Medical Assistant

About the Job

General Summary of Position The Medical Assistant performs clinical and administrative duties in an ambulatory care setting under the supervision of a physician/provider and/or a registered nurse. Duties may include venipuncture medication and vaccine administration measurement and documentation of vital signs and assisting providers with patient exams and telephone and clerical support. Position may float to other sites/locations within the system.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Contributes to the achievement of established department goals and objectives and adheres to department policies procedures quality and safety standards.
• Complies with governmental regulations and accreditation standards.
• Assists providers with patient preparation for examination minor office procedures and with the examination and education of patients.
• Supports other members of the clinical care team assuring optimal best-practice patient flow; manages variable and unpredictable patient volume throughout the workday.
• Provides clerical support and serves as backup for the Patient Services Coordinator or other team members as needed.

Daily Team Huddles and Patient Screening

• Participates in daily team huddles to review and prepare for scheduled patient visits.
• Screens all patients regardless of visit type for preventative care needs ongoing support barriers to care safety concerns and potential fall risk.
• Conducts surveillance for transitions of care urgent/emergent care or follow up tasks such as retrieval of documents associated with referrals/testing.

Motivational Interviews and Behavioral Health

• Conducts motivational interviews that include patient screening and/or coaching on disease management ability motivation to change learning care needs and community outreach needs.
• Identifies potential behavioral health needs of patients using appropriate screening tools and notifies provider of findings.

Reporting and Performance Improvement

• As part of a High Reliability Organization reports actual and potential problems concerning patients families and associates using established reporting protocols for MedStar Health and/or work location.
• Participates in performance improvement initiatives to improve care quality and safety.

Regulatory Compliance and Quality/Safety Standards

• Ensures ongoing compliance with regulatory accreditation and quality/safety standards by maintaining and auditing temperature logs ensuring medication supplies are current/unexpired checking and maintaining emergency equipment area free of clutter and other related tasks.

Population Management and Patient Testing

• Participates in population management activities including an awareness of the populations served and engages the patient in self-management support care/health goal setting pre-visit planning and the capturing of information that leads to health care improvement activities.
• Performs selected patient and laboratory testing consistent with the scope of the practice including but not limited to Point of Care Testing tuberculosis skin testing electrocardiography pulmonary function tests and vision and hearing testing (dependent upon provider and site requirements).

Documentation and Specimen Collection

• Documents clinically related activities accurately in the patients EMR; performs required patient follow-up: to include pap smears Pb levels HIV mammograms and STDs.
• Collects and processes specimens completes requisitions and documents in logbook or other applicable forms/records.

Patient Escort and Discharge

• Provides escort for patients and assists with patient discharge activities.
• Provides chaperoning for patients per policy.

Infection Prevention and Environmental Responsibilities

• Fulfills infection prevention and environmental responsibilities as assigned which many include: Light cleaning during clinic hours and cleaning of equipment.
• Updates appropriate records of scheduled equipment maintenance and manages drug and medical supply inventories.

Telephone Screening and Medication Refills

• Provides telephone screening services to gather information from patients determine appropriate disposition and document per established telephone screening protocols.
• Utilizes the EMR to propose patient medication refills for provider approval.

Additional Responsibilities

• Floats to other sites/locations within the system as appropriate and performs all duties at multiple sites.
• Attends scheduled meetings including but not limited to regular staff meetings and training classes for safety infection control OSHA CLIA BLS and others as required.
• Demonstrates behavior consistent with MedStar Health mission vision goals SPIRIT values objectives and patient care philosophy.

Minimal Qualifications

• Education: High School Diploma or GED or equivalent required and Completion of an accredited Medical Assistant program preferred
• Experience: Less than 1 year 6 months experience working in an ambulatory care medical office or equivalent required. Externship in a medical or ambulatory health setting strongly preferred.
• Licenses and Certifications: Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)-AAMA CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) by the American Association of Medical Assistants within 1 Year required or Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)-American Medical Technologists RMA (Registered Medical Assistant) through American Medical Technologists or equivalent required within 12 months of hire within 1 Year required and CPR - Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (includes BLS and NRP) for healthcare providers from either the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross within 90 Days required.