Medical Office Assistant, Gateway Team-Based Care Teaching Clinic

Job Summary

The Medical Office Assistant (MOA) works as part of an interdisciplinary team providing a full range of clinical and administrative functions in support of patient care. The position performs extensive clerical medical office duties that are essential to the efficiency and function of the Gateway teaching clinic. Duties range from routine to complex and include basic patient assessments, preparing for procedures or patient visits, maintaining a highly confidential electronic medical record system, correspondence and communication with patients, caregivers, learners, faculty and staff.

This position will be directly reporting to the Clinic Manager. The incumbent works in close collaboration with other members of the Gateway teaching clinic and a wide range of partners internal and external to UBC, including individual patients, caregivers (which may also include trusted individuals within the patient’s support network), and non-profit organizations across the Lower Mainland and throughout BC.

Organizational Status
UBC’s School of Nursing (SoN), Faculty of Applied Science, is the administrative unit of the Gateway teaching clinic. As the oldest university-based nursing program in Canada, the School of Nursing offers a full range of innovative programs and holds an international reputation for excellence in research and scholarship. The SoN values health equity, social justice, and community engagement, aligning with the clinic’s mission to improve healthcare delivery through collaborative education and practice.

UBC Health is in the process of establishing a centre for innovation in collaborative health education and team-based care. The goal is to create a first-of-its-kind provincial centre, providing an opportunity for students, educators, healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients to work together to improve the quality of healthcare delivery through innovations in interprofessional learning, teamwork, and research. A core component of the centre will be a new, purpose-built team-based care teaching clinic in the Gateway South building on the UBC Vancouver Point Grey campus, aiming to support approximately 4,500 patients through team-based longitudinal primary care.

Work Performed

• Coordinating patient care throughout the clinic, including arriving patients, escorting patients, preparing and turning over exam rooms.

• Providing timely service with minimal supervision and working effectively during high-volume periods while maintaining a patient-first approach.

• In the absence of the Clinic Receptionist, or to support reception workflows, monitors and responds to patient messages and calls; provides appropriate information and assistance; and redirects inquiries in accordance with clinic protocols.

• Directing patients to appropriate team members as guided by clinic protocols or in consultation with the patient’s care team.

• Empathetically listening to patients’ concerns and communicating these to relevant team members with the patient’s consent.

• Performing basic patient assessments as requested and documenting in the electronic medical record.

• Completing tasks requested by care team members for patient care, including calls, messages, and forms.

• Performing and recording results for point-of-care laboratory tests conducted in the clinic.

• Working with chronic disease management protocols.

• Faxing prescription renewals according to clinic protocols

• Maintaining strict confidentiality of patient information and medical records.

• Responding accurately, respectfully, with humility, and in a timely manner to inquiries from a diverse population.

• Ensuring clinical examination rooms are well maintained and stocked with required medical supplies.

• Identifying opportunities for and working with Gateway team members to improve team-based care education, practice, and operations

• Utilizing conflict resolution and de-escalation strategies as needed.

• Escalating urgent requests for services according to protocols and directing customer service complaints appropriately.

• Responds to inquiries pertaining to clinic activities, policies, and procedures; redirects callers as required.

• Working collaboratively within a team context to ensure high standards of service provision.

• Providing general clinical administrative support associated with patient care.

• Arranges tests and procedures, and obtains results and records from other clinics, doctor offices, and institutions.

• In the absence of the Clinic Receptionist, greeting patients, scheduling appointments, coordinating referrals, and providing clinic and appointment information.

• Maintaining inventory and maintenance logs and submitting supply requests to the Clinic Manager.

• Cleaning and sterilization of medical equipment and instruments, including appropriate use of the autoclave.

• Assisting with preparation and upkeep of protocol and procedure manuals.

• Maintaining, reviewing, and correcting billing and diagnostic code entries for shadow billing and tracking.

• Preparing billing and tracking documentation for electronic transmission and retrieval of claims.

• Reconciling and correcting rejected, adjusted, or held claims as needed.

• Processing medical and legal requests and associated billing.

• Processing receipts for incoming payments by cash, cheque, or electronic transaction in the absence of the Clinic Receptionist.

• Perform additional duties as required.

As the Gateway Clinic is a newly developing initiative, the successful candidate will help to develop and implement the practices employed at the clinic and will evaluate and iterate upon best practices in team-based education and care. As such, the Medical Office Assistant may be assigned other duties as required.

This position requires the ability to function in all areas of the department. This position requires direct interaction with patients, caregivers, and medical personnel on a daily basis. The incumbent has frequent exposure to minor and major disagreeable conditions such as biomedical and non-biomedical wastes. Tasks are completed under pressure with frequent interruptions.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The position is required to exercise professional judgment and initiative while undertaking all responsibilities and developing relationships. Inappropriate actions, errors in performance or indiscretions in judgment can have negative impact on the patients, caregivers, program and the University, and may result in legal action, negative public relations, financial repercussions, and loss of credibility in the department’s ability to demonstrate value in the areas of collaborative health education, research and health systems.

Supervision Received
Reports directly to the Clinic Manager. Works independently and interdependently in various settings. Works with considerable latitude and minimal supervision. The incumbent must be self-directed and able to manage and work independently.

Supervision Given
May assign work to Work Learn students when needed. Works cooperatively with other employees.

Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation, plus one year of post secondary education, plus completion of a Medical or Dental Office Assistant program (including terminology), plus three years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding medical terminology, basic anatomy, knowledge of medical billings (e.g. MSP, ICBC, WCB, and Uninsured Services billing procedures), and proficiency using electronic medical records (EMR) are required.

• Understands and has experience with key program concepts such as team-based care, person-centered care, interprofessional education and continuous quality improvement or approaches for integrating knowledge into practice.

• Demonstrate a commitment to cultural humility and lifelong learning by continuing to develop the technical, relational and professional skills needed now and, in the future, to support a diverse range of learners and patients.

• Understanding of occupational health and safety requirements and infection prevention and control expectations within primary care

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team environment, collaborating effectively, both in-person and virtually, with a diverse team of students, patients, caregivers, faculty, staff, community partners, external organizations, etc. in a complex environment

• Strong, open communication with proven ability to communicate effectively, problem solve and resolve conflicts and in a professional manner, both verbally and in writing.

• Compose correspondence, reports, presentations, and other written materials using clear concise business English.

• Effectively and efficiently coordinate tasks.

• Providing quality service to customers is a courteous, patient manner.

• Use tact and discretion when discussing problems and eliciting sensitive or confidential information.

• Ability to exercise diplomacy and sound judgment when interpreting information and making decisions or recommendations.

• Demonstrated understanding and interest to participate in and support administrative functions of evaluation and research to advance collaborative health education and practice improvement

• Ability to learn, adapt and utilize health and learning technologies (e.g. electronic health record, other platforms) effectively in a rapidly changing health system and health professions education program.

• Ability to exercise diplomacy and sound judgment when interpreting information and making decisions or recommendations.

• Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.

• Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.

• Experience using Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint at an intermediate level.

• Ability to use video and web conferencing technologies, e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc. for meetings.

• Strong attention to detail.

• Previous experience working in an environment supporting and mentoring new team members and learners an asset.

Equity Statement:

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.