10101 - Burial Desk Assistant

The Fund for Public Health in New York City (FPHNYC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to the advancement of the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.  To this end, in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), FPHNYC incubates innovative public health initiatives implemented by DOHMH to advance community health throughout the city. It facilitates partnerships, often new and unconventional, between government and the private sector to develop, test, and launch new initiatives. These collaborations speed the execution of demonstration projects, effect expansion of successful pilot programs, and support rapid implementation to meet the public health needs of individuals, families, and communities across New York City.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Bureau of Vital Statistics is responsible for registration of birth, death, spontaneous and induced termination of pregnancies in New York City. The bureau registers and reports on over 285,000 vital events a year and is a very large operation providing death-related services to customers nearly 24/7. The bureau issues more than 900,000 birth and death certificates and fulfills hundreds of data requests annually. Position is located at 125 Worth Street, Rm. 110, New York, New York 10013.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Under the direction of the Operations Manager, the Burial Desk Assistant will process ongoing and time sensitive COVID death-related transactions received at the Burial Desk from medical facilities, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) and funeral directors in the electronic vital events registration system (eVital.)

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Greet and assist funeral director visitors at the Burial Desk customer service window, maintaining professionalism and ensuring adherence to relevant health and safety protocols, including COVID-19.
• Process electronic and walk-in death certificate orders and other death-related transactions submitted by funeral directors, facilities, and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in the eVital system, including COVID-19-related records.
• Register and process death records promptly to prevent delays in funeral dispositions, including COVID-19 cases where applicable.
• Address eVital system-related issues and direct calls and emails to appropriate teams while offering accurate and courteous information.
• Maintain high productivity and accuracy to meet workload targets, ensuring consistent processing quality across all records, including COVID-19 cases.

Assigned shifts and work hours will vary as the Burial Desk operation is an essential operation and nearly a 24/7 days a week operation, therefore, the Burial Desk Assistant must be prepared to support the operation during day and evening work shifts.

QUALIFICATIONS

Desired skills: Highly organized, Excellent Communication Skills; Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications and Type at least 45 WPM. 

• Maintain confidentiality of department documents and customer information
• Skilled with utilizing electronic systems and software.
• Be able to maintain a high level of productivity and quality output that supports the work load of the unit and director requests.
• Able to handle and work in a fast paced environment and complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner.
• Exhibit good decision making skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

 Education and/or experience

1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State’s department of education or a recognized accrediting organization and five years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience including one year of the administrative supervisory experience as described in “1” above;
2. An associate degree or 60 semester credits from an accredited college; or
3. A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to “1” or “2” above. However, all candidates must have a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent.