Medical Assistant/Ward Clerk (CCPN)

Bakersfield Family Medical Group•Bakersfield, CA

3h•$26 - $31•Onsite

About The Position

Under the direction of the Clinic Supervisor, the Medical Assistant/Ward Clerk provides patient care in a clinic or ambulatory care setting and supports clinic operations through appointment scheduling, provider task management, referral submissions, and backup reception. The role performs administrative and clinical duties, including accessing and processing tasks in electronic medical records, and requires HEDIS and I-Star knowledge and participation. The employee follows Company policies, procedures, and regulations and contributes to an interdisciplinary and inter-facility approach to the Company's mission, philosophy, and goals. The role interacts professionally and courteously with departments, clinic staff, patients, and outside providers to maintain positive relationships with internal and external customers. The position supports patients and providers through clinical procedures, medication and vaccine administration within scope of practice, patient intake and rooming, referral coordination, EHR task and message management, correspondence processing, and health-maintenance updates. It also helps ensure clinical documentation, referrals, prescriptions, and hospital notes are available for provider review.

Requirements

High school diploma or certificate.
Graduation from an accredited Medical Assistant Program.
Current BLS certification.
Current venipuncture certification.
Knowledge of computers.
HEDIS and I-Star knowledge and participation.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of appointment scheduling.
One year of experience in a physician's office or clinic.

Responsibilities

Greet patients courteously and maintain appropriate telephone etiquette; receive and process calls using a multi-line telephone.
Schedule appointments according to physician or department guidelines and update patient information in NextGen.
Understand insurance contracts, unacceptable insurances, and insurance benefits.
Schedule referral appointments and assist providers with referral submissions, using online processes when applicable.
Handle and document medications and vaccines as ordered; obtain approved prescriptions for departmental administration and administer medication as prescribed within scope of practice.
Anticipate, assist with, and perform ordered procedures; set up and maintain a sterile field when required.
Perform clinic procedures and services, including vital signs and orthostatic vital signs, ankle-brachial index, specimen collection, basic wound care and dressing changes, ear lavage, eye irrigation, electrocardiograms, TB skin testing, visual acuity tests, waived test kits, DME application, pulmonary function tests, audiograms, and overnight pulse oximeter monitoring.
Follow standard and universal precautions, including handwashing, PPE use, infection control, and medical waste management.
Room patients, complete intake notes and vital signs, and complete the NextGen MA Workflow.
Manage EHR tasks by clearing the tasks inbox daily, sending and receiving tasks, creating tasks, and responding to messages in a timely manner.
Provide backup reception and manage retrieval and responses to NextMD messages.
Handle complaints professionally and maintain a clean work area.
Assist patients with referral-process questions and provide guidance on patient forms, including DMV, physical, handicap placard, and disability forms.
Act as a provider liaison for patients by answering calls and working with providers to obtain answers to patient questions.
Process incoming correspondence and ensure it includes the patient's chart number, last and next visit dates, refill requests, reports, results, and paperwork before forwarding it to the provider.
Stay current on NextGen and EZCAP updates and use EZCAP to verify referrals and update appointments.
Assist back-office patients with clerical needs and follow-up instructions.
Enter and manage vaccination data on the CAIR website.
Initiate or participate in Code White, Code Blue, and Code Red situations within scope of practice.
Perform nurse-only visits with appropriate documentation, including obtaining the provider's signature and tasking the provider for completion.
Update health maintenance information on preventative reports, including DEXA scans, eye exams, mammograms, Pap smears, and colonoscopies.
Ensure hospital notes have been retrieved before appointments for provider review in the EHR and HDs.
Activate the Chain of Command and immediately report abnormal vital signs to the MD or provider.
Work with the pharmacist at Physicians Plaza Pharmacy to ensure prescriptions are correct and medications are ordered.
Work with referring providers to ensure prescriptions for patient medication administration are complete.
Perform other duties assigned by the supervisor.