Office Health Assistant I (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 Office Health Assistant, Acute Care (OHA) facilitates the daily operations of their assigned clinic while working as a member of a multi-disciplinary team. The OHA performs a wide range of duties, usually accomplished by several positions in other clinics. OHAs may assist in providing patient care and maintaining efficiency in the clinic, supporting a physical health provider, a mental health provider, process referrals, or provide routine lab results to patients. Receptionist/Front Desk duties, standard Medical Assistant duties, and miscellaneous administrative duties are all integral to the OHA role.

In addition to daily standard work, this position will also provide coverage for the various other roles at their assigned clinic or at other Virginia Garcia locations as reassigned.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Patient flow and front desk duties:
• Register patients and update patient records.
• Provide patient assistance with the registration process and provide appropriate information to patients as needed.
• Document medical information in the patient records.
• Procure proper documentation of patient financial status to allow VG to identify appropriate billing services.
• Set appointments with VG’s OHP specialist to enroll eligible patients to OHP as appropriate.
• Perform basic office operations.
• Use the Virginia Garcia Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems.
• Answer telephones and assist callers as needed.
• Schedule appointments and print out the day’s schedule.
• Ensure proper documentation is maintained pursuant to quality assurance guidelines.
• Prepare Clinic at start of day to receive patients; open doors, turn on lights, and prepare sign-in sheets.
• Prepare the Clinic at closing, at the end of the day: make sure lights are turned off, doors are locked, and records are secure.
• Maintain waiting room; clean and orderly.
• Check-out patients.
• Reconcile daily cash and deposit cash to the bank.
• Scan documents into patient’s electronic health records.

Direct patient care duties:
• Coordinate patient flow with the on-site providers.
• Room patients: take and log vitals.
• Administer vaccines and perform lab draws.
• Assist providers with procedures.
• Assist in preliminary screening of students with health needs.
• Perform clinical procedures within scope and practice, training, and certification.
• Under the direction of the on-site provider, administer medications, including oral, topical and injections.
• Perform laboratory procedures such as urinalysis and strep cultures.
• Perform qualify control tests on CLIA Waved Labs.
• Disinfect/sterilize instruments and equipment.
• Perform other clinic activities as directed.

In-direct patient care duties:
• Maintain, monitor and order medical, pharmaceutical, and office supplies.
• Follow clinic policies and procedures regarding patient care, insurances, new patients, etc.
• Document vaccine refrigerator and freezer temperatures daily.
• File test results.
• Track patients for medical appointment follow-up.
• Collect individual patient immunization data.
• Provide support for referrals (schedule appointments as necessary, track, provide records, and obtain reports).

Miscellaneous duties:
• Assist in coordinating care for patients across several Virginia Garcia clinics.
• Order and maintain patient education material.
• Perform monthly Vaccine Administration Records (VAR) inventory.
• Handle protected health information (PHI) in a manner consistent with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
• Assist other patients as may be appropriate.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

HIPAA Requirements
The Office Health Assistant will have access to PHI in the course of carrying their duties such as to schedule and register patients, check and update insurance coverage and demographic information, and perform medical assistant tasks. Applying the minimum necessary standard of HIPAA, the designated records sets to which this employee will have access include: patient demographics and account information, encounter forms, user batch reports and payment posting reports, the patient information section of the medical records, the HIPAA section, recent progress notes (as needed to answer scheduling questions), and the problem list/immunization record (to provide copies to patients up their request).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Proficiency in English and Spanish, both written and spoken language preferred.
• Proven sensitivity to inter-cultural issues.
• Ability to perform clerical work with speed and accuracy including but not limited to word processing, database, basic computer functions, data entry and filing.
• Demonstrated initiative and judgment in problem solving.
• Knowledge of and ability to maintain confidentiality regulations.
• Able to make independent decisions based on the Center’s protocols.
• High level of accuracy with numbers and data, which will become patient records.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, non-verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to develop effective, supportive relationships with staff, students, families, and the community.
• Service-oriented with ability to adapt to changing workload and pace.
• Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, safe driving record and insurance coverage required.

Education and Experience
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• One or more years’ previous medical assistant experience required.
• Active Medical Assistant certification required.
• Active CPR/First Aid/BLS certification or ability to become certified within 180 days of hire required.
• Six months or more of experience working as Front Desk Receptionist with EMR check-in duties 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 lift/carry 40 lbs. – supplies.

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

Equipment used:
Office equipment
• Computer: data entry and word processing
• Telephone, fax, copier, scanner

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
• Ultrasound machine

Immunization:
Staff members 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 fairness in placement, promotion, transfer, rate of pay, and termination.