Certified Medical Assistant Float - Riverside

About the Role

Member of CCHS Care Team responsible for assisting an assigned medical provider during clinical sessions, executing CCHS standing orders and medical provider orders, providing direct patient care and testing, and communicating with patients and caregivers by telephone and in writing. The Medical Assistant communicates with patients regarding preventive care recommendations, chronic care self-management, and healthy lifestyle choices utilizing advanced training in Motivational Interviewing and the Stanford Model for Self Management.

The Medical Assistant Float employee will be assigned to a specific home site but may be required to travel to another Health Center as needed due to decreased staffing levels. Travel reimbursement is provided through CCHS Accounts Payable.

CCHS is committed to fostering a culture of community engagement, including mentoring and guiding students through job shadowing and on-site instructional learning as part of structured educational programs.

Responsibilities

• Meet with provider in a brief huddle to plan the day, focusing on chronic care visits (e.g., diabetes, asthma) or preventive care visits (e.g., Well Child, Well Woman exams).
• Communicate with the front office regarding workflow, patient surveys, and advance planning.
• Participate in weekly Extended Huddle meetings with the full Care Team to discuss patients with complex needs or barriers to care.
• Greet scheduled patients, obtain vital signs, update and document problem lists, allergies, recent hospitalizations, surgeries, or interventions, and document in the medical record with ICD-10 coding.
• Perform medication list reconciliation and reinforce the value of a complete medical home record with CCHS primary care providers.
• Prepare patients for examinations and discuss preventive and chronic care registry measures, executing standing orders (e.g., foot exams, HbA1c, lipids, mammogram orders).
• Discuss self-management goals with patients using Stanford Model Self Management and Motivational Interviewing training, documenting goals, confidence levels, and progress.
• Provide CCHS-adopted patient education and handouts (e.g., 5-2-1-0 for children, Rate Your Plate for adults with abnormal BMI, asthma education).
• Assist medical providers during examinations, treatments, and minor surgeries.
• Administer immunizations and injections per orders and update the electronic health record.
• Coordinate laboratory specimen collection, perform in-house testing (e.g., ECGs, spirometry, audiometry).
• Provide special instructions to patients on follow-up care, referrals, and testing facilities.
• Review and execute tasks in the electronic health record from medical providers, communicating with patients by telephone or in writing.
• Review telephone tasks from Front Office Patient Service Representatives (PSRs), communicate with providers regarding patient needs, and relay provider orders to patients.
• Stock and maintain assigned exam rooms, procedure rooms, laboratory, and nursing stations in a clean and orderly fashion.
• Perform responsibilities for program requirements such as Family Planning, Breast and Cervical Cancer Screen Program, and Health Check (well-child exams).

Requirements

• High School Graduate or GED.
• Graduate of a Recognized Medical Assistant Program.
• One year of experience preferred.
• National Certification preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Basic Medical Assisting skills, including vital signs, assisting providers during examinations/procedures, administering injections, sterile technique, and basic wound care.
• Assisting with procedures and minor surgeries.
• Administering nebulizer treatments and walking O2 saturation testing.
• Performing phlebotomy and basic CLIA-waived laboratory testing.
• Performing ECGs, spirometry, and audiometry.
• Interpreting medical provider orders and instructions.
• Basic knowledge of chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and depression.
• Basic keyboarding, PC, and Windows skills (e.g., Word).
• Use of printers, copiers, and fax equipment.
• Navigation of a Windows-based electronic health record and/or practice management system.
• Proper medical documentation skills, including knowledge of ICD coding.
• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BLS) skills.
• Strong communication and teaching skills with patients and caregivers, including obtaining clinical information and providing instructions/education.
• Confidence as a member of the CCHS Care Team and active participation in Care Team meetings and trainings.
• Good critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Stanford Model Self Management Skills (training provided by CCHS).
• Motivational Interviewing Skills (training provided by CCHS).
• Ability to react calmly and effectively in emergency situations.
• Ability to learn advanced training objectives, such as CCHS-adopted preventive and chronic care guidelines.

Physical Demands

• Varied activities including standing, walking, reaching, bending, and lifting.
• Full range of body motion, including assisting in manual patient lifting.
• Regularly lift and/or move up to 20 pounds; occasionally lift and move up to 50 pounds.
• Eye-hand coordination and finger dexterity.
• Requires corrected vision and hearing to normal range.
• Working with ill patients may be stressful.

Working Conditions

• Primary Care Health Center with a combination of office and exam room settings.
• Frequent exposure to communicable diseases, body fluids, sharp instruments, needles, cleaning chemicals, and medicinal preparations.
• May require working extended shifts and hours as necessary.