Medical Office Assistant I - Norwich Health Center

Bassett Healthcare Network•City of Norwich, NY

About The Position

The Medical Office Assistant I serves as the first point of contact for patients within the Bassett Healthcare Network and is a key member of the patient-centered care team. The role supports ambulatory patient care teams by providing courteous, accurate, and timely administrative service, communicating patient information to nurses and providers, scheduling appointments appropriately, and collecting demographic and financial information to support patient care and revenue capture. Duties may include collecting payments, handling cash, and processing insurance eligibility and managed-care information. The position encompasses reception and call handling; patient registration, appointment scheduling, and referrals; payment collection and cash handling; and general office support. The assistant helps patients navigate their visits, keeps them informed about delays, protects confidential health information, and supports clinic operations across locations or departments as requested. The role also requires maintaining proficiency in relevant systems, insurance matters, and office procedures, and attending training and educational opportunities.

Requirements

Minimum one year of relevant work experience.
Computer skills.
Customer service skills.
Time management skills.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Ability to interact with people.
High school diploma or GED is preferred.
Associate degree is preferred; an associate degree may be considered toward one year of relevant work experience.
Minimum one year of customer service experience is preferred.
Ability to meet the stated sedentary-work and occasional and frequent physical activity requirements.
No travel required.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED.
Two-year or associate degree.
Minimum one year of customer service experience.

Responsibilities

Greet patients courteously and provide a welcoming first point of contact, including in-person and telephone interactions.
Answer calls using the prescribed greeting, take accurate messages and prescription requests in the electronic medical record messaging system, follow up as needed, and maintain availability for incoming calls.
Escalate urgent situations and patient concerns to the supervisor or supervising nurse, and communicate patient issues to providers.
Provide new patients, and qualifying established adult patients, with welcome materials and advance directive information.
Offer patients opportunities to sign up for MyBassett by phone and in person, and keep patients informed about provider delays and appointment changes.
Collect and accurately enter or scan demographic, insurance, and other required registration information; confirm primary care and billing providers when appropriate.
Maintain proficiency in front-desk functions, including demographic and financial screening, insurance eligibility and verification, and regulatory and compliance requirements.
Obtain required Advanced Beneficiary Notice signatures and process forms to meet Medicare regulations; correct missing demographic or insurance information in the appropriate system within the specified timeframe.
Answer questions about the organization and its services and direct patients to appropriate clinical locations.
Schedule outpatient appointments according to patient needs and department guidelines; offer alternate providers or locations when appropriate and escalate needs that cannot be met.
Complete and update the Interactive Face Sheet, patient demographic and insurance information, and communication preferences; remind patients about expected copayments.
Use available scheduling functions to select appropriate appointments and carry out approved schedule edits, rescheduling, appointment confirmations, and reminder-list reviews.
Process urgent referral requests the same day and routine referrals within the specified timeframe; ensure referral records and prior authorizations are complete and accurate.
Work incoming and outgoing referral queues and follow up with referred-to providers to confirm appointment attendance and receipt of results by the referring provider.
Take ownership of the patient experience across scheduling, registration, the lobby, and referral duties; assist patients through all stages of their visit and provide appropriate forms.
Explain amounts due and receive, receipt, and balance patient payments and the cash drawer in accordance with finance policies and procedures.
Date-stamp and route incoming patient information; complete basic demographic information on forms; mail patient information; and prepare correspondence as directed.
Prepare outside health information for scanning and index or scan hard-copy records into the electronic health record, or send them to Health Information Management according to procedures.
Route routine and subpoenaed medical-record release requests to the appropriate Health Information Management location and handle same-day requests needed for continuity of care.
Maintain office supplies, forms, departmental records, and filing systems; classify, sort, distribute, and file documents.
Open or close clinics according to guidelines and make appropriate handoffs in 24-hour departments.
Provide cross-coverage at other locations or departments when requested and adapt to workflows, processes, and policies across the network.
Identify patients using two identifiers and access and discuss patient information only as needed to perform job responsibilities, maintaining confidentiality.
Maintain competency in required clinical information systems, office automation, insurance, scheduling, and related job-specific knowledge; attend required in-services, staff meetings, and educational opportunities.
Perform similar or related duties as requested or directed.