Medical Office Administrators, also known as Medical Administrative Assistants, are among the most versatile workers in the healthcare field. With the ability to work in doctor’s offices, laboratories, health departments, and hospitals, there’s little you can’t do once you’ve entered the MOA field. According to Study.com, they typically are responsible for a number of administrative duties; among them, recording medical histories, scheduling patients for procedures or hospitalization, processing insurance paperwork, preparing invoices, interpreting medical data, and organizing medical records.
Because they do “a little bit of everything,” Medical Office Administrators are the liaisons between patients and physicians or insurance carriers, as well as between clerical and medical staffs. In some cases, they actually manage a staff, including both payroll and hiring and firing decisions.
Skills & Education Needed to be a Medical Office Administrator
While some Medical Office Administrators can perform their duties without completing formal secondary education studies, most of these professionals first complete a certification or degree program in the specialty area because basic knowledge of medical terminology is usually required.
Professional staffing company Robert Half’s OfficeTeam suggests the skills talented Medical Office Administrators must possess include proficiency in Excel or QuickBooks, good written and verbal communication, and a solid understanding of electronic medical records (EMRs). The OfficeTeam goes on to say experienced Medical Office Administrators can command starting salaries as high as $61,000, or more. Additionally, the company forecasts salaries could rise approximately 4% this year.
How To Become a Medical Office Administrator
Virtually everyone has to see a doctor or visit a hospital at some point, right? As a result, the Medical Office Administrator role continues to be a growing profession.
Fortis offers Medical Office Administration programs at select campuses in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland and Virginia. Contact a campus near you today to learn more!
