Medical Technician, Phone Lines (Medical Assistant)

Athena Care•Nashville, TN

11d

About The Position

The Medical Technician, Phone Lines provides first-line telephone and text support and processes prior authorizations for patients as part of Medical Support Services. The role is responsible for timely, accurate, and compassionate responses to patient needs and is cross-trained to cover Medical Technician duties as needed, following provider-established guidelines and protocols. The position handles patient calls and messages, appointment scheduling and updates, prior authorization requests, telephone encounters, and incoming documents in the electronic medical record (EMR). It must meet defined call and text performance expectations and document work accurately and promptly. When cross-covering Medical Technician duties, the role may assist with interventional treatments, patient observation, vital signs, laboratory procedures, and maintaining clean and organized patient spaces. The Medical Technician, Phone Lines collaborates with providers, nurses, and clinic staff; escalates urgent clinical or crisis concerns to the appropriate clinician; and participates in team meetings, training, and coaching. The role must follow organizational policies and applicable regulatory requirements, including patient confidentiality and requirements of OSHA, CLIA, HIPAA, and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Two or more years of previous healthcare experience required, preferably in a medical clinic setting.
Working knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements, including HIPAA.
Effective written and verbal communication skills, including collaboration, conflict resolution, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
Proficiency with the EMR and common technology tools.
Ability to manage time and prioritize workload to deliver high-quality work and meet deadlines.
Collaborative, service-oriented approach and ability to work effectively with colleagues and patients from diverse socioeconomic, educational, racial, ethnic, and professional backgrounds.
Commitment to ethical conduct, patient-centered care, and organizational policies.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, specifically Outlook, Teams, and Excel, the electronic telephone and text platform, and accurate data entry.
Knowledge of medications, standard medical procedures, and insurance and prior authorization processes, or ability to learn payer requirements quickly.
Active listening, attention to detail, and ability to multitask and remain calm and professional while managing high call volumes and competing priorities.
Ability to meet the stated physical demands of the role, with reasonable accommodations available as described.

Nice To Haves

Prior phlebotomy experience.
Prior authorization or call center experience.
Bilingual English/Spanish abilities.
Current Medical Assistant or phlebotomy certification.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Responsibilities

Answer inbound patient calls and text messages through the designated platform, resolving or routing inquiries promptly, accurately, and empathetically.
Schedule and update patient appointments as needed.
Research, submit, and track prior authorization requests with payers, completing at least 8 per day while remaining available for calls and texts.
Communicate prior authorization status and determinations to providers and patients.
Review and respond to telephone encounters and process incoming documents in the EMR during phone downtime while remaining available on the phone system.
Meet monthly phone line performance expectations: accept at least 80% of offered calls and texts, remain available 6.5 hours per day on each call and SMS line, maintain an average handle time between 3 and 4 minutes, and achieve schedule adherence of at least 90%.
Document call, text, and prior authorization activity accurately and promptly in the EMR in accordance with policy.
Cross-train as backup for Medical Technician duties, including assisting with interventional treatments, patient observation, vital signs, laboratory procedures (drug screens and venipuncture once trained and competent), and maintaining clean, organized patient spaces.
Collaborate with providers, nurses, and clinic staff.
Recognize and escalate urgent clinical or crisis concerns to the appropriate clinician according to protocol.
Provide regular updates to supervisors and peers and participate in team meetings, training, and coaching.
Comply with policies and procedures, patient confidentiality requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements, including OSHA, CLIA, HIPAA, and Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services requirements.
Perform other duties as assigned.