Medical office assistant

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Records Technicians are among the Top 25 fastest growing occupations in the nation, with a projected growth rate of 44% through the year 20018.

SKILLS LEARNED

FRONT OFFICE SKILLS

COMPUTER SKILLS, RECORD MANAGEMENT, MEDICAL ETHICS AND LEGAL CONCEPTS, TELEPHONE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS, SCHEDULING, PROCESSING MAIL, AUTHORIZATIONS, WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE AND TYPING.

MEDICAL PROCEDURES

COPING AND STRESS, MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY, FIRST AID, CPR, OSHA REGULATIONS, VITAL SIGNS AND CHARTING

MEDICAL BILLING and COLLECTIONS

ICD9 (DIAGNOSIS CODES), CPT (PROCEDURE CODES), PATIENT BILLING, INSURANCE CLAIMS, INSURANCE BILLING AND MEDICAL COLLECTIONS

MEDICAL OFFICE MANAGEMENT

MEDICAL OFFICE MANAGEMENT, MEDICAL OFFICE BOOKKEEPING (ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE AND PAYABLE) MULTI - CULTURAL AWARENESS, UTILIZING RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

EXTERNSHIP

STUDENT WILL GAIN EXPERIENCE IN A REAL WORLD MEDICAL OFFICE, APPLYING THE SKILLS LEARNED IN A VARIETY OF SPECIALTIES

Medical front office assistants perform routine administrative to keep the offices and clinics of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and optometrists running smoothly.

Medical front office assistants perform many administrative duties. They answer telephones, greet patients, update and file patient medical records, fill out insurance forms, handle correspondence, schedule appointments, arrange for hospital admission and laboratory services, and handle billing and bookkeeping.

Medical front office assistants may also arrange examining room instruments and equipment, purchase and maintain supplies and equipment, and keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean.

Medical front office assistants work in well-lighted, clean environments. They constantly interact with other people, and may have to handle several responsibilities at once.

Most full-time medical front office assistants work a regular 40-hour week. Some work part-time, evenings, or weekends.

Medical front office assistants held about 252,000 jobs in 1998. Sixty-five percent were in physicians’ offices, and 14 percent were in offices of other health practitioners such as chiropractors, optometrists, and podiatrists. The rest were in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities.

Medical office workers are not confined to working only in hospitals and private physicians' offices. Many graduates find employment in:

Some of the other fields of medicine that require the employment of Medical Office Assistants:

Most employers prefer to hire graduates of formal programs in medical front office assisting. Such programs are offered from technical schools, postsecondary vocational schools, community and junior colleges, and in colleges and universities. Postsecondary programs usually last either 1 year, resulting in a certificate or diploma, or 2 years, resulting in an associate degree. Courses cover medical terminology as well as typing, transcription, record keeping, accounting, and insurance processing.

Recommended high school courses include mathematics, health, biology, typing, bookkeeping, computers, and office skills. Volunteer experience in the health care field is also helpful.

Because medical front office assistants deal with the public, they must be neat and well-groomed and have a courteous, pleasant manner. Medical front office assistants must be able to put patients at ease and explain physicians’ instructions. They must respect the confidential nature of medical information.

Medical front office assistants may be able to advance to office manager. They may qualify for a variety of administrative support occupations, or may teach medical assisting. Some, with additional education, enter other health occupations such as nursing and medical technology.

The number of jobs available for medical office workers is expected to continue to grow well into the next century. An aging population, advanced technology, and the expansion of the health care industry continues to afford medical office workers a high degree of job security.