Medical Assistant

About the Role

Participates with the Health Care Team in delivering quality and customer-focused health care to patients in a manner that reflects Kaiser Permanente’s mission, vision, and values. Provides clinical and administrative support to clinicians and other health care team members to offer a variety of health care services to patients. Clinical duties involve both direct (in-person) and indirect (via phone or online) patient care activities requiring both simple to complex clinical knowledge and skills.

As appropriate to the position’s scope of authorized duties, the Medical Assistant (MA) is expected to have competent observational, clinical, critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to meet patient needs and contribute to a positive care experience and work environment. Works under the clinical supervision of the clinician for patient care activities and under the general direction of the designated manager/supervisor.

Responsibilities

Clinical Tasks

• Prepares and organizes patients' office visits by ensuring all appropriate tests, clinical information (e.g., diagnostic test results, consultation reports, outside records), and order entries are ready for clinician review prior to appointment time.
• Collects pertinent subjective (e.g., signs & symptoms, allergies, current medication, tobacco use) and objective (e.g., vital signs, height, weight) data related to the patient’s reason for visit.
• Utilizes standardized tools (e.g., PST, health maintenance alerts) to identify and address health maintenance/care gaps with the patient and alerts the clinician on those requiring attention.
• Recognizes signs and symptoms of common medical illnesses, distinguishes abnormal versus new/existing, and reports to the clinician.
• Alerts clinician on signs and symptoms requiring immediate attention and responds to directions per clinician.
• Prepares patient for the actual visit/procedure prior to the clinician’s exam during the rooming-in process.
• Ensures exam/procedure room contains appropriate supplies, equipment, forms, and educational materials and checks that equipment is in safe working order; cleans room after use.
• Provides patient with after-visit, follow-up, self-care, or procedural instructions and/or educational materials as directed by the clinician.
• Uses KP HealthConnect and other information systems to document all pertinent data and outcomes of patient care according to standardized procedures and policies (e.g., SBAR, KP HealthConnect smart tools).
• Updates demographic or historical clinical data gathered in the electronic medical record.

Clinical Procedures

Performs diagnostic tests, therapies, and procedures within the scope of authorized duties competently and with maintenance of proficiency according to:

• Specific department standards on core clinical tasks (see department’s list of core skills).
• Application of knowledge and skills appropriate to the developmental age of the patient.
• Established policies such as patient safety, aseptic and sterile techniques, and infection control.

Examples of categories of clinical tasks include:

• Screening tests (e.g., vital signs, vision, hearing, developmental, LOPS, pain).
• Diagnostic tests (e.g., urine dips, spirometry/peak flow, bladder scan, finger sticks for glucose, O2 saturation rate).
• Medication administration via oral, topical, otic, rectal, vaginal, IM, SubQ, intradermal, ophthalmic, inhalation, and nasal routes.
• Wound care (e.g., routine dressing changes, staple/suture removal, cleansing/flushing of wounds).
• Application and/or removal of orthopedic appliances and other devices (e.g., splints, slings, orthotics, casts, crutch management, anti-embolic stockings measurement, procedural safety restraints).
• Assistance with minor surgical procedures (e.g., biopsies, excisions, insertion of devices, D & C).
• Assistance with medical procedures (e.g., PAP, colonoscopies, sigmoidoscopies, colposcopies, joint aspirations).
• Lab specimen collection and labeling (e.g., nose, throat, wound, application of U-bag).
• Irrigations (e.g., eye, ear).
• Instrument/equipment set-up, cleaning, and processing (sterile and non-sterile) (e.g., scopes, cryogun, O2 tank, procedural trays).
• Ambulation/transfer of patients using lift equipment.
• Other procedures outlined in the core skills checklist.

Practice Management Activities

These tasks are primarily indirect patient care (non-face-to-face) to be performed competently, accurately, and consistently according to established regional/departmental clinical protocols, policies, and procedures.

• Maintains and adjusts clinicians' patient schedules for efficient patient flow, facilitating appointed visits and overbooks.
• Answers and responds to incoming messages/requests via telephone, mail, or kp.org from patients or other departments by collecting and communicating pertinent data requiring clinician review and input.
• Acts as the clinician’s agent to communicate responses/instructions back to the patient or department in a timely manner.
• Facilitates and completes follow-up duties on patients' plans of care as directed by the clinician, including processing prescriptions and forms, reminding patients of screening/diagnostic tests due, scheduling/staging procedures, tests, referrals, and/or return appointments, and obtaining/entering patient data to monitor progress in the electronic medical record.
• Sorts and prioritizes mail containing patient and/or clinical information requiring clinician review and attention.
• Provides population-based care outreach activities, including health maintenance screening as directed by the clinician.

Teamwork, Leadership, and Professional Development Activities

• Performs appropriate daily activities to start workflow in the work area per team agreements and procedures.
• Demonstrates flexibility and ability to reprioritize workflow to handle urgent/emergent demands effectively.
• Assists with onboarding new hires/transfers and/or validating peers' clinical skills.
• Reports errors, near misses, or other hazards in a timely manner per established procedures.
• Seeks assistance with duties when unable to perform safely, lacks training, or is outside the scope of authorized duties.
• Completes annual competency assessments and trainings by meeting organizational standards and expectations.
• Demonstrates and maintains clinical knowledge and skills related to the department’s clinical area and contributes new ideas to assist the team in achieving departmental/regional quality and service goals/initiatives.
• Performs other duties as assigned consistent with the job description.

Requirements

• Graduate of an accredited Medical Assistant program.
• Must successfully obtain Kaiser Permanente’s Medication Administration Competency Certification within ninety (90) days of employment as a Medical Assistant.
• Basic Life Support certification within 1 month of hire.
• Demonstrated interpersonal and customer service skills (assessment required for external candidates).
• Demonstrated communication (written and oral) skills.
• Demonstrated literacy in using computers and keyboarding.
• Skills in problem-solving, setting priorities, and using good judgment for decisions.
• Ability to work independently and efficiently under pressure.

Preferred Qualifications

• One (1) to two (2)+ years in a medical assistant position within an ambulatory care setting, particularly in the assigned department’s clinical area (e.g., Pediatrics, FP/IM, OB/Gyn, Surgery, Dermatology, Neurology, Cardiology).
• Demonstrated clinical knowledge and procedural skills and/or documented trainings in the assigned department’s clinical area within the last one (1) to three (3) years.
• Current National Medical Assistant Certification.
• Familiarity with documenting in an electronic medical record system.

Pay

$27.47 - $32.20 per hour. Kaiser Permanente strives to offer a market-competitive total rewards package and is committed to pay equity and transparency. The posted pay range is based on possible base salaries for the role and does not reflect the full value of the total rewards package. Actual base pay determined at offer will be based on labor market data, internal alignment, and a candidate’s years of relevant work experience, education, certifications, skills, and geographic location.

Schedule

• Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40
• Shift: Day
• Workdays: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
• Working Hours Start: 07:45 AM
• Working Hours End: 05:15 PM
• Job Schedule: Full-time
• Travel: Yes, 100% of the time
• Work Setting: Onsite

Travel locations include West Salem, Keizer Station, North Lancaster, and Skyline.