Visiting a physician’s office, medical clinic, hospital, or other health care setting is a reality for virtually everyone. It can’t be avoided. And most of the time, what goes unnoticed is the complex nature of the health care team — people who are all working together to ensure that patients get the care they need and that the facility is operating efficiently.Visiting a physician’s office, medical clinic, hospital, or other health care setting is a reality for virtually everyone. It can’t be avoided. And most of the time, what goes unnoticed is the complex nature of the health care team — people who are all working together to ensure that patients get the care they need and that the facility is operating efficiently.
It’s a team that includes physicians, nurses, medical assistants, and billing and coding specialists, to name just a few. And one member of that team who’s just as important as any other is the medical office administrator.
Those who are trained in medical office administration usually answer to any number of job titles, some of which include:
• Medical Office Specialist
• Medical Administrative Assistant
• Office Assistant
• Front Office Staff
Regardless of what their job title may be, medical office administrators are typically tasked with the same responsibilities and duties — tasks that are absolutely crucial to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the facility. Medical office administrators touch virtually every aspect of the health care clinic’s operations.
And there are a number of reasons that medical office administration is an ideal professional path for those looking to change careers, as well as for those making their first entry into the professional world.
First, it’s a high-growth field that’s in serious need of well-educated, well-trained individuals.
Across the country, and throughout Pennsylvania, health care providers are looking for sharp, skilled professionals to take on this role. In fact, according to O*Net Online, the need for medical secretaries in the state of Pennsylvania is expected to grow 13 percent between 2014 and 2024. This growth includes a projected 520 annual job openings in the state.
And nationwide, O*Net projects even greater opportunities, growing 23 percent between 2014 and 2024, with 16,380 annual openings.
Clearly, for anyone who’s ever been interested in a career in the health care industry, medical office administration offers plenty of professional opportunity.
But that’s just one aspect of why it’s such an attractive field.
Nobody likes being bored at work. It makes the day drag on forever and is just, well, boring. But when you’re a medical office administrator, boredom on the job is rarely a problem.
Anyone who’s worked in a health care setting will tell you: Every day is different, and the work environment is usually fast paced. In any given day you spend working in this field, you may find yourself:
• Answering phones
• Greeting patients
• Updating patient medical records
• Transcribing physician dictation
• Processing insurance forms
• Scheduling patient appointments
• Preparing reports and presentations
• Ordering office supplies
• Bookkeeping
• Invoicing
• Coordinating lab services
In some cases, medical office administrators even assist medical personnel with their work. Working in this field, you’ll quickly find that no two days are ever alike.
On top of that, there are plenty of opportunities to grow within the field.
For many people who enter the health care field as medical office administrators, medical receptionists, or medical administrative assistants, this job is just the first step on a dynamic journey up the chain of command.
Medical office administration is a field in which many who advance to such positions as medical office manager or medical and health services manager get their start. Both of these positions are roles that— while they may require more schooling down the road — are more managerial and supervisory in nature, and can open up all kinds of new possibilities with regards to your career.
And don’t forget what working in the health care industry is all about.
Helping people. Really, at its core, health care is about healing and helping members of your community to live better, healthier lives.
America’s population is aging. With the Baby Boom generation retiring and people living longer thanks to amazing advances in health care, the number of Americans over the age of 65 is higher than it’s ever been.
Couple this with the fact that millions more Americans have health insurance and are regularly visiting clinics, physician offices, and hospitals, and it’s clear that as a health care professional, you’ll play a prominent role in making more people’s lives better through quality health care service.
Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?
So how do we make this happen?
Simple, higher education and training. And while too many, the words “higher education” mean four years at a college or university, that’s certainly not the case for those looking to enter the medical office administration field.
In fact, the Medical Office Administration program at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School can be completed in just 18 months, and has established itself as one of the most respected of these programs in Pennsylvania.
Penn Commercial has been educating students at its facility in Washington County for more than 85 years, offering high-quality education and training and preparing students for fulfilling careers throughout the state.
With a curriculum designed with input from industry professionals, the Medical Office Administration program by Penn Commercial, offers the most relevant education and training in areas that matter the most to current employers in the field.
Areas covered in the program include:
• Medical Terminology
• Medical Documentation
• Medical Computer Applications
• Payroll Records and Accounting
• Medical Office Procedures
• Medical Insurance and Billing
• Medical Coding
• Clinical Assisting
• Communication
• Pathology
• Introduction to Psychology
As a student in this program, you’ll benefit from a blend of classroom theory and hands-on training in real and simulated professional settings. And you’ll learn from seasoned instructors who bring years of their own professional experience into the classroom.
Big opportunities are waiting. Are you ready?
So — we know there are huge opportunities in the medical office administration field, throughout Pennsylvania and across the country. And we also know that there’s a high-quality program at Penn Commercial that’s designed to prepare students to sit for and pass the National Registry Healthcare Administrator Examination and to enter the exciting, thriving field that’s waiting for them — and for you…
There’s only one more question.What are you waiting for?
