Medical Assistant (Bayfront OHNS)

JOB SUMMARY

Under the supervision of the Medical Assistant Supervisor, guided by policies and procedures of the Ambulatory Services, and in collaboration with the Clinical Nursing Staff, Hospital Assistant III assists in the delivery of care to patients in the Bayfront Medical Building  Work includes a variety of personal care and clinical procedures, including ensuring positive care outcomes. They will perform assigned patient care and laboratory procedures supporting the specialty care services provided to patients within the practices. They are required to learn and be able to assist in the multiple departments across Bayfront.  S/he is required to adhere to the Telephone and House Standards as adopted by the Medical Center.

This position makes a difference for patients in an outpatient care unit by providing excellent customer service, facilitating and ensuring the accuracy of the information flow between medical, hospital staff and departments to maximize unit efficiency. This Hospital Assistant III functions in the outpatient clinical settings at all UCSF Health sites (Parnassus, Mt. Zion, joint UCSF health partnerships, Satellite Clinics, or with UCSF Faculty at  other off-site clinic sites, et al). 

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

Supervises no staff.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

%  

of time

Essential Function (Yes/No)

Key Responsibilities

(To be completed by Supervisor)

65%

Clinical Functions

1. Performs routine clinical functions and documents in patient chart, including but not limited to vital signs, height, weight, pain screening and documentation of chief complaints.
2. Documents use of interpreter as appropriate.  Work with interpreting services to facilitate interpreter participation for medical appointments in person, by phone, or by video (if available).
3. Assists nurses and providers and patients in preparation for exam and/or procedures.
4. Successfully completes all appropriate competencies to perform or assist with procedures as required for department specialty and determined by the Nurse Manager/Supervisor or Administrative Director--which may include but not limited to:

1. Performs disinfecting and pre-cleaning processing procedures in outpatient clinic and maintain all appropriate logs. 

   1. Cleans and prepares instruments for transport to the sterile processing department.

   c.    Assists in in-clinic complex medical procedures and diagnostic testing/imaging (including but not limited to laser, nasal endoscopy, laryngoscopy, stroboscopy, EMG, botox, fine needle aspiration, ultrasound, cystoscopy, UDP, vascectomy). 

2. Acts as chaperone as needed for medical providers.
3. Works as an internal float for department as requested by supervisor.
4. Transports patients as directed and ensures their safety.
5. Monitors patient flow in and out of the clinic.

6. Sets up exam rooms in preparation for the provider and patient based on patient chief complaint/reason for visit.

7. Obtains specimens and performs simple Testing as directed, including QA/QC.
8. Obtains specimens and performs simple laboratory procedures conforming to all policies and procedures related to specimen handling and processing.
9. Participates in updating mandatory logs (i.e., temperature log, disaster cabinet log, crash cart log).
10.  Facilitates referrals to other providers as ordered by the physician.
11. Obtains authorizations from insurers for medications.
12. Performs clinical activities in an accurate and timely manner.
13. Assists physician staff in writing and sending out patient communications.
14. Complies with all Ambulatory Services and Medical Center policies and   procedures for infection control, safety, administrative and clinical practice.  Complies with activities mandated by JCAHO/Title 22.
15. Ensures all medication cabinets remain locked at all times.
16. Provides patient and family education as needed and documents in APeX.

15%

Patient Communication

1. Demonstrates courtesy, common sense and follow through in all telephone communications, maintaining the Medical Center Telephone Standards.

2. Ensures a professional and helpful working environment by upholding the House Standards as adopted by the Medical Center.
3. Notifies providers of patient delays and service issues.  Acts as an advocate for patients by helping to facilitate provider punctuality to maintain optimal clinic schedules. 
4. Communicates provider delays to front office team and makes regular announcements to patients in waiting room or exam room as needed when delays are over 30 minutes.
5. Shares pertinent information and observations with other health team members, communicates critical issues, abnormal results, and excursions in a timely manner. 
6. Identifies and communicates problems to the nursing staff or appropriate supervisor.
7. Offers suggestions for change or improvement in clinic/practice operations.
8. Assists patients with issues and complaints utilizing conflict management skills.
9. Contacts labs, pharmacies, and physician/provider offices as needed to obtain necessary patient information, complying with HIPAA guidelines.

10. Utilizes Electronic Health Record (APEX) for documentation within the scope of practice of a Hospital Assistant which may include but not limited to: 

11. Documentation of vital signs, height, weight and pain scale.

12. Enter patient chief complaint and history (i.e. tobacco/family hx/ med/surg/social).

13. Enter patient reported allergies and medications. 

14. Follow department and APeX protocols.

15. Documentation of test results.

16. Enter & “pend” scripted orders from provider.

17. Open a Medication Refill Encounter for provider.

18. Scheduling laboratory, radiology and other testing with a written order from a provider. 

19. Open telephone encounters.

20. Open staff messages.

21. Updates and maintains pharmacy information in APeX.

22. Ensures patient care team information is current.

Administrative Functions

1. Maintains clean, well-stocked exam rooms, hub rooms and lab.  Responsible for ordering and maintaining supplies, maintenance of lab equipment.

2. As requested, reviews Lab log of results and prints results for providers.

3. Obtains insurance authorizations for medications, procedures and film or slide review authorizations.

4. Schedules complex procedures and coordinates services for patients. 

5. Coordinates meal and rest periods with other Hospital Assistants and ensures coverage of clinic under direction of supervisor/manager.

6. Maintains supply standards as directed by nursing staff or appropriate

   supervisor. 

7. Adheres to infection control procedures as outlined in the Infection Control Manual. 

8. Adheres to the Ambulatory Service Policy and procedures for the cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilization of equipment.

9. Participates in various QI and Customer Service initiatives such as wait time studies, outcome data collection from procedures, etc. 

100%

(To update total %, enter the amount of time in whole numbers (without the % symbol - e.g., 15, 20) then highlight the total sum (e.g., 1%) at the bottom of the column and press F9. The total sum should add up to 100%.)

LIVING PRIDE STANDARDS

Service Excellence

• Demonstrates service excellence by following the Everyday PRIDE Guide with the UCSF Medical Center standards and expectations for communication and behavior.  These standards and expectations convey specific behavior associated with the Medical Center’s values: Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence, and provide guidance on how we communicate with patients, visitors, faculty, staff, and students, virtually everyone, every day and with every encounter. These standards include, but are not limited to: personal appearance, acknowledging and greeting all patients and families, introductions using AIDET, managing up, service recovery, managing delays and expectations, phone standards, electronic communication, team work, cultural sensitivity and competency.   

• Uses effective communication skills with patients and staff; demonstrates proper telephone techniques and etiquette; acts as an escort to any patient or family member needing directions; shows sensitivity to differences of culture; demonstrates a positive and supportive manner in which patients / families/ colleagues perceive interactions as positive and supportive. Exhibits teamwork skills to positively acknowledge and recognize other colleagues and uses personal experiences to model and teach Living PRIDE standards. 

• Exhibits tact and professionalism in difficult situations according to PRIDE Values and Practices

• Demonstrates an understanding of and adheres to privacy, confidentiality, and security policies and procedures related to Protected Health Information (PHI) or other sensitive and personal information.

• Demonstrates an understanding of and adheres to safety and infection control policies and procedures.

• Assumes accountability for improving quality metrics associated with department/unit and meeting organizational/departmental targets. 

Work Environment

• Keeps working areas neat, orderly and clutter-free, including the hallways.  Adheres to cleaning processes and puts things back where they belong. Removes and reports broken equipment and furniture.

• Picks up and disposes of any litter found throughout entire facility. 

• Posts flyers and posters in designated areas only; does not post on walls, doors or windows.

• Knows where the Environment of Care Manual is kept in department; corrects or reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate departments. 

• Protects the physical environment and equipment from damage and theft.

OTHER FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Performs any other duties related to patient care activities as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 6 months MA experience 

• Certification from an approved Medical Assistant program or equivalent combination of training and experience. 

• Knowledge and abilities are essential to successfully performing the duties assigned to the position. 

• Current American Heart Association CPR Certification.

• Demonstrated proficiency with computer usage, keyboard skills, and software programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel.

• Ability to work effectively with people from diverse cultures and diverse socioeconomic situations. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATION

• 6 months experience with OHNS, Urology or similar in an ambulatory setting/medical practice. 

• CPT-1 Phlebotomy License preferred

• Proficiency with EPIC (APeX) electronic health records system. 
• Bilingual or multi-lingual capability (Spanish, Cantonese, Russian) strongly preferred.
• Experience collecting and entering data, identifying errors and missing information, and performing fundamental process improvement analysis. 

• Experience with insurance authorizations and interacting with retail pharmacies to refill medications.

REQUIRED LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

• American Heart Association BLS – CPR Certified

POPULATIONS SERVED

Populations served: Child, Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric.