Part Time Office Assistant - Health Department

Tippecanoe County Government; Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 32,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Tippecanoe County Government's Health Department is seeking an Office Assistant to issue, update, and maintain records and assist the public in person and by phone.

The role involves handling payments, updating medical records, scheduling appointments, answering inquiries, and supporting the nursing division as needed, while ensuring confidentiality per HIPAA guidelines.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or HSE.
• Knowledge of vital records rules, confidentiality and HIPAA guidelines.
• Ability to prepare correspondence and detailed reports.
• Ability to receive and receipt money and perform basic arithmetic.

Responsibilities

• Receives and receipts various fees and balances ledgers daily.
• Maintains medical/immunization records and schedules appointments.
• Answers phone, greets visitors, and provides information.
• Prepares and files legal documents per Indiana codes.
• Maintains confidentiality and adheres to HIPAA guidelines.
• Supports nursing division and coordinates with ISDH and others as needed.

Skills

Public records confidentiality

Communication skills

Multitasking

Bookkeeping basics

Office equipment operation

HIPAA knowledge

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Microsoft Office

Records management software

Job description

Description

Incumbent serves as Office Assistant for Tippecanoe County Health Department, responsible for issuing, updating, maintaining records, and assisting the public.

DUTIES:

• Receives and receipts various fees, including recording payments and balancing ledgers daily with Executive Assistant.
• Maintains and updates medical and immunization records, including scheduling appointments, and reviewing related medical records.
• Keeps supervisor informed of organizational developments.
• Answers telephone and greets office visitors, provides information providing accurate information, taking messages, and/or referring callers to appropriate individuals or department.
• Periodically assists other department personnel with preparing correspondence and assists nursing division as needed.
• Maintains current knowledge on updates and guidelines for immunizations requirements.
• Reviews and contacts insurance companies regarding any discrepancy in payments as needed.
• Maintains patient confidentiality and understands and follows Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines.
• Manages claims including, following up with submitted claims, monitoring unpaid claims, initiating tracers, and resubmitting claims as necessary. Serves as department liaison to Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) hospital personnel, and various agencies and the public, for death certificate record information.
• Schedules, prepares, and files various legal documents according to Indiana codes.
• Scans, searches, attaches all applications, orders, legal documents, and images of work to correct files.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

I. JOB REQUIREMENTS AND DIFFICULTY OF WORK:

• High school diploma or HSE.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Working knowledge of Department and standard office policies and procedures and ability to apply such knowledge to a variety of interrelated processes, tasks, and operations.
• Working knowledge of and ability to make practical application of state and local rules, regulations, and procedures regarding vital records, including receiving, processing, analyzing, filing, certifying, releasing and reporting information, and ability to maintain confidentiality of Department records and information as required.
• Working knowledge of standard English grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and ability prepare correspondence and detailed reports.
• Working knowledge of standard bookkeeping principles, ability to receive and receipt money, and make simple arithmetic computations.
• Keeps supervisor informed of organizational developments.
• Ability to provide public access to, or maintain confidentiality of, department information and records according to State requirements.
• Shall comply with all employer and department policies and work rules, including, but not limited to, attendance, safety, drug‑free workplace, and personal conduct.
• Ability to properly operate a variety of standard office equipment, including computer, scanner, calculator, fax machine, copier, and telephone.
• Ability to understand, memorize, retain, and carry out written or oral instructions and present findings in oral or written form.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions, and work alone with general supervision, and with others in a team environment with minimum supervision.
• Ability to work on several tasks at the same time and complete assignments effectively amidst frequent distractions and interruptions, often under time pressure.
• Ability to compare or observe similarities between data, and to compile, collate, and classify data, analyze, and evaluate and make determinations based on data analyses.
• Ability to apply knowledge of people and locations and plan and layout assigned work projects.
• Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing with co‑workers, other County departments, State Department of Health, hospital personnel, Social Security Administration, Division of Family and Children, Military Services, IVRA members, funeral homes, and the public, including being sensitive to professional ethics, gender, cultural diversities, and disabilities.
• Ability to occasionally work extended hours and travel out of town for conferences and workshops, sometimes overnight.
• Possession of driver’s license and demonstrated safe driving record.

II. RESPONSIBILITY:

• Incumbent performs standard, recurring duties according to a formal schedule and makes accurate decisions based on well‑established guidelines, with priorities determined by the service needs of the public. Assignments are set by following standard operation procedures or policy and procedural manuals. Decisions are always determined by specific instructions for existing, well‑established policies and procedures. Errors in incumbent's work are usually prevented through legally defined procedures, such as Indiana Code(s) and Vital Records Policy and Procedures, errors are detected through notification from other departments or agencies. Undetected errors may result in loss of time for correction and/or inconvenience to other agencies and/or the public.

III. PERSONAL WORK RELATIONSHIPS:

• Incumbent maintains frequent contact with co‑workers, other County departments, State Department of Health, hospital personnel, Social Security Administration, Division of Family and Children, Military Services, IVRA members, funeral homes, and the public, for the purpose of exchanging information, explaining, and interpreting policies and procedures and Indiana Code(s) pertaining to Vital Records.
• Incumbent reports directly to Office Manager/Registrar.

IV. PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Incumbent performs duties in a standard office environment involving sitting/walking at will, sitting/standing/walking for long periods, bending at waist, close vision, driving, keyboarding, lifting objects weighing under 25 pounds, crouching/kneeling, speaking clearly, and hearing sounds/communication.
• Incumbent is occasionally required to work extended hours and travels out of town for conferences and workshops, sometimes overnight.