Front Office Medical Assistant

Motion is Life! We bring motion back to the lives of the patients and families we serve. We are Newport Orthopedic Institute (Innovative Health Management Partner), the largest coastal orthopedic specialty group in Orange County with locations in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Irvine. For more than 15 years, NOI has established a remarkable track record of innovation and care that enables our providers to improve the lives of our patients. Discover the difference here at Newport Orthopedic Institute. We work passionately and with a clear sense of purpose and responsibility to ensure our patients get the best orthopedic care available. As a top rated organization, we’ve helped thousands regain their freedom and quality of life. We are a growing organization and have immediate openings for eager and driven professionals.

At Newport Orthopedic Institute, you are given the opportunities and challenges you desire to embrace your potential and achieve your personal best every day. What you’ll find here is something special – it’s purposeful work done with a shared sense of community that brings us all together. Come join our world-class team of Board Certified Physicians and professionals here in Newport Beach, California.

The Medical Assistant (Front Office) is responsible for all aspects of front-office tasks including, but not limited to: greeting and registering patients, verification of insurance eligibility and benefits, payment collection and posting, scheduling appointments and answering patient questions in a professional and respectful manner. Medical Assistants (Front Office) will also respond to requests for information from patients, physicians, pharmacies, and worker's compensation adjusters, completing forms and paperwork as requested, scheduling tests, and performing back-office duties as directed when short-staffed. Entry-level role in a fast-paced environment to acquire hands-on experience in patient care, procedures, injections, and more!

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Front Office:

• Greets patients in a courteous manner, maintains the registration process and obtains accurate patient data including demographic, billing and insurance information and enters information into the computer system.
• Utilizes various data portals to discern patient eligibility and/or obtain proper authorization for appointments and treatment.
• Answers telephone calls in a professional manner, assists callers and/or routes the calls appropriately.
• Explains financial requirements to the patient or responsible parties collect payments accordingly.
• Facilitates patient flow by notifying the clinical staff of patients' arrival, being aware of delays, and communicating with patient and clinical staff.
• Ensures work space, reception and patient waiting areas are neat and organized at all times.
• Attends company and departmental staff meetings.
• Meets all Productivity Standards/Goals.
• Performs other General Office Duties as required.

Back Office (as needed):

• Prepares for the day by assuring that all medical records, test results and films are available for the physician.
• Assures exam rooms are clean and ready for next patient; prepares rooms with necessary instruments and supplies.
• Puts charts up for physician when patient is ready in exam room.
• Greets patients and escorts them from the waiting room to exam rooms and back to check-out after exam.
• Prepares patients for exam or treatment.
• Assists physicians during examinations and minor procedures as directed by the physician, including suture/stitch removal and dressing removal/applications, removes and applies casts and splints, etc.
• Documents all patient correspondence in NextGEN, whether the encounter is in person, by phone, fax or e-mail.
• Assists all doctors in specialty area according to their protocol.
• Changes patient’s appointment status in Centricity during visit/treatment.
• Schedules tests and off-site procedures when necessary.
• Sends task to MRI, Physical Therapy and Surgery Schedulers as necessary.
• Orders and maintains supplies from company-approved vendors in coordination with other MAs; stocks exam rooms, and maintains equipment for patient treatment including sterilizer, cast saw and centrifuge.
• Disposes of contaminated items according to OSHA guidelines.
• Approves pharmacy requests for prescription refills according to physician protocol.
• Performs and documents patient education.
• Works closely with Triage Medical Assistant to address all clinical questions from patients within established protocols.
• Obtains and reviews all test results and reports ordered by physician. Presents abnormal results to physician for immediate review. Assures all results and reports are in the medical record for physician to review and approve.
• Ensures that laboratory samples are picked up by the reference laboratory.
• Cleans and closes down sterilization equipment at the end of the day.
• Obtains internal authorization for workers’ compensation referrals to NOI physicians, services or surgery.
• Provides internal office staff, workers’ compensation adjusters, and/or case managers with work status reports and other clinical information as requested.
• Verifies HMO insurance eligibility on a daily basis to ensure patients are covered for current month.
• Completes patient disability forms for physician approval.
• Scans/files patient documents into NextGEN.
• Consistently meet Productivity Standards as defined.

• Ability to travel to Orange County offices, to receive training and/or help with coverage as needed

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• High School degree required
• CMA certificate preferred
• Training in orthopedics preferred
• CPR certification

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Comfortable using e-mail and interacting with Internet applications
• Experience with an EMR (NextGEN) preferred
• Knowledge of medical terminology and Current Procedure Terminology (CPT) and ICD-10 codes
• Working knowledge of managed care basics
• Knowledge of anatomy
• Excellent customer service skills

Supervisory Responsibilities

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Typical Physical Demands

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

Position requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients, manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination. Involves standing and walking. Employee will occasionally be asked to lift and carry items weighing up to 30 pounds. Normal visual acuity and hearing are required. Employee may work under stressful conditions and work irregular hours. Employee will be exposed to body fluids on a regular basis.

Typical Working Condition

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Pay Range: $18-19 depending on experience