POSITION FUNCTION SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the RN Supervisor and Nurse Manager, the Medical Assistant provides patient care and other related clinical, laboratory, technical and support activities to support medical providers and nurses who provide direct patient care at WHCHC.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position may have various work assignments within WHCHC. This description is intended to be generic in nature, and as such it does not detail all duties and responsibilities of daily job assignments. Various duties, responsibilities and accountabilities may be assigned to an incumbent in this position depending on the specific job assignment, and may include but not be limited to the following:

Clinical Duties:

• Obtain and document reason for visit and health history and appropriate health screenings.
• Obtain and document vital signs including pulse, respirations, temperature, blood pressure and oxygen saturation. Promptly and effectively report abnormal findings including vital signs to the medical provider or RN Supervisor.
• Obtain and document weight and height for all ages and head circumference if indicated.
• Clean and prepare equipment and examination rooms for patients. Clean rooms after each encounter and as needed.
• Clean, maintain and stock work area, nurse’s station, exam rooms, and laboratory.
• Clean, package, sterilize and label medical instruments consistent with autoclave protocols.
• Stock and order medical, lab and office supplies to maintain optimal inventory and minimize waste.
• Set up and assist medical provider with physical examinations, pelvic exams, minor surgeries, wound care and other specialty procedures.
• Provide oral and injectable medications safely and effectively per provider orders and WHCHC protocol. Monitor patients for possible reactions to medications and treatments. Promptly report any abnormal reactions to provider or RN Supervisor.
• Successfully complete annual vaccine storage and handling and VFC Program training as required.
• Administer immunizations per provider orders and CDC vaccine schedules for patients of all ages. Follow all immunization guidelines and protocols appropriate to patient age and condition.
• Practice safe injection techniques at all times to protect patient and staff safety.
• Perform nursing procedures such as audiograms, visual acuity testing, EKGs, suture removal, spirometry testing and peak flow testing as indicated or as ordered by provider.
• Collect lab specimens as directed by WHCHC protocol or provider orders. Follow protocol for patient identification and labeling of specimen. Practice safe handling of all specimens consistent with WHCHC and OSHA guidelines.
• Perform CLIA-waived tests following specific methodology per manufacturer of each test kit or equipment as outlined in WHCHC protocol. Tests may include but not limited to urinalysis or urine dipstick, HCG, HgA1C, Strep A, Influenza, blood glucose and urine drug test.
• Ensure that the physical and environmental conditions of the lab are appropriate for all tests performed and provide safe conditions for employees who are protected from physical, chemical, and biological hazards in accordance with recognized laboratory and OSHA standards.
• Document all lab results in patient chart and record in laboratory logbook accurately and in a timely manner, noting abnormal results as indicated. Promptly report abnormal findings to medical provider or RN supervisor.
• Provide patient education and resource information related to family planning, prenatal care, health promotion and disease prevention for all patient age categories as appropriate to scope of practice.
• Coordinate patient scheduling for providers, including visits for new patients, follow up, triage and specialty appointments to optimize clinic patient care hours and resources available.
• Follow up on normal/abnormal patient testing done by outside facilities, report findings in a timely manner to appropriate clinical staff, provide follow-up on diagnostic testing as indicated by provider.
• Document all care provided in patient chart in a timely and accurate manner. This includes all clinic services, updating medication and allergy lists, pharmacy information, laboratory results, referral status, and other patient data/information and communications required by providers or protocols.
• Effectively communicate with patients as instructed by provider or nurse within MA scope of practice including general provider instructions and care plans, lab and imaging results, referral recommendations, and medication information. Record communication with patient in chart.
• Demonstrate knowledge and competency by completing initial and annual skills checks and training within appropriate timeframe as required.
• Actively participate in all required staff mock code and safety trainings.

POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:

Requirements of Position

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience:

• High School graduate or GED certificate.
• Graduation from a technical school with appropriate degree and/or certification such as Nurse Assistant/Aide program.
• Six months related experience is required; OR any equivalent combination of experience, training and/or education in related healthcare field as approved by Nurse Manager.

Licensure:

• Certification as a Medical Assistant preferred.
• BLS Certification.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

This position requires a basic knowledge of clinical intake procedures to prepare patients for their examination and complete laboratory tests for the provider.

• Ability to use a multi-line telephone, computer, or fax/copier machine.
• Ability to work on multiple tasks within established deadlines.
• Ability to work under the direction of a provider and follow instructions for work completion.
• Ability to take the initiative to resolve patient concerns and problems.

Language Skills:

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as government regulations and guidelines, patient records, operating and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals, etc.
• Ability to write at a minimal level of competence, including internal reports and memoranda.
• Ability to communicate with diverse groups of people to include staff and providers and patients.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients and their families to make their visit a pleasant experience.
• Sensitivity to the multicultural nature of the service area population and provide or initiate language translation services to patients as needed.

Personal Characteristics:

Must be able to maintain complete confidentiality of medical records, patient interviews, and office memoranda. Personal characteristics to include: a team player, high integrity, communication and customer relations skills, regular work attendance, courteous and friendly, able to work well with diverse groups of people, and gain and maintain respect of others, both inside and outside WHCHC.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS/WORKING CONDITIONS:

Incumbent will be scheduled based on operational need (rotate shifts, standby, AA, on-call). Work is mostly inside, and normal office worker safety precautions and practices are required. Incumbent will be exposed to patients' conditions and some-unpleasant sights, smells and contagious diseases including viral and bacterial disease and infection from patients and specimens in working environment. All employees are offered the opportunity to receive the Hepatitis B vaccination series, and annual influenza vaccine. All employees are also required to have annual PPD testing. Other vaccines or immunity testing may be required based on current disease outbreaks or risk of exposure. This position performs tasks that involve exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues; normal medical safety precautions and practices are required.

Confidential and Sensitive Information:

Because the employee has access to personal and professional data regarding individual employees and their families, personal data regarding individual patients and the families, and/or sensitive company financial data, an essential job result is the maintenance of a high level of confidentiality of the information processed by the employee. Violation of this confidence may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

The foregoing position description is not all-inclusive of the duties that may be assigned to the employee. In order to ensure maximum flexibility and efficiency and to encourage cross training, employees will be assigned additional duties as deemed necessary or desirable by WHCHC.