UNIT SECRETARY- EMERGENCY SERVICE (FT 6p-6a)

Riverside Healthcare; Kankakee (IL); On-site; USD 24,796 - 30,307; Full time

Job summary

Riverside Healthcare seeks a Unit Secretary to support daily hospital operations, providing administrative assistance to the clinical staff, coordinating patient flow, and maintaining EMR records with HIPAA compliance. This role fosters clear communication among the care team and patients.

You will answer phones, schedule appointments, coordinate admissions and discharges, update patient information, and assist with unit meetings and quality initiatives to promote a smooth, patient-centered

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Completion of a medical secretary or healthcare administration program preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to the unit, including phones, scheduling, and patient records.
• Coordinate admissions, transfers, and discharges and maintain EMR confidentiality.
• Serve as primary contact for patients, families, and visitors.
• Assist with unit communications, patient flow, and quality improvement activities.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Completion of a medical secretary or healthcare administration program

Job description

Overview

The Unit Secretary plays a vital role in supporting the daily operations of the hospital unit. This position is responsible for providing administrative assistance to the clinical staff, facilitating effective communication among the healthcare team, patients, and their families, and ensuring the smooth and efficient functioning of the unit. The Unit Secretary is key in maintaining organized records, managing patient information, and supporting the unit's overall workflow.

Essential Duties

Administrative Support:

• Manage the day-to-day administrative tasks of the unit, including answering phones, scheduling appointments, and maintaining patient records.
• Coordinate patient admissions, transfers, and discharges.
• Maintain up-to-date patient information in the electronic medical records (EMR) system, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with HIPAA regulations.
• Assist with emergency codes as needed.

Communication:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for incoming calls and in-person inquiries from patients, families, and visitors.
• Facilitate communication between the nursing staff, physicians, other healthcare providers, and community resources as needed.
• Assist in coordinating patient care by communicating with other departments.
• Assist in the coordination of patient flow within the unit, ensuring that patient needs are met promptly.

Patient Experience:

• Engage with patients and their families in a manner that promotes comfort, trust, and understanding.
• Address patient concerns with empathy and professionalism, striving to create a positive and supportive environment that fosters a sense of security and well-being.

Employee Experience:

• Contribute to a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Offer constructive feedback and assistance to peers, and engage in open communication to promote a culture of mutual respect and teamwork.

Clerical and Organizational Tasks:

• Maintain an organized and efficient work environment by managing supplies, ensuring that forms and materials are readily available, and keeping the unit's physical and digital spaces well-organized.
• Update unit communication tools, such as whiteboards and patient status boards, to reflect current patient information and staff assignments.

Flexibility:

• Demonstrates flexibility with assignments within professional scope/duties/licensure.

Non-essential Duties

• Assist with non-clinical patient needs, such as directing visitors to the appropriate locations within the facility.
• Ability to troubleshoot office/clinical equipment such as copier, printer, fax, and phone systems.
• Provide support during unit meetings by preparing agendas, taking minutes, and distributing meeting materials.
• Participate in unit-based quality improvement initiatives by providing administrative support for data collection and analysis.

Responsibilities

Preferred Experience

• Previous experience in a healthcare setting, preferably in an acute care setting or hospital environment, is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with medical terminology, EMR systems, and HIPAA regulations.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities, with a keen attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) and other office management software.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, handling multiple tasks simultaneously while maintaining a high level of accuracy.

Required Licensure/Education

• High school diploma or equivalent

Preferred Education

• Completion of a medical secretary or healthcare administration program is preferred.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.

Our Commitment to You:

Riverside Healthcare offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and nationally rated employee well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more so your journey at and away from work is remarkable. Our Total Rewards package includes:

Compensation

• Base compensation within the positions pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
• Premium pay such as shift differential, on-call
• Opportunity for annual increases based on performance

Benefits - .5 to 1.0 FTE

• Paid Time Off programs
• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
• Educational Assistance Program

Benefits - .001 to .49 FTE:

• Paid Leave Hours accrued as you work

Employee Health Requirements

Exposure/Sensory Requirements:

Exposure to:

• Exposure to:
• Chemicals: Alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Betadine, cleaning products.
• Video Display Terminals: Average
• Blood and Body Fluids: Performs venipuncture and non-blood specimen collection and performs finger sticks for specimen testing, but the use of universal precautions and protection reduces risk.
• TB or Airborne Pathogens: Minimal - if a patient is infected, it is possible that the health care worker would be exposed, but it is greatly diminished by adherence to universal precautions.
• Inside hours: 8.5
• Outside hours : 0
• Temperature: Normal Range
• Lighting: Average
• Noise levels: Average
• Humidity: Normal
• Atmosphere:
• Special Hazards:
• Protective Clothing Required: Gloves when handling blood and body fluids.

Sensory requirements (speech, vision, smell, hearing, touch):

• Speech: Needed for presentations/training, telephone communication, facilitate meetings, patient communication.
• Vision: Needed to read memos, literature, draw blood, and perform specimen handling.
• Smell: Electrical/fire safety.
• Hearing: Needed for telephone communications, meetings, and listening to employee and patient concerns.
• Touch: Needed to write, do computer entry, filing, draw blood and perform specimen handling.

Activity/Lifting Requirements:

• Sit: 15%
• Twist: 2.5%
• Stand: 30%
• Crawl: 0%
• Walk: 30%
• Kneel: 0%
• Lift: 5%
• Drive: 2.5%
• Squat: 5%
• Climb: 2.5%
• Bend: 5%
• Reach above shoulders: 2.5%

Maximum consecutive time (minutes) during the normal workday for each activity:

• Sit: 30
• Twist: .5
• Stand: 30
• Crawl: 0
• Walk: 2
• Kneel: 0
• Lift: 5
• Drive: 30
• Squat: 1
• Climb: .5
• Bend: .5
• Reach above shoulders: .5

Repetitive use of hands (Frequency indicated):

• Simple grasp up to 15 lbs. Normal weight: continuous
• Pushing & pulling Normal weight: 50-200#
• Fine Manipulation: Writing, keyboarding, restocking supplies, specimen handling, venipuncture, assisting examiner.

Repetitive use of foot or feet in operating machine control: Not Required

Pay Range

USD $17.84 - USD $21.52 /Hr