More Women Opt For Medical Assistant Training Now
During a checkup, a longtime patient volunteered to the CMA - whom she'd known for years - that she'd just discovered her grandson had stolen her checkbook and was forging her signature. Consequently, I was able not only to treat the patient's high blood pressure but could also attend to the emotional stress that caused it.
Would my patient have been as open with an assistant she knew less well? I doubt it. Such rapport can't be forced; it develops over time from an ongoing relationship since studying in medical assistant colleges. Each of my four full-time and two part-time CMAs has been with me for at least five years - one, since the day I entered practice. That clearly benefits my patients. Sometimes, it helps them just to see the friendly face of an assistant they know from the time of medical assistant colleges . In fact, patients often ask for "their" medical assistant when making a routine appointment.
Obviously, I do all I can to keep my staff. First, I offer a generous salary and benefits package, including seven paid holidays, at least one week of paid vacation, and five personal days a year. I also make sure that each assistant logs enough hours to qualify for health coverage, and I pay 100 percent of the premiums. To encourage staff participation in our SEP/IRA, I match employee contributions.
Because I believe it's important for my employees to hone their skills and learn new ones, I send each CMA to at least one conference annually - usually in her area of expertise (but the staffer may choose a different topic with my approval). The practice also picks up the tab for membership in the local professional society, so the CMAs can receive additional education and meet other doctors' assistants. Those relationships can benefit the practice, too. Recently, for example, billing problems arose after I referred a patient to a pulmonologist. The insurer paid just one of us because both offices submitted claims using the same codes. Since our assistants knew each other, they were able to solve the problem quickly and easily. A competitive salary and benefits package is important, but keeping an employee may depend more on whether the person feels appreciated. So I tell each CMA how important she is, and always try to praise her efforts. I also hold frequent staff meetings to head off potential problems, and I encourage ideas on ways to improve the practice. After all, the CMAs are on the front lines; who's better equipped to solve phone, insurance, and scheduling problems?
| 