A Complete Medical Office Administration Guide 2023

Medical Office Administrators are efficient multitaskers that combine a range of skills to manage the daily tasks of a medical office. Medical Office Administrators have the compassion and professionalism balance, with the skills to soothe an anxious patient all while taking their medical history. Although medical office administrators don't always scrub up like doctors and nurses, they are usually the first person a patient sees when they enter a medical facility, and most of the time they are the people who can calm a patient down the best.

Medical Office Administrators do more than just check patients in and make appointments. They are also responsible for medical records, billing for medical equipment, prescriptions, Medicare information, payroll, and any and everything else to keep things running smoothly in the office. Medical Office administrators are the backbone of medical facilities, helping doctors and nurses deliver care as efficiently as possible.

In this guide, we'll offer you an overview of a Medical Office Assistant.

1. Why Become a Medical Office Administrator?

2. What Kind of Training Do I Need?

3. What to Expect from a Medical Office Administration Program?

4. Job Duties of a Medical Office Administrator

5. What Can You Do with a Medical Office Administration Certification?

6. Medical Office Administrator Salary

7. Job Demand

8. Final Thoughts

Let's begin!

Why Become a Medical Office Administrator?

The motivations for becoming a Medical Office Administrator might vary based on professional goals and objectives. Some Medical Office Administrators enjoy their employment because they provide a sense of purpose and personal fulfillment in their life. Other Medical Office Administrators enjoy their employment because of the enhanced job stability and consistent compensation. Others truly enjoy engaging with patients and seeing them improve. There are so many intriguing and engaging specialties, professions, and individuals in the healthcare business. There will always be a need for skilled healthcare workers, and there are several different career routes to pursue.

What Kind of Training Do I Need?

There are several different routes one can take to become a Medical Office Assistant. The fastest and most efficient way is to take a Medical Office Administration Certification program. Most certification programs are less than a year long and some are even as short as 3-weeks long! (like ours). These programs educate you with job-related and technical and interpersonal skills. Graduates frequently learn fundamental and administrative processes unique to medical organizations. Following a medical office administration program you should have gained the following skills:

• Medical terminology

• Knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology

• Basic Medical Math

• Communication

• Office procedures

• Healthcare reimbursement

• Bookkeeping, medical coding and billing

• Computer Systems

Medical Office Assistant certification programs can be found through career institutions, universities, community colleges, and even online schools.

What to expect from a Medical Office Administration Program?

Medical Office Administration students frequently learn about medical vocabulary, medical coding, medical billing, and bookkeeping concepts related to the healthcare profession. They can learn how to maintain medical information and engage with patients using medical software and electronic health records. Keyboarding, HIPPA laws, medical office jargon, workplace ethics, medical legal concerns, and insurance billing all may be covered in a medical office administration program courses. Common classes a program provides includes:

• Medical office management

• Introduction to medical assistance

• Billing and coding procedures

• Credentials and employment

• Introduction to health science

• First aide

• General psychology

These programs highlight the administration of healthcare facilities every day operations as well as the expertise required to offer patient care. Your certificate may allow you to specialize in areas such as medical billing and coding or dental office management. Students are urged to take the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant test at the end of their program to receive a Medical Office Administration certificate.

Job Duties of a Medical Office Administrator

Medical Office Administrators perform a variety of general and specialized tasks at clinics, hospitals, doctor’s offices, private practices, and other medical settings. Medical Office administrators have a vital client-facing function as one of the first faces a patient sees, therefore interpersonal skills are essential for this type of employment.

The daily responsibilities of a Medical office administrator are to increase the productivity and efficiency of the medical office. Daily job duties include:

• Scheduling and confirming appointments with patients

• Formatting electronically based medical reports and correspondence

• Preparing spreadsheets and data for doctors and nurses to review

• Deliver messages between doctors, nurses, and patients

• Interview patients in order to complete their health history forms

• Filling out insurance claim forms

• Manage billing procedures

• Ordering medical supplies for the office

What can you do with a medical office administration certification?

A medical office administration certification can equip you to work in a number of many front-office jobs in public or private medical offices. Candidates with a medical office administration certification can work many jobs including but not limited to:

• Unit Clerk

  • Unit clerks conduct clerical and administrative duties such as answering phones and aiding to patients. Visitors are greeted, personal and medical information is recorded, patient records, equipment, supplies are maintained, and the staff is supported all by the Unit Clerk.

• Medical Secretary

  • Medical secretaries are responsible for secretarial duties including scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondences.

• Medical Records and Health Information Technician

  • These experts gather, process, and manage a hospital's medical records . Medical record and Health Information technicians have to adhere to the healthcare industry’s medical, administrative, legal, ethical, and regulatory obligations.

• Medical Transcriptionist

  • Working as a medical Transcriptionist entails listening to and translating audio recordings of medical personnel into written reports. They typically work in hospitals, doctors offices, and transcribing services.

• Medical Receptionist

  • The Medical Receptionist is responsible for coordinating the daily administration of doctors, staff, visitors, and patients at a healthcare facility. Medical receptionists schedule appointments, answer patient inquiries, handle patient emergencies, and monitor stock and supplies at the healthcare facility.

Medical Office Administrator Salary

The average salary of a Medical Office Administrator in New Jersey is $61,724 as of May 2022. The range typically falls between $55,054 and $70,276. Salary can vary widely depending on many factors including location, education, certifications, additional skills, and experience.

Job Demand

Over the past few years, demand for hospitals, clinics, and treatment centers to care for patients has increased immensely. This means the demand for healthcare administrators has increased immensely as well. It is believed the demand for healthcare and healthcare administration has increased because of the baby Boomer generation. As the children of this generation get older, their health care needs will increase. Additionally because of the baby boomer generation's life expectancy has increased, the need for facilities that provide care outside of nursing homes will also increase. This demand for medical attention opens a lot of job opportunities for those looking to be involved in healthcare or healthcare administration.

Final Thoughts

Because of changing expectations for hospital efficiency and patient outcomes, hospital managers now have more authority than ever to influence people’s lives. This industry is likely to change and grow over time. Despite mergers and acquisitions of health care organizations and facilities, the necessity for good hospital administration remains important. A recent study showed that healthcare executives have noticed an increase in the quantity and relevance of management demands and possibilities at independent hospitals. This development highlights the incredible power that medical administrators have to impact people’s lives since the clinic, treatment center, or hospitals day to day operations enhance people’s health and capacity to operate in their daily lives.

Medical administration is a rewarding and relevant position in the healthcare industry. Students pursuing jobs in medical office administration have several tools available to them for finding work and growing professionally. So, if you're interested in healthcare, and want to grow in terms of position and knowledge, a Medical Office Administration Certification is the best place to start.

Other Guides to Check Out:

• Complete Certified Home Health Aide Guide

• Complete Phlebotomy Technician Course Guide

• Complete EKG Technician Course Guide

• Complete Medical Billing and Coding Guide