Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Medical Clerk

Recruitment #16-1126-01

Introduction

***PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE BULLETIN***
This bulletin includes important information regarding a special requirement for this recruitment.

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Applications will only be accepted on-line.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Applications will only be accepted on-line. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: TYPING CERTIFICATE
A typing certificate with a typing speed of 40 net words per minute from a temporary agency, employment agency, or community college, printed on letterhead with the address and phone number of the agency or college must be uploaded to your online application (under the resume tab) by 5:00p.m. on the last day for filing; May 16, 2017. The typing certificate must be dated within six (6) months of the filing deadline.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your typing certificate is uploaded prior to submission of your application. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. NO EXCEPTIONS.

To obtain a typing certificate, you may wish to contact East Bay Works - Career Centers. Click on the following link, and go to the "locations" tab to locate a center near you. www.eastbayworks.com/  

DESCRIPTION

HEALTH CARE SERVICES AGENCY
Alameda County's Health Services Program is administered by the Health Care Services Agency and includes the following program areas: Behavioral Health Care, Public Health, Environmental Health, and Agency Administration/Indigent Health. The ultimate mission of the Health Care Services Agency is to provide fully integrated health care services through a comprehensive network of public and private partnerships that ensure optimal health and well-being and respect the diversity of all residents.

PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Alameda County Public Health Department has worked for over 80 years to improve the health and safety of its residents and the neighborhoods they live in. Traditional public health concerns such as disease outbreaks, environmental hazards and access to health care have been joined by contemporary concerns: bioterrorism, crime, violence, and substance abuse. Each of these poses a threat to public health and wellness and calls for short and long-term solutions that lie well outside traditional public health boundaries.  For more information about our Alameda County Public Health Department, please visit the Alameda County Public Health Department Website and latest Annual Budget document found on www.acgov.org  

THE POSITION
Under general supervision, to do medical clerical work of a difficult and specialized nature; and to do related work as required. This is a specialized clerical class. Incumbents provide clerical support for professional medical personnel. Positions in this class perform, as a regular assignment, duties requiring the ability to accurately record information in medical information systems, extract information from medical charts and documents, and correctly use and spell an array of medical terminology without frequent reference to specialized medical dictionaries.

THE VACANCY
The current vacancy is located in the Acute Communicable Disease (ACD) section of the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (DCDCP). However, the eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies in other program areas.

ACUTE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SECTION
The Acute Communicable Disease (ACD) Section is responsible for the surveillance, investigation, and control of cases, contacts, and outbreaks of over 75 reportable communicable diseases: all reportable communicable diseases except for HIV, sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis. Commonly investigated diseases include: Pertussis, Salmonellosis, Shigellosis, E.Coli O157, Zika, Dengue, Malaria, Legionellosis, Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Viral Gastroenteritis Outbreaks. The ACD Section is supported by a multidisciplinary staff, including public health nurses, a public health investigator, physicians, an epidemiologist and a medical clerk. 

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in difficult and specialized clerical support activities, developed knowledge of medical terminology and resources as well as considerable technical expertise and experience using state electronic databases such as MEDS, CMS Web, and CMS Net.  Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess the following critical attributes: 

  • Commitment to providing exceptional customer service; recognizing the need to serve and satisfy internal and external customers alike. 
  • A keen attention to detail, and equally high quality orientation, accomplishing tasks accurately, efficiently and effectively over a period of time. 
  • Ability to adjust to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures, modifying behavior to deal effectively with changes in the work environment. 
  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to relate well to people from varied backgrounds and in different situations; exemplifying traits such as understanding, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness. 
  • Ability to effectively manage time and resources, ensuring that work is completed efficiently. 
     

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I

The equivalent of one year of full-time experience in the class of Clerk II or in an equivalent or higher level clerical class in the Alameda County classified service.

Or II

The equivalent of one year of full-time experience in clerical work involving the use and interpretation of a wide variety of medical terminology.

Special Requirement:

Must be able to type 40 words per minute from clear copy.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Modern office practices and procedures including business correspondence, filing, and standard office equipment operations, including computers.
• Medical terminology, human anatomy, laboratory test terminology and physiology.


Ability to:

• Provide courteous and prompt customer service to clients by telephone or in person.
• Be flexible and reprioritize activities upon direction from supervisor.
• Communicate clearly, both orally and in writing with linguistic and cultural proficiency.
• Perform electronic data extraction, data entry, and type correspondence and documents
• Identify and correct errors in English usage and grammar.
• Correctly use and spell a wide variety of medical terms.
• Extract information from medical records.
• Work independently in the absence of specific instructions.
• Lift ten pounds
• Incorporate ethical standards or practice into all interactions with individuals, organizations, and communities.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

The examination will consist of the following steps: A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process which is a written examination which will be qualifying only (pass/fail). Those candidates scoring highest on the written exam will move on to the next step in the examination process, an oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises. CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION. We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.  

Selection Plan

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

Deadline for Filing:                                                           5:00 pm, Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Review of Minimum Qualifications:                                           Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Written Examination:                                                                   Week of June 26th, 2017
Panel Interviews*:                                                                         Thursday, July 13, 2017

*The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification.

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

  • Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
  • Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
  • Vision
  • Basic Life Insurance 
  • Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
  • County Allowance
  • Health Flexible Spending Account
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
  • Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Short-term Disability Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Group Auto/Home
  • Commuter Benefits Program
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
  • Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
  • Child Care Resources
  • 1st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page. 

Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.  

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Lindsay Christopher, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
510-272-6393
Lindsay.christopher@acgov.org 

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer