Lead Medical Assistant

At Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, we honor all members of our community and acknowledge the dignity of each person we serve. Our purpose is to provide high quality, comprehensive primary health care to the communities of Washington and Yamhill counties with a special emphasis on migrant and seasonal farm workers and a view to removing barriers to health care. We strive to provide an environment that welcomes and values the people we employ and serve.

If you are unsure whether you meet all the required qualifications for this role but are interested and passionate about this potential position, we encourage you to apply.

Job Summary: The Lead Medical Assistant (LMA) serves as a subject matter lead for the MA role, assists other MAs in ensuring successful implementation of standard work plans, and leads special programming at home site that requires MA guidance and support. Additionally, the LMA collaborates with site leadership and the quality team to continue strengthening MA standard work and training programs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
MA Lead Duties:
• Complete duties below for assigned care team and provider, and assist all MAs in accomplishing the duties below for the purpose of excellence in care delivery.
• Partner with site leadership, the Quality department clinical education team, and colleagues across clinics to ensure excellence in the MA program and standard work.
• Partner with Quality department clinical education team to assist with development and implementation of clinical education programming for the MA position.
• Lead in assigned clinical programs at home site such as vaccine coordination, sterilization, point of care testing, MA provider and care team assignment calendar, float schedule management, and other duties assigned by the site leadership team.

Patient Flow Duties:
• Review daily schedule and verify availability of supplies and working equipment for the day.
• Prepare patient chart prior to appointment time.
• Direct patient flow and room turnover in assigned areas.
• Communicate with the patients and families and keep them informed of schedule delays.
• Maintain cleanliness, inventory and preparedness of assigned exam rooms.
• Provide assistance to patients that need help with ambulation or those dependent on a wheelchair or walker.
• Communicate changes to patient’s schedule with the provider and team members.
• Coordinate interpreter services as needed.
• Communicate with families and patients to insure they understand flow and expectations for the visit.
• Provide interpretation as requested.
• Scheduling appointment as ordered by provider.

Direct Patient Care:
• Perform vital sign, diagnostic tests and laboratory tests including waived lab test, venipuncture and specimen processing.
• Accurately document medical information in patients’ records (flow sheet, progress notes, immunization records, growth charts, refill logs, etc.) lab logs and quality control logs.
• Determine immunization status and administer immunization as needed.
• Administer medication as ordered by providers.
• Label prepackaged medication as directed by providers.
• Determine type of appointment needed and prepare patient appropriately.
• Assist providers with procedures.
• Dispense information to patients as instructed by providers.
• Call/fax refill request to the pharmacy as ordered by providers.

In-Direct Patient Care:
• Check sharps containers daily, replacing when full.
• Stock information pamphlets and forms in the clinic daily.
• Stock exam rooms, nurse’s station, vaccine administration station and lab daily.
• Organize and maintain clean and soiled utility rooms and storage areas.
• Disinfect and sterilize equipment.
• Maintain proper quality monitoring/control program for sterilization system.
• Assist the front desk as needed to expedite check in of patients.
• Clean and disinfect exam tables, counters, and equipment such as scales, toys and blood pressure cuff per VGMHC Infection Control Guidelines.
• Assemble equipment and prepare trays for minor procedures.
• Schedule appointments as ordered by provider.
• Track patients’ records as directed by provider.

Clinic Expectations:
• Report off to covering team member when leaving the floor for break, lunch or off duty.
• Assist other staff as requested.
• Implement agreed upon changes in functions, policies and procedures.
• Establish appropriate patient/clinic flow priorities and follow through to completion.
• Ensure confidentiality of patients and staff.
• Demonstrate cultural competency.
• Participate in ongoing professional development and competency assessment, e.g. including but not limited to: attends educational classes appropriate to job development, communicating additional training needs to direct supervisor, attending staff meeting, orienting new staff, and cross-training for position in assigned or other areas.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Handle protected health information (PHI) in a manner consistent with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

HIPAA Requirements:
The Lead Medical Assistant (LMA) will have access to PHI during the course of their work activities. The LMA will use this information to prepare both patients and medical records for visits with the provider and to keep the flow of work going smoothly in the clinic. Applying the minimum necessary standard of HIPAA, the designated records sets to which this employee will have access include: the full medical record, and the scheduling and demographics functions of the practice management system in the view only mode.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
• Bilingual/bicultural proficiency (proficiency in Spanish and English both spoken and written) preferred.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.
• Ability to problem solves issues in a team environment.
• Ability to multi-task and set priorities in an ever-changing environment while maintaining a calm, professional environment.
• An enthusiastic learner with the ability to work quickly, accurately, independently, and under stressful conditions.
• Possess the knowledge and skills through experience and/or training to be able to provide care appropriate to the age of patients served by the clinic.
• Ability to recognize own limitations and seek guideline/assistance appropriately.
• Ability to rotate to other clinics as needed within the guidelines of the union contract.

Education and Experience Required:
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Active medical assistant certification.
• Three years previous medical assistant experience preferred.

Behavioral Competencies:
Accountability
• Role model VG’s mission, vision, and shared values
Customer-Focus
• Listen to the voice of the customer and strive to delight them by exceeding their expectations
Teamwork
• If someone needs help, help them
Initiative
• Be innovative, apply fresh ideas, and continuously improve how you do your work
Confidentiality
• Maintain strict confidentiality and respect the privacy of others
Ethical
• Demonstrate integrity, honesty, and stewardship in all encounters at work
Respect
• Demonstrate consideration and appreciation for co-workers and patients
Communication
• Demonstrate the ability to convey thoughts and ideas as well as understand perspective of others

Physical Requirements:
Percentage of time spent
• Standing: 25%
• Walking: 45%
• Sitting: 25%
• Lifting/Carrying: 5%
• Physically demanding tasks: Must be able to occasionally lift/carry up to 30 lbs. – supplies and equipment.

Working Environment/Physical Hazards:
• Work in well-lighted, ventilated environment.
• Potential exposure to blood borne pathogens and hazardous chemicals.

Equipment used:
Office equipment
• Computer: data entry and word processing
• Telephone, fax, copier, scanner, printer
Medical equipment
• Autoclave
• Non-stress test
• Fetal Doppler
• EKG
• Pulse oximeter
• Audiometer
• Nebulizer
• O2 tank
• Liquid nitrogen
• Glucometer
• Hemoglobin A1C
• Cholesterol Screening Equipment
• Hemoglobin Screening Equipment
• Ultra sound machine

Immunization:
Staff member must meet immunization requirements as stated in VGMHC’s immunization policy and state and federal guidelines.

Job descriptions represent a general outline of the essential and major job duties, functions and qualifications required. They cannot be all-inclusive and comprehensive due to the dynamic nature of work performed to accomplish VGMHC’s Mission.
VGMHC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from consideration for employment because of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, veteran status, marital status or physical challenges. The policy applies not only to recruitment and hiring practices, but also includes affirmative action in the area of placement, promotion, transfer, rate of pay and termination.