Office Assistant

The Pathology Department seeks an Office Assistant who will be responsible for answering the telephone and various functions related to and including accessioning second opinion, processing incoming and returning materials received for consult cases. This role correctly identifies, obtains and enters patient demographics, clinical impression, and insurance billing information. Interaction involves consult coordinators, pathologists, pathology assistants/residents, laboratory technicians, medical transcriptionists, administrative assistants, medical records/surgical pathology archivists, couriers, clinicians and patients. This individual will work cooperatively and successfully in a team environment, carry out responsibilities in a timely fashion, provides a high level of customer service and performing tasks accurately. They will know and understand policies, work rules and procedures. This position is part of the JHU/SOM Clinical Operations (CO) / Required Attendance.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities:

• Answer telephone, receive and direct calls and/or take accurate messages.
• Provide information regarding how to send materials for consultation.
• Provide superior customer service and follow-up on requests, questions or concerns while adhering to policies, work rules.
• Accountable for standards of service excellence; including but not limited to patient or interpersonal relations, teamwork, communication, continuous performance improvement, and self-management and accountability.
• Assist with daily operations of the consult service as needed. Monitor and file tissue blocks and slides that are ready for shipment.
• Transport slides/materials within Reed Hall and to Weinberg and locations throughout the campus throughout the day.
• File/group slides for shipment. Enter data in EPIC, access shipping system and package slides for return to institution.
• Utilize established procedures to recognize discrepancies in patient medical records and report corrective action to Quality Assurance Coordinator.
• Perform miscellaneous related duties as attached.

Minimum Qualifications (Mandatory):

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• 6 months of related experience in a medical office environment or equivalent administrative experience that involved customer service/telephone customer service.
• Successful completion of Johns Hopkins Service Excellence training is required upon hire.
• Successful completion of telephone etiquette training, interpersonal communication and/or customer service training is required within 90 days of hire.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a Medical Terminology Training course.
• Experience with Pathology Data Systems or similar patient database.

Physical Requirements:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may remain in a stationary position, sitting or standing, up to 70% of the time.
• Required to traverse throughout the work area or to retrieve/deliver equipment, supplies, or specimens from other locations on campus throughout the day (see below regarding transport duties).
• Individual will crouch or bend frequently during the day to retrieve or work with materials and during package processing.
• The employee is required to operate computer keyboard and mouse 75% of the day and must have dexterity for handling small glass slides and other specimens.
• Constantly repositions self to perform duties at work stations, gathering specimens.
• Other repetitive hand motions may be required for completing administrative tasks.
• Prolonged vision requirements including viewing computer screen, paper reports/documents and charts. Visual acuity is required to distinguish fine gradation of color.
• Position requires frequent use of the telephone, while multi-tasking to retrieve or review information from the computer in order to assist callers quickly and confidentially. Must be able to communicate confidential information in a clear, concise, and professional manner to a diverse audience.

Laboratory Environment:

• While this position works primarily in an office environment, there is activity inLaboratory environments.
• Exposure to toxins and infectious agents exist, but potential for personal injury or harm is minimized if established safety and health precautions are followed.
• Working in laboratory where there may be discomforts due to odors, noise, temperature fluctuations, and working around lab equipment.
• Transports materials usually less than 40 pounds from one area to another; this includes when assigned walking multiple times per day to other locations on campus (up to 1 hour of walking at a time).
• When needed staff use a cart to transport items, which would require pushing or pulling. While walking surface is often inside on tiled floors, it also includes walking outside between buildings on uneven pavement on occasion.
• May be required to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds with proper training, or precautions/lifting aides (example: file boxes, specimen deliveries). In some areas work space is confined.
• Staff may be required to complete annual competency review, and must insure compliance with Hospital Policy, Laboratory Policy & Procedure, Health, Safety & Environment regulations, and all applicable privacy & confidentiality laws/practices.
• Many department laboratories operate 24/7 with schedules on day, evening, or night shift. Rotating schedules which may include weekend work and holiday assignment. (Overtime mandatory when authorized/needed to meet business and patient needs).

This is a Required Attendance position – in the event of unexpected university closings including inclement weather or declared emergency, the employee in this position is required to report to work and/or remain at work and may be required to work additional hours. This position follows JHU/SOM CO time and attendance work rules.

Classified Title: Office Assistant
Role/Level/Range: ATO 40/E/02/OC
Starting Salary Range: $15.00 - $20.00/hr (commensurate with experience)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: M-F 8:00am - 4:30pm
Exempt Status: Non-Exempt
Location: School of Medicine Campus
Department name: ​​​​​​​SOM Pat Surgical Pathology
Personnel area: School of Medicine

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office atjhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711.

Johns Hopkins has mandated COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, as applicable. Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons or because the individual is pregnant or attempting to become pregnant. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. For additional information, please visit:https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/

The following additional provisions may apply depending on which campus you will work. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.

The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.

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