Small Animal Emergency Front Desk

University of Georgia; Athens (GA); On-site; USD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Georgia seeks a Small Animal Emergency Front Desk assistant. This role involves assisting the Emergency Critical Care team in accepting patients, managing appointments, and providing cashier services. Candidates should have a high school diploma and strong customer service skills, especially in a fast-paced environment. The job demands lifting up to 50 pounds and effective communication with distressed clients. Opportunities for further learning about veterinary practices are available, ensuring a comprehensive experience in animal care support.

Qualifications

• Experience in a fast-paced environment managing phone calls and client interactions.
• Handling cashier responsibilities while communicating effectively under stress.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for clients seeking emergency veterinary care.
• Assist in receiving patients and triage procedures.
• Process payments and enter patient information into the hospital database.

Skills

Customer service

Ability to lift up to 50 pounds

Confidentiality

Communication skills

Knowledge of veterinary terminology

Proficiency with MS Office

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Small Animal Emergency Front Desk

Position Summary

The primary responsibility for this position will be to assist the Emergency Critical Care team on setting appointments and receiving emergency patients during evenings, overnights, weekends, and holidays. The ECC Vet Asst. will assist clients in delivering their pets to the ECC team, which may include lifting/restraining and transporting into the ER. This incumbent will also answer phones, set up appointments from local referring veterinarians, open patient charts in the hospital database system, and process payments for services.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent

Preferred Qualifications

• Working within a fast paced environment that involves a high volume of phone calls, communicating with clients that may be distressed during the process of dealing with an unwell animal.
• Experience with handling cashier responsibilities while answering phones and entering information into system.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact via phone or in-person for clients to bring their pets for emergency care or having been referred by a local referring veterinarian.
• Provide assistance to clients regarding veterinary services rendered by communicating hospital charges and policies.
• Receive in-coming patients at the Emergency front desk.
• Assist in triage of patients, when able, to determine level of care needed by assisting in the completion of patient profile information.
• Enter patient information into the hospital database system, Vetview, to create a chart for service charges to be entered into.
• Provide cashier services for patients that are released during the shift.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Competencies

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while demonstrating excellent customer service, high degree of confidentiality, openness to teaching and providing consultation to a variety of stakeholders.
• Knowledge of general animal anatomy and ability to recognize signs of medical needs in a patient.
• Possess proven knowledge of veterinary terminology.
• Proficiency with MS Office suite applications and office machines like fax, copier, scanner, etc.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to maintain confidentiality with sensitive information.
• Remember, organize, and consistently focus on large amounts of detail and come to appropriate conclusions.

Physical Demands

• Lift and carry up to 50 pounds, both assisted and unassisted.
• Sit or stand for long periods of time and use of repetitive actions during the entire work shift.
• Use of stairs and different/uneven walking surfaces is common.
• Communicate effectively via telephone, e-mail, and in person to varied stakeholders.
• Utilize computer technology for all applications in a manner that meets performance expectations.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR ([e-mail]).