Medical Secretary

internal/external posting

job title: Medical Secretary

job ID #: ARC MS  23-0918

department: Acute Respite Care (ARC)

reports to:  Senior Manager, Acute Respite Care

salary range: MS1 – $20.72 to $26.16 per hour

status: Permanent, Full-Time

hours:  30 hours per week

Who we are:

Sherbourne is a leading provider of quality health care and transformative support to people who face social, economic and other systemic barriers.   Our mission is to advance the equity and quality of care and services and to improve health for underserved communities.  This is done through primary health and chronic disease services; health promotion and education; outreach and social supports; and mental health services.

Sherbourne provides innovative health care and social services to the diverse urban population of southeast Toronto.  While our doors are open to everyone, we focus on people who are homeless or under-housed; 2SLGBTQ, and newcomers to Canada.  We are funded by the Ministry of Health, Ontario Health Toronto, Ministry of Community, children and Social Services, City of Toronto and many generous companies, groups, and individuals.

Working at Sherbourne

At Sherbourne Health, we care about our staff and recognize that our biggest strength is our people. We have a solid commitment to life-long learning which is demonstrated through our professional development program. We invest in collective work and staff training to improve client care. We supplement this by creating a low-barrier work environment built on equity and respect, while working together in caring, cohesive teams and providing opportunities for advancement.

believe in work-life balance and offer:

  • A competitive salary.
  • Membership in Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP).
  • Four weeks of vacation per year (to start).
  • Four personal days per year.
  • An extended healthcare and dental package.
  • Long-term disability insurance.
  • Life insurance.
  • An employee assistance plan.
  • A generous professional development plan: up to $1300 to be used towards learning activities.
  • Six fully paid professional development days per year – related to position/responsibilities.

 

about the role:

The Medical Secretary will provide medical secretarial support to the staff and clients in the Acute Respite Care program. The ARC Program is a short-term, 24/7 medical respite program for persons who are homeless, under housed and/or socially isolated who need a safe place to recuperate from an acute medical condition, illness, injury, or surgery. ARC also has 4 beds dedicated to support individuals recovering from transition related surgeries.

This role will report to the Senior Manager of the ARC program. The successful candidate must be available to work Monday to Thursday day shifts, with the flexibility to cover evening and weekend shifts if required. They might be required to work out of different locations per identified needs. Please note the schedule and hours of work may change due to operational requirements.

The medical secretary must be capable of working in a fast-paced environment, which can at times become chaotic. They should be able to maintain perspective and a willingness to assist clients who may present challenges.

scope of the mandate:

The Medical Secretary is the first contact between the ARC program and its clients. The Medical Secretary will support the efficient operation of services in the ARC program and a safe and respectful environment. They greet, assist and direct clients, and provide logistical support including inventory management. They support the referral, intake and discharge process of clients in collaboration with the ARC Team. responsible for greeting and reception, scheduling client tests, maintaining supplies and other related duties as assigned.

The Medical Secretary responds to requests from the ARC team and clients, places and receives calls and relays messages between clients, visitors, partner agencies, the interdisciplinary ARC team and Sherbourne’s other programs. All interactions are handled in a professional, confidential, and courteous manner.

The Medical Secretary provides clerical assistance, such as scanning, faxing, processing referrals, and entering data in the medical record system for the ARC interdisciplinary team. Additionally, they provide expert support to the ARC team for the use of the EMR and are instrumental in the process of data collection and management for the program.

day to day responsibilities:

  • Greet, assist and direct clients.
  • Represents the ARC program by screening incoming telephone calls; recording and transmitting messages, screening unscheduled patients and visitors,
  • Update client EMR charts upon client arrival and provide initial logistical client support,
  • Supports the ARC team with the coordination of referrals, admissions and discharges
  • Ensures ARC staff organization by reviewing and updating calendars, scheduling patient intakes, internal appointments, referrals and consultations
  • Gives clients instructions regarding diagnostic tests, arranges for prescription renewals, and communicates medical and any other information as required.
  • Provides information to clients regarding intake times, process during stay and discharge procedures
  • Prepares and sends clinical reports or any other correspondence internally and externally as needed, ensuring accuracy
  • Receives and sorts mail/faxes for the unit, ensuring that correspondence related to clients is brought to the attention of the relevant provider and filed appropriately
  • Maintains unit inventory by checking stock, anticipating needs, placing requests for orders, and verifying receipt, seeking guidance from the Senior Manager as required
  • Tracks and reports EMR statistics including but not limited to; patient volumes, diagnoses, demographics, discharges, admission, refer and overall, in-patient days.

 

To thrive in this role, you’ll need

education/ experience / knowledge and skills:

  • Medical Secretary Diploma and experience or a minimum of 2 years medical office experience in primary care, community setting or acute care setting.
  • Accurate typing speed of 50 words per minute.
  • Passion for working with individuals within Sherbourne’s target communities: individuals who are homeless and under housed, are experiencing mental health and substance use issues, the 2SLGBTQ community and newcomers to Canada.
  • Ability to work flexible hours as needed to meet the needs of clients and the Program.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills, written and verbal.
  • Proven ability to work within a health care team.
  • Experience supporting and coordinating program and unit activities.
  • Ability to manage challenging encounters and de-escalate situations.
  • Food handler’s certificate, is an asset
  • Ability to use computer technology, including electronic medical records.
  • Ability to follow through and follow up on delegated tasks in a defined manner.
  • Ability to adapt to a constantly changing workload in a fast-paced setting while meeting the needs of multiple people.
  • Ability to work within an anti-oppression framework; understands and appreciates the diversity of our client and staff population and community.
  • Engages in ethical conduct, follows established policies and procedures, using sound judgement.
  • Demonstrates a commitment to a healthy and safe workplace for self and others (staff, patients, families, etc.) by taking all reasonable precautions and working in compliance with SHC related policies, health and safety legislation and best practices.
  • Gives clients instructions regarding diagnostic tests, arranges for prescription renewals, and communicates medical and any other information as required.

 

conditions of employment:

  • Offer of employment is contingent upon satisfactory outcome of background checks i.e., professional references, education verification, criminal background check, and vulnerable sector check.
  • Understands and works within the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), the Ontario Human Rights Code and other relevant legislation.
  • Demonstrates a commitment to a healthy and safe workplace for self and others (staff, patients, families, etc.) by taking all reasonable precautions and working in compliance with SHC related policies, health and safety legislation and best practices.

working conditions:

  • The standard work week is 30 hours. Generally, they will work Monday to Thursday during the day, however, work is occasionally required outside the normal daily routine.
  • The position requires diplomacy in dealing with many stakeholders and partners, considerable multi-tasking, setting priorities as needed, and comfort in working with clients who may present in crisis and be agitated or challenging at times.
  • The work is located in the communication centre of the ARC program and will occasionally involve intervening with difficult clients, who may misuse drugs and/or alcohol, be under the influence, belligerent, disoriented, and/or incoherent. When necessary, the Medical Secretary will call upon the ARC team to intervene in situations requiring additional attention or diffusing.

to apply:  Please forward a cover letter and resume quoting Job ID # ARC MS  23-0918 to myjob@sherbourne.on.ca by 5:00pm on September 27, 2023.

Sherbourne is dedicated to building an organization that reflects the diversity of our clients and the communities we serve. This includes diversity in languages spoken, culture, race, sexual orientation and gender identity. Requests for accommodation due to disability can be made at any stage in the recruitment process.

We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

BOLD.                  KIND.                   REAL.                   OPEN.                   WE CARE.