Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work in a medical facility? Even if you don’t have the desire to be a doctor or nurse, you can still make an impact in the healthcare field.
Medical office administrators are an important component of the medical industry, and they’re in demand. The job outlook for this profession is predicted to grow by 18% from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. That’s good news for you!
If you’re curious to learn more about the medical office administration job description, take a look at the info below.
What Is Medical Office Administration?
A medical office administrator plays a huge role in healthcare facilities. The doctors and nurses directly take care of patients, but they don’t have a hand in the administrative duties. That’s the medical admin’s job.
A medical office administrator’s role is to keep doctor’s offices and hospitals operating smoothly. However, they don’t have just one task, and their job description is broad.
Many times they do a variety of duties ranging from office work to patient admissions and coordinating. They also work directly and indirectly with patients.
To succeed in this role, you need good people skills, organization, and administrative talents. Here are some of the basic technical skills required:
- Customer service
- Medical terminology
- Patient care
- Data entry
- Appointment setting
- Scheduling
- Electronic health records
Medical Office Administration Job Description
As a medical office administrator, your work will include “office work” as well as other tasks. Here are some of the primary duties required:
- Checking patients in at the front desk
- Processing insurance claims
- Overseeing medical records and charts
- Answering the phone
- Scheduling appointments
- Create work schedules
- Recruit, train, and supervise staff members
- Sending lab results
- Gathering important patient information before their appointment
- Ensure that the facility in which they work is up to date on and compliant with laws and regulations
- Manage the finances of the facility, such as patient fees and billing
- Keep and organize records of the facility’s services
- Communicate with members of the medical staff and department heads
Medical Office Administration Environments
As a medical office administrator, you have the option to work in a variety of environments. For each setting, things might flow a little differently. Medical and health services managers work closely with physicians and surgeons, registered nurses, medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, and other healthcare workers. Others may interact with patients or insurance agents. Below is the typical working situation for each medical facility:
Hospitals
Hospitals are one of the primary facilities that a medical administrator can work in. However, in large healthcare settings, the roles and responsibilities are more centralized than in small clinics.
Based on the department that you are assigned, there might be certain emergency skills needed to function in the role. Also, assistants working in the ER department must have patience and exhibit a calm demeanor.
There’ll be a variety of patients coming in, and the medical administrator is the first person they see upon arrival. For instance, they’ll be mothers in labor, individuals with severe injuries, extremely sick patients, etc. Working in a hospital is the most challenging of all the medical office settings.
Furthermore, hospitals don’t have a structured schedule. Unlike doctor’s offices, they are open 24 hours a day every day. That means working in this setting may require working the weekends, long shifts, or the holidays.
Clinic
Unlike a hospital, clinics normally have select specialties, such as pediatrics or primary care. The biggest contrast is that it operates on a normal business hours schedule. For individuals who desire a more predictable work schedule, this is the best option.
Also, the tasks in clinics are more routine than in hospitals. Patients have pre-scheduled screenings, specialty appointments, and wellness visits. It’s very different from a hospital where dire emergencies are happening all of the time.
If you’re working in this kind of setting, you might spend the bulk of your time scheduling appointments and doing customer service related tasks.
Private Practice
Private practices tend to be small and have fewer employees, which means an office administrator’s role is vast. Independent physicians generally have an “open role” philosophy that’ll take your duties beyond office administration.
It may also include doing medical billing and coding. Working in this type of environment requires the ability to multitask.
How to Become a Medical Office Administrator
To have a career as a medical office assistant, you’ll first need a high school diploma or equivalent. If you have that, then you can become a certified medical administrative assistant.
The National Health Career Association regulates certification, and it remains active for two years. Receiving an online medical administration diploma is an option as well. Certification courses include:
- Medical office procedures
- Insurance billing
- Microsoft Office, Excel, and Word
- Anatomy and physiology
- Medical terminology
- Customer service
- Intro to medical office administration
- Electronic medical records
- Professional development
Fundamental Skills
In addition to the certification needed to become a medical office administrator, there are also key skills that you should have. Training for a career in a medical office is one thing, but having the personality and skills for it is another.
To succeed in your role, you must be a good fit for it. Below are some of the key attributes recommended:
- A friendly personality
- A positive outlook
- Great communication skills
- Strong organizational skills
- The ability to multitask
- Analytical skills
- Strong attention to detail
- Knowledge of technology
Become a Medical Office Assistant
Did you know that you can become a medical office administrator within a year? The road to a rewarding career doesn’t require multiple years in school—which is amazing.
Now that you know more about the medical office administration job description, it’s time to take steps towards a bright future.
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We’re dedicated to helping our readers get on the path to the perfect profession. Keeping reading our posts to discover more!
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