Medical Assistant (Mohs) (101864)

Job DetailsJob Location: Phoenix-7th 2 - Phoenix, AZ 85006Position Type: Full TimeSECTION 1: Job Summary (Summary of the basic functions of the position)

The Mohs Medical/Surgical Assistant is to provide assistance to the licensed-medical doctor in multiple
settings including the clinic and outpatient surgical settings. They are to provide safe, knowledgeable,
compassionate individualized care to all patients. Responsible for the following, based on the needs of the
organization:

SECTION 2: Duties and Responsibilities (Responsibilities necessary to accomplish job functions)


Serve as a patient advocate during patient exam, surgery and treatment
Interview surgery patients to obtain medical information
Measure patients’ vital signs, weight and height
Show patients to examination rooms, procedure rooms or operative rooms, and prepare them for the physician
Review a surgical informed consent with the patient prior to their procedure
Record patients’ medical history, medications, allergies, vital signs and test results in an Electronic Health Record (EHR)
Set up a sterile surgical tray

Inspect sterile items prior to opening
Open sterile surgical items in a sterile fashion
Lay supplies out on sterile field in an organized manner
Place surgical gloves on hands using sterile technique


Assist the physician during surgery while maintaining sterile field:

Blot with gauze when needed
Under surgeon direction, use skin hooks to gently retract skin while surgeon undermines or uses cautery device
Use forceps to hold suture line away from field or to help hold suture line tip in place to assist surgeon during knot placement
Use scissors to clip suture at various lengths depending on placement of knot (epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous fat, etc.)
Assist surgeon during cauterization
Know the difference between thermal cautery and electrocautery, and which one is preferable in various patient situations so the correct device can be prepared in a clean/sterile fashion


Properly numb a patient’s skin using local anesthetics as directed by the physician
Prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician following safety protocol of right dose, right patient, right route, right drug and noting expiration date
Collect blood, tissue or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing
Explain surgical/treatment procedures, medications, diets
Explain wound care instructions and physicians’ instructions to patients
Explain and comfort patients with regards to expected healing times for various types of wounds and locations (i.e., know that flaps/grafts take longer to heal than regular excisions and have slightly higher complication rates, know that wounds on the lower extremities may take longer to heal than wounds on the face or upper body, etc.)
Help physicians examine and treat patients, handing them instruments and materials or performing such tasks as giving injections and removing sutures
Accept triage style phone calls from patients and know which situations require the patient to be seen vs being able to counsel the patient over the phone. Know to ask the surgeon if there is ever any doubt.
Under physician direction, authorize drug refills, enter prescription information into the EHR, and provide prescription information to pharmacies
Know how to clean surgical instruments, wrap them in sterile packs, and place them in an autoclave
Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms organized, neat, and clean
Assess the patient’s condition throughout the exam, procedure or surgery according to the facility’s policies and notify physician and/or RN of any indication of distress
Responsible for cleaning room and medical equipment in between each patient and at the end of the day
Correctly disposes of infection waste and biohazard materials
Schedule appointments for patients: including surgery appointments (Mohs surgery, excisions) and clinic appointments (wound checks, Mohs consultations, suture removals, etc.):

Have basic medical and surgical knowledge as it relates to Dermatology and Mohs surgery
Know what various blood thinners are
Know the basic difference between a pacemaker and defibrillator
Know the different types of skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, other) and how they pertain to Mohs surgery vs excision
Know basic external anatomy of the head and neck (for example, know that the nasal sidewall is on the nose, conchal bowl is on the ear, occipital scalp is the back of the scalp, etc.)
Contact medical facilities or departments to schedule patients for tests, admission, or collaborative surgical care (for example, coordinate care with ENT if patient is having Mohs surgery with our team and repair/closure by a local ENT physician)


Change dressings on wounds and can place a good pressure bandage after Mohs