Medical Assistant

Prepare the patient for the face-to-face visit with the provider:

·         Take vital signs.

·         State reason for visit.

·         Obtain and record patient history.

·         Prepare and assist patient with completing appropriate forms.

·         Follow and update patient care guidelines and place request for standing orders.

·         Medication reconciliation

·         Abstraction of medications and vaccines as needed.

·         Request medical records as needed.

·         Maintain patient flow.

During patient visit:

·         Translate for patient as needed.

·         Do specimen collection.

·         Perform urinalysis,

·         Recheck blood pressures as needed.

·         Provide first aid/CPR as required until healthcare provider/emergency personnel arrives.

Check out patient:

·         Provide patient care plan.

·         Patient education as needed.

·         Provide all appropriate documents for discharge of patient at end of appointment.

·         Report communicable diseases.

·         Coordinate care for individual patients as needed, including but not limited to, referral and testing follow-up and/or communication with other community organizations.

In-Between patients:

·         Prepare and maintain safe and clean examination rooms and treatment areas.

·         Follow appropriate hand hygiene.

Desk Responsibilities:

·         Perform telephone and in-person triage by collecting patient concerns and symptoms within scope of training and certification.

·         Respond to provider task actions and do follow up with patients.

·         Address incoming and outgoing faxes as related to patientcare.

·         Answer the telephone in a professional and respectful manner.

·         Address all incoming calls regarding refill requests, care givers, home health, and ensure patient is transferred to another department as needed.

·         Nurse visits

·         Prior authorizations

Specimen Collection per Healthcare Provider Orders:

• Obtain throat specimen for microbiological testing.
• Perform wound collection procedure for microbiological testing.
• Instruct patients in the collection of a clean-catch mid-stream urine specimen.
• Direct patients for specimen collection.
• Complete laboratory requisitions with the proper information. Use correct ICD-10 coding.
• Obtain capillary puncture.

Diagnostic Testing per Healthcare Provider Orders:

• Use methods of quality control.
• Screen and follow-up test results.
• Perform electrocardiograms.
• Perform vision/hearing screening. Perform Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Perform INR testing.
• Direct patients for diagnostic/x-ray testing.

Medication administration:

• When giving medication, and vaccines, apply and follow the rights of medication administration.
• Update and maintain medication and immunization records.
• Apply pharmaceutical principals to prepare and administer oral, parenteral to include subcutaneous and intramuscular injections.
• Administer vaccines to adults and pediatric patients.

Communication:

• Respond to and initiate electronic communications/provider orders.
• Recognize and respond to verbal communication/provider orders.
• Demonstrate appropriate telephone techniques.
• Communicate provider orders to pharmacies, healthcare facilities, patients, etc.
• Maintain current knowledge of office procedures, pertinent laboratory/diagnostic facilities’ requirements and nursing responsibilities through review of memos, policy & procedures, established protocols, medical assistant practice, etc.
• Write routine reports and correspondence. Read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operation and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals, etc.
• Always communicate effectively and in a professional manner.
• Assist in keeping appointments on schedule.

Coordination of patient’s medical care:

• Follow up with referrals, testing, and other organizations as needed for patient care.

Others:

• Understand and utilize Universal Precautions, and maintain Blood borne Pathogen Standards. and
• Have a working knowledge of an autoclave and understand the proper technique to sterilize instruments, if applicable in the department.
• Participate in the Quality Program through incident reporting and identifying opportunities for improvement. Participate in the Compliance Program through fraud waste and abuse prevention, detection, reporting and protecting patient confidentiality under HIPAA.

Legal Concepts: Identify and respond to issues of confidentiality. Perform within legal and ethical boundaries. Establish and maintain the Electronic Health Record (EHR). Document appropriately, accurately and completely. Perform risk management procedures. Maintain, on an ongoing basis, accurate and up to date quality assurance logs.

Patient Instruction: Explain general office policies. Instruct individuals according to their needs. Instruct and demonstrate the use of and care of patient equipment. Provide instruction for health maintenance and disease prevention. Identify community resources. Clarify and explain healthcare provider instructions when needed. Maintain instructional materials for patient care.

Operational Functions: Perform an inventory of medications, supplies and equipment. Maintain stock through appropriate ordering and disposal. Perform routine maintenance/quality control checks of appropriate clinical equipment. Report any malfunctions/inoperable equipment to appropriate personnel. Input, maintain and transmit all federal / state information as appropriate.

Team Member Participation: Relay nursing related information as appropriate. Participate in the orientation of new employees. Participate in reviewing policies & procedures, job descriptions, etc. as assigned. Communicate new policy & procedures, changes that affect the nursing department. Report on outside conferences attended. Serve on committees as needed or assigned. Direct, monitor and audit staff work activities to ensure delivery of quality care services as assigned. Float to other sites as requested. Accomplish additional duties as requested or volunteering when the need is obvious.