Pathology Office Associate

at  Mercy Medical Center

SUMMARY

This position supports Mercy’s philosophy of patient centered care by the timely and accurate transcription of provider and other healthcare staff dictation. The transcribed medical reports provide a permanent medical record to facilitate current and future delivery of health care and for use in billing procedures.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, disease processes, signs and symptoms, medications, and laboratory values.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products, especially Excel.
• Ability to concentrate, with excellent listening skills.
• Ability to research new medical terms and diseases using reference materials such as books and internet.
• Ability to work under pressure, autonomously, with time constraints.
• Ability to understand and apply relevant legal concepts, such as confidentiality.
• Ability to be detail oriented.
• Ability to be well organized.
• English language and grammar skills a must.
• Knowledge of medical transcription guidelines and practices.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 1 year medical transcription experience required.
• Minimum 1 year clerical experience required.

EDUCATION

• High School Diploma or equivalency required.
• Medical terminology coursework required.
• Medical transcription certification program preferred.

• Ensure that accurate and clinically relevant information is communicated with pathologists, pathologist assistants and co-workers at hand offs and other times as needed. Take all measures necessary to ensure that the appropriate and involved parties have communicated necessary information in order to allow for the best possible patient outcome.
• Responsible for send-out processing and maintenance of send-out records utilizing the internet, Microsoft Excel and other computer applications.
• Assist pathologists in gathering data for regulatory and other requirements.
• Assist pathologists with troubleshooting issues with reports and send-outs.
• Complete reports according to established templates, standards, and guidelines.
• Use spell check tools to ensure quality of reports.
• Direct the routing of completed reports as requested by the dictating author or per report guidelines.
• Operate word processing, dictation and transcription software and equipment, troubleshooting problems as necessary.
• Assist in collecting and entering data for departmental statistics and reports.
• Assist with tumor board preparation for pathologists.
• Maintain slide files.
• Transcribe dictations and/or edited voice recognized reports for surgical pathology and autopsies.
• Assign correct patient identification (name, medical record number, account number) to each transcribed report.
• Recognize, interpret, and evaluate inconsistencies, discrepancies, and inaccuracies in medical dictation and clarify them with the pathologist or supervisor as needed.
• Troubleshoot and maintain the dictation system.
• Assist with specimen accessioning and other clerical tasks.
• Follow Mercy’s safety guidelines, carries out job-specific safety duties and responsibilities, and promptly reports any unsafe conditions, situations, incidents and injuries.
• Perform other clerical duties as needed.