Medical Secretary

POSITION SUMMARY

The Medical Secretary works as part of the medical office team performing those clerical duties necessary to prepare patients for a visit, to arrange for payment, and to make reappointments when necessary.  Duties include telephone answering, making appointments, preparing medical charts, gathering third-party payment information, recording charges, and collecting fees, and other duties as may be assigned.

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions Statement(s)

• Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments and medical consultations.
• Answer telephones, and direct calls to appropriate staff.
• Greet visitors, ascertain purpose of visit, and direct them to appropriate staff.
• Interview patients to complete documents and forms such as intake and insurance forms.
• Operate office equipment such as copy machines, fax machines, voice mail messaging systems, and use word processing and other software applications to prepare reports or letters.
• Transmit correspondence and medical records by mail, e-mail, or fax.
• Perform various clerical and administrative functions, such as ordering and maintaining an inventory of supplies.
• Arrange hospital admissions for patients.
• Complete insurance and other claim forms.
• Ensures patient confidentiality, and provides patients with needed information.
• Observes patients in waiting room and reports any apparent illness or distress to clinical staff.
• Participates in clinic in-services and meetings.
• Establishes that each patient is advised of the Sliding Fee Scale and makes adjustments accordingly. Updates patient income and demographics every annually, or sooner, if necessary.
• Collects and receives patient fees, and collects and maintains patient registration and utilization data for the UDS reports. Maintains petty cash drawer for clinic.
• Mail/Fax lab reports to other physicians' offices, copies medical records, and places lab and x-ray reports in charts in a timely manner.
• Performs necessary duties on computer system in clinic office. Performs any other duties assigned by the supervisor.
• Participates in the organization's Quality Improvement activities and assist in any role deemed necessary for providing primary health care.
• Provide patient-centered service that is culturally and linguistically appropriate
• Assist in coordinating seamless transitions of patient care across multiple care setting by using the combined expertise of care team members.
• Employ active listening techniques during interaction with patients, families, and team members
• Utilize quality data to identify process changes that will improve individual patient and population management
• Use health information systems efficiently to manage and improve services at the individual and system levels and ensure that delivery of timely and accurate information
• Participate in care team huddles to prepare and coordinate patient care activities
• Other duties as may be assigned
• Travel to fill in at other locations is required.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Competency Statement(s)

• Enthusiastic - Ability to bring energy to the performance of a task.
• Ethical - Ability to demonstrate conduct conforming to a set of values and accepted standards.
• Communication, Oral - Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word.
• Customer Oriented - Ability to take care of the customers’ needs while following company procedures.
• Accountability - Ability to accept responsibility and account for his/her actions.
• Active Listening - Ability to actively attend to, convey, and understand the comments and questions of others.
• Conflict Resolution - Ability to deal with others in an antagonistic situation.
• Friendly - Ability to exhibit a cheerful demeanor toward others.
• Honesty / Integrity - Ability to be truthful and be seen as credible in the workplace.
• Interpersonal - Ability to get along well with a variety of personalities and individuals.
• Patience - Ability to act calmly under stress and strain, and of not being hasty or impetuous.
• Reliability - The trait of being dependable and trustworthy.
• Tactful - Ability to show consideration for and maintain good relations with others.
• Working Under Pressure - Ability to complete assigned tasks under stressful situations.
• Time Management - Ability to utilize the available time to organize and complete work within given deadlines.

Safety Awareness - Ability to identify and correct conditions that affect employee safety.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Education: High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED)

Experience: No prior experience necessary

Computer Skills: Use of electronic medical record and other information technology will be required.

Certificates & Licenses: N/A

Other Requirements

The ability to relate with effectiveness to the public, the patient, and the health care providers of the health center;  The ability to effectively perform several duties of the medical office, the ability to organize and achieve goals in a hectic setting, the ability to perform basic mathematical functions consistently and correctly.