Medical Assistant - Respite/Bridge

About the role

The Medical Assistant - Respite/Bridge will be part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team that will support the clients in the Medical Respite Program, ambulatory clinic, or in various locations throughout the community to improve healthcare outcomes for patients experiencing homelessness. The Medical Respite program allows individuals who are experiencing homelessness a safe place to rest and recuperative from a medical condition. While participants focus on improving their health, they can also work on addressing other needs like housing and benefits. The Bridge Program provides access to healthcare in a clinic setting and focuses on reaching people outside the clinic meeting people where they are delivering needed health care in areas in our community.

Responsibilities

• Delivers care to patients in diverse care environments and ensures all needs of the client are met, in conformance with established policies and procedures.
• In the respite environment, helps client process admission paperwork, orients client to facility, explains program policies and procedures, and assists multidisciplinary team and respite clients as needed with case management duties.
• Accompanies clients to critical medical care appointments and serves as their advocate during health care encounter.
• Assists with client discharge planning.
• Performs clinical duties as assigned and competency validated in accordance with Standing Delegation Orders, including administering medications, immunizations, setting up exam or procedure rooms, preparing patients for examinations and/or treatments, assisting provider with exams or procedures, and cleaning and disinfection of equipment.
• Adheres to approved workflows for pre-visit planning, rooming, and wrap up, utilizing AIDET during each patient interaction to enhance the patient experience.
• Performs appropriate EKG, spirometry, point of care testing, specimen collection, staple and suture removal, wound care, toenail cutting, phlebotomy, equipment cleaning/reprocessing, and other requested procedures as required and competency validated.
• Enhances the patient experience by performing in-basket management, addressing MyChart messages, assisting with pre-certifications, referrals, authorizations, and scheduling of patients for clinic, hospital, and other ancillary medical treatments and tests.
• Collaborates with the client’s care team to optimize clinical outcomes.
• Assists clients with MAP eligibility process if needed and ensures all eligibility processes for submitting an application are followed to ensure successful completion.
• Documents all client encounters and contacts made with clients utilizing enterprise electronic health record.
• Assists clients with accessing health-related services, including but not limited to obtaining a medical home, providing instruction and appropriate use of the medical home, overcoming barriers to obtaining needed medical care and/or social services.
• Participates in client care huddles and interdisciplinary case conferences.
• Respects patient confidentiality at all times and treats patients with courtesy and respect.
• Collaborates, communicates respectfully and professionally with all members of the care team in providing patient-centered care and regarding processes and clinical issues.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Medical Assistant Diploma and/or National Medical Assistant Certification verifying graduation from a Medical Assistant Program or equivalent military healthcare experience.
• Completion of a Medical Assistant externship.
• Current Texas Driver's License in good standing.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers obtained through approved American Heart Association.

Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge of activities associated with the delivery of quality Medical Assistant duties.
• High level of skill at building relationships and providing excellent customer service.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to utilize computers for data entry and information retrieval.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Travel Requirements

Estimated amount: Thirty Percent (30%). As part of Bridge community-based services, may travel to designated locations throughout the community to provide healthcare services. May also travel to off-site meetings and trainings.