Medical Assistant - General Surgery

UnitedHealth Group; Covina (CA); On-site; USD 22,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Pacific West division in Covina, CA is seeking a Medical Assistant to join the General Surgery team. You will work in a clinical setting delivering high-quality patient care, building relationships with patients and staff, and supporting care coordination.

Hours are Monday–Friday, 7:30–4:30, with opportunities to develop skills in EMR documentation, phlebotomy, injections, and perioperative support.

Qualifications

• Completion of a Medical Assistant program.
• BLS certification from AHA or willing to obtain by date of hire
• 1+ years of experience working as a Medical Assistant

Responsibilities

• Delivers high-quality patient care through face-to-face, telephone, and electronic contact for examinations, treatments, monitoring, and diagnostic procedures
• Collects and documents patient information, including vital signs, chief complaints, medications, allergies, health screenings, and other relevant information
• Assists physicians and nursing personnel with injections, EKGs, phlebotomy, specimen collection, and other patient care procedures as directed and within scope of practice
• Coordinates patient care, including referrals, diagnostic testing, follow-up appointments, telephone calls, and electronic messages, while documenting all actions
• Maintains accurate and complete electronic medical records (EMR) and paper documentation, including preparing patient charts and obtaining necessary medical records
• Prepares and cleans examination rooms, sets up instruments and equipment, and maintains infection control standards
• Prepares, types, and assembles surgical packets, including patient demographics, physician orders, clinical notes, insurance information, and facility-specific documentation
• Assists with surgical coordination, including procedure code verification, insurance authorizations, pre-certifications, and tracking outstanding preoperative requirements under appropriate guidance
• Communicates with hospitals, surgery centers, patients, and internal departments to ensure timely submission of surgical documentation and coordination of care
• Supports surgical scheduling, patient preparation instructions, procedure confirmations, and other administrative needs as assigned
• Participates in cross-training and provides clinical or administrative support to other specialty departments based on operational needs and demonstrated competency
• Performs additional duties as assigned in accordance with organizational standards and policies

Skills

BLS certification

Bilingual English/Spanish

Education

Medical Assistant program

Phlebotomy certification

Job description

For those who want to invent the future of health care, here's your opportunity. We're going beyond basic care to health programs integrated across the entire continuum of care. Join us in making healthcare work better for everyone through people-led, responsible AI while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Optum's Pacific West region is redefining health care with a focus on health equity, affordability, quality, and convenience. From California to Oregon and Washington, we are focused on helping more than 2.5 million patients live healthier lives and helping the health system work better for everyone. At Optum Pacific West, we care. We care for our team members, our patients, and our communities. Join our culture of caring and make a positive and lasting impact on health care for millions.

It is time to take your career to the next level. As a Medical Assistant at Optum, you will learn from health care experts as you work side by side to provide care for patients in a clinical setting. You will build meaningful relationships with patients, their family members, health care providers, and office staff while providing high-quality direct patient care. We'll offer you more than talent, resources, and can-do culture. We will provide you with the chance to improve the lives of others while helping improve the lives of millions.

Department: General Surgery

Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30-4:30PM

Primary Responsibilities

• Delivers high-quality patient care through face-to-face, telephone, and electronic contact for examinations, treatments, monitoring, and diagnostic procedures
• Collects and documents patient information, including vital signs, chief complaints, medications, allergies, health screenings, and other relevant information
• Assists physicians and nursing personnel with injections, EKGs, phlebotomy, specimen collection, and other patient care procedures as directed and within scope of practice
• Coordinates patient care, including referrals, diagnostic testing, follow-up appointments, telephone calls, and electronic messages, while documenting all actions
• Maintains accurate and complete electronic medical records (EMR) and paper documentation, including preparing patient charts and obtaining necessary medical records
• Prepares and cleans examination rooms, sets up instruments and equipment, and maintains infection control standards
• Prepares, types, and assembles surgical packets, including patient demographics, physician orders, clinical notes, insurance information, and facility-specific documentation
• Assists with surgical coordination, including procedure code verification, insurance authorizations, pre-certifications, and tracking outstanding preoperative requirements under appropriate guidance
• Communicates with hospitals, surgery centers, patients, and internal departments to ensure timely submission of surgical documentation and coordination of care
• Supports surgical scheduling, patient preparation instructions, procedure confirmations, and other administrative needs as assigned
• Participates in cross-training and provides clinical or administrative support to other specialty departments based on operational needs and demonstrated competency
• Performs additional duties as assigned in accordance with organizational standards and policies

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications

• Completion of a Medical Assistant program
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from AHA or willing to obtain by date of hire
• 1+ years of experience working as a Medical Assistant

Preferred Qualifications

• Phlebotomy certification
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR) experience
• Bilingual English and Spanish

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The hourly pay for this role will range from $16.00 to $29.00 per hour based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are a drug‑free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.