Medical Assistant Job Description

To understand what a medical assistant is one has to understand what a medical assistant does and can and CANNOT do in a medical office...

By definition, medical assistants are not considered healthcare professionals, but rather, fall into the category of non-licensed healthcare staff in an assistive role. They rarely work in nursing homes, or on in-patient hospital wards and floors, however, they have become essential to large and small ambulatory medical care facilities, physician's practices and countless out-patient health clinics where they handle patient care and customer services and complete medical office routines on a clinical and administrative level.

What a Medical Assistant Is and Isn't!

The medical assistant's definition and role is as diverse, colorful and varied as the scrubs and uniforms they wear. Their scrub tops range from solid to colorful prints, floral patterns and , dragon flies, ladybugs, puppies, kittens, garden prints and smiley faces which equals the plethora of personalities, interests, backgrounds, specialites, education and variety of job related skills! No doubt, medical assistants wear many hats wherever they work.

Role Distribution In The Medical Office

The medical assistant's days are very busy; their responsibilities and skills encompass a multitude of tasks that are just as diverse and varied as any other trained professional's. Their duties range from registering new patients from young to old, verifying health insurance coverage, organizing examination rooms, giving out appointments, collecting and processing copayments, keeping medical records organized, assisting during a procedure, obtaining and sorting laboratory result printouts and following up on patient calls.

Medical assistants aren't licensed professionals,
but they can handle specific duties that are important to the success of the medical office.

1.) The ultimate person in charge of the medical office is the doctor. The doctor and practice of medicine is overseen by the State Board of Medical Examiners.

2.) Front office tasks are handled by the medical office receptionist, clerical and administrative staff, Their duties mostly consist of administrative duties, such as answering the phones, scheduling appointments, checking in established and registering new patients, and assisting them to fill out their registration and health insurance information forms - an important skill is customer services and proper communication.

3.) Back office duties typically consist of clinical tasks revolving around patient care and preparing them for their medical examinations by the doctor, such as taking vital signs, performing simple diagnostic screening tests, sterilizing, wrapping and setting up equipment and bringing patients to the examination rooms. These are handled by nursing and clinical medical assisting staff.

4.) All medical assistants, whether in the front or back office, are supervised by the medical office manager, whose main role is to make sure all patients are being properly admitted and processed in for their appointments, the doctor remains on schedule and informed about what is happening in all areas of the office and patient comfort and safety issues are addressed in a timely manner.

The Medical Office Manager

The medical office, or practice manager's office is often somewhere to the side, or back area, often near secured areas and archives, where computers and databases, lockers, and storage rooms are kept.

The medical office manager's role is similar to that of the symphony conductor, coordinating the front and back office activities and needs. Sometimes, this role is filled by an experienced Registered Nurse (RN), or a Health Information Manager with a (HIM) degree, however, sometimes it is the doctor's spouse trained to handle this job. Medical office managers are typically involved in the hiring and firing process, and responsible for overseeing the office facilities, arranging for after-hours cleaning, reporting problems with the building, and ensuring that supplies are re-ordered.

They plan and confirm the doctor's meeting and speaking schedules and when they will be working out of the office, e.g. at a contracted hospital. They secure replacements and coverage when the doctor is out of town attending a seminar, make bank deposits and pay utility and other bills, and often, unless it is outsourced to a CPA, write pay checks and log staff member's time cards. Also, they may handle the medical billing aspects of the office unless it is forwarded to a medical coding and billing firm. It all depends on the size and specific needs of the practice.

 Photo: Susan Tang electronically documents patient records into the MC4 Dell laptop.