Medical Assistant

Where You’ll Work

Founded in 1910, Dignity Health - Mercy Hospital is a 229-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in Bakersfield, California. Serving nearly 90,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including Level II NICU, cancer care, women’s health, and orthopedics. Additionally, Mercy Hospital Downtown & Mercy Hospital Southwest have been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. They are both Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Centers. Mercy Hospital Downtown offers the only inpatient Oncology Unit in Bakersfield while Mercy Hospital Southwest has the only Obstetric Emergency Department in Bakersfield.

One Community. One Mission. One California 

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As our Medical Assistant, you'll keep the day running smoothly and efficiently for your patients and clinical team. Every day, you will take the lead on proactively preparing patient charts, ensuring all information is obtained and up-to-date for those seen in our facility. You can expect to have multiple patients daily depending on the number of physicians are on-site. Your success in this role comes from your enthusiasm to help others, work efficiently, and your empathy for our patients.

• Answer telephones in a timely and professional manner. Take accurate phone messages and relay them to appropriate staff and physician in a timely manner. Maintain communication among the staff, physician, patient, insurance company and hospital. Ensures timely response to pharmacy matters, including Rx faxes. Communicate with appropriate personal when issuing related to authorization medical information may have measurable effect on care provider.
• Prepares exam rooms with necessary supplies while maintaining a clean, organized, and safe environment, and performing patient care services that support the physician / provider's practice under the clinical supervision of the Physician or Nurse Practitioner. Rooms patients in a timely fashion to expedite patient flow. Assisting in preparing patients for examinations or procedures, assisting with procedures, relaying instructions from the physician to a patient or authorized person, and collecting patient data. Administering medications specifically directed by the physician and performing accurate vital sign measurements and documentation. Follows all hospitals policies regarding patient care and safety. Scheduling tests and off-site procedures as necessary. Maintain an organized environment to facilitate patient care as follow-up. Work with physicians, insurance providers, and pharmacies to obtain authorizations for patient medication, including refills. Completes vital signs, documents results in medical record and ensures all intake forms and medications are documented in the medical record.
• Priorities and organized time effectively to ensure efficient operations. Demonstrates the ability to be flexible and offers to assist co-workers to provide effective flow. Update and inform Supervisor regarding crucial issues, including concerns regarding any aspects of welfare or physician.
• Ensures the chart are prepared for the physician to effectively conduct the clinic appointment. IE; Imaging or specialty results etc. Ensures timely completion of patient related correspondence, e.g. disability forms. Maintain log of pt correspondence forms to ensure follow-up an requests. Completes all referrals and authorizations for services as requested by MD.

Job Requirements

Required:

• Must have completed a medical assistant training program
• Two (2) years of experience in an outpatient setting as clinical medical assistant
• Basic Life Support - CPR (AHA)
• Medical Assistant Certification: CA (MAC:CA) or National Registered/Certified Medical Assistant NAHP (NRCMA)

Please be advised that this location requires quarterly American Heart Association (AHA) Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) competency certification post-hire. This ongoing competency is required through resources internal to the facility; outside RQI competency resources are not acceptable for CommonSpirit Health compliance requirements.