Clinic Secretary

Women's College Hospital (WCH) is an academic, ambulatory care hospital in Ontario with a focus on health for women, health equity and health system solutions. If you're ready to be part of a team that is revolutionizing the future of healthcare, then you will want to join an institution where the possibilities for innovation, new discovery and system thinking are limitless. Women's College Hospital is committed to equity, quality and patient safety as key professional values and essential components of daily practice.

Healthcare Revolutionized 2030 is our roadmap to the future. Our strategy is built on the pledge that the founders of our hospital made 140 years ago and reaffirms our commitment to providing equitable, accessible, best-in-class healthcare for everyone – meeting people where they are on their healthcare journey and partnering with them to reach their goals of living their healthiest lives possible. The stage has been set for Women's to accelerate our priorities and capture the momentum to catapult our system forward to revolutionize healthcare for everyone.

Applicants must reside and be legally eligible to work in Ontario.

This is a Regular Full-Time Opportunity

Type: New

Two exciting opportunities exist as Regular Full-Time Clinic Secretaries exists in the Women's College Academic Family Health Team (WCAFHT), reporting to the Executive Director, Environmental Health Clinic and WCAFHT. The Women's College Academic Family Health Team is one of the largest Family Practice Units within the Department of Family and Community Medicine with over 40 staff Physicians, interprofessional team, administrative and support staff.

Summary of Duties, but not limited to:

Facilitate efficient and timely access to specialty services by receiving and processing referrals and scheduling appointments:

• Receive new referrals and triage according to established guidelines within the Clinic/Program
• Confirm required information and retrieve relevant information from referring source
• Triage to correct clinic/physician using decision algorithms, as applicable
• Confirm triage with physicians and clinical team, as needed
• Create patient record within the Electronic Patient Record
• Schedule patient visits and coordinate required tests
• Communicate scheduled visit to appropriate individuals (referring physician, patient, etc.)
• Monitor clinic schedules to ensure all appointment slots are filled
• Provide patient with all required test information and special preparation instructions
• Provide patient with all logistical information (clinic location, etc.)
• Remind patients of appointment time or have a system in place for reminder calls
• Answer clinic-related phone calls and triage to appropriate staff member
• Follow up on "no-shows"
• Confirm physician schedule of upcoming clinics, as required
• Manage clinician cancellations

Contribute to the efficient operations of clinics by booking complex tests and follow-up appointments and ensuring that the health record for each scheduled patient is up to date:

• Prepare daily patient charts for clinic
• Generate a chart for referrals and retrieve patient results not in the EPR
• File reports not in the EPR in Women's College Hospital records
• Liaise with Health Records regarding chart requests
• Book complex tests and appointments
• Exhibit a strong understanding of procedures, tests, and consult referrals to be booked within the assigned specialty
• Work with the team in the assigned clinic and ensure that team members are informed of updated schedules, room assignments and any potential changes in the clinic schedule
• Effectively communicate with all hospital clients and stakeholders
• Manage consultation letters

Enhance the patient experience by checking patients in for their scheduled appointment and completing the check-out process following the appointment:

• Act as the "face of the hospital"
• Greet patients and visitors in a friendly, courteous and respectful manner
• Provide exceptional customer service to patients, family and visitors
• Print clinic and practitioner schedules prior to clinic, if applicable
• Verify required demographic information
• Validate health card
• Register patient visit in appropriate system for current encounter and track visits in systems as required
• Distribute and collect patient questionnaire or other forms
• Visually scan waiting room to monitor the needs of patients
• Check patients out of clinic as required, including scheduling follow-up appointments and tests
• Verify patient has all instructions and required information post-clinic visit

Engage in administrative activities to support efficient clinic operations and develop a professional environment:

• Participate in process and quality improvement projects to support efficient clinic operations
• Respond to patient and provider inquiries and ensure messages are forwarded appropriately
• Manage and sort incoming and outgoing faxes and mail
• Maintain supply and currency of administrative forms, pamphlets, and supplies to be ordered and restocked when necessary
• Attend and participate in clinical and administrative team meetings and participate in patient/office improvement projects, as required
• Maintain clinical data and statistics, as required
• Follow established policies and procedures
• Provide support to clinic team, as directed
• Process paperwork for non-insured patients/procedures and associated payments

Clinic/Program specific responsibilities:

• Compliance with Fragrance Free Policy is mandatory for this position
• Box/log medical records for off-site storage
• Process transactions for non-insured services including self-pay and third party billings using POS system
• Maintain supply of OTC products to support clinical services
• Support team meetings through generation & distribution of minutes

As a role model and champion you will work to identify and integrate safe, best practices into daily activities to foster the delivery of safe and exemplary care.

The responsibilities described above are representative and are not to be construed as all-inclusive.

Qualifications

• Medical Office Administration diploma required
• 2 years' experience working in an ambulatory clinic, preferably in a hospital setting
• Experience with electronic systems, such as an Electronic Patient Record
• Strong MS Office application skills including Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Ability to work well under pressure and use good judgment in assessing difficult situation
• Ability to produce high quality work in accordance with Hospital standards
• Comprehensive knowledge of health care, organizational/office practices, procedures and standards.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in an inter-professional team
• Excellent organizational and time management skills well developed interpersonal skills, including the ability to handle multiple duties
• Proven attendance and punctuality
• Professional behavior and communication that meets the standards of the professional regulatory college or association, as applicable, and the standards of Women's College Hospital
• This position plays a critical role in acting as an advocate for safety and will demonstrate principles, practices and processes that will optimize a safe environment for all

Why Choose Us?

• Be part of a dedicated team committed to excellence.
• Shape the future of healthcare in a supportive environment.
• Enjoy competitive benefits and an excellent defined benefit pension plan (HOOPP).

Women's College Hospital is a fully affiliated teaching hospital of the University of Toronto and is committed to fairness and equity in employment and our recruitment and selection practices. We encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, members of sexual minority groups, members of racialized groups, women and any others who may contribute to the further diversification of our Hospital community. Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process as required under our Access for People with Disabilities policy. Applicants need to make their requirements known in advance.