Medical Office Assistant I - Sherburne Health Center

Bassett Healthcare Network•Town of Sherburne, 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 administrative assistance, excellent customer service, careful attention to detail, and clear, accurate, timely communication with nurses and providers. The position helps ensure a high-quality patient experience and supports appropriate patient scheduling, efficient provider operations, and accurate demographic and financial information collection. It may also involve collecting payments, handling cash, and processing insurance eligibility and managed-care information. The assistant handles reception and calls; registers patients and schedules appointments; processes referrals; collects payments; and provides office support and cross-coverage. Duties include maintaining accurate patient records and appointment information, assisting patients throughout their visits, managing documentation and records in accordance with procedures, protecting confidential health information, and completing required training and continuing education. The role may require covering other locations or departments as requested, with orientation. The position is sedentary, with occasional physical activities including grasping, lifting, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, and stooping. It involves frequent typing and clerical work, dexterity, hearing, standing, talking, walking, and computer and visual-monitor use. Occasional exposure to bodily fluids or bloodborne hazards is noted. No travel is required.

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.
An associate degree is preferred; it may be considered toward one year of relevant work experience.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Greet patients courteously and provide a welcoming reception experience; inform patients about delays or appointment changes and help them navigate their visits.
Answer calls using the prescribed greeting, take accurate messages and prescription requests through the electronic medical record messaging system, follow up on patient needs, and offer MyBassett enrollment.
Escalate emergent situations and patient concerns to the Supervisor or Supervising Nurse, and communicate patient issues to providers as appropriate.
Provide new patients, and eligible established patients, with Advance Directive information and other required welcome materials.
Complete outpatient registration and accurately enter or scan demographic, insurance, and regulatory information; verify the attending and billing primary care providers when appropriate.
Schedule and confirm appointments according to patient needs and department guidelines; offer alternate providers or locations when appropriate and refer unresolved needs to the Supervisor or Supervising Nurse.
Maintain accurate patient preferences and contact information, remind patients about expected co-payments, review appointment confirmation and reminder lists, and reschedule appointments in accordance with policy and supervisory approval.
Process urgent referral requests the same day and routine referral requests within 24–72 hours; ensure referral information and prior authorizations are appropriately documented, work referral queues, and follow up on referred appointments and results.
Communicate payment amounts to patients, receive and receipt payments, and balance the cash drawer in accordance with finance procedures.
Date-stamp and route incoming patient information; prepare forms, correspondence, outgoing patient information, and records for imaging; index and scan documents or send them to HIM for scanning.
Route routine or subpoenaed medical-record release requests to HIM and process same-day requests needed for continuity of care, seeking assistance when needed.
Maintain office supplies, forms, departmental records, filing systems, and clinic opening or closing procedures; provide cross-coverage at other locations or departments as requested.
Protect patient confidentiality and access health information only as needed to perform job responsibilities.
Maintain competency in required systems and job-specific knowledge; attend required in-services, training, educational opportunities, and staff meetings, and review materials from missed meetings.
Perform similar or related duties as requested or directed.