Job Summary

The Health Educator/Medical Assistant serves as part of a multi-disciplinary care team and supports the provision of clinical services for the Partnership Comprehensive Care Practice, including adult patients cared for at St. Christopher’s Hospital’s Dorothy Mann Center. This individual works as a medical assistant in collaboration with providers and clinic staff to provide reproductive counseling services to clients as needed, including STI testing and treatment, contraception, pregnancy testing and counseling, and PrEP. This hybrid position also educates patients and clinic staff about intimate partner violence, proper STI screening and test collection, and reproductive health education.

Essential Functions

• Provide family planning counseling to all clients requesting service based on up-to-date knowledge and understanding. This includes basic anatomy and physiology, sexual methods, pregnancy testing, pregnancy options, safer sex practices, HIV/AIDs risk assessment and prevention/risk reduction, routine reproductive health, and health promotion/disease prevention, including screening recommendations, nutrition, exercise, smoking cessation, alcohol and drug use, domestic violence and sexual abuse, and referral to appropriate additional services. All counseling provided follows Drexel Medicine and PCCP protocols and guidelines.
• Provide culturally-competent family planning counseling in a sensitive manner inclusive of all.   
• Support clients to explore feelings and concerns about sexuality and reproductive health. Assist clients with making informed decisions by providing oral and written information and help clarify values and priorities.
• Train medical assistants (as assigned) to assist with gynecological examinations and procedures, STI treatments, HIV testing, pregnancy testing and referral.
• Provide client-centered HIV/STI risk assessment/reduction counseling and provide or refer for HIV/STI testing, as appropriate.
• Maintain correspondence with the Health Department regarding STI treatment verification. 
• Establish a process that provides for tracking STI screening results, including informing patients of positive STI results and communication with providers relative to patient treatment and follow-up. 

Clinical Support

The Health Educator serves as a medical assistant by providing patient care during patient appointments.  Performs all relevant clinical tasks, including collecting vital signs, phlebotomy, performing EKGs and other minor diagnostics/treatments, administering injections and routine immunizations, assisting provider(s) with minor procedures, and quality control testing.

• Obtain health history for patient visits with the medical provider. Collect and record height, weight, blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration, and temperature.  Collect blood, and other laboratory specimens; log specimens and prepare them for testing.
• Escort patients to examination area and prepare them for the clinical provider.  Conduct routine tests per protocol, including pregnancy tests and STI screenings. 
• Assist providers in conducting reproductive health exams including pelvic exams and cervical cancer screening when applicable.
• Assist providers in the provision of colposcopy services and contraception insertion
• Administer medications and injections, including long-acting contraception, STI treatment, and vaccines, and provide nebulizer, oxygen and STI treatments, as ordered. 
• Instruct patients on preparation for tests and studies.
• Communicate critical values to provider(s) as appropriate.
• Answer telephones and schedule patients as needed.
• Clean, process, and appropriately sterilize all equipment and instruments after each patient.

Administrative:

• Maintain confidentiality of workplace information according to the policies and procedures of the institution.
• Ensure timely and accurate EMR documentation. Maintain all required documentation (both paper and electronic), including consents, contraceptive inventory and logs, pregnancy testing logs, HIV rapid test logs, and other documentation as required by PCCP.
• Participates in relevant meetings including with the Reproductive Health Team
• Monitor daily correspondence (i.e., EMR in-basket(s), telephone messages, emails)
• Ensure timely correspondence to patients with abnormal labs, missed appointments and injections per protocol.
• Ensure that results and/or consents are scanned into patient EMRs.
• Maintain adequate family planning supply inventory and testing materials; notify clinical lab manager of inventory shortages and/or wastage.
• Collaborate with Quality Team on projects related to STI screening and reproductive health for performance measures, including the collection and reporting of CQI data, to improve patient outcomes.
• Interacts with outside agencies for patient referrals.  Represents PCCP at health fairs and educational conferences, as needed.
• Reports STI treatment to the Health Department
• Other duties as assigned by clinical laboratory manager

Continuing Competency:

• Maintain current knowledge of trends and changes in family planning through independent study and required continuing education to maintain license
• Participates in observation of counseling sessions every six months by the Clinical Laboratory Manager and OB/GYN provider.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of HS Diploma or GED.
• Minimum of 3 years years of experience. 
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a health care setting, preferably in Reproductive Health, Family Planning and/or HIV/AIDS.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience performing phlebotomy services.
• Successful completion of a basic family planning counseling course and certification
• Excellent interpersonal skills. Ability to relate well to a diverse patient population, health care providers, clinic support staff, and peers.
• Proficient in working as a member of a large, multidisciplinary team.
• Knowledgeable and experienced in the discussion of reproductive health, sexuality, contraception, pregnancy options OR similar issues requiring a high level of sensitivity to client responses, confidentiality, and theoretical knowledge.
• Passion about serving a marginalized population and some experience in LGBTQ+ health required.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a health care setting, preferably in Reproductive Health, Family Planning and/or HIV/AIDS.
  Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to relate well to a diverse patient population, health care providers, clinic support staff, and peers.
• Proficiency in Spanish preferred.

Physical Demands

• Typically sitting at a desk/table
• Typically standing, walking

Location

• Center City - Philadelphia, PA

Additional Information
This position is classified as Non-Exempt, grade H. Compensation for this grade ranges from $ 17.14 to $25.71 per hour. Please note that the offered rate for this position typically aligns with the minimum to midrange of this grade, but it can vary based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience, department budget, and an internal equity review.

Applicants are encouraged to explore the Professional Staff salary structure and Compensation Guidelines & Policies for more details on Drexel’s compensation framework. For information about benefits, please review Drexel’s Benefits Brochure.

Special Instructions to the Applicant
Please make sure you upload your CV/resume and cover letter when submitting your application.

A review of applicants will begin once a suitable candidate pool is identified.