Dental Office Specialist Job Description
This position is designated for the new Stone location. The selected candidate will be issued a start date when the clinic opens, which is currently anticipated for mid-April to early May 2026.
Salary Range
Salary: $15.75 - $21.78 per hour, depending on qualifications.
Job Summary
The Dental Office Specialist serves clientele by greeting incoming patients and visitors in person and by telephone. Supports dental office operations by performing appointment scheduling, insurance eligibility data entry, billing, and collections, and report preparation in an atmosphere of quality customer service.
Primary Goal
The primary goal of the El Rio Health Dental Office Specialist is to support El Rios Mission of providing comprehensive, quality health care that is affordable and accessible to all who may have healthcare needs by successfully performing the primary essential functions.
Essential Job Functions
- Demonstrates the importance of our patients by preparing the front desk and reception area to receive patients.
- Maintains a clutter-free professional workstation, turns on all equipment needed for job performance, secures petty cash, and prepares sign-in sheets.
- Exhibits value and respect for our patients by limiting personal conversations to locations away from patients and assigned workstations.
- Answers telephone in a courteous and professional manner, records accurate patient messages and or complaints, and directs them appropriately.
- Maintains patient information confidentiality, including but not limited to speaking in a quiet tone of voice.
- Wears clean and appropriate attire based on the El Rio Health dress code at all times.
- Demonstrates and models El Rio Behavioral Standards in all interactions with patients, co-workers, and visitors.
- Assists in the collection of information for quality improvement surveys.
- Provides a work environment safe and free from hazards, immediately addresses or informs management of safety issues or potential hazards, and adheres to Health and Safety Policies and Procedures.
- Completes all required EHREMR El Rio IT systems information fields with accurate and consistent patient registration and demographic collection.
- Checks patients in for providers in an efficient, courteous, and professional manner.
- Always keeps patients and visitors informed of wait times.
- Schedules and manages patient appointments both in person and by telephone while expressing and demonstrating a positive attitude at all times.
- Notifies back office staff when walk-ins present needing assessment.
- Demonstrates service excellence through AIDET principles.
- Maintains an exceptional level of customer service, addresses and resolves complaints, serves as an example by providing excellent service to internal and external customers, employees, and patients.
- Consistently acknowledges and greets patients, visitors, answers inquiries, and explains center procedures to patients in a warm, professional manner by maintaining eye contact and a friendly professional smile.
- Builds positive, respectful working relations with team members and providers.
- Provides education to patients regarding El Rio Healths various sliding fee programs and eligibility requirements.
- Embraces and promotes a professional working environment based on understanding and respect for diversity and multi-culturalism in all of its forms, demonstrate sensitivity, acknowledge varied beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and customs, and encourage communication and appreciation of all forms of diversity.
- Shares information regarding El Rio Health services in the community.
- Represents El Rio Health in a professional manner at community events, such as health fairs, immunization clinics, and employee events.
- Complies with all El Rio Health money handling policies, collects applicable co-pays and payments, and correctly applies them to patient accounts.
- Daily verifies insurance eligibility data by completing SPSI Southwestern Provider Services Inc. exceptions, AHCCCS, and commercial insurance websites, and updating corresponding El Rio Health EMREHR IT systems fields to reflect current data.
- Understands and applies universal billing order of insurance, including but not limited to AHCCCS and private insurance payers, grant-funded, and sliding fee.
- Runs reports from EHREMR El Rio Health IT systems as required.
- Collects data required for annual Federal reporting Universal Data Sets.
- Promotes El Rio Health by modeling good customer service, collaborating with other departments, and encouraging patients to share El Rio Health information with family and friends.
- Provides follow-up on missed-no-show appointments and accommodates same-day appointment requests.
- Contributes to team effort and complies with all facility policies and procedures, including but not limited to those addressing HIPAA and Compliance.
- Maintains a clean, safe, and hygienic work environment in compliance with all Policies and Procedures, including but not limited to work areas, workstations, examination rooms, hand washing, infection prevention, and control, etc.
- Demonstrates an understanding of and proficiency with the application of all compliance and reporting requirements respective to Joint Commission Certification, JCC standards.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
- High School Diploma or G.E.D.
- Customer service experience.
- Money and credit card transactions experience (if applicable).
- Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered and must be directly related to the functions and responsibilities of the job.
Required Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
- Current certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) for healthcare providers.
- Level I fingerprint clearance card, current, valid, and in good standing, or have applied for it within seven working days after beginning employment.
Preferred Education, Experience, Skills, and Abilities
- Extensive public contact work experience.
- Experience in a medical or dental front office (strongly preferred).
- Knowledge of dental terminology and procedures, experience in dental insurance billing, computer data entry, and retrieval (preferred).
- Bilingual English/Spanish with the ability to speak, read, and write in both languages.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, and for sincerely held religious beliefs, observances, and practices to perform the essential functions of the job.
El Rio Health Equal Opportunity Employer
El Rio Health does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, including pregnancy and sexual orientation, parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, including family medical history, political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job-related factors.
El Rio Health Requirements
El Rio Health requires all AZ employees to have a Level One Fingerprint Clearance card. A.R.S. 36.425.03. New hires and transfers must submit their fingerprint clearance card or fingerprint receipt before their hire date or transfer date. Level One 1 Non-IVP Fingerprint Clearance card must be received within 30 days after the new employee hire date or transfer date.
All employees are strongly recommended to obtain and maintain vaccination status, i.e., as recommended by CDC and/or other public health agencies, to include an Influenza vaccination. Subject to exemptions and accommodations when required by law. Policy Adm-016 & Adm-045.
All employees are required to undergo drug testing prior to employment and will be subject to post-accident reasonable suspicion return to duty and follow-up drug and alcohol testing in compliance with Federal and State regulations for alcohol and controlled substance testing. Employees in positions holding responsibility for the safety and welfare of others will also be classified as safety sensitive.
El Rio Health is a non-profit 501(c)3 Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and abides by all applicable federal Drug-Free Workplace standards. El Rio Health is an equal opportunity employer.