Medical Assistant

About the Role

A medical support position providing basic first aid services to employees or persons who become ill or injured at the Austal USA facility. The role involves liaising with the Occupational Nurse, HSE Manager, Safety representatives, and facility supervision to ensure the best interests of both employees and the company.

Responsibilities

• Provide initial assessment of job-related injuries/illnesses and perform medical triage.
• Demonstrate basic medical knowledge, including taking vital signs, following universal precautions, and conducting daily follow-up care and emergency assessments.
• Facilitate transportation of employees to consulting medical facilities and local hospitals for evaluation and treatment.
• Dispense OTC medications, administer treatments, and apply dressings for minor injuries and illnesses.
• Assist with diagnoses, specialized testing, and evaluation of results for patients presenting symptoms of injury/illness in both the Medical Department and shipyard emergency situations.
• Inform appropriate persons of patient’s condition and progress, and maintain appropriate documentation.
• Assist in designing, developing, and delivering health education/promotion initiatives and accident/disease prevention programs.
• Support health awareness programs such as blood pressure screening, smoking cessation, and wellness initiatives.
• Coordinate blood drives and annual hearing screenings.
• Serve as a resource for medical information for employees and assist in health maintenance and achieving healthcare goals through early recognition.
• Perform pre-employment physicals/drug screens, random/reasonable suspicion drug/alcohol screens, vision screenings, and record vital statistics (blood pressure, pulse, weight, height).
• Assist with training activities related to new hire orientation, including blood-borne pathogen and medical reporting policies.
• Maintain compliance with medical aspects of OSHA and corporate standards.
• Maintain and control Medical Department inventory, medications, and supplies.
• Ensure confidentiality of employee health information and records, and maintain HIPAA medical disclosure agreements.
• Record, process, and maintain accurate medical records for each employee, including operation of the medical data information system and electronic medical compliance program.
• Comply with daily, weekly, and monthly medical logs maintenance and distribution, and file medical records as necessary.
• Liaise with HR, Operations, Production, Project, and Supply Chain departments, as well as worker’s compensation adjusters and case management.

Requirements

• Current EMT or medical assistant certificate or greater.
• Good human relations skills and the ability to express ideas clearly, both written and verbally.
• Ability to make independent basic first aid judgments.
• Administrative office duties (typing, filing).
• Ability to use PC applications such as Microsoft Office Word and Excel.
• Continuing education courses in the medical field (desirable).

Physical Requirements

• Ability to tour all vessels and work sites.
• Regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to manipulate/handle objects, reach with hands and arms, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and talk or hear.
• Occasionally required to sit.
• Ability to bend, squat, stoop, crawl, and kneel.
• Perform prolonged standing.
• Ability to turn head and body at the waist from side to side.
• Lift/push/pull 50–75 lbs on an occasional basis and up to 20 lbs on a frequent basis.
• Ability to climb stairs, scaffolding, ladders, and ramps safely.
• Work at heights above 12’ using ladders, scaffolding, or man lifts.
• Work at various levels (e.g., waist, eye, overhead).
• Demonstrate safe and appropriate use of tools and equipment.
• Good balance while working on uneven surfaces and maneuvering obstacles.
• Sufficient handgrip and coordination to carry and operate tools and equipment.
• Ability to use personal protective equipment (PPE) safely per OSHA standards (e.g., hard hat, safety glasses, steel-toe shoes, respirator, safety harness).
• Ability to withstand cold and hot temperatures.
• Ability to enter 18” x 36” openings and work in confined spaces for prolonged periods.
• Respond to verbal and audible sounds/commands.
• Adequate visual skills.
• Ability to fully extend arms while reaching overhead, out, to the side, and down.
• Ability to perceive attributes of objects/materials such as size, shape, temperature, and texture using hands and fingers.

Work Environment

• Regular exposure to humid conditions, bright flashing lights, moving mechanical parts, high precarious places, outside weather conditions, and extreme heat.
• Occasional exposure to fumes and/or airborne particles at or below the PEL, toxic or caustic chemicals, and heat and cold.
• Noise level in the work environment is usually very loud (+90 dB).

Employment Eligibility

• 18 years of age or older at the time of application.
• Able to provide proof of US Person Status.
• No felony convictions for theft/deception or violent crimes within seven years from disposition date.
• No felony convictions for drug crimes within three years from disposition date.
• Willing to submit to a drug screen and background check.