Switchboard Operator (32 hours/week)

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Summary

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY: The Switchboard Operator runs the telephone system console to facilitate communication.  Promotes a positive image of Penn Medicine/Lancaster General Health and provides quality service to all customers. Responds to all emergency calls expeditiously and in a calm and courteous manner.  Provides requested information to callers.  Monitors and reports all alarms and communicates operational issues to appropriate departments and personnel in a timely, professional and accurate manner.

HOURS: 32 hours per week, 2nd shift. alternating weekends and Holidays.  Overtime may be mandated if business needs require.
Week 1: Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat 3:00p-11:30p
Week 2: Sun, Wed, Thurs, Fri 3:00-11:30p

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Qualified individuals must have the ability (with or without reasonable accommodation) to perform the following duties:

• Responds to and appropriately routes all incoming calls, per switchboard departmental guidelines.
• Activates proper procedure for all alarms, codes, conditions and emergencies, and notifies appropriate personnel per departmental guidelines.
• Deciphers requests and provides requested information to all internal/external callers, collecting appropriate information and asking appropriate questions to correctly respond to the inquiry, or connect to the designated person to further handle the need.
• Pages on-call personnel and physicians as requested. Distributes new departmental pagers.
• Compiles LGH departmental on-call schedules and disseminates the 24-hour coverage to appropriate areas.
• Interviews customer to collect and document accurate and comprehensive information required for answering service calls and requests per departmental procedures.  Opens an EPIC telephone encounter as needed.
• Establishes and maintains proficiency in EPIC for the purposes of opening encounters, patient look up, non-clinical chart review and appointment cancelations and rescheduling.
• Maintains and updates directory listings, including phone, fax, pager numbers and any other pertinent information in the online directory.
• Assists physicians and hospital personnel in placing of long-distance calls.
• Adapts to learning new skills in an ever-changing environment, including but not limited to procedural, staffing, and/or   technology changes.
• Handles all pertinent medical practice answering service duties, including making sure providers are contacted in appropriate timeframes, for appropriate reasons and as set by guidelines.

SECONDARY FUNCTIONS: The following duties are considered secondary to the primary duties listed above:

• Develops updated list of telephone numbers for executive staff, doctors, departmental personnel for emergencies or problem resolutions.  Also, maintains a current list of all extensions, other hospitals and frequently called numbers.
• Trains and orients new employees for switchboard operator duties.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

MINIMUM REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Previous customer service experience.
• One (1) to two (2) years computer experience.
• High school diploma or equivalent (GED).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• One (1) year of switchboard experience.
• Customer service experience in a healthcare environment.

COGNITIVE REQUIREMENTS

ATTENTION/CONCENTRATION – The following level of ability is essential for the jobholder to focus on certain aspects of current experience and reject others:              

• The position requires the ability to attend to more than one aspect of a situation simultaneously.  It is highly likely that multiple task demands are going to be required of the individual at the same time.

NEW LEARNING AND MEMORY – The following level of ability is essential for the jobholder to learn and retain material:                               

• The position requires that an individual be able to learn new tasks quickly and effectively.  Job requirements change frequently.  The ability to understand and carry out detailed, involved instructions is mandatory.

PROBLEM SOLVING, REASONING AND CREATIVE THINKING – The following level of ability that is essential for the jobholder to think (in order to solve a problem) by combining two or more elements from past experience or imaginative thought:                               

• The position deals with issues or problems that often require thoughtful reasoning before arriving at approaches or solutions.  Some independent thought, planning or origination of options and solutions is necessary.  The individual must have the ability to apply principles of reasoning and problem solving to resolve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

TEMPERAMENTS:  The following are essential requirements of the position in relation to job-worker situations.  These items describe how a worker must adapt, adjust, conform or act:      

Leadership, control and planning: Ability to accept responsibility for leadership, direction, control, planning, negotiating, organizing, directing, supervising, formulating practices, or making final decisions.

Creativity, feelings or ideas: Ability to adapt to situations involving the interpretation of feelings, ideas, or facts in terms of personal viewpoint; to use creativity, self-expression, or imagination.

Influencing others: Ability to influence people in their opinions, attitudes or judgments about ideas or things; to motivate, convince or negotiate.

Repetitive work: Ability to continuously perform the same type of work for extended periods of time, according to set procedures, sequence or pace.

Working within tolerances, set limits or standards: Ability to adapt to situations requiring the precise attainment of set limits, tolerances, or standards; to be precise, thorough, exacting, or meticulous in regard to material worked; or in activities such as numerical determinations, record preparation, or inspecting.

Performing under stressful conditions: Ability to perform under stress when confronted with emergency, critical, unusual, or dangerous situations, or in situations in which working speed and sustained attention are critical aspects of the job. Is subject to danger or risk, or to tension as a regular, consistent part of the job.

Variety and change: Ability to perform a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature without loss of efficiency or composure involving significant differences in technologies, techniques, procedures, environmental factors, physical demands, or work situations.

Communication:  Ability to exchange information with others clearly and concisely; to present ideas, facts and technical information.

Planning and control: Ability to identify task requirements and monitor progress toward accomplishment.

Interpersonal relations: Ability to maintain relationships that facilitate task accomplishment; to cooperate and resolve conflicts; to recognize needs and be sensitive of others.

EQUIPMENT USAGE REQUIREMENTS

Equipment/Tools: :  PC Based Console, telephone, printer, pager, simplex computer, voice mail system, EPIC EMR and Intellidesk, Office supplies.

Software: : E-mail, Microsoft Office applications, Phone software applications.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Rarely 0-10%; Occasionally 11-35%; Frequently 36-70%; Continuously 71-100%

Body Position/Movement:

• Sit: Continuously
• Stand: Rarely
• Walk: Occasionally
• Bend: Rarely
• Push: Rarely
• Pull: Rarely
• Kneel/Squat: Rarely
• Reach: Occasionally
• Twist: Rarely
• Balance: Rarely
• Climb: Rarely

Lifting: Degree of physical exertion is:

Light, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects.

Sensory Abilities specifically required:

• Vision
• Hearing

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

WORKING CONDITIONS: Exposure to hazardous conditions/ materials is negligible.                                 

Disclaimer: This job description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job.  It is intended to be a reflection of those principal job elements essential for recruitment and selection, for making fair job evaluations, and for establishing performance standards.  The percentages of time spent performing job duties are estimates, and should not be considered absolute.  The incumbent shall perform all other functions and/or be cross-trained as shall be determined at the sole discretion of management, who has the right to amend, modify, or terminate this job in part or in whole.  Incumbent must be able to perform all job functions safely.

Disclaimer

LGH Full Time Posted on 10/22/2024