Medical Assistant Jobs in Santa Cruz, AZ

About The Position

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• High school diploma or transcript, GED certificate, state or territorial proficiency certificate, or post-high-school education.
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade, including relevant administrative patient-support experience in a medical inpatient or outpatient setting.
• Experience scheduling and rescheduling patients, interviewing patients, referring them to specialty clinics, resolving complaints, reviewing and documenting medical and administrative records, obtaining medical information, coordinating patient-care information and services, and scheduling under VHA national guidelines.
• Advanced knowledge of healthcare processes related to access to care, including interdisciplinary coordinated-care scheduling and patient healthcare portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures affecting patient flow and administrative support, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines and comply with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing with internal and external customers; may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and background/security investigation.
• Must complete the required online onboarding and application documentation and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to the stated evaluation and certification conditions.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialized administrative patient support in an interdisciplinary coordinated-care delivery model.
• Independently perform administrative duties related to healthcare services in inpatient or outpatient settings and advise clinical staff on current administrative processes.
• Answer phones, greet patients, relay messages, schedule appointments, and interpret and verify provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments and consults; enter no-show information; monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; interview patients; and refer patients to specialty clinics.
• Monitor inpatient and outpatient appointments and update patient demographic and insurance information at check-in.
• Review and document medical and administrative records, obtain medical information from patients, verify third-party insurance, and update information in the Insurance Capture Buffer system.
• Coordinate information and administrative actions related to patient care, including emergency and non-emergency transfers to VA facilities or private hospitals and determining appointment type based on patient eligibility.
• Monitor clinic appointment availability and utilization, adjust schedules as needed, and participate in huddles with MSAs and clinic staff to determine daily clinic needs.
• Communicate with patients, caregivers, interdisciplinary care teams, VA medical centers, non-VA facilities, and other agencies, including supporting inpatient-to-outpatient discharge communications and notifying patients of normal lab results.
• Process incoming patient secure messages through MyHealtheVet and coordinate with the care team as appropriate.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to plan, manage, problem-solve, and follow up on patient care.
• Set priorities and deadlines and adjust work flow and sequencing to meet team and patient needs.
• Identify incomplete encounters and communicate findings to providers.
• Assist the team as needed in reinforcing the plan of care and self-help solutions.
• Enter information into electronic records and monitor pre-appointment information and requirements to ensure readiness for visits or procedures.
• Manage patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluate patient information and clinic schedules to identify patients requiring immediate appointments.
• Inform team members about shared patients receiving care at multiple VA centers or in the community.
• Manage consults, recall reminders, and Return to Clinic orders for the assigned team.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term-life, and long-term-care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.