The description of a medical administrative assistant involves various tasks such as handling the front office functions as well as liaison with patients and their families. Likewise, a medical administrative assistant assists the doctor and he is the first person a patient or family encounters in a hospital or health facility. Thus, it is significant that a medical administrative assistant must possess good customer service skills, excellent communication skills and has a pleasing personality.
The duties and responsibilities of a medical administrative assistant may vary, depends on the organization as well as the work experience of the person. Some of them include the provision of administrative assistance to the trained medical staff in which one of his key tasks is to manage the front office desk. He is expected to greet patients when they arrive in the hospital, explain the various procedures to them, assist them in getting the registration forms filled, and arrange for hospital admissions, among others.
Aside from being the front desk, he is also responsible for managing the doctor’s schedule, scheduling patient’s appointments, answering phone calls and handling correspondence.
He also performs a number of administrative tasks for the efficient and proper running of the hospital facility such as: maintaining the medical records of the patients, engaging in regular correspondence with the insurance companies, maintaining all hospital records that include financial, purchase, medical supplies, accounting, etc. Likewise, he may also take stock of medical equipment and supplies and monitor the purchase and supply of medicines. Therefore, he should have good organizational skills as well.
The salary of a medical administrative assistant varies from state to state depends on the demand and the person’s experience. In the past few years the salary has shot up significantly, due to the deficiency of staff in this field.
To qualify for this job, one will need a diploma or degree in medical administrative assisting from a school/college which is accredited by Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools or by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. To become a certified medical assistant, one will need to pass the certified medical assistant exam conducted by the American Association of Medical Assistants. To gain some hands-on experience, one can choose to volunteer at a medical office. Work experience, degree and certification all contribute to getting a good job as a medical administrative assistant.
