Medical Assistant II

Job Purpose: 

The MA functions under the supervision and guidance of the Clinic Manager, RN Case Manager, RN Team Lead, and/or Provider(s). Participates in the multi-disciplinary process of providing care and treatment to patients. They provide clinical support and technical assistance to the professional medical and other staff. The MA is responsible for functioning within their assigned privileges based on experience, training and competency verification Individual must be able to manage demanding workload with accuracy. In addition, the clinical support triage position will support both front desk operations and clinical support needs. Position requires excellent customer service skills with patients and their families.

Essential Job Functions including, but not limited to:

1. Patient Relations:

• Achieves customer/patient’s satisfaction by greeting and proactively attending to patient needs.
• Responds to patient’s requests in a timely and efficient manner.
• Assists in making patient appointments and obtain all necessary patient information 
• Maintains confidentiality of patient’s information at work and off duty.
• Relaying messages in a timely manner to appropriate health care providers. 
• Participates in performance improvement activities and initiatives on-going.

1. Clinical: 

• Assists Providers with patient office visits which include, rooming patients, interviewing patients, recording vital signs including pulse rate, blood pressure, height and weight, head circumference and entering information in patient electronic medical record (EHR).
• Performs point-of-care lab tests; obtain and process specimens for outside laboratories
• Plans nursing care following agency policies and standard operating procedures when appropriate.
• Performs tasks delegated by the Provider in accordance with The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners and The Louisiana State Board of Nursing.

1. Clerical/Phone Triage Operations

• Maintains patient charts as outlined by each practitioner and according to policy of the Health Center.
• Ensures an efficient system of communication and processing medical calls.
• Ensures that appointment confirmations are done on a daily basis.
• Participates in morning huddle as assigned 
• Orders and retrieves patient’s medical records, x-ray films, scans, lab work, etc. in preparation for the patient’s office visit. 
• Assist in making patient appointments and placing necessary referrals
• Performs administrative tasks, including form completions, prior authorizations, prescription refills and referrals.
• Manage consistent amounts of inbound and outbound calls in a timely, professional manner
• Assess and triage patient symptoms via phone or electronic messaging using established clinical protocols.
• Determine the urgency of patient needs and direct them to the appropriate level of care (e.g., emergency room, primary care, or self-care).
• Document patient interactions accurately in the electronic health record (EHR) in a timely manner.
• Follow communication “scripts” when handling different topics
• Keep records of all conversations in our electronic health record
• Answer questions and offer other information, as requested, to provide patient-focused service and a positive impression of the organization
• Act as a liaison for the patients/callers of the organization
• Direct calls to other departments as necessary and use sound judgement 
• Understand when to escalate calls to medical personnel/management
• Positively contribute to staff morale and corporate culture

1. Safety/Infection Control:

• Strictly adheres to Universal Precautions
• Performs aspects of patient care in an environment that optimizes patient safety and reduces the likelihood of medical/healthcare errors.
• Follows job safety requirement. Reports and documents accidents or incidents within 24 hours of occurrence to the immediate supervisor.
• Organizes exam rooms, including general cleaning, upkeep, and re-stocking of all supplies

1. Workforce Development:

• Responsible for maintaining up-to-date knowledge, skills, and abilities
  • Attends and participates in in-service, monthly staff meetings, continuing education offerings, community training events, conferences, and webinars as appropriate

Required Qualifications

Candidates must be eligible for and/or hold one of the following medical assistant certifications:

Option 1: CCMA (Certified Clinical Medical Assistant) through NHA

• High school diploma or GED/high school equivalency; OR scheduled to complete within 12 months.
• Completion of a Medical Assistant training or education program within the last 5 years; OR
• High school diploma/GED and: 
  • 1 year of supervised work experience in medical assisting within the last 3 years; OR
  • 2 years of supervised work experience in medical assisting within the last 5 years.

Option 2: CMA (AAMA)® – Certified Medical Assistant through AAMA

• Must be a current or past CMA (AAMA)® holder OR a student/graduate of a medical assisting program accredited by the: 
  • Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), OR
  • Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to, stand, sit; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard reach
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work
• Light to moderate lifting is required

Work Environment: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those the employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Moderate noise (i.e. business office with computers, phone, and printers, light traffic).
• Ability to work in a confined area.
• Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period of time.

Travel or Special Requirements:

Driving during the workday as well as local or out of state travel may be required to perform job duties.