Medical Office Assistant I

About the role

The Medical Office Assistant I serves as the first point of contact for patients within the Bassett Healthcare Network. This is a key role in the patient-centered care team, demonstrating excellence in all patient and customer encounters including face-to-face and telephone interactions. You will ensure a high-quality patient experience by providing administrative support to ambulatory patient care teams through excellent customer service, attention to detail, and strong interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Reception/Call Handling
  • Greet every patient courteously and positively, meeting needs as observed by supervisors and patient satisfaction surveys.
  • Provide new patients with a Welcome to Bassett Network Packet, including Advance Directive information, Health Information Privacy documents, and brochures. Ensure established patients over 18 without documented Advance Directives receive this information.
  • Escalate emergent situations or patient problems to a Supervisor or Supervising Nurse.
  • Answer phones within 3 rings using a 3-part greeting: department name, your name, and “How may I help you?”
  • End calls by asking if there is anything else needed, as noted in compliance reports.
  • Take clear, complete, and accurate phone messages or prescription requests using the electronic medical record messaging system, ensuring follow-up.
  • Maintain operator statistics at or above institutional standards.
  • Offer patients the opportunity to sign up for MyBassett via phone or in person.
  • Proactively inform patients of any delays in provider schedules.
• Registration/Appointment Scheduling/Referrals
  • Complete outpatient registration, ensuring accurate demographic and insurance information entry or scanning, as monitored by system audits.
  • Confirm attending PCP and Billing PCP when appropriate.
  • Ensure accurate data capture for regulatory agencies and compliance requirements.
  • Maintain proficiency in core front desk functions, including insurance eligibility, verification, and compliance monitoring.
  • Support collection of Advanced Beneficiary Notice signatures to meet Medicare regulations.
  • Make corrections to demographics or insurance eligibility within 24 hours of system notifications.
  • Answer patient questions about the organization/services and provide directions to clinical locations.
  • Schedule outpatient appointments following department guidelines, offering alternate providers/locations when needed.
  • Accurately complete the Interactive Face Sheet, confirming and updating patient information.
  • Ensure patient communication preferences are up-to-date for appointment reminders.
  • Remind patients of co-pay collection expectations at the time of visit.
  • Utilize scheduling tools (e.g., Auto Search, Combine Departments) to optimize appointments.
  • Edit daily appointment schedules as requested by supervisors, following policy for rescheduling.
  • Review the electronic Confirm List daily to confirm appointments 24-72 hours in advance.
  • Process urgent referrals same day and routine referrals within 24-72 hours, ensuring complete and accurate information for reimbursement and compliance.
  • Obtain prior authorizations and document them appropriately within referrals.
  • Work “Incoming” and “Outgoing” queues according to departmental standards.
  • Follow up with referred providers to ensure patients kept appointments and results were received.
• Collection of Payment/Cash Handling
  • Convey payment due based on insurance verification and request payment method (cash, check, or credit card).
  • Receive and receipt all payments with no more than 2 minor errors per quarter, adhering to finance policies.
  • Maintain and balance cash drawer daily with no more than 2 minor errors per quarter.
• Office Support/Cross Coverage/Confidentiality
  • Date stamp and deliver incoming patient-related information to appropriate providers or staff daily.
  • Complete basic patient demographic information on forms before delivering to nurses or providers.
  • Mail outgoing patient information (e.g., lab letters, completed forms) per Bassett policy.
  • Prepare correspondence to patients or other entities as directed by providers or supervisors.
  • Prepare outside patient health information for scanning per Document Imaging procedures.
  • Complete indexing and scanning of hard-copy patient health information into the electronic health record or send to HIM for scanning.
  • Process routine or subpoenaed medical record releases to assigned HIM locations, handling same-day requests for continuity of care.
  • Maintain appropriate inventory of office supplies and required forms.
  • Establish and maintain departmental record-keeping and filing systems.
  • Open and/or close clinics per divisional guidelines, ensuring appropriate hand-offs for 24-hour departments.
  • Cover other locations or departments as requested, performing similar office functions.
  • Adapt to various workflows, processes, and policies to support network operations and patient care.
  • Greet patients in the waiting area and inform them of delays or changes to appointments.
  • Identify patients using 2 identifiers (e.g., name and date of birth) per National Patient Safety Goals.
  • Communicate patient issues/concerns to providers.
  • Provide appropriate forms to patients based on appointment type or specialty.
  • Assist patients in navigating all stages of their visit.
  • Access patient health information only for job responsibilities, maintaining confidentiality on a need-to-know basis.
• Professional Development
  • Maintain competency in required programs, including clinical information systems, office automation, and insurance issues.
  • Attend required in-services and identify needs for computer training or refresher courses.
  • Attend 85-90% of staff meetings, reviewing minutes of missed meetings with no more than 1 unexcused absence per year.
  • Maintain job-specific knowledge (e.g., insurance, scheduling, charge coding) through meetings, training, and documentation.
  • Stay informed about insurance and local carrier medical coverage policies related to appointments.
  • Attend at least 4 educational opportunities per year (e.g., BIL, PARS).

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED (preferred).
• 2-year/Associate Degree (preferred).
• Minimum one year of relevant work experience (required).
• Minimum one year of customer service experience (preferred).
• An associate degree may substitute for one year of relevant work experience.

Skills

• Proficiency in computer skills.