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Heywood Hospital

Non-profit community hospital providing acute care

Office Assistant 1 - Psychiatry

Full-TimeDeadline 2/4/27
$18.50 - $28.88
Entry
Gardner, MA, USA
In PersonReliable transportation is required to travel between locations.
Medical, Clinical & VeterinaryClinical Support & Patient Administration

About the job

Requirements
  • A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
  • One year of medical office experience is preferred.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.
  • Excellent customer service skills are required.
  • Ability to prioritize tasks in a busy environment is required.
  • General comfort with computers and technology, and the ability to learn programs as needed, are required.
  • Knowledge of Electronic Medical Records and word processing skills are preferred.
  • Knowledge of medical terminology is preferred.
  • Ability to work flexible shifts, including some evenings and weekends, is required.
  • Reliable transportation to travel between locations is required.
  • The role requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds frequently, or negligible force constantly, and frequently reaching and handling objects.
Responsibilities
  • Answer telephones, schedule in-office appointments, take messages accurately, and route them appropriately.
  • Complete assigned clinical inbox and practice-bucket tasks proficiently and promptly, including personal, practice referral, and medical record tasks.
  • Arrive patients, verify required patient information, ensure patients complete appropriate forms, accurately document information in the electronic medical record, and complete check-in.
  • Depart patients from the office, provide necessary patient information, and schedule in-office and outpatient appointments as needed.
  • Collect copayments and other payments, maintain records, and reconcile daily deposits.
  • Verify insurance coverage and eligibility and address issues before patient visits whenever possible.
  • Perform clerical functions supporting the office, including typing, filing, scheduling appointments, making phone calls, and related duties as directed.
  • Process incoming faxes and daily mail, including barcoding and document processing within the electronic medical record.
  • Issue and verify patients’ managed-care referrals.
  • Obtain required prior authorizations for ordered procedures and diagnostic studies as directed.
  • Schedule and coordinate inpatient and outpatient patient visits and medical procedures.
  • Register patients using the computer-based registration and scheduling system.
  • Maintain assigned office and clinical supplies, ensure inventory is at approved levels, rotate stock, and initiate requisitions for resupply or special items.
  • Complete assigned workflow-dashboard tasks proficiently and promptly, including appointments to be rescheduled, appointment tickers, and no-shows.
  • Process incoming and outgoing medical records according to practice guidelines and regulations.
  • Maintain records, reports, logs, and other statistical information as required.
  • Comply with departmental policies, procedures, and objectives; attend required meetings, conferences, training, and seminars; and use quality improvement in daily operations.
  • Help maintain a professional, tolerant, civil, and accepting environment for employees, patients, and visitors.
  • Provide coverage at other Heywood Medical Group locations when needed.
  • Participate in quality-measure tracking and reporting.
  • Complete annual mandatory education and maintain the HEART program concepts.
  • Maintain patient privacy and confidentiality, cleanliness and safety, and compliance with accreditation and licensure regulations; respond appropriately to emergencies and report incidents promptly.
  • Engage in, monitor, and enforce hand-hygiene compliance when in direct patient contact.
  • Complete mandatory organizational and department-specific requirements and comply with attendance and tardiness policies.
  • Perform other assigned duties and work at other locations as assigned.
Desired Qualifications
  • One year of medical office experience.
  • Knowledge of Electronic Medical Records and word processing skills.
  • Knowledge of medical terminology.

About the company

Heywood Hospital is a nonprofit, community-owned acute-care hospital in Gardner, Massachusetts, and part of the Heywood Healthcare system. It provides emergency and intensive care, maternity, orthopedics, mental health, oncology, and advanced imaging across 134 beds, delivering care through inpatient units, outpatient clinics, and affiliated centers with about 1,000 staff and 200 physicians. The hospital operates within a local governance model and is part of an independent system that includes Athol Hospital and Heywood Medical Group, focusing on local, patient-centered care for North Central Massachusetts and nearby New Hampshire. Its goal is to maintain accessible, locally anchored healthcare by expanding services, ensuring financial stability, and keeping decision-making rooted in the community.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Gardner, Massachusetts

Founded

1907

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Most services resumed by October 31, 2025, restoring outpatient, inpatient, and diagnostics.
  • CMS rated Heywood Hospital four stars in February 2026, supporting reimbursement and recruiting.
  • Community Foundation funded $150,000 for advanced ultrasound, modernizing diagnostics in March 2026.

What critics are saying

  • October 2025 cyberattack forced IT offline; breach notifications will follow investigation.
  • Leapfrog gave Heywood Hospital a D on February 24, 2026, signaling quality weakness.
  • Any renewed billing or security failure could push patients toward regional competitors.

What makes Heywood Hospital unique

  • Independent community-owned system preserves local care in Gardner and Athol.
  • Exited Chapter 11 on September 30, 2024 as a stand-alone provider.
  • Added a helipad in June 2026, improving emergency transfers regionally.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
  • Unlimited Paid Time Off
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Remote Work Options
  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Sick Leave
  • Paid Holidays

Company News

Franklin County Now
Sep 1st, 2026
Heyood Healthcare purchases clinic in Athol.

Heyood Healthcare purchases clinic in Athol. By Franklin County Now September 1, 2026 9:26 am ATHOL, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) - The Heywood Healthcare organization has purchased the former North Quabbin Family Physicians property at 201 South Main Street in Athol. The former clinic closed last year and was sold for just over $1.1 million. The plan is to open it has a family and pediatrics facility.

Worcester Business Journal
May 29th, 2026
Heywood names UMass Memorial's Babu as next chief medical officer.

Heywood names UMass Memorial's Babu as next chief medical officer. May 29, 2026 Gardner-based Heywood Healthcare has named Dr. Kavita Babu, a UMass Memorial Health medical director and UMass Chan Medical School professor, as its new chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs. "Dr. Babu's depth of experience, clinical expertise, and commitment to patient-centered care make her an outstanding addition to our leadership team," Heywood President and CEO Rozanna Penney said in announcing Babu's hire Thursday. Babu has worked for UMass Memorial and UMass Chan for more than a decade, most recently serving as medical director of community benefits and as an emergency physician. She is a professor of emergency medicine. Babu will replace outgoing Heywood CMO Dr. Frank Sweeney, who announced plans to return to retirement in January. Sweeney came out of retirement to serve as Heywood's CMO in January 2025, as the network worked to regain its footing following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Babu holds a bachelor's degree and doctor of medicine degree from Brown University in Rhode Island, as well as an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. She has a reputation as a strong community advocate, having served as UMass Memorial's first chief opioid officer, co-director of UMass Memorial Medical Center's Medical Respite program, and founder of the UMass Memorial's Road to Care, a mobile clinic that provides free medical care to people with housing and food insecurity, and/or substance use disorder. Combatting and responding to opioid abuse and its fallout is a particular specialty of hers. Heywood operates hospitals in Gardner and Athol, as well as Heywood Medical Group, a nonprofit multi-specialty and primary care group. Monica Benevides is a correspondent for Worcester Business Journal. - Digital Partners -

Migliaccio & Rathod LLP
Dec 30th, 2025
Heywood Hospital Data Breach Investigation

Heywood Hospital Data Breach investigation. Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is investigating the possible Heywood Hospital Data Breach, impacting an undetermined number of individuals and their personal information. What happened? On December 27, 2025, dark web monitoring sites reported that Heywood Hospital had been named as a victim of a data breach. Little information is available yet about the nature of the breach or the information that may have been involved, but the affected information is believed to include the following sensitive data forms: * Names * Email Addresses * Phone Numbers * Home Addresses * Social Security Numbers All of the information possibly stolen is likely valuable and dangerous to affected victims. As is likely to be the case with the Heywood Hospital data breach, in previous cyberattacks, victims of data theft have noticed identity theft attempts ranging from fraudulent charges on bank accounts or credit cards, to unauthorized credit card applications, to medical services or government services ordered in their name, to their information being posted on the dark web, to a massive uptick in the number of spam text messages, calls and emails received. Are you concerned that you might be affected by the Heywood Hospital data breach? If you have concerns that you have been affected by this data breach, and/or have experienced suspicious activity recently, Migliaccio & Rathod LLP would like to hear from you. Please complete the contact form on this page, send Migliaccio & Rathod LLP an email at [email protected], or give Migliaccio & Rathod LLP a call at (202) 470-3520. The following will ask for your contact information so that Migliaccio & Rathod LLP may reach you to talk about potential claims. This information is for its records only and will not be shared. By continuing, you consent to the collection of this information for these limited purposes. Did you receive a notification that you were affected by the data breach? Would you like to join its newsletter to receive notifications about other investigations Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is looking into, as well as updates on ongoing cases? The lawyers at Migliaccio & Rathod LLP have years of experience in class action litigation against large corporations, including in cases involving data breaches such as this. More information about its current cases and investigations is available on its blog. Data Breach FAQ. I received a notice that my information may have been involved in a data breach. What should I do? Take the notification seriously and read it carefully. It should outline what specific information was affected (e.g., name, Social Security number, legal case data). Even if you believe your risk is minimal, it's best to take proactive steps to protect yourself. Some of these recommended steps can be found listed below. What immediate actions should I take? * Monitor your financial accounts - Regularly check your bank, credit card, and online accounts for unauthorized transactions. * Change your passwords - Update passwords for any accounts that may be connected to the breach. Avoid reusing old or similar passwords. Use a password manager if needed. * Set up two-factor authentication (2FA) - Enable 2FA on your email, banking, and other sensitive accounts to add an extra layer of protection. * Place a fraud alert or credit freeze - Contact one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to place a fraud alert or freeze your credit report. This makes it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name. What is credit monitoring, and how should I use it? Credit monitoring tracks your credit report for changes or suspicious activity. If the organization that was breached offers this service for free, it's highly recommended you enroll. These services can alert you quickly to potential fraud and prevent further damage in turn. How long do I need to stay vigilant? The effects of a data breach can surface months or even years later. Stay alert to signs of identity theft for at least 12 - 24 months. Keep an eye on your credit reports, mail, and any unfamiliar account activity. Who can I contact if I need help? Use the contact details provided in the breach notification. You can also report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at www.identitytheft.gov for recovery resources.