Central Communications Operator
Sentara Health
Summary
Central Communications Operators play a critical role in ensuring seamless, timely communication across Sentara hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, and afterhours call services. Operating within a centralized, 24/7 environment, this role serves as the primary hub for emergency and nonemergency communications—supporting rapid response coordination, internal escalation, and exceptional customer service. Success in this role requires the ability to stay calm under pressure, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and communicate with urgency and precision during high impact situations.
Job description
Education
- High School Diploma or equivalent (Required)
Certification/Licensure
- No specific certification or licensure required at time of hire
Experience
- 2 years of experience in a high-volume, fast-paced communications, call center, or service operations environment, such as healthcare, emergency services, telecommunications, public safety, or centralized customer support (Required)
The ideal candidate will possess the following (Preferred):
- Demonstrated ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately
- Knowledge of emergency codes and hospital incident command systems
- Proficiency with multi-line phone systems, paging systems and emergency notification platforms
- Experience with electronic health record systems and call management software
- Ability to troubleshoot communication equipment under pressure
- High attention to detail and accuracy in documentation
Requirements
- High School Diploma or equivalent (Required)
- 2 years of experience in a high-volume, fast-paced communications, call center, or service operations environment, such as healthcare, emergency services, telecommunications, public safety, or centralized customer support (Required)
- Demonstrated ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately (Preferred)
- Knowledge of emergency codes and hospital incident command systems (Preferred)
- Proficiency with multi-line phone systems, paging systems and emergency notification platforms (Preferred)
- Experience with electronic health record systems and call management software (Preferred)
- Ability to troubleshoot communication equipment under pressure (Preferred)
- High attention to detail and accuracy in documentation (Preferred)
Benefits
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- Adoption, Fertility & Surrogacy Reimbursement
- Paid Time Off
- Sick Leave
- Paid Parental Leave
- Family Caregiver Leave
- Emergency Backup Care
- Long-Term Disability
- Short-Term Disability
- Critical Illness Plans
- Life Insurance
- 401(k) Matching
- 403(b) Matching
- Tuition Assistance
- Student Debt Pay Down
- Pet Insurance
- Legal Resources Plan
- Annual Discretionary Bonus
- Sign-On Bonus
Company overview
Sentara Health is a leading not-for-profit integrated healthcare delivery system serving Virginia, northeastern North Carolina, and Florida. Founded in 1888 and headquartered in Hampton Roads, Virginia, Sentara operates 12 acute care hospitals across its service area, with 10 hospitals holding prestigious Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. The organization employs approximately 34,000 healthcare professionals and serves over 1 million health plan members through its Sentara Health Plans division. As one of the top 20 largest not-for-profit integrated health systems in the United States, Sentara is nationally recognized for clinical quality, safety, and innovation. The system has received numerous accolades including Health Quality Innovator of the Year (2024), Forbes' "America's Best-In-State Employer" (2024), and inclusion in IBM Watson Health's "Top 15 Health Systems." Sentara's comprehensive services span hospital care, outpatient facilities, home health, hospice services, and specialized programs like the Nightingale air ambulance service, which has completed over 20,000 missions since 1982.