The Primary Clinical Assistant supports physicians, advanced care providers, and registered nurses in delivering safe, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally sensitive gastroenterology and hepatology care.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Patient Care and Communication

• Works as part of a team focused on high-quality patient care and patient satisfaction.
• Ensures patient safety at all times.
• Interacts with patients in a professional, friendly manner and responds promptly to requests for tasks, prescription refills, authorizations, appointment scheduling, and referrals.
• Educates patients about their conditions, procedures, and plan of care.
• Follows up with patients to confirm progress on the plan of care and assess compliance with treatment, including reminder calls as needed.
• Reports the patient’s chief complaint, current symptoms, and abnormal findings to the provider.

Clinical Support

• Assists with collecting body fluid specimens for laboratory testing, completes lab requisitions, and prepares specimens for pickup.
• Ensures ordered procedures, laboratory tests, and imaging are scheduled and completed, and that results reach the physician in a timely manner.
• Understands breath tests, pill cam placements, and other procedures as instructed by providers.

Documentation and Administrative Support

• Documents medical information accurately in the EHR and communicates with team members in a timely manner.
• Maintains patient charts with current data and past medical history to meet meaningful use requirements, including closing tasks to demonstrate coordination of care.
• Updates lab orders with the current diagnosis code.
• Completes pre-certifications for medications and authorizations.
• Manages the patient portal and prescription refills.
• Requests template changes for providers.

Scheduling, Phones, and Referrals

• Answers phone calls and responds to inquiries, directs callers to the appropriate personnel, or triages calls promptly according to protocol, including sick calls.
• Schedules office and telehealth appointments and enters the information into the electronic scheduler.
• Coordinates referrals through insurance and other physician offices.

Organizational Responsibilities

• Upholds the CDHA mission by contributing to organizational goals, supporting leadership, and promoting unity and teamwork for the benefit of patients.
• Demonstrates a commitment to quality of care and participates in workplace improvement efforts that support a culture of patient service excellence.
• Adheres to all safety policies and industry standards for infection control, patient confidentiality, and regulatory and accrediting requirements (e.g., HIPAA, OSHA, AAAHC).
• Performs other duties as assigned within the scope of responsibility.

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

Education and/or Experience

• Graduate of an accredited Medical Assistant program.
• Two-year certificate from a college or technical school, or a minimum of one year of related experience and/or training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• One to three years of related experience and/or training.

Specialized Knowledge, Certifications, and Licenses

• Certification by one of the following national organizations: 
  • Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
  • Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) through the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
  • Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) through the American Registry of Medical Assistants (ARMA) or American Medical Technologists (AMT)
  • National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) through the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)
  • Completion of a formal medical services training program of the U.S. Armed Forces
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Professional Responsibilities

• Maintains knowledge, skills, and abilities through ongoing education.
• Completes all mandatory and assigned reviews and educational requirements.
• Participates in performance improvement activities.
• Is committed to meeting or exceeding employee and patient satisfaction expectations in performing job functions.
• Keeps all accreditations, licenses, and designations in good standing.
• Maintains compliance with all applicable laws and regulatory requirements and acts promptly to implement required changes.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequently lifts and/or moves up to 50 pounds with assistance.
• Frequently stands and uses hands to finger, handle, or feel.
• Occasionally sits.
• Regularly talks or hears.
• Vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Setting: Standard office equipment; work is usually performed in an office setting free from disagreeable elements.
• Travel: As required for the position.