Hospital Communications Operator

Full Job Description

Under general supervision, to operate a computerized communications console and other telephone, paging, emergency, and alarm devices that are part of the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare System communications network or to work in the Protective Services Control Center monitoring cameras and alarms and dispatching associated calls.

Distinguishing Characteristics
The Hospital Communications Operator classification is distinguished from the Communications Dispatcher classification series in that the Hospital Communications Operator performs duties within a Hospital and Protective Services Control Center setting, whereas the Communications Dispatcher series is expected to answer 911 emergency and non-emergency calls, dispatch incoming requests for law enforcement, and dispatch fire and medical services.

The Power of WE: Together, we can make a greater impact. Bringing better care and expanding healthcare services across the community.

The County of Santa Clara operates Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH), the second largest public health care system in California and includes four acute care hospitals, 14 clinics, and 60+ specialty and sub-specialty services.

Our mission is to provide high-quality, accessible healthcare and excellent service to everyone in Santa Clara County.

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center: SCVMC is a full-service tertiary acute care teaching hospital with 699 licensed beds providing a wide range of specialized services, including Rehabilitation, Burn, Trauma, and NICU.

SCVMC was ranked by U.S.

News and World Report as #6 Rehabilitation Hospital in the nation and #1 in the West and designated as a 2024 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care, Heart Failure, Stroke, Hip Fracture, and Pneumonia.

O'Connor Hospital: O'Connor Hospital (OCH) is a 358 licensed bed acute care facility offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient medical, surgical and specialty programs to residents of Santa Clara County.

It was founded in 1889 as one of the first hospitals in the county. OCH has grown significantly over the past five years in both its inpatient volume and its Emergency Department visits.

Along with these volume increases other ancillary and clinical departments like imaging, lab, pharmacy, and respiratory have seen growth as well.

St. Louise Regional Hospital: Since 1989, St.

Louise Regional Hospital (SLRH) has been caring for the residents in Santa Clara and San Benito Counties, offering a wide range of inpatient and outpatient medical specialties.

SLRH has 93 beds, is a Designated Primary Stroke Center, and is the only acute care hospital in the area. Located in Gilroy, SLRH maintains a CALSTAR 2 emergency helicopter base on the premises.

Regional Medical Center: Regional Medical Center (RMC) is a 258-bed hospital that is the main emergency healthcare provider for East San José, treating a wide range of critical and life-threatening conditions for more than 60 years.

Since the SCVH integration of RMC effective 4/1/25, RMC has expanded the critical services including Level II trauma, Thrombectomy capable Stroke Center and STEMI care, and has been seeing an increased number of emergency visits and inpatient volume.

Learn more about the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare system: http://www.scvmc.org/, https://och.scvh.org/home, https://slrh.scvh.org/home, https://rmc.scvh.org/home,

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Requirements

The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.

• Answers routine and emergency telephone calls (including TTY calls) and through inquiry determines and makes connection;
• Utilizes multiple computerized and telecommunications programs and devices to page and locate physicians and other persons within the hospital system;
• Relays messages for physicians and care teams;
• Provides information to callers concerning clinic schedules, visiting hours, services of the various hospital departments and outpatient clinics, locations of facilities/services, and when permissible, locations of patients or medical personnel;
• Places phone calls for employees and patients;
• Monitors fire and smoke alarms, alerts appropriate personnel regarding specific location of alarms, and follows prescribed follow-up procedures 24 hours a day, seven days a week;
• Monitors cardiac arrest alarms, uses overhead and individual pagers to contact code team to immediately respond to emergency codes, verifies that team members have arrived, and repages when necessary;
• Monitors other alarms and video equipment within the hospital, including pharmacy storage alarms, infant security system, fire pump (water) monitor, and panic buttons in departments and dispatches protective services and environmental/maintenance services personnel as required;
• Monitors security cameras and dispatches associated calls;
• Verifies that Protective Services Officers have arrived on calls and assigns additional officers if necessary;
• Operates a communications radio when Protective Services Office clerical staff is not doing so, dispatches radio traffic (Protective Services Officers, Sheriff s Office, etc.), and logs traffic in the radio log;
• Issues equipment from the Control Center to Protective Services Officers as necessary;
• Maintains constantly changing database of phone and pager numbers by name and location;
• Maintains changing rosters of on-duty personnel, including those in various medical services, respiratory therapy, and environmental services and routinely uses those rosters to locate on-duty personnel;
• Refers callers to other service agencies as necessary;
• Maintains various logs and records of communications activity on a daily basis;
• Activates the Emergency Telephone Power Failure Switch and follows prescribed procedures when the communications system fails;
• Alerts on-duty staff regarding major and minor trauma arrivals in the Emergency Room and logs notification of those arrivals and the estimated minutes to arrival; dispatches protective services and medical personnel to the roof/other site of helicopter arrival;
• May be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW), as required;*
• Performs related duties, as required.

Qualifications

Sufficient education, training, and experience to demonstrate the ability to perform the above tasks, plus the possession and direct application of the following knowledge and abilities.

Training and Experience Note: The required knowledge and abilities are attained through possession of one (1) year of full-time work experience operating a computerized telecommunications system.

Special Requirements

• Ability to travel to alternate locations in the course of work. If driving, possession of a valid California driver’s license prior to appointment and the ability to qualify for and maintain a County driver authorization.

*As a condition of employment, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 3100-3109 and Local Ordinance, all County of Santa Clara employees are designated Disaster Service Workers (DSWs), including extra help.

A DSW is required to complete all assigned DSW-related training, and in the event of an emergency, return to work as ordered.


Knowledge of:
• Operation of a computerized communications console;
• Basic computer operations including use of communications and database programs;
• Sufficient, appropriate fluency and vocabulary in English and any other language the employee is certified to use with the public;
• Telephone courtesy and appropriate behavior toward staff, patients, and public;
• Familiarity with medical terminology to be able to assist callers/visitors with services and locations of the various hospital departments and outpatient clinics;
• English usage, style, grammar, punctuation, and spelling;
• Common computer systems and applications.
Ability to:

• Operate the hospital’s computerized call director console and the various alarm/emergency systems quickly and accurately;
• Learn the various Emergency Procedures Codes applicable to Santa Clara Valley Healthcare;
• Keep accurate and complete records;
• Learn and remember names, locations, numbers, and emergency procedures;
• Think quickly, prioritize, and perform multiple tasks effectively under stress;
• Communicate in a calm and reassuring manner under stressful conditions;
• Speak clearly and enunciate well in English;
• Be courteous, polite, and effective in dealing with staff, patients, and the public;
• Work odd hours and rotating shifts, including weekends and holidays;
• Employ good eye/hand coordination and finger dexterity;
• Type on a computer keyboard at a speed sufficient to perform typical tasks above;
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, at all levels, including colleagues, the public, and representatives of other agencies.