Virtual Clinical Administrative Coordinator (VMA)

Description

• We are seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Virtual Clinical Administrative Coordinator (VMA) to manage behind-the-scenes clinical workflows for a fast-paced primary care / internal medicine practice. This is not a front-desk, phone, or scheduling role—it is a specialized, behind-the-scenes administrative position focused on Athenahealth EHR work queues, prescription refill processing, prior authorizations (PAs), referrals, and clinical document triage.

• The ideal candidate possesses strong medical terminology and pharmaceutical knowledge, operates independently with proactive follow-through, and knows precisely when to resolve administrative inquiries versus escalating clinical decisions to providers. Athenahealth experience is strongly preferred.

• Working Environment & Core Schedule

• Role Title: Virtual Clinical Administrative Coordinator (VMA)

• Practice Specialty: Primary Care / Internal Medicine

• Status: Full-Time (40 Hours / Week)

• Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time)

• Core EHR & Systems: Athenahealth (Strongly Preferred), Forus (Plus), Medical Messaging Platforms

• Role Nature: Behind-the-scenes clinical administration (No patient reception/scheduling duties)

• Top 3 Daily Tasks

• Athena EHR Management & Patient Inbox Triage: Review, triage, and route patient portal messages, provider task queues, phone notes, and inbound clinical documents with high accuracy.

• Prescription Refill Coordination & Prior Authorizations: Audit patient refill requests against medication history/charts, prep scripts for provider sign-off, and manage medication prior authorizations in Forus or payor portals.

• Referral Management & Clinical Documentation Triage: Process outbound specialty referrals with clinical notes and diagnostics attached, obtain facility precertifications, track pending referrals until closed, and summarize incoming records for provider review

• Core Responsibilities

• Athenahealth Work Queue Management: Monitor inbox queues daily, answering routine patient administrative inquiries, filing clinical records, and maintaining updated chart documentation.

• Prescription Refill Processing: Verify medication orders, dosages, lab monitoring history, and last visit dates in the chart before routing prepped refills to the ordering provider for final approval.

• Prior Authorization (PA) Management: Submit and track medication PAs via Forus or clearinghouses, gather clinical justification, monitor approval statuses, and compile appeal documentation for denials.

• Referrals & Precertifications: Coordinate specialty referrals, transmit medical notes and lab/imaging attachments, obtain insurance precertifications, and follow up with specialist offices until consult notes are retrieved.

• Clinical Safety & Escalation: Distinguish between administrative routing and clinical decision-making—ensuring all medication changes, clinical advice, and urgent patient inquiries are promptly escalated to the supervising physician/provider.

Requirements

• U.S. Healthcare

Experience

• Minimum 2+ years supporting a U.S. medical practice in a clinical or administrative capacity.

• EHR Mastery: Hands-on experience navigating Electronic Health Record systems and high-volume inbox/task queues.

• Clinical Admin Knowledge: Proven experience handling prescription refill protocols, insurance prior authorizations, and outbound referrals.

• Terminology & Pharma Knowledge: Solid working knowledge of medical terminology, routine medications, dosage formats, and basic laboratory test panels.

• English Fluency: Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.

• Compliance & Autonomy: Strong HIPAA compliance standards and the ability to manage multiple work queues independently.

• Remote Workspace: Dedicated, quiet, HIPAA-compliant home workspace with a high-performance computer (PC/Mac), high-speed internet, backup power/internet solutions, and a headset.

• Strongly Preferred Qualifications

• EHR Specifics: Recent hands-on experience using Athenahealth (highest priority) and Forus.

• Clinical Background: Medical Assistant (MA) certification/background or prior experience in Primary Care / Internal Medicine.

• Screening Criteria Note: Candidates limited exclusively to front-desk reception, scheduling, or basic reception duties without refill or prior authorization experience will not be considered.

• Ideal Candidate Profile

• You are a sharp, self-directed clinical administrator with strong Athenahealth skills. You audit refill requests, handle prior authorizations, and track specialty referrals with precision—keeping provider queues clean and efficient without needing constant supervision.