What is A Medical Assistant?

Administrative and Front Office Medical Assistants

Administrative and front office medical assistants work in front offices as receptionists, billers, referral specialists or manage medical facilities. Their work activities and tasks include:

• Answer telephones.
• Reception - greeting patients.
• Pull and file patient charts.
• Filing.
• Schedule patient, special procedures, surgeries, and specialist appointments.
• Track patient referrals and responses to specialists and for special procedures.
• Take and transmit accurate messages.
• Talk to other medical offices.
• Talk to insurance companies.
• Transmit referral forms to insurance companies and providers.
• Receive and process prescription requests.
• Transmit physician orders.
• Billing and coding.
• Collections.
• Write letters and other correspondence for physicians.
• Pay office bills.
• Oversee Accounts Receivable.
• Oversee Accounts Payable.
• Do payroll.
• Do bank reconciliation's.
• Order supplies, maintaining office inventories.
• Train and evaluate office staff.
• Comply with local, state and federal regulations.
• Maintain physician’s curriculum vitae including continuing education units.
• Evaluate and purchase office and clinical equipment including arranging for equipment maintenance.
• Manage office doing physician-directed tasks.

Clinical and Back Office Medical Assistants

Clinical and back office medical assistants perform hands-on clinical duties with patients and physicians. Typical work activities and tasks include:

• Greet and identify patients.
• Do vital signs including weight, blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates.
• Give injections.
• Order and maintain injectable inventories.
• Draw blood (many offices do not require this).
• Prepare exam rooms for patients and special procedures.
• Assist with purchase, maintenance and inventory of clinical equipment.
• Do casting.
• Assist with minor surgeries.
• Educate patients.
• Provide resources to patients to assist with lifestyle management.
• Wrap, sterilize and properly store instruments and other equipment.
• Maintain clinical supplies.
• Do coding.
• Assist physician with completion of special forms.
• Assist physician with call backs to patients and other callers.
• Clean rooms and equipment