JOB SUMMARY
Certified Medical Assistants (CMA) are a vital part of the clinical team and provide the highest courtesy, respect, and customer service to Urology San Antonio's patients. This position is responsible for meeting and exceeding patient expectations and adhering to established practices while assuring the best possible care for patients. The CMA works closely with Physicians, manages the treatment rooms, and must be an excellent multitasker, dependable, adaptive, and self-motivator. The CMA performs a variety of tasks, including phlebotomy, urinary catheterization, catheter care and changes, medication administration and injections, bladder irrigations and installations, dipstick urinalysis with microscopic analysis (includes sending for cultures), pessary care and cleanings, as well as overall patient assessment.
DUTIES AND ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Partners and collaborates with the Clinic Manager:
Coordination of the clinic’s daily functions:
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- Staffing needs
- Assignments
- Quality control
- Training new and existing staff
- Maintains and tracks supply orders and inventory.
- Provides feedback on employee counseling and performance reviews.
- Assists with internal audits and quality improvement activities.
- Introduces self-using AIDET skills and trains others in our AIDET methodology.
- Prepares patients for a visit by accompanying them to the exam room.
- Verifies patient information and medical history.
- Provides instruction on specimen collection.
- Maintains patient confidentiality and protects patient information according to HIPAA standards. Takes appropriate action when there is a HIPAA violation.
- Takes vital signs, patient’s weight and height, and documents in EMR.
- Elicits and documents medical history, surgical history, present medications, allergies, allergic response, consents, and test results.
- Completes MIPS assessment on all patients and trains others in MIPS
- Follows all office policies, procedure guidelines, and protocols for the collection of urine, and urinalysis under physician supervision.
- Supports patient care delivery by assisting providers during examinations & procedures, performing necessary laboratory tests on-premises, sterilizing medical instruments, drawing blood, and authorizing drug refills as directed.
- Preparing rooms for exams, procedures, and tests.
- Handles voiding trials, catheterizations, catheter changes, and Uroflows.
- Follows the rights of medication administration, prepares medications, and administers per Physician orders.
- Provides patient education to include self-catheterization and administrating medication per Physician orders.
- Collects blood samples for requested lab, and applies appropriate labeling and preparation for transport to the appropriate lab.
- Conducts bladder instillations, and bladder irrigations, and completes documentation of procedure including the patient response.
- Facilitates the removal of urethral catheters and nephrostomy tubes as ordered
- Participate in the removal of sutures and staples as ordered.
- Participates with pessary care, and PTNS procedures, and assists with InterStim reprogramming.
- Obtains Prior Authorizations for required medications.
- Ensures scheduled procedures have appropriate equipment and supplies available, such as Botox, Testopel, bladder biopsies, and fulgurations.
- Maintains supply inventory including drug samples and regularly monitors the expiration dates.
- Facilitates completion of FMLA paperwork.
Chart Preparation:
- Preceding patient arrival review notes in EMR to ensure that all necessary tests and x-ray results are on hand
- Ensures scheduled diagnostic tests are completed prior to the next patient appointment.
- Evaluates diagnostic studies and have the Physician sign reports by documenting and sending a copy of the note to the Physician in EMR.
- Reviews notes in charts to ensure that all necessary equipment and medications are available.
- Checks patient EMR for appropriate insurance authorizations for procedures and high-dollar medication.
Patient Safety:
- Prepares patient for examination and assists with procedures, as necessary.
- Ensures the exam room is free of obstacles and slippery areas.
- Examines instruments for proper cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization.
- Follows aseptic and clean techniques appropriately.
- Prioritizes patient safety and intervenes and implements appropriate protocols for handling patients, ensuring their well-being and comfort throughout their interactions with the clinic.
Handles patient phone calls:
- Communicates calls to Physicians for potential complaints, adverse reactions, and refill requests in a timely manner.
- Documents all calls and patient interactions in the EMR.
- Routes all test or procedure reports to physicians for review.
- Calls in approved refill prescriptions and documents in the EMR.
Laboratory Testing:
- Performs quality control according to laboratory procedures and policies.
- Ensures that instruments are properly functioning and maintained.
- Ensures that physician’s orders are obtained for all laboratory procedures performed on this laboratory.
- Ensures that laboratory reports are sent to the physician or laboratory that requested the laboratory procedures.
- Trains the staff on proper laboratory procedures and policies.
- Obtains a written order from the physician who has verbally requested laboratory procedures. The written order must be obtained within 30 days.
- Recognizes problems in the reporting system such as multiple consecutive abnormal results (more than 3 patient's low or high values), panic values, and outrageous results.
- Recognizes problems in quality assurance and specimen collection and processing.
- Recognizes problems with quality controls such as shifts or trends and determine if patient testing is affected.
- Performs troubleshooting and verifies results.
- Knows how to hold patient's results when there is a problem with controls, calibration, analyzer performance or reporting system, and when there is a question of accuracy of testing.
- Knows to follow troubleshooting techniques when there is a question of accuracy of results (ex. multiple abnormal values, shifts or trends on controls, controls out of range, analyzer performance), as described in the "Quality Control Guidelines" policy.
- Knows who to contact in case of questions regarding laboratory issues.
- Employees are expected to report to work as scheduled, on time, and prepared to start working. Employees are also expected to remain at work for their entire work schedule. Late arrival, early departure, or other absences from scheduled hours are disruptive.
- Entails overseeing corporate training sessions to ensure that all staff members are well-versed in company policies and procedures.
- Manages clinic opening and closing procedures, ensuring that each session is executed efficiently and in compliance with established protocols.
- Must maintain adequate levels of clinic supplies, including inventory management and procurement as necessary, to support seamless clinic operations.
- Handles conflict resolution as needed with both patients and staff members with tactful communication and effective problem-solving skills to maintain a positive working environment.
This job description does not cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with and without notice.
COMPETENCIES
- Patient & customer focus
- Ethical conduct
- Flexibility
- Personal effectiveness and credibility
- Stress management and composure
- Ability to work in a team-oriented environment with a positive attitude and willingness to take initiative.
- Ability to multi-task in a high-volume environment
- Keen attention to details.
- Ability to empathize with patients in need of care.
- Maintain a neat and professional appearance.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- Graduate of a Medical Assistant program from an accredited college or technical school
- Certified Medical Assistant (Successful completion of CMA Exam (AMAA))
- Minimum of five years experience as a Medical Assistant
- Certified Medical Assistant with two or more years of Urology experience
- High School diploma or GED
License
- Current BLS for Healthcare Providers (CPR)
- Active Medical Assistant Certification
Preferred
