INTRODUCTORY PERIOD:
All regular appointees serve a six (6) month introductory period.

CITIZENSHIP/IMMIGRATION STATUS:
In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Neighborhood House Association hires only U.S. citizens and others lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. 

This Job Announcement is not an offer of employment. The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an express or implied contract. Any of the provisions contained in this job announcement may be modified or revoked without notice. Any person who is hired may voluntarily leave their employment upon giving proper notice and may be terminated by the Agency at any time and for any reason.  Any oral or written statements to the contrary are hereby expressly disavowed and should not be relied upon by any prospective or existing employee.

Please note that offers of employment are only valid if they are made by the Human Resources Department

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

POSITION PURPOSE:

Under the supervision of the Administrative Manager/Lead, the Medical Office Assistant I and II, performs a wide variety of routine to moderately difficult and lead medical office support functions in front desk, interact with clients and guests , and day-to-day administrative tasks of an outpatient mental health clinic, provides office administrative and basic secretarial support services to managers and clinical staff, and provides backup to other office staff; and performs related duties as assigned.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

Medical Office Assistants I and II perform a range of office clerical duties of varying levels of difficulty, requiring a general knowledge of medical office procedures and practices. Medical Office Assistant I is distinguished from Medical Office Assistant II in that the Medical Office Assistant II serves in a lead capacity and performs skilled word processing and data entry duties and carries out responsible and specialized office, clerical and records management functions requiring a strong knowledge of standard medical office operating procedures and performs more difficult and specialized office support functions with minimal direction and supervision.  Medical Office Assistants II may also have specialized knowledge and experience in managed care, medical office administration and/or performing client eligibility and data entry functions, while using a greater degree of initiative and independent judgment in establishing work priorities and selecting work methods. 

DESIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of:
• Standard medical office administration practices and procedures;
• Knowledge of medical insurance benefits; 
• Industry-relevant best practices, organizational skills and technology to efficiently manage the front office of a healthcare service provider;
• Customer service in a healthcare environment; 
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar and punctuation;
• NHA and program rules, policies and procedures applicable to assigned areas of work;
• Recordkeeping and filing practices and procedures;
• Word processing, spreadsheet and other standard business software;
• Records management practices and procedures;

Ability to:
• Multi-task, pay attention to detail, and prioritize daily work flow, with a focus on results and quality; 
• Operate a computer and standard office equipment using word processing, spreadsheet, database and other standard business software, such as, Microsoft Word, excel, and access. 
• Type accurately at a minimum of 40 wpm;
• Use electronic health record and billing systems efficiently in updating client demographic and insurance information, scheduling client appointments, and pulling a variety reports required by clinicians and management on an timely basis; 
• Exercise sound independent judgment within areas of responsibility;
• Organize and maintain office and specialized files;
• Communicate clearly and effectively orally and in writing;
• Understand and follow written and oral instructions;
• Prepare clear, accurate and concise records and reports;
• Use flexibility, tact, discretion, and courtesy in dealing with NHA managers, employees, clients, officials, the public and others encountered in the course of the work;
• Perform high-volume data entry accurately and at a speed to meet established production standards.

Training & Experience:

A typical way of obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities outlined above is graduation from high school with a high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent, and at least three (3) years clerical or secretarial experience in a healthcare or medical office environment; billing and financial training and/or certification highly desirable; Experience and training in Cerner or another EHR System highly desirable; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS, LICENSES & CERTIFICATES:

Must have a valid California Driver’s License. TB test required upon hire and to be maintained every four years. Must show proof of COVID 19 vaccination status.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS:

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this class, an employee is regularly required to sit, stand and walk; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands to operate, finger, handle or feel office equipment; reach with hands and arms; and lift at least 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands:

While performing the duties of this class, employees are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data and information; analyze and solve routine problems; observe and interpret situations; perform basic arithmetic calculations; learn and apply new information or skills; perform highly detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks with constant interruptions; work under established deadlines; and interact with NHA managers, employees, tenants, owners, the public and others encountered in the course of work. The employee may have occasional contact with abusive and/or physically violent clients.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this class.

• Opens the office upon arriving, checks the lobby, and around the facility to ensure it is in good order and ready for a working day;
• Welcomes and greets clients and visitors in person or on the telephone; answering or referring inquiries;
• Optimizes clients’ satisfaction, provider time, and treatment room utilization by scheduling appointments in person or by telephone;
• Keeps client appointments on schedule by notifying provider of clients’ arrival; reviewing service delivery compared to schedule; reminding provider of service delays;
• Comforts clients by anticipating clients’ anxieties in a non-clinical fashion; answering questions and maintaining the reception area;
• Helps clients in distress by responding to emergencies and seeking support from supervisor as appropriate;
• Prepares new client charts and reviews open charts ensuring administrative quality of records in an efficient and timely manner;
• Ensures availability of treatment information by filing and retrieving client records
• Maintains client files and electronic health records by obtaining, recording and updating personal, insurance and financial information and verifying information at each client visit to the clinic;
• Verifies client insurance and financial eligibility (UMDAP) as required
• Acts as liaison with the billing specialist and program specialists, assists with filing, reports and compliance issues and coordination of various managed care requirements;
• Prepares correspondence between medical providers and their clients;
• Helps maintain medical charts, accordance with County compliance;
• Faxes authorization forms to health plans and tracks approved visits in Excel spreadsheets;
• Retrieves incoming faxes, logs and disseminates promptly;
• Assists clinical team with utilization management process, which includes processing referrals, authorizations, and requests for medical records;
• Provides quality customer service to clients and team members;
• Operates a variety of standard office equipment; troubleshoots and performs minor maintenance on duplicating equipment and other office machines;
• Maintains business office inventory and equipment; anticipates needed supplies; places and expedites orders for supplies; verifies receipt of supplies; schedules equipment service and repairs;
• Protects clients’ rights by maintaining confidentiality of personal and financial information;
• Maintains operations by following policies and procedures; reporting needed changes;
• Types, formats, edits, revises, proofreads and prints reports, correspondence, memoranda, transmittal sheets, statistical charts, policies, procedures, and other documents;
• Assists with routine office operational functions such as purchasing and inventory tracking and management;

• Types purchase requisitions, submits for processing and tracks accordingly;
• Operates a variety of standard office equipment; troubleshoots and performs minor maintenance on duplicating equipment and other office machines;
• Performs other office support functions as assigned.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Employees work under typical office conditions, and the noise level is usually quiet.