Medical Assistant

Neighborhood Health Center is a non-profit organization local to Portland, OR serving underserved patients in primary care, internal medicine, dental services, and more. Our patient-centered approach honors the unique needs and circumstances of each individual. We see people, not problems, and recognize that time spent in a doctor’s office is only one factor in a person’s overall health. Our integrated clinical teams partner with patients, their families, and the communities we serve to provide whole-person care, prevention, and ongoing support.

About the role

The Medical Assistant (CMA) provides exceptional, compassionate customer service to patients and visitors in a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) while demonstrating NHC’s mission and values. The role involves handling clinic tasks according to established procedures to ensure a seamless patient experience and delivering quality care in alignment with individual needs, physician orders, and standards of care.

Responsibilities

• Participate in pre-visit procedures, including scrubbing patient charts, verifying historical labs, updating lab results, obtaining medical records, and huddling with the provider.
• Prepare exam rooms by setting up appropriate equipment according to visit type.
• Greet and room patients in a professional and welcoming manner.
• Perform patient work-up, including taking vital signs, gathering reason for visit, patient health history, demographic information, assisting with screening questionnaires/forms, and verifying allergies.
• Address overdue health maintenance and gaps in care to support quality metrics.
• Prepare patients for examinations, procedures, treatments, and minor office surgeries.
• Assist the provider with in-office procedures and sterile procedures.
• Observe and report patients’ signs or symptoms.
• Communicate expected wait times to patients and providers, providing frequent updates.
• Stock, prep, and disinfect exam rooms between visits.
• Prepare instruments and equipment for autoclave after each use.
• Accurately and timely input patient information into the electronic health record (EHR).
• Administer medications, including unit or single dosage, prescription medication, and vaccines as authorized by a healthcare practitioner.
• Administer intramuscular, intradermal, and subcutaneous injections to patients of all ages.
• Perform ordered EKGs and respiratory testing, as trained.
• Instruct patients in proper technique to collect urine and fecal specimens.
• Perform phlebotomy and capillary blood collection.
• Prepare lab samples for testing, determine acceptability of specimens, and repeat analysis as necessary to ensure accuracy.
• Run and handle quality control specimens on all CLIA-waived Point of Care Testing (POCT) and troubleshoot as needed.
• Run, report, and result proficiency testing specimens in a timely fashion.
• Conduct inventory of lab supplies, replenish supplies, and discard containers.
• Communicate information to patients according to protocols and provide education as appropriate.
• Provide patients with after-visit summary (AVS), verbally review the information, and ensure all questions are answered and next steps are understood.
• Respond to emergency situations and contact emergency services as directed by the provider.
• Dispose of biohazardous materials and practice standard precautions.
• Actively and appropriately address in-basket messages in the EHR.
• Transmit orders and instructions verbatim as issued and approved by supervising physicians.
• Perform telephone and in-person screening limited to intake and gathering of information without clinical judgment.
• Schedule patients correctly through EHR and within provider guidelines.
• Route faxes, prescription refills, test result requests, and insurance inquiries appropriately.
• Conduct patient follow-up, including referral paperwork and assisting patients in scheduling additional tests or appointments.
• Scan and index documentation into EHR.
• Actively participate in continuous process and quality improvement workflows.
• Attend and participate in assigned committees.
• Assist at other clinics as business needs require.
• Support training and development of new team members and learners.
• Complete patient appointment check-in and registration, including gathering patient information, entering data, creating new charts, handling insurance information, and collecting co-pays.
• Update financial records for customers and enter patient information directly into the computer.
• Collect, sort, and distribute mail daily.
• Maintain an organized work area.
• Participate in activities to promote services.
• Perform essential VFC Coordinator job duties, as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• For staff hired to work in the lab or assigned lab duties:
  • Independently manage the lab schedule.
  • Enter test data into a computer, maintain logs and records, and compile statistics for control data.
  • Perform opening and closing procedures in a timely, accurate, and efficient manner.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Completion of an accredited medical assistant program.
• Certification through a nationally recognized Medical Assistant Certification program:
  • Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA); or
  • Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) through American Medical Technologists (AMT); or
  • Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) through the National Health Career Association (NHA); or
  • National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) through the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT); or
  • Clinical Medical Assistant Certification (CMAC) through the American Medical Certification Association (AMCA).
• Active BLS certification.
• Ability to fluently speak, read, and write in Spanish is highly preferred.
• Previous experience and/or training as a Medical Assistant is preferred.
• Experience in primary care or family medicine is preferred.
• Previous EPIC or EHR experience is preferred.

Skills

• Ability to take and record vital signs and perform assigned CLIA-waived lab tests.
• Basic knowledge of medical terminology.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Professional verbal and written communication skills.
• Compliance with all HIPAA, OSHA, and Neighborhood Health Center policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
• Ability to multitask between front-office and back-office duties.
• Ability to use a multi-line telephone.
• Adaptability to changing information, policies, and procedures.
• Sensitivity to the population and patients served.
• Reliable attendance and punctuality.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel) and desktop publishing software.
• Proficiency in using EPIC Electronic Health Record.
• Accurate data entry with attention to detail.

Benefits

• 20 days of PTO (based on full-time employment).
• 9 paid holidays.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Quarterly wellness reimbursements.
• Generous 401k retirement plan with employer match.
• Employer-paid disability insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and life insurance.

Neighborhood Health Center was voted a Top Workplace in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Schedule

This is a full-time, non-exempt, on-site position typically requiring a 40-hour workweek, with hours that may vary.

Working Conditions

• Occasional exposure to toxic chemicals and bodily fluids.
• Moderate to loud noise levels based on patient volume.
• High patient volume may create a fast-paced and stressful environment.
• Must be able to travel during the workday and/or cover at other locations as needed.

Physical Demands

• Frequently lift, move, push, or pull objects/equipment/supplies weighing approximately 20–25 pounds, up to 40–50 pounds.
• Use full range of body motion: walk swiftly, stand, move, stoop, reach with hands and arms, and bend.
• Sit or stand for extended periods of time.
• Use sufficient manual dexterity to safely perform skills and manipulate equipment.
• See minor details from a distance and differentiate between colors, shades, brightness, textures, and depth.
• Use hands and fingers to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Repeat the same movements when entering data.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Hear and understand the speech of another person.
• Read from a computer screen for extended periods of time.

Employment offers are contingent on successful completion of reference checks, background checks, drug screening for illegal substances, tuberculosis testing, and any position-specific credentialing or licensure requirements.