1. Greets all patients and visitors in a courteous and friendly manner.   Interviews patients to obtain demographic and insurance information making appropriate changes as needed.
2. Collects information needed for patient forms and assists with comprehension and completeness of these forms, obtaining pertinent signatures at time of check in.
3. Assists patients in scheduling follow up appointments.
4. Performs billing and cashiering duties including collecting co-payments at the time of service, preparing deposit monies daily and preparing a receipt log and cash reconciliation sheet daily and monthly.
5. Manages patient flow by notifying nursing personnel of patients' arrival times and retrieving appropriate patient records.
6. Assists physicians by retrieving laboratory and x-ray results or reports from the hospital or medical records department.
7. Contacts outside agencies to request patient medical records and other documents
8. When requested from the hospital, furnishes additional patient demographic information and/or provides verification on patient data.
9. Establishes and maintains effective pubic relations with patients and their families in regards to non-medical services provided by the clinic.
10. Works through task/bump lists daily to manage work load.

1. Requests medical records when appropriate for emergency appointments.
2. Coordinates interpreters for special needs patients.

1. Maintains clinical reception area ensuring patient comfort in a professional environment.
2. Performs these and other duties assigned in a professional manner as the initial department representative to all patients.

Credentials to be Verified by Placement Officer

1. High school diploma or equivalent.
2. Any one or any combination totaling one (1) year (12 months), from the categories below:
   1. Work experience comparable to that performed at the Medical Office Assistant level or in other positions of comparable responsibility.
   2. Work experience in a health care facility such as a doctor's, dentist's, or hospital's office; which involved record keeping, working with the public, direct patient contact, answering telephones, and working with medical terminology.
   3. Graduation from an accredited medical secretarial or paramedical program, such as nursing assistant, medical assistant, or medical secretary. 

1. Working knowledge of medical terminology.
2. Knowledge of computers and data entry.
3. Skill in reading, comprehending, and following complex instructions.
4. Organization skills, including time management and workflow.
5. Oral and written communication skills.
6. Ability to interact with and assist patients and their families.
7. Ability to adapt and work under pressure and amid interruptions.
8. Ability to work with people from a variety of cultural economic, and educational backgrounds.
9. Ability to use a medical dictionary.
10. Ability to keep patient information confidential.
11. Ability to perform routine keyboarding accurately.
12. Ability to establish priorities and function independently.
13. Ability to lift 15 pounds of medical records.
14. Ability to perform simple calculations (such as adding, subtracting, and totaling).
15. Ability to function as a part of a team.

About Southern Illinois University - School of Medicine

SIU School of Medicine was established in 1970 with a mission to educate physicians for central and southern Illinois. We are a medical school with four areas of excellence: medical education, patient care, research and community service. SIU School of Medicine provides education to undergraduate medical students, medical and surgical residents, fellows, and physician assistant students. Our clinical practice, SIU Medicine, includes a team of more than 250 health care professionals including university physicians and faculty members who are collectively dedicated to providing excellent medical care, advancement of care through research, and training the next generation of physicians. As the premier provider of health care services, SIU Medicine offers both primary care and specialized treatment services including preventative and diagnostic. SIU works in partnership with hospitals and clinics throughout central and southern Illinois to meet the health care needs of our communities.

Connections working at Southern Illinois University - School of Medicine