Certified Medical Administrative Assistant

What is a medical administrative assistant?

As a certified medical administrative assistant (also called a medical office secretary or medical office assistant), you’ll keep healthcare offices running efficiently and effectively. Medical administrative assistants are often the first to greet and help patients, and can help set the stage for a patient’s experience. Earning the certified medical administrative assistant credential from NHA can show that you have the experience and knowledge to succeed in this role.

As a certified medical administrative assistant, you may perform some or all of the following tasks:

Review and answer practice correspondence
Operate computer systems to accomplish office tasks
Answer calls, schedule appointments, greet patients and maintain files
Update and maintain patient and other practice-specific information
Coordinate operation reports such as time and attendance

Essential Skills for Success in Civilian Healthcare

In recent research, employers suggested that many medial administrative assistants need to develop some specific essential skills. Emphasizing skills you developed through your extensive military training can help you successfully take on a medical administrative assistant role in a civilian healthcare practice. The top five skills employers emphasized include:

Clinical experience
Critical thinking
Patient communication
Professionalism
Safety and compliance

Demand for Medical Administrative Assistants Across the US

Across the U.S., medical administrative assistants are in high demand. Project growth for this profession 22.5% by 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Below, you can see demand for medical assistants, state-by-state.

Level Up with Stacked Credentials and Certificates

Stacking your credentials and earning specialty certificates can increase job opportunities available to you in allied health. By earning more than one credential or certificate, you show potential employers you’re willing to go the extra mile. It proves that you’re work-ready in multiple areas, making you a versatile employee and an asset to their organization.

Many medical administrative assistants stacking the following credentials with their CMAA credential:

Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)
Certified Electronic Health Record Specialist (CEHRS)

You can also consider earning specialty certificates in:

Reference:
State Growth Rates: Projections Managing Partnership (PMP) funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor. (2018).

Credential Stacking – Your Ticket to a Civilian Healthcare Career

The civilian healthcare field is hot right now. During the ten-year period between 2018 and 2028, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects it will grow by 14% – much faster than all other occupations. For those with healthcare training and experience who are thinking about getting out within the next year or two, your familiarity in this career field can help you step into a healthcare career on the civilian side. Read on to learn how credential stacking can help you land a healthcare job.

Healthcare careers after service

In Episode 92 of the Suit Soldier Podcast, Stacy Walts, military liaison for the National Healthcareer Association joins host Chris Coker to talk about how service members can pursue a career in healthcare and the steps they can take to get there. For some veterans, there might be a bit of a gap in translating military experience to the civilian workforce. In order to close that gap, it’s important to consider certifications that civilian employers recognize. This episode is all about healthcare careers and how to get there.