Bridget "Brie" Straiton

Patient Coordination & Advocacy:

• Coordinated patient referrals by communicating with primary care physicians, specialists, and patients to facilitate care.
• Provided patient counseling and information to help them navigate the healthcare system and understand treatment plans.
• Assisted patients with potential barriers to healthcare access, such as finding interpreters or transportation services.
• Reminded patients of appointments via phone or mail to improve attendance and adherence.

Administrative & Technical Skills:

• Managed and maintained electronic health records (EHR) and digital referral systems to ensure accurate patient information.
• Verified patient insurance eligibility and benefits, confirming prior authorization requirements were met.
• Processed and tracked referrals, maintaining a consistent, timely turnaround time.
• Forwarded referral forms, clinical information, and patient data to health records and specialist offices.

Communication & Collaboration:

• Collaborated with insurance companies and healthcare providers to facilitate seamless communication and efficient care coordination.
• Acted as a liaison between patients and providers, resolving inquiries related to policies, procedures, and services.
• Maintained professional relationships with a network of healthcare providers to ensure a wide range of available services.

Compliance & Quality Improvement:

• Ensured compliance with healthcare regulations, privacy laws Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and institutional policies related to patient referrals.
• Monitored referral outcomes and provided feedback to healthcare providers to improve the referral process and overall patient care.
• Identified and resolved issues during the referral process, such as insurance denials or appointment rescheduling, to prevent disruptions to care.

Core administrative duties

• Patient intake and communication: Handling patient call intake, reporting patient complaints to the doctor, and calling in prescription refills are essential administrative and patient communication tasks.
• EMR and records management: Proficiency with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems, Medinotes, is a crucial administrative skill. The ability to adapt from paper charts and scan old records highlights experience with health information technology.
• Insurance and billing: Managing insurance verification, obtaining pre-approvals, handling specialty referrals for HMOs, and utilizing ICD-9 coding for Medicare and other insurance carriers are all part of the administrative and billing process.
• Scheduling and coordination: In addition to scheduling patient appointments, the role includes coordinating more complex hospital procedures and arranging referrals.
• Filing and office management: General office tasks such as filing charts and lab results, as well as managing correspondence, are also part of the job.

Core administrative duties

• Patient intake and communication: Handling patient call intake, reporting patient complaints to the doctor, and calling in prescription refills are essential administrative and patient communication tasks.
• EMR and records management: Proficiency with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems, Medinotes, is a crucial administrative skill. The ability to adapt from paper charts and scan old records highlights experience with health information technology.
• Insurance and billing: Managing insurance verification, obtaining pre-approvals, handling specialty referrals for HMOs, and utilizing ICD-9 coding for Medicare and other insurance carriers are all part of the administrative and billing process.
• Scheduling and coordination: In addition to scheduling patient appointments, the role includes coordinating more complex hospital procedures and arranging referrals.
• Filing and office management: General office tasks such as filing charts and lab results, as well as managing correspondence, are also part of the job.

Core competencies and responsibilities:

• Vital signs and patient history: Performs initial patient assessments.
• Phlebotomy and advanced draws: Regularly draws blood and assists with more advanced procedures, such as arterial blood gas (ABG) draws, which is typically a senior-level task for a CMA and requires assisting an RN.
• IV assistance: Assisted the RN clinical director in starting IVs,
• Infection control: Maintains sterile technique, a critical skill in an infectious disease setting.

Laboratory oversight and compliance:

• In-house testing: Manages the CBC machine, including its maintenance, care logs, and CLIA training reports. This is a significant responsibility involving compliance with federal standards (CLIA) that ensure accuracy in laboratory testing.
• Specimen handling: Fills out lab requisitions and prepares specimens for off-site labs.

Operational and administrative leadership:

• Patient education and advocacy: Participates in university case reviews and discussion panels, using direct patient contact to educate patients on managing their health. The role also involves attending meetings and directly educating patients on their infectious disease and treatment plan.
• Training and supervision: Oversees and trains clinical students from a local college (OHA), including keeping records, training them, and signing off on their progress.
• Resource management: Navigates the limitations of a grant-funded program (Ryan White), which involves seeking local resources (like student help) when federal funding is constrained. This shows problem-solving and resourcefulness in a short-staffed, high-volume environment

• Performed initial vital sign assessments and reviewed patients’ past medical histories.
• Drew blood and managed all specimen collection/processing for a 4-physician team and one nurse practitioner.
• Oversaw clinic laboratory operations, including running tests and preparing samples.
• Maintained autoclave sterilization procedures to ensure compliance and patient safety.

• Handled Dr. Ditto’s patient calls and provided triage support for urgent clinical concerns.
• Assisted with patient referrals and coordinated scheduling for specialty care.
• Served as backup medical assistant for other teams, supporting patient rooming and workups as needed.

• Processed insurance authorizations and pre-authorizations for procedures, surgeries, and prescriptions for HMO carriers.
• Maintained supply lists and ensured adequate clinic inventory.
• Performed front office responsibilities, including faxing, scheduling, and patient communication.