1. Crossover from Classroom to Career
Living up to hiring expectations
&
Retaining your job

2. Gathered Current Feedback
Interviewed Hiring Manager, HR Manager, and Office Manager
Interviewed 3 Front Office MA’s
Interviewed 1 Pt. Check-Out Office MA
Interviewed 1 Back Office MA
Shadowed 3 Front Office MA’s for entire shift

3. Sharing this Valuable Information to You!

4. Topics Investigated Hiring Process Expectations Daily Routine
Classroom preparing students for their career?
What changes can we make in the classroom to better prepare students for their career?
Growth opportunities
Finding a job
Turnover
Computer Skills
EHR & PMS
HIPAA
OSHA
Work Ethic
Rules

5. Student Learning Outcomes
Gain a current understanding of what to expect in day-to-day responsibilities
Learn the entry level expectations (soft skills and willingness to adapt)
Expectations during the interview process
Office specific basics of a PMS
Office specific documentation and charting
Explore the crossover of a back office MA with a front office MA

6. Day-to-Day Responsibilities
Each office will be different in minor ways
Adapt
Remain positive and confident; not all-knowing
Answer phones: triage, message, forward
Schedule appointments
Patient interaction
Scan and file documents into computer

7. Day-to-Day Responsibilities Cont.
Prepare for upcoming patient visits
Prepare necessary forms for patient visits
Update PHI, insurance, and verify
Explain orders from doctors to patients
Answer patient questions (not medical advise)
Check eligibility, document
Print schedule
Keep all papers covered - HIPAA

8. Day-to-Day Responsibilities Cont.
Teamwork
Assigned to several doctors, rotates daily
Write letters
Make flyers
Make labels
Basic Excel
Use medical abbreviations
Electronic prescriptions

9. Day-to-Day Responsibilities Cont.
Challenge: Knowing where to place documents once scanned
Review activity from charting when filed and matched documents on computer to proper tab
Review filing chapter
Biggest Challenge: Multi-tasking & Time Management
FAST PACED ENVIRONMENT REQUIRES SKILL AND HIGH ENERGY

10. Entry Level Expectations
Soft skills
Friendly
Positive
Smile
Able to receive constructive criticism
Ability to re-learn tasks
Professional appearance and behavior
Work ethic (high energy, busy, follow rules)

11. Entry Level Expectations Cont.
Willingness to adapt
Continue to receive training on-the-job
Continued HIPAA and OSHA training
May be different methods used than learned in school (more than one way – adapt to office)
Don’t assume know how to do a task even though you were trained in school (grow on school’s base skill)

12. Entry Level Expectations Cont.
Type
Basic computer skills (word, excel)
Know insurance and be able to interpret cards
How to write a professional letter and
Office attire appropriate
Follow rules (cell phones out of work space)
Basic English and writing skills (without slang and errors – professional – at college level)

13. Interview Expectations
Eye contact
Sensitivity training
Attitude
Time management
Understand meaning of team player
Dependability (sick calls affect entire team)
Customer relations

14. Benefits Practically no turn over! MA’s love their job!
Paid well (raise as gain experience) & insurance!
Promotion options!
Option to grow in many different paths!
Post on local sites (Monster, Craigs list, & Indeed)!
On the job continued education (HIPAA/OSHA)!
High moral (close co-workers, holiday parties)!

15. Office specific basics of a PMS
Different offices have different systems
Learn one and adapt to your office
Information the same
Screen is different
All systems are linked
On the job training of new system
Learning the basics in school will expedite the learning process

16. Office specific documentation & charting
Front Office MA:
Documentation directly on computer
Shred documents once scanned on computer
Document phone and verbal conversations
Check for duplicate documentation
Back Office MA:
On paper then transfer to computer or
Directly on computer

17. Front and Back Office Crossover
Hired specifically for front or back office
Smaller offices utilize both for sick calls or understaffed
Large facilities do not cross over front and back office responsibilities
Work together as a team to make efficient
Communication
Team work

18. Summary & Improvements
School skills are essential to a smooth transition from classroom to career!
Expand school program to include more patient sensitivity (senior, disabled, and language barriers) – Our New Activity and Lecture Expansion
Expand school program to include more training on interpreting types of orders (x-ray, MRI, ultrasound, etc) – New computer activity to view and differentiate these documents in addition to our paper file chart activity