Medical Office Assistant I, Per Diem, Cobleskill Health Center

Bassett Healthcare Network•Town of Cobleskill, NY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Office Assistant I is the first point of contact for patients within Bassett Healthcare Network and a key 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 excellent customer service, attention to detail, and effective interpersonal skills. The assistant communicates clearly and promptly with nurses and providers, schedules appointments to support patient needs and provider efficiency, and collects demographic and financial information to support accurate registration and revenue capture. Duties may also include collecting payments, handling cash, and processing insurance eligibility and managed-care information. The position performs reception and call handling; outpatient registration, appointment scheduling, and referral coordination; payment collection and cash handling; and general office support and cross-coverage. Responsibilities include maintaining accurate patient records and scheduling information, assisting patients throughout their visits, handling correspondence and health information according to established procedures, and protecting patient confidentiality. The assistant maintains competency in relevant systems, insurance matters, and office processes through training and continuing education. The position is per diem at the Cobleskill Health Center; 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 effectively with people.
Ability to meet the stated sedentary physical requirements, including occasional grasping, lifting, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, and stooping, and frequent typing, clerical work, dexterity, hearing, standing, talking, walking, and computer or monitor use.
Occasional exposure to bodily fluids or bloodborne hazards.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED.
Two-year or associate degree.
Minimum one year of customer service experience.
An associate degree may be considered toward one year of relevant work experience.

Responsibilities

Greet patients courteously, respond to their needs, and provide a welcoming experience in person and by telephone.
Answer calls according to department standards, take accurate messages and prescription requests through the electronic medical record messaging system, and follow up to ensure patient needs are met.
Escalate emergent situations and patient concerns to the supervisor or supervising nurse, and communicate patient issues to providers.
Provide required welcome materials and information to patients, including Advance Directive information when applicable.
Keep patients informed about provider delays and appointment changes, and offer MyBassett sign-up opportunities by phone and in person.
Complete outpatient registration and maintain accurate demographic, insurance, PCP, billing, regulatory, and compliance information in Bassett systems.
Schedule and confirm appointments according to patient needs and department guidelines; offer alternate providers or locations when appropriate.
Update patient communication preferences, remind patients about expected co-payments, and use available scheduling functions to select appropriate appointments.
Edit appointment schedules as directed, follow rescheduling procedures, and refer requests to adjust schedules to the supervisor for review and approval.
Review appointment confirmation and automated reminder lists and contact patients as required.
Process urgent referral requests the same day and routine referral requests within 24–72 hours; ensure referral information and authorizations are complete and appropriately documented.
Work incoming and outgoing referral queues and follow up with referred-to providers to confirm appointments and receipt of results.
Collect and receipt payments by cash, check, or credit card; balance the cash drawer daily in accordance with finance procedures.
Date-stamp and route incoming patient information, complete basic demographic sections of forms, and prepare correspondence and outgoing patient information as directed.
Prepare patient health information for scanning, index and scan records or route them for scanning, and send medical-record release requests to the appropriate HIM location.
Maintain office supplies, forms, recordkeeping and filing systems; open or close the clinic and provide appropriate hand-offs when required.
Provide cross-coverage at other locations or departments as requested and adapt to varying workflows and policies.
Greet patients in waiting areas, identify patients using two identifiers, provide appropriate forms, and assist patients in navigating their visits.
Access and discuss patient health information only as needed for job responsibilities and maintain confidentiality.
Maintain job-specific knowledge and competency, attend required in-services and educational opportunities, and complete computer training or refresher courses as needed.
Attend staff meetings as appropriate, review missed meeting minutes, and perform similar or related duties as requested.