Medical Assistant/Medical Secretary-Cambridge

Beth Israel Lahey Health•Cambridge, MA

7d•$21 - $28

About The Position

The Medical Assistant/Medical Secretary provides clinical and administrative support in a medical practice. Clinical duties include preparing and maintaining examination rooms and equipment, sterilizing instruments, providing patient care within established protocols, assisting providers with procedures, administering injections, performing tests and procedures, collecting specimens, and performing phlebotomy as needed. The role also records vital signs and clinical information, maintains patient care logs and records, supports patient education, and communicates test results and physician messages as directed. Administrative duties include greeting patients, managing appointment schedules and medical records, answering and routing calls, coordinating referrals and tests, processing correspondence and mail, and supporting check-in and check-out. The position verifies demographic and insurance information, collects copayments, assists with billing questions, reviews encounter forms, and enters charges and coding information. The employee may float to other practices as staffing needs require and works under the direction of the Group Practice Manager or designee. The role requires a high school education, strong communication and interpersonal skills, word-processing skills, and the ability to multitask, work independently, and follow directions. CPR certification is required or must be obtained. The listed base hourly pay range is $21.00–$28.26. Beth Israel Lahey Health requires staff to be vaccinated against influenza as a condition of employment.

Requirements

High school graduate.
At least two years of experience in a busy medical-practice setting.
Ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
Knowledge of medical terminology, word-processing equipment, and personal computers; word-processing skills are required.
Working knowledge of insurance regulations and form completion.
Ability to be trained in CPT and ICD-9 coding.
Must be certified in CPR or willing to obtain certification.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to work independently and follow directions.
Effective telephone manner and ability to communicate with patients, physicians, and other professional staff.

Nice To Haves

At least one year of experience as a medical assistant in a medical-practice environment is desirable.
Medical assistant certification is desirable.
Graduation from an accredited secretarial training school is preferred.
Knowledge of pre-admission and pretesting requirements is helpful.
Knowledge of a billing system is helpful.
Experience in Infectious Disease is preferred.

Responsibilities

Check examination-room equipment, cleanliness, appearance, and supplies; sterilize instruments and maintain diagnostic equipment.
Follow OSHA guidelines when cleaning and disposing of hazardous materials.
Provide direct patient care within established clinical-assistant protocols and assist nurses and providers with procedures.
Triage patient-care phone calls and assist with patient communications under the direction of the clinical coordinator or physician.
Administer injections and medications as directed and supervised by a physician, and track medication stock used.
Perform EKGs, PFTs, suture removal, throat and urine cultures, cerumen removal, phlebotomy, and other directed procedures.
Ensure lab requisitions include diagnoses according to protocol; collect specimens and instruct patients on test preparation.
Record patient complaints, vital signs, laboratory, x-ray, and EKG data, and maintain accurate medical records and patient-care logs.
Prepare and replenish supplies, maintain inventories, and inform the appropriate practice coordinator or supervisor when items need ordering.
Greet patients, determine their needs, prepare and drape patients for examinations, and assist physicians during examinations as requested.
Schedule patients for tests, special procedures, specialty appointments, and follow-up visits; communicate schedules and preparation requirements.
Track ordered laboratory tests and procedures, research missing results, reschedule patients as indicated, and review cancellations and no-shows with physicians.
Triage calls, route messages, contact covering physicians for emergencies, call in prescriptions under physician direction, and communicate results and messages to patients.
Counsel patients on health-maintenance matters as directed by the physician.
Attend staff meetings and provide clerical support, including assistance with encounter forms, coding, and research.
Maintain appointment schedules, coordinate meetings and communications with hospital and community services, and coordinate visits with off-site practices and primary care physicians.
Answer incoming calls, take and route messages, prepare correspondence, process incoming and outgoing mail, and assist with medical-information requests and record copies.
Rotate through check-in and check-out, verify and update demographic and insurance information, collect copayments, and maintain an accurate cash log.
Process referrals and follow up on insurance questions and inquiries.
Schedule hospital admissions and surgical procedures when required by the practice; communicate relevant information to operating-room scheduling, pre-admission review, and admitting, and inform patients of arrangements.
Review encounter forms, provide CPT and ICD-9 coding, enter charges into the IDX system, verify data, and assist patients with billing questions.
Float to other practices when staffing needs require.
Maintain patient records and respond to requests for medical information when necessary.