Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant

Under direct supervision, performs a variety of basic and routine patient care and clerical duties to assist medical providers in the care and treatment of patients. Primary function is to room patients and facilitate provider schedule. Makes members / patients and their needs a primary focus of ones actions; develops and sustains productive member / patient relationships. Actively seeks information to understand member / patient circumstances, problems, expectations, and needs. Builds rapport and cooperative relationship with members / patients. Considers how actions or plans will affect members; responds quickly to meet member / patient needs and resolves problems.

Essential responsibilities include knowing and complying with all Kaiser Permanente quality, safety, and emergency policies and procedures. Demonstrates quality and effectiveness in work habits and clinical practice in every interaction with patients, colleagues, providers, and leadership. Ensures patient safety in the preparation and provisioning of care related to but not limited to safe medication administration practices, procedures, infection prevention, fall prevention, including consistent use of two patient identifiers and procedural time outs. Reports safety hazards, accidents and incidents, and unsafe working conditions promptly.

Performs appropriate basic, routine and regular delegated medical functions as directed and within appropriate scope of practice as inferred by knowledge, skill level, and KP guidelines (e.g., vision screening, ear irrigations, hearing tests, hematocrit, tonometry measurements, EKG tests, collecting throat, wound, and sputum specimens, and urine cultures) using appropriate instruments, techniques, and specimen labeling process.

Supports physicians and other medical providers performing routine examination and treatment procedures by attending patient during procedures and providing appropriate supplies and instruments.

Performs routine clerical and reception duties, as required, such as completing patient visit records, maintaining departmental logs, answering telephones and taking messages, checking in patients, and scheduling patient appointments.

Performs other duties as assigned, such as assisting in orienting and training new employees, transporting equipment or patient, stocking shelves, taking inventories, ordering supplies.

Demonstrates computer literacy for charting and reviewing in an automated medical record. Works within scope of practice and according to KP policies. Complies with regulatory requirements and standards of care.

Administers specific medications to identified patient age groups in identified departments as determined by the regional Nursing Service department.

Performs duties and responsibilities with excellence, enthusiasm, great service orientation demonstrating courteous behaviors and mannerisms, and by anticipating physician and other medical providers needs. Demonstrates flexibility and readily assists other staff members. Maintains a safe and healthy work environment for patients, self, and others.

Prepares examination and treatment rooms for use by physicians and other medical providers by cleaning, stocking and arranging supplies, equipment and instruments. Prepares treatment rooms for special procedures using knowledge of sterile technique, as required. Cleans, packages and sterilizes reusable supplies and instruments, as needed, appropriately using germicide solution.

Reviews and communicates to physician and other medical providers appointment schedule to determine patient visit order and solicits special instructions or requests for the day, greets and escorts patient to examination or treatment room in a respectful, warm and caring manner. Keeps patients, physician or other medical providers, and other team members, informed of physicians or other medical providers status and / or time delays throughout the day.

Interviews patient to determine reason for visit; takes patients vital signs, e.g., blood pressure, pulse, respiration, temperature, height and weight; records information in patients medical record; and reports findings to appropriate personnel, according to standard requirements.

Instructs or assists patients in preparation for scheduled procedures, in a caring and courteous manner. Provides routine verbal and written instructions to patients as specifically directed, such as use of crutches, cast care and wound care; escorts patients to other patient care areas, as needed.