What Does a Medical Assistant Do in Sacramento?
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What Does a medical assistant Do in Sacramento?
If you are considering a career in healthcare, you may be wondering what does a medical assistant do in Sacramento? Medical assistants are important members of the healthcare team, providing support to doctors and other medical professionals. They may perform administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments, or clinical tasks, such as taking medical histories and measuring vital signs.
No matter what tasks they are performing, Medical Assistants in Sacramento must be able to work well under
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Job Description
As a medical assistant in Sacramento, you would be responsible for performing a variety of administrative and clinical tasks to support the work of doctors and other health professionals. Your duties would include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, preparing patients for examination, assisting with laboratory tests and procedures, scheduling appointments, and handling billing and insurance paperwork. You would also be responsible for maintaining equipment and supplies, answering phones, ordering supplies, and keeping waiting and examination rooms clean and organized. In addition to your administrative duties, you would also be responsible for providing basic patient care. This might include dressing wounds, applying bandages, removing sutures, giving injections, taking X-rays, collecting blood samples, or instructing patients on how to take their medication.
Duties
A medical assistant in Sacramento is a vital part of the healthcare team. Medical assistants perform a variety of administrative and clinical tasks to support the work of physicians and other health professionals.
Their duties vary from office to office, but they usually include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, preparing patients for examination, assisting with minor office procedures, scheduling appointments, handling correspondence, billing, and coding. Many medical assistants also perform basic laboratory tests and give shots.
With the increasing use of technology in medicine, medical assistants are also being trained to use Electronic Health Records (EHRs) systems. In larger offices, medical assistants may specialize in a particular area such as billing or coding.
Education and Training
In order to become a medical assistant in the state of California, you will need to complete an accredited training program and pass a certification exam. There are many accredited medical assistant programs available in the Sacramento area. Once you have completed your training, you will be eligible to take the certification exam.
Salary and Job Outlook
Medical assistants in Sacramento, California, earn an average wage of $17.44 per hour. Salaries for medical assistants can vary based on experience and education level, but on average, medical assistants in Sacramento earn slightly more than the national average wage for this occupation. Job prospects for medical assistants in Sacramento are good, with the occupation projected to grow by over 21% in the next ten years.
Certification
Medical assistant certification in Sacramento is not required by the state, but many employers prefer to hire certified medical assistants. Certification demonstrates to potential employers that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to perform the duties of a medical assistant. There are several different certifying organizations for medical assistants, each with its own requirements and certification process.
The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) offers the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential. To be eligible for certification, you must have graduated from a medical assistant program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). You must also pass a computer-based exam administered by the AAMA.
The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) offers the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) credential. To be eligible for this credential, you must graduate from an accredited medical assistant program and pass a computer-based exam administered by the NHA.
The American Medical Technologists (AMT) offers the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential. To be eligible for this credential, you must graduate from an accredited medical assistant program and pass a computer-based exam administered by AMT.
Advancement Opportunities
In addition to the wide range of career opportunities available to medical assistants in Sacramento, there are also many opportunities for advancement. With experience and additional training, medical assistants can pursue careers as medical office managers, insurance billing and coding specialists, or even registered nurses. many community colleges in the Sacramento area offer programs that can help medical assistants take the next step in their careers.
Working Conditions
Medical assistants work primarily in outpatient settings, such as medical offices, clinics, and physician’s offices. Some may also work in hospitals or other healthcare facilities. Many medical assistants have a variety of duties, depending on the size and type of facility in which they work, but most perform administrative and clinical tasks.
Administrative duties may include answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing patients’ medical records scheduling appointments, handling correspondence, and completing insurance forms. Clinical duties may include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, removing sutures, changing dressings on wounds, applying casts and bandages under the direction of a physician or nurse.
Job Satisfaction
In general, medical assistants in Sacramento report high levels of job satisfaction. They enjoy working with patients and find the work challenging and rewarding. They generally feel that their job makes a difference in the lives of their patients.
Medical assistants in Sacramento also report good pay and benefits. They typically receive health insurance and retirement benefits from their employers. They also report that their employers are flexible with schedules and provide good opportunities for advancement.
Pros and Cons
Medical assistants are in high demand in many parts of the country, especially in areas with a lot of hospitals and clinics. If you’re thinking about becoming a medical assistant, you may be wondering what the job is like and whether it’s a good fit for you. Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of working as a medical assistant in Sacramento, California.
Pros:
– Medical assistants in Sacramento earn an average salary of $34,540 per year, which is higher than the national average for this occupation.
– There are many job opportunities available for medical assistants in Sacramento. The area is home to many hospitals and clinics, and the demand for medical assistants is expected to grow by 22% between 2016 and 2026.
– Medical assistants in Sacramento have the opportunity to work in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, and more.
Cons:
– The cost of living in Sacramento is higher than the national average. This means that medical assistants in Sacramento will need to make more money to maintain the same standard of living as they would in other parts of the country.
– Traffic can be a problem in Sacramento. This may make it difficult for medical assistants to get to work on time or to take care of errands during lunch breaks.
Is a Career as a Medical Assistant Right for You?
The medical assisting profession is one of the fastest-growing in the country, and for good reason. Medical assistants play a vital role in today’s healthcare system, providing much-needed support to physicians and other medical professionals.
If you’re thinking about pursuing a career as a medical assistant, you may be wondering what the job entails. In short, medical assistants perform a variety of administrative and clinical tasks to keep doctors’ offices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities running smoothly.
Specific duties vary from one employer to the next, but there are some common tasks that most medical assistants are responsible for. These include scheduling appointments, taking patient histories and vital signs, preparing patients for examinations, assisting with procedures, handling billing and insurance paperwork, and more.
Medical assistants must be able to multitask and stay calm under pressure. They must also possess excellent communication skills, as they often serve as a liaison between patients and doctors.
If you’re organized, detail-oriented, and have a genuine interest in helping others, a career as a medical assistant may be right for you. To learn more about what medical assistants do in Sacramento and elsewhere in California, contact the programs below.