Medical Assistant I

Esperanza Health Center•Philadelphia, PA

8d•$19 - $25•Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Assistant supports clinicians in providing safe, whole-person care to adults and children. Duties may include preparing patients for examinations; assisting adult, pediatric, obstetric, gynecological, and HIV-care practitioners; responding to walk-in and call-in patient needs at the back desk and in triage; performing phlebotomy and in-house laboratory procedures; and maintaining exam rooms, hubs, laboratories, and supplies. Assignments across these functions are based on clinic needs and the Medical Assistant’s skill set. The role also includes supporting the spiritual growth of team members and patients. The position works as part of clinical teams, collaborates with nurses and clinicians, and follows established clinical, laboratory, and equipment protocols. Medical Assistants collect and document information for triage and communicate it to a nurse or clinician; they do not make independent patient assessments or decisions. The role requires movement around a fast-paced clinic, extended seated telephone work, extensive computer-keyboard use, and handling needles and bodily fluids.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Medical Assistant diploma from an accredited school.
Fully bilingual in English and Spanish.
Proficiency in basic mathematics, including fractions, decimals, multiplication, and division.
A solid record of handling confidential information and demonstrating trustworthiness and honesty.
Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to handle difficult people, communicate warmth, and put people at ease.
Ability to remain calm in chaotic situations.
Ability to communicate clearly and directly and take initiative in communicating with staff.
Demonstrated ability to manage details and multiple priorities, and to organize, process, and verify information.
Demonstrated timeliness and reliability in a work setting.
Ability to work with adults and children.
Ability and willingness to share the Christian faith, provide spiritual encouragement and hope in Christ, and pray with others.
Ability to move around the clinic in a fast-paced environment for four hours at a time.
Ability to work seated on the phone for four hours at a time and perform extensive computer-keyboard work.
Ability to work with needles and patients’ bodily fluids.
Ability to lift and carry 20 pounds.

Responsibilities

Arrive on time for devotions, prayer groups, departmental and all-staff meetings, and clinical huddles; keep a walkie-talkie available and respond promptly to communications.
Check and respond promptly to Esperanza Gmail messages, remain available in the hub as duties permit, and keep hub desks, exam rooms, and common areas organized and stocked.
Assist providers and clinical assistants, support efficient patient flow, collaborate with other hubs to redistribute patients, and give face-to-face handoff reports before lunch and at the end of the work period.
Cover late and Saturday shifts as needed, performing the associated duties thoroughly and efficiently.
Prepare pediatric, adult, gynecological, and obstetric patients for examinations according to established protocols.
Perform clinical procedures according to protocol, including audiograms, vital signs, ear lavage, EKGs, nebulizer treatments, orthostatic blood pressure checks, oxygen administration, peak-flow assessments, and vision screening.
Provide patients or parents with appropriate forms, educational materials, vaccine information, and developmental or behavioral screening tools.
Administer vaccines and PPDs as ordered by a provider; assist with gynecological examinations and clean examination rooms and equipment afterward.
Perform and document in-house point-of-care laboratory procedures and controls, including urine dipsticks, finger-stick hemoglobin and glucose, urine pregnancy tests, Hemoccult tests, and rapid strep tests.
Prepare laboratory requisitions and specimens for outside laboratories; follow Medicare ABN protocols, alert clinicians to applicable notices, and prepare self-pay worksheets for labs, vaccines, and mammograms.
Monitor and document refrigerator and freezer temperatures and promptly notify a supervisor when temperatures are outside the appropriate range.
Clean, disinfect, sterilize, organize, and restock examination rooms and equipment; manage sharps and red-bag waste according to protocol; maintain storage areas; and report low supplies.
Clean, package, and sterilize metal surgical equipment; run weekly autoclave controls and maintain the autoclave log.
Manage back-desk requests, including prescription refills, Coumadin follow-up calls, forms, prior authorizations, durable medical equipment, home-care services, outside records, and medication authorizations.
Document refill requests accurately, verify dosages in the EMR, process refills as ordered, complete and follow up on prior authorizations, route EMR messages appropriately, and communicate with patients, laboratories, and other caregivers as requested.
Perform daily and weekly laboratory controls, maintain records, clean and maintain laboratory equipment, organize and order supplies, and meet OSHA requirements for biohazard-waste handling.
Perform venipuncture on adults and children, verify patient and insurance information, explain procedures respectfully, and follow the procedure manual.
Label, prepare, store, and transport specimens correctly; coordinate STAT or urgent pickups with outside laboratories; manage laboratory supply inventory and expiration returns; and arrange bio-waste pickup.
Collaborate with nurses and clinicians in triage by collecting and documenting patient information, presenting it for clinical review, explaining recommendations to patients, and alerting clinicians to patient concerns.
Provide spiritual encouragement and, with patient consent, pray with patients as appropriate; share the gospel of Jesus Christ when patients express a desire to learn more.