Hybrid Medical Assistant/Certified Medical Assistant - full-time bei Seward Community Health Center

Seward Community Health Center is seeking a full-time Medical Assistant or Certified Medical Assistant (MA/CMA) onsite for our small community health center located in beautiful Seward, Alaska.  

The wage range for this position is $20-27/hr depending on qualifications and experience.

Seward, Alaska is a majestic, quaint town located 120 miles south of Anchorage and is surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains in the center of Kenai Fjords National Park. Seward offers year-round opportunities for outdoor activities including skiing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, boating, wildlife viewing, and so much more. If you enjoy adventuring up mountains, between glaciers and in waters, or sightseeing, going on wildlife tours or bird watching, Seward is the place for you!

Seward Community Health Center (SCHC) is a federally-qualified health center. We welcome anyone in need of quality, affordable healthcare by providing integrated, patient-centered primary care for a variety of illnesses and conditions for the entire family. SCHC is the leading provider of healthcare services in the Eastern Kenai Peninsula, with passionate, dedicated staff who work daily to help increase access to services for our community members.  We are seeking to hire additional staff who will add to our ability to make our community and SCHC a better place to live and work. 

Check out the following link for more information about Seward: https://www.seward.com/

 Benefits designed to encourage self-care and give staff the ability to explore this beautiful state:

• Work schedule is set during Clinic business hours 8am-6pm, Monday-Saturday for 40 hours per week. 
• Health insurance with medical, dental, and vision benefits for both staff and dependents
• Short- and long-term disability insurance paid by employer
• Term life insurance paid by employer
• 3% employer contribution to a 401(k) retirement plan
• 100 hours of paid holidays annually
• Paid leave accrued biweekly

Job Purpose 

Under the direction of the Clinic Supervisor, Medical Assistants (MAs) provide direct clinical support to medical providers, clinic staff, and patients. This position supports patient care delivery by assisting healthcare providers before, during and after examinations; reviewing and/or recording medical history; and coordination of patient care.

Duties and Responsibilities 

Direct Patient Care:  

• Reviews patient charts for upcoming appointments, identifies patient care gaps (e.g., advance lab work, immunizations, referrals) using EHR and Azara DRVS prior to appointment. Communicates with patient, provider, clinical team, and Clinic Manager as needed. 
  • Ensure provider has chart notes from outside providers or labs done on demand are available and updated in Epic if needed for review at visit.
  • Review patient vaccines in VacTrAk (State of Alaska vaccine database); reconcile with vaccine records in EHR
• Reviews weekly provider schedule daily; facilitate pre-charting and capture of relevant data for Health Maintenance and UDS measures.
• Prepares all exam rooms and lab/med room each morning: turn on computers, access EHR, ensures all stations are up and running.
• Records temperatures of vaccine fridges & freezers as assigned/instructed.
• Rooms patients for provider (both in-person or virtual appointments); performs all duties according to most current established workflows (e.g., Patient Rooming Workflow, Completion of Patient Appointment Workflow).
• Prior to patient arrival ensure room is prepared with necessary instruments, supplies and equipment to include gowns and drapes for patient that may be needed.
• Prepares patients for the health care visit by accompanying them to the exam room.
• Orders labs, referrals, POC tests, vaccines, and DME if needed.
• Assist health care providers during examinations and procedures as needed.
• Performs procedures with supervision within scope of practice (e.g., , cleaning wounds, dressing wounds).
• Administers and assists others with vaccinations according to the Vaccine Workflow. 
• Collects various specimens for POC lab/PSMC lab, facilitates patient completion of consent form, delivers specimens to lab.
• Performs POCT labs (e.g., pregnancy test, influenza, strep A, UA, A1C, Hb, glucose). 
• Escorts patient to lab/waiting room for outpatient imaging/labs, have patient sign consent form and deliver to PSMC check-in desk.
• Has the patient complete any necessary paperwork (e.g., Release of Information (ROI), procedure consent); submit ROI to the front desk.
• Assists patients with scheduling follow up appointments and labs.
• Obtains prior authorizations for advanced imaging services.
• Processes and sends specialist referrals.
• Coordinates specialist visits with patients, obtains records from outside specialty visits, and updates medical record accordingly.
• Assists with home visits if scheduled.
• Provides exceptional customer service to patients and stakeholders while following SCHC’s Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model which is designed to improve health care by transforming how primary care services are organized and delivered. 
• Assists with Nursing Visits within scope of practice. 
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Stocking & Maintenance:  

• Maintains necessary supplies in lab.
• Ensures cabinets in exam rooms above sink are equipped with procedure, PAP supplies. 
• Organizes/restocks med room and supply room as needed. 
• Notifies administrative staff when printing room supplies are needed (e.g., toner cartridges, collection kits, paper).

Communication:  

• Screens initial calls from patients and front desk, consults or messages provider or nursing for advice when needed.
• Addresses medication refills, questions, and concerns from patients within scope of practice.
• Notifies patients of normal lab and imaging results per provider notes.
• Processes chart notes received from outside providers and updates EHR accordingly.
• Sends reminders to patients (e.g., scheduling upcoming appointment needs, labs, referrals).  Documents in EHR that reminder was sent/call was made.
• Completes patient follow-up calls.
• Answers or forwards patient l messages to provider or nursing staff.
• Addresses EHR chat messages from co-workers, returns calls to patients as needed or notifies provider.

Additional Duties:  

• Keeps accurate patient medical records and ensures all external related reports, information and lab results are filed, scanned, and organized within EHR patient records.
• Maintains well-supplied exam rooms; perform preventive maintenance; calling for repairs, perform necessary cleaning procedures; alert EVS of heavily soiled areas (terminal cleaning).
• Maintains a safe, secure, and healthy work environment by following standards and procedures and complying with legal regulations.
• Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping patient care information confidential by following HIPAA regulations.
• Advances job knowledge by completing annual continuing medical education (CME) according to Policy HR 301.
• Enhances the reputation of SCHC by accepting ownership of job duties, demonstrating personal accountability, and suggesting and implementing quality improvement initiatives.
• Maintains hot pack (hydrocollator) supplies and check equipment monthly for proper working order.
• Sterilizes and processes instruments when needed, orders replacement instrumentation as needed.
• Maintains autoclave on weekly basis. 
• Participates as an active member of a working committee (e.g., Staff QA/QI Team, Outreach Team).
• Assists in the training of new Medical Assistants as assigned.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Additional Duties – Levels 2 MA/CMA

• Assumes responsibility for the training of new Medical Assistants with supervision.  
• Performs unsupervised procedures within scope of practice (e.g., cleaning wounds, dressing wounds).
• Oversees ordering and stocking of supplies, including DME. Maintain contact with vendor representatives for timely delivery of ordered supplies and PPE.
• Notifies patients of abnormal lab and imaging results per provider notes.
• Obtains prior authorizations for services, such as lab, medication, and specialty service referrals.

Additional Duties – Levels 3 MA/CMA

• Independently completes Nursing Visits within scope of practice.
• Monitors and addresses additional support staff pools in EHR as assigned. 
• Screens more complex calls from patients and front desk, including patient concerns, and consults or messages provider for advice when needed or as required per established workflows.

QUALIFICATIONS 

• High school graduate or equivalent. 
• Current certification as a Nationally Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) preferred but not required. 
• Previous family practice experience preferred. 
• Excellent communication skills and willingness to work as a member of a team  
• Possess current CPR/BLS certification or obtain within 30 days of hire.
• Possess critical thinking and decision-making skills.
• Willingness to learn and be part of a group committed to providing excellent care 
• Excellent organizational skills 
• Ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously 
• Strong computer skills, and ability to trouble shoot and work independently with a computer, especially electronic healthcare records  
• Knowledge of medical terminology and equipment 
• Ability to interact positively with patients, visitors and other staff members 
• Provide for absolute confidentiality in all Seward Community Health Center matters 
• Ability to work independently and use good judgment in work prioritization 
• Ability to complete difficult/complex tasks 
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions 

Working Conditions 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee generally works within the interior of a healthcare clinic/office environment. The general work environment is clean with a moderate temperature and noise level. Employee will be required to use a computer and other office equipment and participate in communication through typing, reading, writing and telephones, etc. The employee may be in contact with patients under all conditions and circumstances, e.g., illness, emotional duress and hostility. Daily work activities also involve contact with the general public, staff members and government representatives under all conditions and circumstances.  

The employee may be exposed to infectious waste, blood, body fluids, communicable/infectious diseases, air contaminants and hazardous chemicals. All SCHC facilities are non-smoking. SCHC will provide the employee instructions on how to prevent and control such exposures. The employee may be exposed to the Hepatitis B Virus. SCHC will make the Hepatitis B vaccination available to all employees free of charge. 

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. 
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods of time, speak, hear, write, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel and operate a keyboard.  
• Employee must also have visual acuity to read small print and view a computer monitor, reach to the top of a five-drawer filing cabinet, lift boxes of no more than 30 lbs.