Genetic Counselor Assistant

Under supervision of the Practice Manager, guided by policies and procedures of the Ambulatory Services, the Hospital Assistant III assists in the delivery of care to patients being seen in the practice. They will perform assigned patient care procedures in support of the care services provided to patients within the practice. They are required to adhere to the Telephone and House Standards as adopted by the department. The assistant also assists with front and back office responsibilities, which include scheduling, pre-registering, verifying insurance, obtaining referrals and authorizations, and coordination of required medical and financial information. They work as a team member with other staff and consistently project a professional, caring, and courteous demeanor. The Hospital Assistant III is responsible for the efficient patient flow and provides support to multiple physicians. They communicate with referring physicians’ offices and serve as a liaison for the outside providers. They are responsible for insurance authorizations and pharmacy refills, as well as complicated treatment authorizations and hospital admission arrangements.

Under direct supervision and guided by the procedures of Ambulatory Services, the Hospital Assistant III – Genetic Counselor Assistant is responsible for:

• Interview patients and document personal and family medical history
• Request outside medical records and upload to Apex and departmental database
• Assist with clinic flow, including scheduling, rooming patients, and managing coordination of joint visits with genetic counselors and physicians
• Staff Genetic Testing Station – share video and hand-out-based education
• Reviewing research consent form with patients and send Docusign consent form
• Taking patients to laboratory for blood draws or facilitate collection of saliva samples for genetic testing
• Preparing blood or saliva samples for transportation to laboratories within and outside of UCSF
• Monitor communications with genetic testing laboratories, including responding to requests for additional documentation or samples
• Consultations with healthcare providers and laboratories
• Drawing and updating patient pedigrees using Progeny pedigree drawing software and patient history forms
• Entering data into the Cancer Risk Program (CRP) database
• Other patient preparation and follow-up tasks
• Support for clinical research projects, including consenting, data collection, documentation, and other tasks

Required Qualifications/Licenses/Certifications

• Ability to communicate effectively, both over the telephone and in person. Ability to deal sensitively and effectively with patients. Excellent organizational skills. Excellent customer service and problem-solving skills. Ability to work well both independently, with little supervision, and in a team setting.
• Bachelor’s degree in a biological/health science or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Knowledge of genetics and genetic concepts.
• Strong computer skills and experience with Microsoft Office software, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint required.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both over the telephone and in person.
• Ability to deal sensitively and effectively with patients.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to work well both independently, with little supervision, and in a team setting.

Preferred Qualification

• Experience with patient and or family contact in a community or medical setting.
• Previous experience with clinical projects, either in an administrative or clinical role, preferred. Demonstrated knowledge of medical practice terminology and genetic terminology and concepts.
• Experience with Outlook, File Maker Pro, and Progeny (or other pedigree drawing software) preferred.
• Bi-lingual or multi-lingual capability (Spanish, Cantonese, Russian) strongly preferred.