Editor's Note: This is the last in a three-part series highlighting MA SkillsBuilder: Clinical, an NHA product launching in February 2022.

The previous two installments of this series (found here and here) focus on the ongoing Medical Assistant (MA) staffing shortage and the time, dedication and perseverance it takes to achieve skills mastery in the profession. However, if MAs are overworked due to staffing issues and are experiencing burnout, employers are at risk of high turnover rates and cannot retain qualified help.

It’s NHA’s business to speak to allied health workers, employers and physicians, and we consistently hear that physicians cannot do their jobs well without highly qualified MAs. They’re described as vital care team members who promote efficiency, joy and successful clinical outcomes.

Editor's Note: This is the second in a three-part series that focuses on MA SkillsBuilder: Clinical, a new product to launch in February 2022.

Choosing to enter the medical assistant profession is an inspirational move that illustrates heart, compassion, and care for the individuals around you and those who live in your community. The medical assistant role, though — as any MA will tell you — is a difficult one. It requires perseverance and a skills mastery that only time and dedication can solidify. 

Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of three articles that focuses on medical assistant recruitment and retention. Later articles will reveal information about a new product due to launch in February 2022 — MA SkillsBuilder: Clinical.

Since COVID-19 vaccine distribution began in the United States on Dec. 14, 2020*, more than 427 million doses have been given with about 192 million people fully vaccinated. Still, healthcare employers are squeezed for well-trained allied health professionals, especially qualified medical assistants.