrangements for transport and travel
• reserving and preparing meeting rooms
• a range of basic clerical work
• taking patient payments
• ordinary bookkeeping ledger tasks.