Unit Secretary, Emergency Department, Health Alliance-Clinton, Per Diem

UMass Memorial Health•Leominster, MA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as the unit receptionist for the Emergency Department, directing patients, visitors, and others. It involves answering telephones and intercoms, taking and relaying messages, and referring unusual or questionable situations to a supervisor. The role utilizes a pneumatic tube system and dumb waiter for transmitting messages and arranging specimen transport. A key responsibility is transcribing physician orders and entering them into the system, utilizing downtime procedures when indicated. The Unit Secretary also duplicates reports, prepares and maintains patient charts and kardexes, assembles medical records, and files various reports and documents. They chart vital signs, prepare diet sheets, ensure chart completeness, collate medical records, and assist in procuring medical records. Additionally, the role involves scheduling patients for consults and diagnostic/therapeutic services, arranging transportation, and ensuring necessary preparations for appointments. Obtaining past medical records, preparing transfer and discharge charts, and arranging patient transportation are also part of the duties. The position maintains censuses, arranges admissions, transfers, and discharges, and enters, maintains, and retrieves computer information. Ordering and maintaining equipment and supplies, and keeping the work area neat are also required. The Unit Secretary may also be responsible for supply and dispatch services and maintaining a unit log. Standard staffing level responsibilities include complying with departmental policies, attending meetings, demonstrating Quality Improvement, adhering to health and safety regulations, respecting diverse views, maintaining reliable attendance, and performing other related duties.

Requirements

Equivalent to high school plus additional specialized training.
Knowledge of a variety of office procedures, operation of office equipment such as computer.
Ability to handle multiple priorities and effective communication.
3 to 12 months experience.
Unless certification, licensure or registration is required, an equivalent combination of education and experience which provides proficiency in the areas of responsibility listed in this description may be substituted for the above requirements.

Responsibilities

Serves as unit receptionist, directs patients, visitors and others. Answers telephone and intercom. Takes and relays messages. Refers unusual or questionable situations to supervisor or others.
Uses pneumatic tube system, dumb waiter, and receives and transmits messages. Arranges for specimen transport.
Transcribes physician orders. Enters orders into entry system according to standard procedure. Utilizes down time procedures when indicated.
Duplicates reports, mails and distributes same. Prepares and maintains patient charts and kardexes. Assembles medical records. Files reports and other documents such as laboratory and radiology reports and other information in appropriate part of medical records. Charts temperatures, pulses, blood pressures, weights and respiration. Prepares diet sheets. Ensures completeness of charts and chart documents. Collates medical records according to standard procedure. Assists physician or others in procuring medical records.
Schedules patients for consults and diagnostic and therapeutic services. Ensure appropriate transportation to scheduled appointments utilizing services of ancillary departments. Ensures preparation of charts, rooms, ambulances and other services as required or directed.
Obtains past medical records, prepares transfer and discharge charts, prepares documents to accompany departing patients, and arranges patient transportation.
Maintains censuses with admissions, transfers and discharges.
Arranges admission, transfer, discharge for patients.
Enters, maintains, and retrieves computer information. Orders and maintains equipment and supplies. Maintains work area in neat and orderly fashion.
Maintains unit log as necessary. May be required to provide supply and dispatch services.
Complies with established departmental policies, procedures and objectives.
Attends variety of meetings, conferences, seminars as required or directed.
Demonstrates use of Quality Improvement in daily operations.
Complies with all health and safety regulations and requirements.
Respects diverse views and approaches, demonstrates Standards of Respect, and contributes to creating and maintaining an environment of professionalism, tolerance, civility and acceptance toward all employees, patients and visitors.
Maintains, regular, reliable, and predictable attendance.
Performs other similar and related duties as required or directed.