Patient Care Associate - Poughkeepsie

Planned Parenthood of Greater New York • Poughkeepsie, NY

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Associate (PCA) is part of a multidisciplinary medical team and supports patient intake, front-desk operations, clinical services, and patient education. The role includes obtaining complete medical histories; providing education about human sexuality, family planning, abortion, colposcopy, LEEP, and general health as applicable; and helping ensure efficient, compassionate, and compliant health-center operations.

The PCA welcomes and registers patients, gathers demographic and billing information, verifies insurance, updates electronic health records, manages appointments and calls, and supports billing and revenue-cycle tasks. Clinical duties include reviewing and documenting patient histories, supporting patient flow, arranging interpreter services, performing ordered laboratory tests, and assisting with reproductive health services, including abortion care as needed. The PCA also maintains clinic supplies and equipment, follows infection-control and quality-assurance procedures, and maintains required clinical competencies.

This position operates in a professional office and health-center environment, with potential exposure to communicable diseases. Travel to other health centers may be required, sometimes in inclement weather. The schedule may be flexible or extended, including evenings and weekends, and may exceed 7.5 hours per day or 37.5 hours per week during peak activity periods. The role requires prolonged sitting and computer use, frequent standing, walking and bending, stair use, moving or lifting patients, supplies or equipment, and reaching, grasping, pushing and pulling. It also requires visual acuity for computer and printed materials and the ability to hear and communicate orally.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• Excellent customer service, communication, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Ability to remain focused and calm in stressful situations and work effectively as part of a team.
• Comfort using electronic health records.
• Keen attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to produce high-quality work in a fast-paced environment with changing or competing priorities.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and independent decision-making.
• Ability to produce reliable, high-quality work with minimal direct supervision.
• Ability to follow HIPAA policies and procedures.
• Ability to work a flexible or extended schedule, including evenings and weekends, as operational demands require.
• Commitment to bodily autonomy, health equity, gender and racial justice, and learning about racial equity and its effects on healthcare systems.
• Ability to build relationships and trust across cultural differences and provide compassionate, non-judgmental, culturally responsive care.
• Ability to reflect on personal identity with humility and demonstrate accountability to the patient experience.
• Meet the employer's immunization or immunity, influenza-season and COVID-19, and tuberculosis-testing requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Valid New York State driver's license.
• Previous experience working with electronic health records.
• Proficiency in other languages.
• Prior Planned Parenthood employment.
• Prior health-care employment.
• Previous experience in a high-volume customer-service role.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Responsibilities

• Monitor health screenings at the front desk; greet patients and visitors; collect demographic and billing information; verify insurance; update electronic health records; initiate superbills and visits; obtain required consents and forms; and manage walk-in clients according to schedule availability.
• Answer and triage patient calls, manage appointments, review schedules, and prepare charts for next-day services.
• Process supply requests and payments, collect co-pays, follow cash-handling and banking policies, reconcile audit reports, prepare deposits, and screen patients for eligibility for in-state assisted insurance programs while helping with applications when applicable.
• Open and close the front-desk area, maintain welcoming and professional waiting and office areas, respond to patient requests, and follow safety and security procedures.
• Support health-center productivity, revenue-cycle goals, professional standards, wait-time policies, and procedures for addressing client complaints.
• Review patient health histories for completeness, document findings in the electronic medical record using appropriate templates and forms, and alert the APC to critical patient information.
• Assess patient flow to help minimize wait times, support efficient center operations and patient service, and assist with orienting and training new clinic staff as indicated.
• Accurately document services and complete CVR data to support charge capture and financial reporting.
• Arrange access to interpreter services for patients with communication barriers.
• Provide patient-centered, non-judgmental sexual and reproductive health education and related care; follow applicable guidance and obtain informed consent related to visits.
• Perform ordered laboratory tests, complete requisitions, package specimens for transport, and run daily controls.
• Perform clinic opening and closing duties, clean clinic areas and equipment, restock supplies, report facility or equipment issues, and follow laboratory, quality-assurance, PPE, and infection-control procedures.
• Assist with abortion services as needed, including abortion counseling, the Products of Conception room, infection-prevention float duties, and assistance in the surgical room.
• Attend monthly didactics and maintain clinical skills and competencies through annual competency checks and training for new services, tests, and skills.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off and holiday schedule.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage options for the employee and eligible dependents.
• Flexible spending account, health savings account, and commuter pre-tax reimbursement funds.
• Short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Free basic life and AD&D coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan with Safe Harbor contributions after one year of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED