HSS I (Medical Assistant) (Bakersfield)

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte Careers•Bakersfield, CA

About The Position

The Health Services Specialist I provides direct services in health center areas, including sexual and reproductive health and abortion care as appropriate to the scope of services. The role provides patients with accurate information about Planned Parenthood services, contraception options, and funding sources, and contributes to health center productivity goals. The specialist screens and accurately documents patients’ financial, medical, and social histories; follows patient care standards; demonstrates PPMM customer service standards and workplace values; and solicits donations according to PPMM guidelines. Front-office duties include professionally communicating about services, payments, and appointments; providing paperwork and collecting payment and insurance information; entering accurate patient information into the Electronic Practice Management System (EPM); scheduling appointments and making referrals; obtaining insurance benefit information and service authorizations; posting and verifying charges; preparing end-of-day reports; and completing billing tasks and corrections within 72 hours of receipt. The specialist also checks patients out, collects fees and contributions, schedules follow-up appointments, resolves billing issues with appropriate staff, reports discrepancies, scans documents into patient charts on the date of service, and prepares charts and confirmation calls for upcoming appointments. Back-office duties include performing moderately complex laboratory testing, including pregnancy and STI/HIV testing using blood and urine collection, phlebotomy, and venipuncture. The specialist prepares and reconciles samples for transfer to appropriate laboratories, maintains lab logs, completes lab controls, checks refrigerator temperatures, and cleans instruments, examination rooms, laboratory areas, and the autoclave as assigned. The role also prepares patients and examination rooms, assists during exams when needed, provides pregnancy testing and related information and referrals, and schedules pregnancy-testing clients for follow-up family-planning or other appropriate services.

Requirements

High school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).
Ability to communicate sensitive information verbally and in writing across diverse backgrounds.
General knowledge of Windows-based computer applications and willingness to learn new computer skills.
Ability to work in a busy environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously without compromising accuracy, attention to detail, or respect for patients and staff.
Ability to work at nearby PPMM locations as needed.
Ability to work nights and weekends as required.

Responsibilities

Provide direct health center services, including sexual and reproductive health and abortion services as appropriate to the scope of services.
Provide patients with accurate information about Planned Parenthood services, contraception options, and funding sources.
Contribute to health center productivity goals and follow patient care standards, PPMM customer service standards, workplace values, and service standards.
Screen patients’ financial, medical, and social histories and accurately document pertinent information.
Solicit patient donations according to PPMM guidelines.
Communicate professionally and accurately about services, payments, and appointment scheduling.
Provide patient paperwork and obtain payment and insurance information for billing.
Enter accurate patient information into the Electronic Practice Management System (EPM).
Schedule health center appointments, provide information, and make appropriate referrals.
Contact insurance companies to obtain benefit information and service authorizations.
Verify and post charges in EPM for all payment types, following established practices and procedures.
Run end-of-day reports as directed by the Center Manager and ensure charges are entered the same day and completed by close of business.
Check patients out, calculate and collect fees, solicit contributions, and schedule future appointments.
Coordinate with health center and billing staff to obtain information needed for billing and resolve errors.
Notify a supervisor about discrepancies or unusual occurrences in daily billing or computer software or hardware.
Scan all documents into patients’ charts on the date of service.
Complete billing tasks and corrections within 72 hours of receipt and follow PPMM financial policies and procedures.
Prepare charts for next-day appointments and complete confirmation calls and chart preparation as needed.
Perform moderately complex laboratory testing, including pregnancy and STI/HIV testing using blood and urine collection, phlebotomy, and venipuncture.
Prepare daily patient lab samples for transfer to appropriate laboratories, maintain lab logs, and run lab reports for daily reconciliation.
Complete lab controls as needed and check refrigerator temperatures.
Clean instruments, exam rooms, laboratory areas, and the autoclave as assigned.
Prepare patients for exams and assist in examination rooms when needed.
Provide pregnancy testing, information, and referrals, and schedule pregnancy-testing clients for follow-up family-planning or other appropriate services.
Prepare examination rooms with appropriate supplies and clean rooms after use.
Work at nearby PPMM locations as needed and work nights and weekends as required.