Patient Care Specialist (Medical Assistant)

About the role

Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York (PPCWNY) protects and provides health care and education that empowers individuals and families. In support of PPCWNY’s mission, the Patient Care Specialist takes a lead role in working with the health center staff to provide education and counseling for patients and supports the services of all health center functions to ensure patients receive professional services in a prompt, courteous, confidential, and caring manner.

Responsibilities

• Independently responsible for handling the intake process: greeting patients, determining reason for visit, verifying demographic information, checking patients in/out of EHR, verifying insurance, screening for presumptive eligibility, Medicaid for Pregnant Women, Family Planning Benefit Program, assisting with forms and releases.
• Clearly and accurately records data in the Electronic Health Record including vital signs and medical/family/social history.
• Performs routine tests: urine pregnancy tests, HIV tests, blood draws, urine specimen collection and urine dips, as ordered by the provider.
• Assists the Clinician in the exam room by providing patient support, comfort measures, counseling, basic education and information on reproductive health care/issues, birth control, STI’s.
• Responsible for opening exam rooms; preparation and set‑up and closing of exam rooms; breakdown, cleaning and storage of all patient service rooms, supplies, equipment, and documentation daily.
• Key resource for handling the annual update of all reference materials used in the health center to ensure accuracy and consistency per PPFA Medical Standards and Guidelines.
• Prepares specimens for lab pick‑up.
• Assists in surgical abortion service areas including products of conception, recovery room, and procedure room support.
• Assists with patient referrals, phone calls, reports, and follow‑up appointment scheduling as directed within protocol guidelines.
• Performs POC duties per policy and procedure.
• Operate telephones efficiently: promptly answering, screening calls, referring appropriately, recording and delivering messages.
• Maintain a clean and organized work area, ensuring patient confidentiality per HIPAA.
• Schedule, confirm and reschedule patient appointments as needed in a timely, efficient manner.
• Interface with EMR to check in and register patients.
• Assess patients for placement on a Discount Fee Schedule; request income information by completing appropriate documentation.
• Assess eligibility and screen patients for grants and other payment sources such as Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women and the Family Planning Benefit Program.
• Assist patients with completion of insurance forms; assist in obtaining necessary program eligibility documentation if necessary.
• Collect payment and inform client of any outstanding financial responsibility; verify checks, credit cards, and debit cards per procedures; provide receipt.
• Provide emergency contraceptives and birth control to patients/people who walk in for supply sales per company policy.
• Review charges for completeness and accuracy; enter client visit record (CVR) data into EPM.
• Follow appropriate Cash Handling procedures.
• Provide excellent customer service to all patients and visitors with the intent of exceeding expectations.
• Clerical duties including copying, locating charts, fax/scan charts and paperwork, mailing, and completing appropriate forms.
• Conduct monthly inventory and ordering of supplies as required.
• Expected to travel to other sites to fill in as directed by Health Center Leadership.
• Participates in and adhere to agency’s compliance, Quality and Risk Management program.
• Participate in affiliate initiatives.
• Responsible individually and jointly for achieving productivity, customer service, and capacity goals as set by PPCWNY.
• Assists with training of new Patient Services Specialist and Patient Care Assistants to ensure cross‑training.
• Works on other projects as assigned by the Health Center Manager, Nurse, or Director of Health Center Operations.
• Shows respect to all internal and external customers for differences in backgrounds, lifestyles, viewpoints, and needs.