Orange County NC Website
1 <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: January 24, 2013 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5 -f <br />SUBJECT: Position Establishment Request -.50 Medical Office Assistant Position <br />DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Dr. Colleen Bridger, Health Director <br />PURPOSE: To consider the reclassification of a vacant 1.0 full time equivalent (FTE) Public <br />Health Nurse II (PHN II) position into 1.5 FTE Medical Office Assistant (MOA) positions, allowing <br />the 1.5 FTE MOA positions to provide improved front desk and clinic support in handling <br />increased patients and help promote more efficient service delivery. <br />BACKGROUND: This request represents some division reorganization as the decision was <br />made not to fill the PHN II position in the care management program. The staff members in the <br />new program have become more efficient and the duties of this PHN II have been divided <br />among existing staff. Health Department staff believes that converting the 1.0 FTE PHN II <br />position into 1.5 FTE medical office support staff positions is critical for realizing the goal of <br />increasing clinic capacity, access and excellent customer service for clients. The County <br />Manager has the authority to redirect the existing 1.0 FTE PHN II position for the 1.0 FTE MOA <br />position. However, authorization for the additional .50 MOA position is needed for the full <br />conversion, and the Health Department is requesting approval from the Board of County <br />Commissioners to create the .50 MOA position as required by the Orange County Personnel <br />Ordinance. <br />The MOA position performs routine clerical and customer service duties in support of efficient <br />office operations. Work involves pulling and preparing charts; answering multi -line telephone; <br />providing customer service; receiving laboratory results; data entry and filing; processing <br />incoming /outgoing medical records; recording information; copying medical records and forms <br />as required; scanning medical records for entry into Electronic Health Records; preparing <br />courier mail; and cross - training for front desk receptionist, medical record assistant, and <br />financial interviewing. <br />The medical clinics provide critical services for the community including communicable disease <br />control as well as preventive health services for women and children. Access to care has been <br />identified as a problem in Orange County for those without health insurance. The Health <br />