Medical Assistant, Palliative Care

St. Luke's University Health Network•Stroudsburg, PA

22h

About The Position

The Medical Assistant, Practice Operations assists in delivering healthcare support for the practice as a professional member of the interdisciplinary team, consistently demonstrating and promoting the organization's values. The role supports patient care, practice operations, care-team coordination, and quality improvement. The Medical Assistant prepares for patient visits by reviewing and updating medical records, completing pre-charting, and coordinating with providers about needed services. The role prepares patients for examinations, maintains exam rooms and clinical supplies, provides other directed patient-care services, and performs related administrative tasks. It also supports communication with providers and the Care Team regarding patient transitions, testing, community resources, education, and follow-up. The position requires sitting, standing, and walking for extended periods, occasionally lifting up to 25 pounds, and occasionally pushing wheelchairs with patients weighing up to 325 pounds.

Requirements

High school degree or equivalent required.
One year of clinical experience or graduation from a Medical Assistant program required.
Current BLS/CPR certification, or obtain it within 60 days of hire, through the American Red Cross or American Heart Association.
Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods of time, up to eight hours at a time.
Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.
Ability to occasionally push wheelchairs with patients weighing up to 325 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Two years of experience in a similar healthcare setting preferred.
Customer service experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Conduct pre-visit planning by reviewing and updating patient medical records with recent test results and correspondence, and confer with providers to determine needed services.
Complete pre-charting of value-based items up to five days before patient appointments and message the Care Team when warranted.
Prepare patients for examinations and escort them to exam rooms; obtain height, weight, and vital signs; update medication lists, allergies, and personal, family, and social histories; ask about smoking status and the reason for the visit; and assist with demographic information.
Provide other patient-care services as needed or directed, including keeping exam rooms clean, maintaining clinical supplies, cleaning and autoclaving contaminated instruments, and giving injections or immunizations within State guidelines.
Communicate and coordinate with providers or the Care Team regarding hospital discharges, Emergency Department visits, consulting physicians, community resources, disease management, patient self-management, patient and family education on chronic conditions, laboratory or other testing, and specialist visits.
Participate in department activities and meetings, help resolve identified problems as a team member, and analyze current procedures.
Dispose of biohazardous and regular waste according to practice protocol.
Maintain vaccine temperature logs and medical-supply inventory and ordering; dispose of expired sample medication and stock rooms to set par levels.
Perform administrative tasks as needed, such as check-in and check-out functions and opening and closing office procedures.
Bring improvement suggestions to Practice Managers and Providers for consideration.
Participate in maintaining or improving quality-improvement initiatives.
Perform other related duties as assigned.