Medical Assistant-Triage

US Digestive Health; Altoona (PA); On-site; USD 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

US Digestive Health in Altoona, PA is seeking a Medical Assistant with certification or an associate degree to support clinical operations and patient care.

You will triage calls, assist providers, manage patient information with confidentiality, and coordinate referrals while maintaining excellent communication with patients and staff.

The role requires tact, empathy, and strong phone etiquette, with duties performed under supervision and in collaboration with the Director of Clinical Services.

Qualifications

• Medical Assistant with Certification or Associates Degree.
• Excellent phone etiquette and communication skills.
• Strong people skills.
• Ability to deal tactfully and effectively with patients, other employees and physicians.

Responsibilities

• Keeps all patient information confidential.
• Performs routine work under general supervision.
• Follows established procedures, referring all new or unusual questions/concerns to Director of Clinical Services.
• Acts as patient advocate, ensuring a setting that protects the rights of the patient and provides an atmosphere that does not compromise wellbeing, safety, or dignity.
• Communicates relevant information to provider, Director of Clinical Services, patient care staff and all staff to maintain continuity of patient care.
• Triages patient calls to appropriate processer and coordinates referrals as needed.
• Clears prescription refills with providers and forwards renewals to pharmacies.
• Instructs patients on procedures and prep, and ensures proper instructions are given.
• Under supervision of providers – share abnormal diagnostic results, pathologies, and labs with patients as needed.
• Coordinates patient referrals requested to local and tertiary specialists.

Skills

Phone etiquette

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Medical Assistant Certification

Associate Degree in Medical Assisting

Job description

Description

Job Classification: Category I - A position in which an employee has occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens.

Job Relationships

• Reports to Director of Clinical Services.
• Regular interaction with Providers.
• Works cooperatively with Providers and staff (Patient Care as well as other departments).

Physical Activities and Requirements: Typical Physical and Mental Demands

• Full range of body motion. Manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination.
• Frequent mobility and/or sitting required for extended periods of time. Some bending, lifting, and stooping required.
• Normal color perception and corrected visual acuity.

D. Involvement with management of information concerning physician, staff, hospital personnel, and patients. Occasional high stress work may require dealing with less than professional behavior in interaction.

Responsibilities/Accountable for

• Triage patient calls to appropriate processer.
• Acting as liaison between the physician and the patient.
• Assume the role of patient advocate.
• Make every effort to remain a flexible, cooperative and supportive member of the office staff.

Duties and Tasks Include, but are not limited to

General:

• Keeps all patient information, practice information, and staff information strictly confidential.
• Performs routine work under general supervision.
• Follows established procedures, referring all new or unusual questions/concerns to Director of Clinical Services.
• Acts as patient advocate, ensuring a setting that protects the rights of the patient and provides an atmosphere that does not compromise the patient’s physical or mental wellbeing, safety, or dignity.
• Demonstrates knowledge of Policies and Procedures.
• Attends all required staff meetings.

Specific:

• Deal compassionately, professionally and courteously with patients, their families, physicians and fellow staff.
• Handle incoming patient calls concerning medical concerns and symptoms for providers and PA’s. Provider is then notified of medical problem(s) either in documenting in EMR or by phone depending on urgency of problem(s). Then a response is recalled to the patient with provider’s instructions.
• Identifies an emergency situation and is able to effectively triage problem.
• Clear prescription refills with providers and submits renewals via electronic submission or phone when necessary to Pharmacies.
• Attends to patient medication prior Authorizations, accumulates necessary documentations and forwards info to patient pharmacy services and notifies patient of pharmacy decision on medication.
• Instructs patients on questions about procedures, procedure preps, orders diagnostic test and assures patient has appropriate instructions (paper documentation, diagnostic order requests, etc.).
• Under supervision of providers – give abnormal diagnostic results, pathologies, labs to patients not returning soon for follow up visit.
• Consistently shows ability to recognize and deal with priorities.
• Maintains accurate documentation of all phone conversations in patient’s EMR records and have signed off by provider .
• Communicates relevant information to provider, Director of Clinical Services, patient care staff and all staff to maintain continuity of patient care.
• Demonstrates good judgment and reasoning when investigating and problem solving.
• Demonstrates ability to tactfully handle difficult situations.
• Coordinate patient referrals requested to local and tertiary specialists.

Summary Statement

This job description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job; it is intended to be a reflection of those principal job elements essential for recruitment and selection, for making fair job evaluations, and for establishing performance standards.

Requirements

Education and Experience

Medical Assistant with Certification or Associates Degree

Excellent phone etiquette and communication skills and strong people skills.

Possesses the ability to deal tactfully and effectively with patients and their families, other employees and physicians.