Medical Assistant - Community Health Worker (Street Medicine)

Neighborhood Healthcare•Escondido, CA

3d•Remote

About The Position

This is a combined role that directly supports the Street Medicine team. It is a combination of Enhanced Care Management (ECM) Community Health Worker (CHW) and Medical Assistant. ECM CHW will work to improve patient’s whole health through outreach and engagement activities by helping patients navigate/access community services/resources and adopt healthy behaviors. When acting as a Medical Assistant (MA), this position will support the street medicine physician assistant to provide excellent patient-centered care and services within a dynamic field team environment. This position will serve as an integral component of the Street Medicine program, engaging and enrolling individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness into ECM. Additionally, this role will encounter and manage a shifting landscape to meet the ECM needs of the homeless and underserved populations. This position is integrated within the Street Medicine team, comprised of multi-department staff. Driving a Neighborhood branded vehicle for the Street Medicine program is a shared responsibility for all non-clinical support staff on the team.

Requirements

High school/GED required
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required upon hire and must be maintained as a condition of employment
Valid Medical Certificate from an accredited program required
Two years’ medical assistant experience required
Two years’ healthcare, behavioral health, street medicine, or social services industry experience required
Experience with venipuncture/specimen collection and immunization administration based on provider orders required
Valid CA Driver’s License and proof of auto insurance required
Must meet Neighborhood vehicle driver eligibility requirements to support shared responsibility to drive Neighborhood vehicle to support field services
Knowledgeable about and experience with numerous cultural issues, such as immigration, socioeconomic, LGBTQIA+, seniors, etc.
Knowledgeable about and experience with trauma-informed practices, mental health conditions and addictive disorders
Ability to perform intermediate computer and data entry skills
Ability to apply emotional and cultural intelligence to provide appropriate communication and patient care
Ability to sufficiently engage patients in a variety of settings including phone, in person/homes, community streets/shelters, and/or healthcare settings
Knowledgeable about community-based resources, especially non-professional resources and their reputation in the community
Ability to develop relationships with community patients and leaders, including faith-based community
Ability to make decisions and sound judgements to anticipate the needs of patents and knowing when to consult with the team, supervisors, and experts
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including superior composition, typing and proofreading skills
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form
Ability to successfully manage multiple tasks simultaneously, including changing priorities and time sensitive deadlines
Excellent planning and organizational ability
Excellent teamwork and relationship building skills
Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently
Ability to work with highly confidential information in a professional and ethical manner
Positive, professional, and collaborative attitude and communication
Ability to lift/carry 20 lbs/weight
Ability to stand for long periods of time
Follow all safety procedures as outlined in Neighborhood Healthcare’s Illness and Injury Prevention Plan (IIPP) and report any injuries and/or unsafe conditions immediately
Maintain current knowledge of policies and procedures as they relate to safe work practices
Follow all safety procedures and report unsafe conditions
Use appropriate body mechanics to ensure an injury free environment
Be familiar with location of nearest fire extinguisher and emergency exits
Follow all infection control procedures including blood-borne pathogen protocols
Maintain privacy of all patients, employees and volunteer information and access such information only on a need-to-know basis for business purposes
Comply with all regulations regarding corporate integrity and security obligations
Report all behavior and/or activity that are unethical, fraudulent, or unlawful

Nice To Haves

Experience working with unsheltered homeless and/or personal lived homelessness experience preferred
Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred
Experience working in outreach and customer service within the medical office and behavioral health environments with individuals who struggle with substance use disorder and mental health issues preferred

Responsibilities

Maintains situational awareness and ensures scene safety when providing services in the community
Conducts community outreach and establishes trusting relationships with patients while providing general support and encouragement
Manages and provides ongoing follow-ups to an assigned caseload of patients including: Schedule patient appointments and encounter patients using EMR Registration program, Uses basic motivational interviewing and goal setting, Conduct phone calls, home or living environment visits, and visits to other settings where patients are located, Assist patients attend appointments through assessing and addressing access barriers, Provide referrals for services to community agencies as appropriate, Assist patients connect with transportation resources and provide appointment reminders, as needed, Liaise between patients and community service agencies to ensure patient needs and rights are met, including collaboration with community providers to ensure continuity of care, Assist patients in navigating the healthcare system by finding and following up by phone and in-person with eligible ECM patients, Document and share patient barriers with ECM team and PCP to improve care and outcomes, Utilize evidence-based approaches when engaging with patients to increase their sense of control over their health, such as motivational interviewing to promote collaboration between patients and their medical/behavioral care team, Communicate and deliver easy-to-read information about health and wellness to the community and provide information on ECM patient benefits and services, Advocate on behalf of ECM patients in the home or their living environment to community and provider organizations, Build and maintain a positive working relationship with providers, including interactions within provider offices, phone, email, fax, and other approved communication methods, Assist the ECM team and providers to understand the culture, norms, beliefs, and preferences about patients and their communities by representing the community's voice, Help create messages and materials that fit community culture and deliver messages to fit the culture of patients, Work collaboratively within the ECM team to discuss responsibilities, task sharing, conflict resolution, and patient case reviews, Collaborate on patient care issues with other ECM team patients, Participate in weekly case reviews and consults with the patient's PCP before taking any clinical action, Ensure documentation is accurate, helpful, and compliant with regulatory requirements and accreditation standards, including recording required documentation in eCW and managed care plans ECM portal within one day, Participate in required staff meetings or other activities, as assigned, Assume shared responsibility for driving the Neighborhood vehicle with non-clinical support staff team, Other duties as assigned
Communicates and performs clinical care services with patients
Takes patient vital signs, medical history, and obtains patient intake information
Performs clinical procedures such as blood draws, vaccines, nebulizer treatments, ear lavages, and EKGs
Assists in medical services, office procedures, and a variety of hands-on patient care tasks and relays all appropriate health information to necessary personnel
Discusses patient needs and provides education and resources to patients directly
Ensure mobile medicine vehicle is stocked and cleaned
Conducts follow-ups with patients via phone calls, encampment visits, and visits to other settings patients are located
Provides patient care in a manner that is trauma-informed, non-discriminatory, non-judgmental, and compliant with policies and procedures
Coordinates provider workflows to ensure efficient patient care
Ensures provider has all pertinent information required for each patient visit including diagnostic images, labs, medication reconciliation, and required screenings
Assists other providers and care teams in women’s health, pediatrics and general medicine departments as needed
Utilizes electronic health records to order, process and document clinical treatment plans for patients as directed by the provider
Conveys information to patients via telephone or email under the direction of a provider or Registered Nurse
Act as patient advocate and liaison between the patient and community-based organizations to ensure that patient needs are met with rights maintained
Consults and collaborates with community providers to ensure continuity of care
Schedules patient appointments and encounter patients using EMR Registration programs
Provides patient with requested documents after review to ensure forms are complete, accurate and executed by the provider
Completes ongoing/annual training for position compliance