Operator, Communications

Kaiser Permanente Northwest; Oregon; On-site; USD 37,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaiser Permanente is seeking an Operator in the Sunnyside Medical Center Communications department to manage high-volume calls, route inquiries to the correct departments, and support staff with on-call scheduling. You will handle emergencies, maintain directories, and ensure accurate information delivery to members and staff.

Primary location is Westside Medical Center with secondary at Sunnyside Medical Center; the role requires strong English, multitasking, and excellent communication skills

Qualifications

• Minimum one (1) year of Operator or related customer service experience.
• Per the National Agreement, current KP Coalition employees have this experience requirement waived.

Responsibilities

• Receives and processes calls at the KSMC call switch; ensures accurate routing of calls for the KSMC campus and other Kaiser clinics; provides information to callers and assists them in finding correct location/department; determines type of call to forward to appropriate line per guidelines; prevents fraudulent use of the phone system; participates in emergencies and drills; maintains pager stock for medical staff.
• Utilizes online clinical information systems (KARE, MIPS, ADT, Master Directory, Physician Scheduling) to facilitate call management; provides location information for hospitalized patients; updates directories and keeps knowledge current; pursues continuing education and training for system changes.
• Maintains staff on-call schedules for physicians and allied healthcare staff; updates call sheets and replacements; assists in locating replacement physicians; ensures specialty consult requests are reached or reallocated.
• Performs scheduling for support departments with on-call after hours; updates call sheets; assists in locating staff; ensures requests for supportive service are fulfilled.
• Prepares and maintains current on-call lists; stays aware of key personnel on duty; assists in pager assignment and replacements.
• Participates in quality reviews and monitoring; collaborates to provide accurate information to members; prepares logs and reports; contributes to department procedures and training of new employees.
• Takes action to diagnose minor/major phone system or computer problems by notifying telecommunications and providing incident details; performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Strong English language skills

Strong interpersonal communication

Conflict resolution ability

Ability to work under pressure

Tools

Siemens/ROLM phone system software

Master Directory online system

KP Internal Home Page

OA, KARE, MIPS

Job description

Job Summary

To provide a communication phone service to our members, patients, and employees that is efficient, accurate and timely in meeting their needs, and which supports the department and organizational policies and procedures in accordance with the Quality of Service Behavior Guidelines.

• Receives and processes calls received at the KSMC call switch; ensures accurate routing of calls received for the KSMC campus, as well as those for other Kaiser clinics, ASCs, and Plan Hospital facilities; provides clear and concise communications consistent with the quality of service behavior guidelines; provides information to callers, and those who come to the department, and assist them in findings the correct location/department to obtain information; determine type of call to forward to appropriate advice or appointment line per guidelines; ensure fraudulent use of the phone system does not happen. Implement hospital response to all emergencies, drills, codes, as directed. Processes calls per department productivity standards; demonstrates knowledge, interaction, and communication skill levels required for different patient populations based upon age-specific needs. Demonstrates accurate and rapid response to all hospital emergency and disaster code calls; monitors emergency alarms. Responsible for the assignment, service, maintenance, stocking, and replacement of pagers for the medical staff.
• Utilizes the online clinical information systems (KARE, MIPS, ADT, Internal Home Page directory, Master Directory, Physician Scheduling) to facilitate timely call management; utilizes KARE to provide information to caller about location of patient who is hospitalized (except confidential admits); maintains online attendant directory and utilizes such to facilitate call routing; utilizes Master Directory online system and KP Internal Home Page to locate phone numbers for all staff and departments. Upgrades computer skills and knowledge as system changes require through continuing education and in-services.
• Maintains accurate schedule of all staff on-call; responsible for following physician staff scheduling for after-hours calls, week-ends, and holidays, for all KP physicians and allied healthcare staff for KSMC, clinics and plan hospitals; updates call sheets for ill calls received and makes sure replacements are documented for all operator work stations; assists in locating replacement physicians when requested; ensures request for specialty consult is reached, and if no response, locate another physician to take the call.
• Perform scheduling activities for all support departments who have staff on-call after hours, week-ends, and holidays at KSMC, clinics, and plan hospitals; updates staff call sheets for ill calls and their replacements; assist in locating staff when requested; ensure request for supportive service is reached, locating another staff until completed.
• Prepare and maintain current list of those on-call for both physician and support services for daily access; aware of key personnel on duty at all times; assist physicians in pager assignment and/or replacements.
• Participate in quality review/monitoring activities; collaborate with departments to ensure accurate and complete information is provided to members at all times; prepare and utilize logs for traffic data; prepare report of all unusual activities and departments response to such; develop, review, and revise department procedures when requested; actively participate in orientation and training of new employees in department as assigned; report all problems promptly to appropriate personnel.
• Takes appropriate action in determining minor and/or major phone system or computer problems by notifying telecommunications and providing necessary details of incident. Other duties as assigned.

Job Summary

To provide a communication phone service to our members, patients, and employees that is efficient, accurate and timely in meeting their needs, and which supports the department and organizational policies and procedures in accordance with the Quality of Service Behavior Guidelines.

• Receives and processes calls received at the KSMC call switch; ensures accurate routing of calls received for the KSMC campus, as well as those for other Kaiser clinics, ASCs, and Plan Hospital facilities; provides clear and concise communications consistent with the quality of service behavior guidelines; provides information to callers, and those who come to the department, and assist them in findings the correct location/department to obtain information; determine type of call to forward to appropriate advice or appointment line per guidelines; ensure fraudulent use of the phone system does not happen. Implement hospital response to all emergencies, drills, codes, as directed. Processes calls per department productivity standards; demonstrates knowledge, interaction, and communication skill levels required for different patient populations based upon age-specific needs. Demonstrates accurate and rapid response to all hospital emergency and disaster code calls; monitors emergency alarms. Responsible for the assignment, service, maintenance, stocking, and replacement of pagers for the medical staff.
• Utilizes the online clinical information systems (KARE, MIPS, ADT, Internal Home Page directory, Master Directory, Physician Scheduling) to facilitate timely call management; utilizes KARE to provide information to caller about location of patient who is hospitalized (except confidential admits); maintains online attendant directory and utilizes such to facilitate call routing; utilizes Master Directory online system and KP Internal Home Page to locate phone numbers for all staff and departments. Upgrades computer skills and knowledge as system changes require through continuing education and in-services.
• Maintains accurate schedule of all staff on-call; responsible for following physician staff scheduling for after-hours calls, week-ends, and holidays, for all KP physicians and allied healthcare staff for KSMC, clinics and plan hospitals; updates call sheets for ill calls received and makes sure replacements are documented for all operator work stations; assists in locating replacement physicians when requested; ensures request for specialty consult is reached, and if no response, locate another physician to take the call.
• Perform scheduling activities for all support departments who have staff on-call after hours, week-ends, and holidays at KSMC, clinics, and plan hospitals; updates staff call sheets for ill calls and their replacements; assist in locating staff when requested; ensure request for supportive service is reached, locating another staff until completed.
• Prepare and maintain current list of those on-call for both physician and support services for daily access; aware of key personnel on duty at all times; assist physicians in pager assignment and/or replacements.
• Participate in quality review/monitoring activities; collaborate with departments to ensure accurate and complete information is provided to members at all times; prepare and utilize logs for traffic data; prepare report of all unusual activities and departments response to such; develop, review, and revise department procedures when requested; actively participate in orientation and training of new employees in department as assigned; report all problems promptly to appropriate personnel.
• Takes appropriate action in determining minor and/or major phone system or computer problems by notifying telecommunications and providing necessary details of incident. Other duties as assigned.

Essential Responsibilities

• Receives and processes calls received at the KSMC call switch; ensures accurate routing of calls received for the KSMC campus, as well as those for other Kaiser clinics, ASCs, and Plan Hospital facilities; provides clear and concise communications consistent with the quality of service behavior guidelines; provides information to callers, and those who come to the department, and assist them in findings the correct location/department to obtain information; determine type of call to forward to appropriate advice or appointment line per guidelines; ensure fraudulent use of the phone system does not happen. Implement hospital response to all emergencies, drills, codes, as directed. Processes calls per department productivity standards; demonstrates knowledge, interaction, and communication skill levels required for different patient populations based upon age-specific needs. Demonstrates accurate and rapid response to all hospital emergency and disaster code calls; monitors emergency alarms. Responsible for the assignment, service, maintenance, stocking, and replacement of pagers for the medical staff.
• Utilizes the online clinical information systems (KARE, MIPS, ADT, Internal Home Page directory, Master Directory, Physician Scheduling) to facilitate timely call management; utilizes KARE to provide information to caller about location of patient who is hospitalized (except confidential admits); maintains online attendant directory and utilizes such to facilitate call routing; utilizes Master Directory online system and KP Internal Home Page to locate phone numbers for all staff and departments. Upgrades computer skills and knowledge as system changes require through continuing education and in-services.
• Maintains accurate schedule of all staff on-call; responsible for following physician staff scheduling for after-hours calls, week-ends, and holidays, for all KP physicians and allied healthcare staff for KSMC, clinics and plan hospitals; updates call sheets for ill calls received and makes sure replacements are documented for all operator work stations; assists in locating replacement physicians when requested; ensures request for specialty consult is reached, and if no response, locate another physician to take the call.
• Perform scheduling activities for all support departments who have staff on-call after hours, week-ends, and holidays at KSMC, clinics, and plan hospitals; updates staff call sheets for ill calls and their replacements; assist in locating staff when requested; ensure request for supportive service is reached, locating another staff until completed.
• Prepare and maintain current list of those on-call for both physician and support services for daily access; aware of key personnel on duty at all times; assist physicians in pager assignment and/or replacements.
• Participate in quality review/monitoring activities; collaborate with departments to ensure accurate and complete information is provided to members at all times; prepare and utilize logs for traffic data; prepare report of all unusual activities and departments response to such; develop, review, and revise department procedures when requested; actively participate in orientation and training of new employees in department as assigned; report all problems promptly to appropriate personnel.
• Takes appropriate action in determining minor and/or major phone system or computer problems by notifying telecommunications and providing necessary details of incident. Other duties as assigned.

Experience

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum one (1) year of Operator or related customer service experience.
• Per the National Agreement, current KP Coalition employees have this experience requirement waived.

Education

• N/A

License, Certification, Registration

• N/A

Additional Requirements

• Multi-line phone system with related computer use.
• Online directory access.
• Communications department or related experience on phone procedures.
• Ability to work well with detail and to prioritize.
• Ability to work with multiple tasks simultaneously with numerous distractions.
• Strong inter-personal communication and conflict management skills.
• Able to work independently (self-directed) and as a team.
• Strong English language skills.
• Demonstrated working proficiency with Windows computer programs, database, and e-mail systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• One (1) or more years of operator experience in medical center communication department.
• Siemens/ROLM phone system software and related computer applications.
• Master Directory online system and KP Internal Home Page.
• Internal KP computer systems: OA, KARE, MIPS, etc.
• Communications department procedures and KSMC procedures.
• Demonstrates critical thinking skills for priority setting.
• Demonstrates highly effective inter-personal communication skills, conflict resolution ability.
• Proven time management and conflict resolution.
• Demonstrates ability to perform multiple tasks in busy environment in a calm and detailed manner.
• Ability to work without direct supervision as part of a team.
• Self-directed.
• Strong English language skills.

Notes

• Hours vary.
• Primary location will be Westside Medical Center (50% of the time), secondary location will be Sunnyside Medical Center (50% of the time)

Kaiser Permanente is an equal opportunity employer committed to fair, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. Applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic or status.

Primary Location: Oregon,Clackamas,Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 1

Shift: Variable

Workdays: Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat

Working Hours Start: 12:01 AM

Working Hours End: 11:59 PM

Job Schedule: Call-in/On-Call

Job Type: Standard

Worker Location: Onsite

Employee Status: Regular

Employee Group/Union Affiliation: W06|SEIU|Local 49

Job Level: Entry Level

Department: Sunnyside Medical Center - MedFac-Communications - 1001

Pay Range: $26.53 - $31.84 / hour

Kaiser Permanente strives to offer a market competitive total rewards package and is committed to pay equity and transparency. The posted pay range is based on possible base salaries for the role and does not reflect the full value of our total rewards package. Actual base pay determined at offer will be based on labor market data, internal alignment, and a candidate's years of relevant work experience, education, certifications, skills, and geographic location.

Travel: Yes, 50 % of the Time

Work Setting: Onsite

Worker location must align with Kaiser Permanente's Authorized States policy.

Kaiser Permanente is an equal opportunity employer committed to fair, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. Applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic or status.