Medical Assistant

Grace Health; London (KY); On-site; USD 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Grace Health in London, Kentucky, is hiring a Medical Assistant to prepare patients for examinations, assist physicians with various procedures, and maintain medical records. The ideal candidate should have a high school diploma and strong communication skills. Responsibilities include taking vital signs, documenting patient history, and maintaining a clean and organized work environment. This role is essential in delivering compassionate and high-quality health care to the community.

Qualifications

• Must have strong written and oral communication skills.
• Completion of a recognized medical assistant program is required.
• Pleasant personality and cooperative attitude are essential.

Responsibilities

• Prepare patients for examinations.
• Assist physicians during exams and procedures.
• Manage patient records and maintain confidentiality.

Skills

Pleasant personality

Cooperative attitude

Strong written and oral communication skills

Computer skills

Education

High school diploma

Certification as a medical assistant

Job description

Summary

Prepare patients prior to physician examinations and assist in exams and procedures.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Greeting patients in the waiting room and escorting them to the exam room.
• Preparing patients for examination; taking vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, respirations, height, weight, and pulse oximetry).
• Documenting chief complaint, past medical, surgical, social, and family histories and updates as needed in the patient’s electronic medical record.
• Properly preparing the patient for the exam and assisting the physician as needed with exams, ultrasounds, and procedures.
• Ensuring all pertinent pre‑clinic laboratory or other pertinent data is in the chart at the time of visit (ex: hospital follow ups, Kaspers, etc.).
• Reviewing and updating immunization records.
• Having working knowledge of setting up and assisting with minor surgery, suturing, casting, social service exams, gynecologic exams, toenail removal, and cryosurgery.
• Performing phlebotomy, urinalysis, and other in‑office laboratory tests.
• Preparing slides for urinalysis, KOH, and wet‑prep microscopic exam.
• Practicing Universal Precautions at all times utilizing available safety equipment (gloves, masks, face shields, goggles, gowns, etc.).
• Maintaining well‑cleaned/sanitized and stocked rooms and laboratory area.
• Managing inventory of medical supplies and equipping exam rooms with appropriate supplies.
• Cleaning and sanitizing instruments regularly.
• Performing in‑office diagnostic testing such as EKG, diabetic retinopathy, PFT, and CLIA waived testing.
• Using computer knowledge to operate the lab computer for entering laboratory tests and retrieving results.
• Being knowledgeable about all vaccines and injectable medications.
• Administering injectable medications with proper intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal technique, correct needle size, and injection sites.
• Preparing and administering immunizations, allergy, or other injections.
• Assisting with phone triage and scheduling patient appointments as needed.
• Knowing the closing office procedure—including turning off equipment, cleaning exam rooms, cleaning instruments, restocking exam rooms, etc.
• Informing appropriate personnel when supply inventory for exam rooms and/or lab is low.
• Maintaining current license and certification if applicable.
• Assisting with lifting patients as needed, always using proper body mechanics and lifting techniques.
• Covering clerical positions with filing and telephone operations when employees are on break, lunch, or otherwise absent, when necessary.
• Obtaining patient insurance pre‑authorization for all medications, referrals, and procedures.
• Performing all other duties as assigned.
• Being detail‑oriented and highly organized.
• Maintaining confidentiality at all times.
• Maintaining a safe, secure, and healthy work environment by establishing and following standards and procedures and complying with legal regulations.
• Updating job knowledge regularly by participating in educational opportunities and/or reading professional publications.
• Having strong communication skills—speaking clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listening and seeking clarifications; responding well to questions.
• Being knowledgeable on medications, disease processes, diets, etc. to effectively educate patients and properly answer patient questions.

Other Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Recognizing that managing patient care is a team effort that involves clinical and non‑clinical staff and that each role is important to success.
• Demonstrating excellent team communication and coordination to provide high‑quality patient care.
• Communicating professionally with community organizations, health plans, facilities, and specialists.
• Understanding and embracing the concept of population management and proactively addressing the needs of patients and families served by the practice.
• Demonstrating skill and knowledge related to effective communication with vulnerable patient populations.
• Participating in continuous quality improvement activities within the organization to ensure patients receive high‑quality care.
• Involving all team members in the process of improving quality outcomes.
• Participating in the review and evaluation processes of practice performance and helping identify opportunities for improvement.
• Participating in the organization's advocacy program.

General Duties

• Following policies and procedures of the office, including administrative, clinical, quality assurance, and personnel.
• Maintaining good attendance (daily, meetings, and other assignment tasks).
• Maintaining timely documentation of all work assignments.
• Maintaining patient confidentiality.
• Routinely keeping supervisor informed about attendance and job assignments.
• Being flexible and able to multitask.
• Working effectively and at an efficient, timely pace.
• Working cooperatively with providers, administration, and peers.

Qualification Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to assist in advancing Grace Health’s mission and perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Skills

• Pleasant personality
• Cooperative attitude
• Completion of a recognized medical assistant program
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Computer skills

Education and/or Experience

Must have a high‑school diploma and either significant on‑the‑job experience or certification as a medical assistant.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an 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 talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; sit; and use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

Grace Health is a faith‑based, federally qualified community health center (FQHC) that provides primary health services to underserved, underinsured, and uninsured individuals in the southeastern Kentucky region. Our mission is “to show the love and share the truth of Jesus Christ to southeastern Kentucky, through access to compassionate, high‑quality, primary health care for the whole person”.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an 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.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Grace Health provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.