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HealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
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View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
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View All ProductsIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
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View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
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Learn MoreThis blog is taken from a recent HealthStream webinar entitled “Preparing for the Surge in Onboarding Medical Assistants.” The webinar was moderated by Allison Keys, Campaign Manager, Pre and Post-Acute, Surgical, Child-Maternal and featured Andrea Zalewski, Program Manager, Clinical Programs, Pre and Post-Acute and Surgical.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be a 29% increase in medical assistant jobs from 2016 to 2026, making it one of the fastest growing jobs in the country. “They could also represent an effective, affordable and safe way to expand your shrinking and costly clinical workforce,” said Zalewski. The pandemic exacerbated existing issues related to staffing and it continues to be a top priority for healthcare leaders. Solutions that address staffing issues are at the top of every healthcare leader’s list of priorities.
Medical Assistants have long played a role in healthcare with both front and back-office roles in medical office practices. Zalewski shared that the majority of Medical Assistants practice in physician offices (58%). The next largest group (27%) practice in clinics and other outpatient facilities and currently just 15% practice at acute care facilities.
While the role of Medical Assistants may expand as they move into more acute care settings, their job responsibilities currently fall into three main categories:
The uptick in Medical Assistant hiring has its roots in some current healthcare industry trends. The first and perhaps the most profound are the current financial issues facing many healthcare organizations. As the country emerged from the pandemic, many hospitals faced deeply negative margins. Those negative margins, when combined with unprecedented inflation, increasing payroll costs and growing turnover costs, have resulted in increasing pressure on healthcare organizations. The average hourly rate for a medical assistant is $17.88 compared to a rate of $37.31 for a registered nurse or $58.43 for a physician assistant. This comparison makes it easy to see that the use of medical assistants in routine medical environments can result in significant decreases in labor costs.
Staffing represents a significant concern for nearly every healthcare leader. Turnover remains high and a recent poll by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) found that medical practice leaders say that 59% of employees left for better pay and benefits in 2021. “These statistics support an industry need to backfill and upskill with non-licensed clinical resources using advances in technology under the supervision of a licensed practitioner,” said Zalewski.
While Medical Assistants may not be the most highly-paid member of the clinical team, the cost of medical assistant turnover is still estimated to be about $14,200.00 per medical assistant. Given that training costs are estimated to be about $8,400.00 of that number, it becomes clear that healthcare organizations need a solution that will effectively onboard incoming Medical Assistants and provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to provide safe, effective patient care and become a high-performing member of the team. Investing in education can help improve retention for your organization’s medical assistants and start them on their healthcare career path.
Zalewski shared that most states do not require medical assistants to complete any kind of formal training. An orientation program can provide the starting point for a solid foundation of common knowledge for an organization’s Medical Assistants. On-the-job training for Medical Assistants is likely to be uneven at best given the fast pace of most healthcare facilities and is unlikely to provide a solid foundation for new Medical Assistants, particularly if they begin their jobs with no frame of reference for their job duties.
HealthStream’s Medical Assistant Orientation solution was developed in cooperation with MedStar SiTEL. MedStar SiTEL provided all of the clinical content and the program was launched in 2019 to address the growing need for standardized training for Medical Assistants.
Zalewski described the solution as using an interactive, real-world approach that learners will find both engaging and educational. Medical Assistant Orientation includes six modules that cover:
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ResuscitationIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsHealthStream's EMS Program offers a comprehensive, CAPCE accredited EMS course library that meets National Registry annual recertification.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsLearn more about HealthStream's Provider Credentialing, privileging, & enrollment solutions.
View All CredentialingExperience standardized and centralized healthcare credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
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