Care + Career

Medical assistants are critical to healthcare teams. The ever-evolving health care landscape has expanded the role of this profession, which is why training and certification is so important.

So, what's happening right now? We surveyed 157 medical assistant employers to find out. Here are three key stats we discovered. (For more, download the 2021 Industry Outlook from the latest edition of access^TM.)

Continuing Education (CE) can feel like exercise. You feel better once it's done, but it's difficult to take the initiative to start.

We get it. That's why our CE credits, which are required to maintain certification status and required in certain states to maintain employment, are:

• Diverse to match your needs/interests
• Developed by experts who are in the field and understand what it takes to succeed
• Are succinct yet impactful, so you can get the most benefit from your time investment

At NHA, we always strive to provide information to support frontline healthcare workers like billing & coding specialists on their path to success, which is why we recently surveyed hundreds of healthcare employers to discover insights to help lead us into 2020 and beyond. We shared a summary of our findings in the 2020 Industry Outlook, available as a PDF download (below) in this year's edition of access^TM: an allied health industry journal.

It's a time of opportunity and advancement for the pharmacy technician. The industry is changing, and this role is being elevated in new and exciting ways. Want to get on the path to professional success as a current or aspiring pharmacy technician? We gathered insights and data from 159 pharmacy employers to uncover factors that can impact your journey. Here are three key findings to guide you through 2020 and beyond.

EKG rhythms provide important data for the diagnosis of heart conditions. 

Certified EKG Technicians (CETs) administer EKGs during physical exams, when cardiovascular problems are suspected, or in preparation for surgery.

The word electrocardiograph is derived from the Greek electro, meaning related to electrical activity; kardia, meaning heart; and graph, meaning "to write".

This technology is used every day, but it took a lot of scientists, inventors, and even frogs to get to where EKGs are today.

From frogs to buckets of salt water, here are a few facts to highlight the weird history of EKGs.

One of our priorities at NHA is to provide information and resources to support frontline healthcare workers like medical administrative assistants on their career journey. We recently surveyed 171 healthcare employers to gain insights and trends related to the role of medical administrative assistant to carry us into 2020 and beyond. 

Phlebotomy technicians draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, medical procedures, and research. This role requires both technical and soft skills—technical skills to get a successful draw and avoid preanalytical errors, and soft skills to help patients feel comfortable and safe.

This specialist position changes as healthcare evolves. Take a look at a few phlebotomy technician employment trends we uncovered in our 2020 Industry Outlook research. Be sure to download the full summary PDF at the bottom of this article for more insights!

An important message from our Ascend Learning CEO

If you didn't pass your NHA certification exam, you might be feeling discouraged. It happens, and the best thing you can do is prepare and try again.

Patient Care Technicians/Assistants (CPCT/A) are critical in helping provide the day-to-day care that some patients require. This job requires a broad range of knowledge and skills, and is a vital role in caring for patients — especially those with chronic conditions.