Medical Assistant

COVILABS/PPBHA

MEDICAL ASSISTANT - INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

Business: CoviLabs, in partnership with Prosperity Path Behavioral Health Agency (PPBHA)
Work Location: 137 Iredell Avenue, Troutman, North Carolina
Position Title: Medical Assistant
Engagement Type: Independent Contractor - 1099
Compensation: $20.00 per hour
Schedule: Based on laboratory operating needs and mutually agreed-upon availability
Reports To: Laboratory Director, Laboratory Manager, or Authorized Designee

POSITION SUMMARY

CoviLabs, in partnership with Prosperity Path Behavioral Health Agency, is seeking a dependable, professional, and patient-focused Medical Assistant to support daily clinical and administrative laboratory operations.

The Medical Assistant will assist with patient intake, specimen collection and preparation, laboratory documentation, infection-control practices, inventory management, and coordination of services between CoviLabs, healthcare providers, patients, and PPBHA.

The contractor must demonstrate accuracy, professionalism, confidentiality, sound judgment, and a commitment to providing respectful, efficient, and high-quality patient care. All services must be performed within the contractor's documented education, training, demonstrated competency, and legally permitted scope of practice.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Patient Intake and Clinical Support

1. Welcome patients and provide professional, respectful, and culturally responsive assistance.
2. Verify patient identity using at least two approved patient identifiers before collecting specimens, performing testing, or documenting services.
3. Confirm laboratory orders, patient demographic information, insurance information, and other required documentation.
4. Obtain and document relevant patient information, including current medications, allergies, medical history, symptoms, and reason for testing, when required by CoviLabs procedures.
5. Measure and document vital signs, including temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, height, and weight, when ordered or applicable.
6. Explain laboratory procedures to patients in understandable language and respond appropriately to questions within the Medical Assistant's scope.
7. Prepare patients for specimen collection and help reduce anxiety associated with blood draws or other laboratory procedures.
8. Immediately notify the Laboratory Director, ordering provider, or authorized clinical professional of patient distress, adverse reactions, abnormal observations, or medical emergencies.

Specimen Collection and Processing

1. Collect blood specimens through venipuncture or capillary collection when the contractor has documented training and demonstrated competency.
2. Collect or assist patients with providing urine, saliva, nasal, respiratory, and other authorized specimens according to laboratory procedures.
3. Correctly label specimens in the presence of the patient immediately following collection.
4. Confirm that specimen labels, requisitions, laboratory orders, and electronic records match before processing or transport.
5. Prepare, package, store, preserve, and transport specimens according to CoviLabs policies, test-manufacturer instructions, applicable shipping requirements, and laboratory standards.
6. Centrifuge, aliquot, refrigerate, freeze, or otherwise prepare specimens when properly trained and authorized.
7. Inspect specimens for labeling errors, leakage, contamination, clotting, insufficient quantity, improper temperature, incorrect containers, or other rejection criteria.
8. Document rejected specimens and coordinate recollection in accordance with laboratory procedures.
9. Maintain accurate chain-of-custody documentation when required for toxicology, employment, legal, forensic, or other regulated testing.
10. Perform only those laboratory tests for which CoviLabs is appropriately certified and for which the contractor has received documented training, authorization, and competency validation.
11. Follow all manufacturer instructions when assisting with or performing authorized point-of-care or waived laboratory testing.
12. Never independently interpret, diagnose, prescribe, or provide unauthorized clinical explanations of laboratory results.

Documentation and Records Management

1. Accurately enter patient, specimen, collection, testing, and service information into the laboratory information system, electronic health record, billing system, or approved paper records.
2. Complete all required documentation before the end of the assigned service period unless otherwise authorized.
3. Maintain accurate specimen logs, temperature logs, quality-control records, equipment records, inventory records, cleaning logs, incident reports, and other required documentation.
4. Protect patient information and maintain confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA, CoviLabs policies, PPBHA requirements, and applicable federal and North Carolina laws.
5. Release laboratory information only to authorized individuals and through approved communication methods.
6. Immediately report documentation errors, missing orders, mislabeled specimens, privacy concerns, testing discrepancies, or suspected fraudulent activity.
7. Assist with record requests, audits, quality reviews, and compliance inspections as directed.

Infection Prevention and Laboratory Safety

1. Follow standard precautions and treat all blood, bodily fluids, specimens, sharps, and contaminated materials as potentially infectious.
2. Properly use gloves, gowns, masks, face protection, and other required personal protective equipment.
3. Follow hand-hygiene requirements before and after patient contact, specimen handling, glove use, and exposure to potentially contaminated surfaces.
4. Properly dispose of needles, lancets, sharps, biohazardous materials, chemicals, and regulated medical waste.
5. Never recap, bend, break, or manually manipulate contaminated needles except when specifically permitted by an approved safety procedure.
6. Clean and disinfect patient-care areas, specimen-collection areas, equipment, and work surfaces according to CoviLabs procedures.
7. Follow CoviLabs' exposure-control plan, bloodborne-pathogen procedures, hazard-communication program, respiratory-protection requirements, and emergency procedures.
8. Immediately report needlestick injuries, blood or bodily-fluid exposures, chemical spills, equipment failures, workplace injuries, and safety hazards.
9. Participate in required exposure evaluations, incident reviews, corrective actions, and post-exposure procedures.
10. Maintain a clean, organized, secure, and professional laboratory environment.

Equipment, Supplies, and Inventory

1. Inspect equipment before use and report defects, calibration concerns, malfunctions, or maintenance needs.
2. Operate only equipment for which the contractor has been trained and authorized.
3. Monitor laboratory and medical supply levels and notify management before supplies reach critical levels.
4. Check expiration dates, storage conditions, lot numbers, and integrity of testing materials and collection supplies.
5. Rotate supplies using first-expiring, first-out practices when applicable.
6. Maintain required refrigerator, freezer, room-temperature, and equipment-monitoring logs.
7. Prevent unauthorized access to specimens, supplies, medications, testing materials, equipment, and confidential records.

Administrative and Customer-Service Responsibilities

1. Answer telephone calls, schedule appointments, communicate preparation instructions, and route clinical questions to the appropriate professional.
2. Assist with verifying orders, insurance information, authorizations, referrals, and patient contact information.
3. Coordinate professionally with physicians, nurses, laboratories, couriers, pharmacies, PPBHA personnel, and other authorized healthcare partners.
4. Assist with scanning, filing, faxing, secure emailing, copying, and maintaining laboratory documents.
5. Inform patients of approved payment requirements and collect payments when authorized.
6. Follow CoviLabs procedures for opening, closing, securing, and maintaining the laboratory site.
7. Participate in quality-improvement activities, staff meetings, competency reviews, and compliance training as required by the contractor agreement.
8. Perform other laboratory-support services that are consistent with the contractor's qualifications, competency, and authorized scope.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The contractor must:

1. Possess a high school diploma or equivalent.
2. Have completed a Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, Patient Care Technician, or comparable healthcare-training program, unless equivalent documented education and experience are accepted by CoviLabs.
3. Have current CPR and Basic Life Support certification or obtain certification within the timeframe established by CoviLabs.
4. Demonstrate competency in specimen collection, patient identification, specimen labeling, infection prevention, documentation, and laboratory safety before independently performing those duties.
5. Possess effective oral and written communication skills.
6. Be able to use electronic health records, laboratory information systems, email, scanners, printers, and standard office equipment.
7. Demonstrate attention to detail and the ability to follow written laboratory procedures.
8. Be able to maintain patient confidentiality and professional boundaries.
9. Successfully complete required background screening, exclusion screening, credential verification, and other onboarding requirements.
10. Be legally authorized to provide services in the United States.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preference may be given to candidates who possess:

• Current Certified Medical Assistant, Registered Medical Assistant, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, or equivalent certification.
• Current phlebotomy certification.
• At least one year of experience in a physician's office, diagnostic laboratory, urgent-care center, behavioral-health organization, or outpatient healthcare setting.
• Experience collecting blood, urine, respiratory, toxicology, or other diagnostic specimens.
• Experience with electronic health records or laboratory information systems.
• Knowledge of HIPAA, OSHA bloodborne-pathogen requirements, infection prevention, and laboratory quality-control practices.
• Bilingual communication skills.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

The Medical Assistant must demonstrate:

• Accurate patient identification.
• Safe and effective specimen-collection techniques.
• Proper specimen labeling, storage, processing, and transport.
• Effective infection-control and exposure-prevention practices.
• Accurate and timely documentation.
• Respect for patient privacy, dignity, and cultural differences.
• Professional communication and customer service.
• Dependability, punctuality, and appropriate follow-through.
• Recognition and reporting of emergencies, adverse reactions, and safety concerns.
• Ability to remain calm and organized in a fast-paced environment.

PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

The contractor must be able to:

• Stand, walk, bend, reach, and sit for extended periods.
• Use hands and fingers to operate clinical equipment and collect specimens.
• Lift and carry supplies or equipment weighing up to 25 pounds, with reasonable accommodation when applicable.
• Clearly see labels, specimen information, computer screens, and testing materials.
• Communicate effectively with patients and other professionals.
• Work near blood, bodily fluids, sharps, chemicals, disinfectants, and potentially infectious materials.
• Wear required personal protective equipment.
• Respond appropriately to spills, exposures, fainting, patient distress, and other laboratory incidents.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

The contractor must protect all patient, employee, business, financial, operational, and clinical information obtained through CoviLabs or PPBHA.

Unauthorized access, disclosure, photography, recording, removal, or transmission of confidential information is prohibited. The contractor must comply with all applicable confidentiality agreements, business-associate requirements, privacy policies, information-security procedures, and record-retention requirements.

The contractor must maintain professional boundaries and must not engage in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, patient exploitation, falsification of records, theft, diversion, abusive conduct, or other unethical or unlawful behavior.

INDEPENDENT-CONTRACTOR STATUS AND COMPENSATION

This position is intended to be structured as an independent-contractor relationship.

The contractor will be compensated at a rate of $20.00 per hour for authorized and properly documented services. Payment will be issued according to the payment schedule established in the Independent Contractor Agreement.

As a 1099 independent contractor:

• The contractor is not eligible for employee benefits unless expressly stated in a separate written agreement.
• No federal, state, Social Security, Medicare, or other payroll taxes will ordinarily be withheld from contractor payments.
• The contractor is responsible for maintaining required tax records and paying applicable self-employment and income taxes.
• The contractor must submit accurate invoices, time records, or service documentation as required by CoviLabs.
• The contractor may not work unauthorized hours or incur expenses on behalf of CoviLabs without prior written approval.
• Nothing in this job description guarantees a minimum number of assignments, patients, hours, or earnings.
• Contractor classification will be governed by the actual working relationship, the Independent Contractor Agreement, and applicable federal and state law.

QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Performance may be evaluated based on:

• Accuracy of patient identification and specimen labeling.
• Specimen rejection or recollection rates.
• Documentation accuracy and timeliness.
• Compliance with infection-control and safety procedures.
• Patient-service quality.
• Attendance and reliability for accepted assignments.
• Compliance with laboratory procedures.
• Completion of required training and competency assessments.
• Incident-reporting compliance.
• Protection of confidential information.
• Cooperation with quality-improvement and corrective-action activities.

Failure to comply with safety, confidentiality, documentation, competency, or laboratory requirements may result in removal from assigned duties or termination of the Independent Contractor Agreement.