Leawood, KS — Curtrise Ware, a newly certified clinical medical assistant in Killeen, Texas, recently helped put the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) at the “one million certifications issued” mark. Ware passed her national Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) certification exam through NHA at the end of August and is now working with her employer as part of the continued effort to bring additional COVID-19 vaccines to the U.S. 

“I absolutely love getting up and going to work,” Ware said. “I feel like this job was designed for me. Also, I am currently a part of a COVID-19 vaccine study, and our biggest mission is finding an effective vaccine to prevent the spread of the virus.  I love making a difference in others’ lives.” 

Ware, a former fast-food restaurant manager, was motivated to seek a career in healthcare when her mother was diagnosed with cancer several years ago. Impressed by the care and compassion of her mother’s nurses, she realized that she, too, had a passion to help others and make a difference. She enrolled in a local medical assistant training program and began the process of studying for the NHA certification exam. Becoming an NHA certified clinical medical assistant is her first step on a journey to become an RN, and she hopes to start nursing school in the next few years.  

“NHA is thrilled to acknowledge Curtrise as our one millionth certification earner,” said Mike Dahir, NHA General Manager. "Over the past 30 years, we’ve been empowering people to access a better future through certification in eight allied health professions. This is an important milestone for NHA as it represents the millions of lives impacted directly and indirectly through certification.”

NHA celebrated by providing Ware with a cookie bouquet, a $500 Amazon gift card, and a special, framed certificate. TiScrubs, of Kansas City, Missouri, also gifted Ware $100 worth of scrubs to show its support for healthcare workers on the front lines. 

“Bringing skilled and passionate people into healthcare is mission critical right now, so we are honored to join NHA in the celebration of one million allied health certifications,” said Natalie Busch, TiScrubs CEO.  

Ware offered words of encouragement for others interested in pursuing certification and a career in healthcare: “For those considering a career as a CCMA, I would definitely tell them it’s a great start, especially if you’re interested in the healthcare field but not sure exactly where to begin,” she said. “I always kept a positive attitude and remembered why I wanted to come into this career field.”  

To learn more about the field of allied health and what it takes to become nationally certified, visit the National Healthcareer Associations’s website at www.nhanow.com.  

About National Healthcareer Association^® 

Since 1989, NHA has been partnering with allied health education programs, organizations and employers across the nation to award more than one million allied health certifications. The organization offers eight nationally accredited exams, certification preparation and study materials, learning resources, industry-leading outcomes-based data analytics, as well as ongoing professional development and continuing education for its certification holders. For more information, visit www.nhanow.com. 

NHA is a division of Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC, a leader in providing technology based educational, assessment, testing and certification solutions for healthcare and other vocational fields. 

Media contact: Erin Venable, National Healthcareer Association 

               816-384-4634 or erin.venable@nhanow.com