Job Summary
The Medical Assistant is a professional multi-skilled person dedicated to assisting in all aspects of medical practice under the direct supervision and responsibility of a physician. This practitioner assists with patient care management and executes administrative and clinical procedures. Competence in the field also requires that a medical assistant adhere to ethical and legal standards of professional practice, recognize and respond to emergencies and demonstrate professional characteristics.
Clinical Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision and responsibility of a licensed physician, a medical assistant may undertake the following duties:
o Perform clinical procedures to include:
o Performing aseptic procedures
o Taking vital signs
o Preparing patients for the physicians care
o Performing venipunctures and non-intravenous injections
o Observing and reporting patients signs or symptoms
o Administering basic first aid
o Assisting with patient examinations or treatments
o Operating office medical equipment
o Collecting routine laboratory specimens as directed by the physician
o Administering medication as directed by the physician (Exception: medications requiring dosage calculation)
o Performing basic laboratory procedures
o Performing office procedures including all general administrative duties required by the physician
If a licensed physician is not on-site, a medical assistant is prohibited from performing the following:
o Nursing activities that include the use of the nursing process and require the special knowledge, nursing judgment or skills of a registered or practical nurse, including:
o The initial nursing assessment or any subsequent assessments
o Prohibited from completing Review of Systems in the EMR
o Prohibited from performing injections (medication and/or vaccines)
o Prohibited from administering medication(s)
Medical Assistant
o Prohibited from performing aseptic procedures including wound care, dressing changes, etc.
o The determination of the nursing diagnosis or interpretations of nursing assessments
o Establishment of the nursing care goals and development of the plan of care
o Evaluation of progress in relationship to the plan of care
o Those activities for which the unlicensed assistive personnel has not demonstrated competence
lly completed and recorded via the Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
o Ensures that external third party documentation (i.e. labs, reports, consultations) are collected and sent to scan as appropriate
o Expected to complete 48-hour chart check and contacts patient/referral providers if further information is needed
o Expected to answer phones, check and returns voicemail messages in a timely manner
o Expected to respond to all correspondence a
le instructions, short correspondence and memos
Minimum Qualifications
o High school diploma or general education degree (GED) required
o Completion of Medical Assistant training is required
o Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certificate is required
o Must have good written and verbal communication skills
o Computer knowledge