What Does a Medical Office Specialist Do?

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With the world of medicine changing so much within the last decade, a medical practice will languish without the proper office manager. Medical office specialists are often the unseen backbone of the entire medical office arena. Most often, these secretaries are in administrative positions. They can be found in physician’s offices, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, busy ophthalmology offices, dentist offices and countless other medical facilities.

Duties

Medical office specialties have a wide variety of duties. Answering phones, returning emails, mailing, filing, billing, coding, and most importantly, communicating with medical professionals about administrative affairs.

For larger practices, it is expedient to have two or more individuals who know the ropes for successful office management. The best strategy is to cross train these professionals, so that when one party is absent, someone else can pick up the slack and keep the business on track.

Credentialing

There are now certifications offered for this specialty. States that offer these programs have guidelines for certification and specified requirements. They may fall into categories of patient service specialists, coding specialists, registration clerks, administrative service specialists, and many other titles, which encompass different tasks and responsibilities.

Certifications for these specialists are not required, but this credential may increase marketability and employment opportunities for individuals who attain actual certification. The Board of Medical Specialty Coding and the American Academy of Professional Coders both offer credentials in medical billing and coding.

Many programs require an externship with an approved facility. This clinical experience is extremely important, so the specialist is not thrown into an unfamiliar environment without some knowledge of what is to be expected of them in the job description. This may also help the student decide on personal strengths and weaknesses and to determine the area of preference.

Character of the Medical Office Specialist

For every medical office specialist, there are attributes that are necessary for these businesses to run effectively. Knowledge of basic office equipment is a must. Technology dictates constant education with set-up of wireless implements, electronic medical records, use of scanner/fax machines, copiers, computers and other devices. While using this equipment for transfer of medical records and patient information, HIPPA guidelines must be considered in every transaction.

Multitasking is essential. With a busy flow of patients, each individual office will experience scheduling problems, billing questions, and communication challenges that are most often rolled over onto these professionals and quick remedies are expected. Expedient organization is significant and excellent written and verbal communication skills are of paramount importance.

Projected Growth

New jobs in healthcare are predicted to grow the most between now and the year 2020. The medical office specialist is no exception. Many colleges now offer medical office specialist opportunities and they range from six months certificate programs to two-year degreed programs.

Annual salaries for medical specialists range from $29,000 to $40,000, depending on the experience and job stability. Temp agencies may offer higher hourly rates due to increased stress levels of working in unfamiliar environments for short specified times and the requirement of moving and changing locations periodically as temporary work demands.