Medical Office Assistant III (Prior Authorizations)

MedStar Health; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 38,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

MedStar Health is seeking a detail-oriented administrative assistant for the Cardiac Arrhythmia Center in Washington, DC. The role supports clerical and medical office tasks across multiple physicians, ensuring efficient patient flow and accurate record-keeping.

duties include scheduling, registration, billing, dictation, and file management. The position is full-time; SEIU Local 722 represents the role, with standard office hours and duties aligned to hospital policy.

Qualifications

• Requires HS diploma and may require up to 1 year of technical training in secretarial/medical office support.
• 1–3 years of experience in medical office preferred.
• Strong organizational and communication abilities.

Responsibilities

• Receives and screens telephone calls and visitors; routes inquiries per department/hospital policy.
• Schedules patient appointments and tests; manages calendars and pre-admissions testing where applicable.
• Completes preliminary registration for new patients and updates patient information in scheduling systems.
• Enters physician charges into billing systems; reviews codes and handles co-payments as needed.

Skills

Medical terminology

Data entry

Typing

Phone screening

Calendar management

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Secretarial/medical office training

Tools

Word processing software

Billing/scheduling systems

Job description

About the Job

Department: Cardiac Arrhythmia Center
Status: Full-time, 40-hours per week
Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm

This Full-Time position will be represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 722.

General Summary of Position

This is the second job in a series of two that perform clerical/secretarial/administrative office support functions in a medical setting/office at WHC. May be a secretary for one or more physicians medical or professional staff.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Receives and screens telephone calls and visitors to the office. Determines the need(s) of the caller/visitor and addresses them accordingly providing information per department/ Hospital policy. Refers inquiries of a technical nature to an appropriate staff member. May make call for physicians and/or staff including calling in refill prescriptions (with authorization/ approval) to a pharmacy. Takes and forwards messages.
• Schedules appointments for patients including coordinating appointments with other medical offices and for tests including pre-admissions testing. Confirms appointments. May give instructions to patient explain an upcoming procedure/test and/or answer questions. Maintains calendar(s) for a physician staff and/or department/clinic including patient appointments surgeries meetings etc. Collects needed information (including patient charts prior to appointment/meeting and may brief attendees. Makes travel arrangements and prepares expense reports as required.
• Completes preliminary registration for new patients and updates information on existing patients (inpatients and/or outpatients) in the Hospital's or department's scheduling system. Obtains necessary demographic and insurance information referrals pre-certifications signatures copies etc. May make/create patient chart or request existing one from Medical Records. Verifies all information. May make referrals when patient has no insurance or means to pay for services.
• Enters physician charges into billing system(s). Reviews codes to ensure proper billing. Corrects errors or returns forms to medical staff for completion/correction. Responds to questions regarding bills from patients referring physicians office staff insurance companies and the Hospital's Patient Financial Services Department. May accept co-payments and make deposits.
• Transcribes dictation including patient narrative and/or discharge summaries general correspondence and memoranda. Types letters correspondence memoranda grants proposals statistical and budget reports from dictation rough drafts and/or verbal instructions. Prepares and edits manuscripts articles and abstracts for presentation and/or publication. Composes correspondence for signature based on accepted departmental norms. May compose and send correspondence under own signature as appropriate.
• Establishes and maintains a variety of files records logs charts etc. including departmental files. Retrieves files records charts and/or the information therein as necessary including personnel information/time sheets. Performs basic data collection and tabulation creating summaries and reports. Prepares and distributes monthly on-call schedules to attendings residents and appropriate departments Records continuing medical education activities of department personnel. Maintains financial records such as budget/fiscal reports ensuring that budgetary guidelines are maintained. Prepares vouchers.
• Makes arrangements for meetings/conferences/departmental events including but not limited to: inviting guests/speakers and making their travel arrangements; agenda preparation; creation of handouts; determining lodging meeting and meal arrangements for attendees; organizing registration; and arranging for certificates and honoraria; etc.
• Maintains and orders supplies for personnel/department as needed or requested. Audits bills and ensures prompt payment.
• Receives opens and date stamps incoming mail. Reviews sorts and directs mail to the appropriate person in accordance with departmental policy.
• Orients new employees including residents to Hospital procedures schedules and requirements.

Minimal Qualifications

Education

• High School Diploma or GED required
• May require up to 1 year of technical or other specialized training including advanced training in secretarial/medical office support (e.g.: typing/keyboarding/word processing medical terminology medical insurance/billing etc.) and office administrative procedures including customer service etc.

Experience

• 1 to 3 years experience preferably in a doctor's office or medical environment/ health care setting demonstrating organizational skills and a working familiarity with medical terminology and office computers (PC's and/or mainframes) performing word-processing/typing and data entry preferably in a for an executive/staff with diversified needs required

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Requires the ability to read and write; and knowledge of grammar and arithmetic including fractions and decimals.
• May require the use of standard office/medical equipment (i.e. typewriter personal computer data terminal on-line printer calculator telephone facsimile copier sterilizing equipment blood pressure cuff or tables); the preparation comparison or checking of reports records and related data; and basic use of formulas charts tables drawings and knowledge of their application.

This position has a hiring range of USD $27.67 - USD $41.77 /Hr.