Medical Office Assistant I

Bassett Healthcare Network•City of Oneonta, NY

About The Position

The Medical Office Assistant I is the first point of contact for patients within Bassett Healthcare Network and an important member of the patient-centered care team. The role provides administrative support to ambulatory patient care teams and helps ensure a high-quality patient experience through courteous service, accurate and timely communication, attention to detail, and effective interpersonal skills. The position supports patient scheduling and registration, demographic and financial information collection, payment processing, insurance eligibility activities, and revenue capture. The assistant handles reception and telephone communications; registers patients and schedules appointments; processes referrals; collects payments and balances a cash drawer; and performs office support, records, scanning, filing, and cross-coverage duties. The position helps patients navigate their visits, keeps them informed about delays, communicates patient concerns to clinical staff, and protects confidential health information. It also requires maintaining proficiency in relevant systems and procedures, attending training and educational opportunities, and adapting to different workflows across the network.

Requirements

Minimum one year of relevant work experience.
Computer skills.
Customer service skills.
Time-management skills.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Ability to interact effectively with people.
Ability to meet the stated physical requirements, including sedentary work and occasional grasping, lifting, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, and stooping, as well as frequent typing or clerical dexterity, hearing, standing, talking, walking, and seeing or using a computer monitor.
High school diploma or GED is preferred.
Two-year associate degree is preferred.
Minimum one year of customer service experience is preferred.
An associate degree may be considered toward one year of relevant work experience.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Greet patients courteously and provide a welcoming first point of contact, both in person and by telephone.
Answer calls using the department's required greeting, take complete and accurate messages or prescription requests in the electronic medical record messaging system, and follow up as needed.
Escalate urgent situations and patient concerns to the supervisor or supervising nurse, and communicate patient issues to providers as appropriate.
Keep patients informed about provider schedule delays and offer enrollment in MyBassett by phone or in person.
Collect, verify, enter, and update patient demographic, insurance, and financial information during registration and scheduling.
Schedule outpatient appointments according to patient needs and departmental guidelines; offer alternate providers or locations when appropriate and escalate needs that cannot be met.
Confirm patient demographics, insurance information, attending and billing PCP information when appropriate, and communication preferences.
Review appointment confirmation and automated reminder lists, contact patients as needed, and perform appointment schedule edits or rescheduling according to policy and supervisory direction.
Process routine and urgent referrals within applicable timeframes, obtain and document prior authorizations when appropriate, and follow up with referred-to providers regarding appointments and results.
Support collection of copayments and other payments, issue receipts, handle cash, and balance the cash drawer in accordance with finance policies.
Date-stamp, route, prepare, mail, index, and scan patient-related documents in accordance with organizational and document-imaging procedures.
Route medical-record release requests to the appropriate HIM location and process same-day requests needed for continuity of patient care.
Maintain office supplies, forms, filing systems, and departmental records; open or close clinics and make appropriate hand-offs as required.
Cover other locations or departments when requested and adapt to different workflows and procedures across the network.
Greet patients in waiting areas as appropriate, identify patients using two identifiers, provide required forms, and assist patients through their visits.
Access and discuss patient health information only as needed to perform job responsibilities and maintain confidentiality.
Maintain competency in required systems, office automation, insurance, scheduling, and other job-specific topics; attend required in-services, training, meetings, and educational opportunities.
Perform similar or related duties as requested or directed.