Office Assistant I, Athol Primary Care, Heywood Medical Group

Athol Hospital•Athol, MA

18h

About The Position

The Office Assistant I supports Athol Primary Care and Heywood Medical Group under the direction of the Senior Practice Administrator and Practice Manager. The role handles patient-facing reception and administrative work, including answering phones, scheduling appointments and outpatient services, registering and checking in patients, verifying insurance, processing referrals and prior authorizations, and managing payments and daily deposits. The assistant accurately records patient information in the electronic medical record, processes incoming and outgoing records, faxes, and mail, and completes assigned inbox, workflow dashboard, and quality-tracking tasks. The position also supports office supply inventory, participates in customer service and patient satisfaction initiatives, completes assigned training, and may provide coverage at other Heywood Medical Group locations. Work hours are 40 hours per week, days, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; flexible shifts, including some evenings and weekends, may be required.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Excellent customer service skills.
Ability to prioritize tasks in a busy environment.
General comfort with computers and technology and ability to learn programs as needed.
Reliable transportation to travel between locations.
Ability to work flexible shifts; some evenings and weekends may be required.
Ability to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds frequently, and negligible force constantly to move objects.
Frequently reach and handle objects using the hands and arms.

Nice To Haves

One year of experience in a medical office.
Knowledge of electronic medical records.
Word-processing skills.
Knowledge of medical terminology.

Responsibilities

Interact with patients, visitors, and colleagues in a friendly, courteous, respectful, and helpful manner.
Protect privacy and confidentiality and promote awareness of those responsibilities.
Maintain a clean and safe practice and hospital environment, respond appropriately to emergencies, and help minimize risk and injury.
Follow regulations and departmental policies and support accreditation and licensure requirements.
Comply with attendance and tardiness policies, complete mandatory education and training, and report incidents promptly.
Engage in, monitor, and enforce hand hygiene when working in direct patient contact.
Answer telephones, take and route accurate messages, and schedule in-office appointments.
Complete assigned clinical inbox and practice-bucket tasks accurately and promptly.
Check in and register patients, verify and update required patient information, collect forms, document information in the EMR, and complete check-in procedures.
Check out patients, provide necessary information, and schedule follow-up office and outpatient appointments.
Collect copayments and other payments, maintain records, and reconcile daily deposits.
Verify insurance coverage and eligibility and address issues before visits whenever possible.
Perform clerical work such as typing, filing, phone calls, and appointment scheduling.
Process incoming faxes and daily mail, including barcoding and document processing in the EMR.
Issue and verify managed-care referrals and obtain required prior authorizations for procedures and diagnostic studies.
Schedule and coordinate inpatient and outpatient visits and medical procedures.
Maintain office and clinical supply inventory, rotate stock, and request replenishment or special items.
Complete assigned workflow dashboard tasks, including rescheduling appointments, appointment ticklers, and no-shows.
Process incoming and outgoing medical records according to practice guidelines and regulations.
Maintain required records, reports, logs, and statistical information.
Attend required meetings, conferences, training, and seminars and apply quality-improvement practices in daily work.
Respect diverse views and contribute to a professional, tolerant, civil, and accepting environment.
Provide coverage at other Heywood Medical Group locations when needed.
Participate in quality-measure tracking and reporting and complete yearly Annual Mandatory Education and HEART program requirements.
Perform other assigned duties and work at other locations as needed.