Medical Assistant Schools in Oregon

The Oregon Medical Assistant (MA) performs many important duties ensuring that patients receive the best health care possible. The state has tried to walk the fine line by allowing medical assistants to perform the full range of office support functions and routine clinical duties. Due to the large Oregon rural population, Medical Assistants are likely to work in a smaller city or rural area, requiring them to be autonomous and proficient. To learn more information about the education, job details and average salary for medical assistants in Oregon, keep reading. You can also contact the schools in Oregon that offer Medical Assisting programs directly from our site to get more details.

Duties of Oregon Medical Assistants

According to OnetOnline, the basic job duties of the medical assistants in Oregon include both administrative and clinical functions. Many times, the MA will be the direct contact for any patient inquiries. Common office tasks include filing, data coding, answering phones, scheduling, billing and preparing rooms for appointments.

Each state has its own provisions for how independent a medical assistant can be with respect to clinical duties. Some states only allow medical assistants to engage in clinical procedures under the direct supervision of a doctor. In the State of Oregon, unlicensed medical assistants may perform routine clinical duties under the Physician Assistant Act, Oregon Revised Statutes, SubSection 677.505.

Thus, Oregon MAs will be able to perform the most basic clinical procedures, such as drawing blood, taking vital signs, administering medications and sterilizing instruments. Licensed medical professionals like nurses, doctors and physician assistants will direct the medical assistant as necessary. Busy Oregon health care facilities need to have these assistants to help ensure for efficient and safe medical visits and patient care.

To become a good medical assistant, you will need both good people skills, as well as proficiency in the most basic medical techniques. You must also be able to use computers, email systems and voice-mail while performing office duties. Clinical tools used by the medical assistant include hypodermic needles, nebulizers and spirometers, as well as the basic medical equipment used in taking vital signs.

Medical Assistant Education in Oregon

Getting established in the healthcare industry may help your career in many different ways. First, you may get experience in an industry that has grown substantially in recent years. Second, you may create a solid educational foundation for future career options. Third, you may enjoy the fulfillment that comes with spending every day helping people in your community.

If you’re interested in medical assistant certification, Oregon has many schools that may help you get on the right path. Medical assistant training tends to be fairly short, allowing you the opportunity to build the skills you need and jump into the workforce. Throughout the state, you may find one-year and two-year programs at technical schools and community colleges.

While Oregon is fairly lenient in not officially requiring licensing, most MA positions will require at least a certificate, diploma or associate’s degree. The most common versions of the aforementioned include the Medical Assisting, Medical Assistant Program and Medical Office Administration (with or without Limited X-Ray) degrees. This X-Ray requirement may allow the practitioner to qualify at the higher Radiologic Technologist or Medical Imaging Technologist skill level.

Medical assisting students will become proficient in the following skill sets: stenography, mathematics, reading comprehension, critical thinking, written communication and proficiency in routine medical duties.

There are many Oregon schools that have been accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) is also quite active in the state.

Oregon financial aid includes the following public funds: Oregon Rural Health Services Loan Repayment Program and Oregon Opportunity Grants. The private Ford Family Foundation Scholarships are also available for Oregon students.

Medical Assisting Classes in Oregon

Many training programs in this area fall under the program title “medical assistant.” This general term makes it easy for schools to offer education in a variety of areas, all of which may be relevant to your future healthcare career. In the clinical part of your training, you may learn how to work with patients once they get into the exam room.

Your training may show you how to take vital signs, assess a patient’s condition, take notes that the physician may need, and make patients feel comfortable as they wait for the doctor. Medical assistants may work with doctors in more complicated procedures, but most of your education should focus on the basic skills that make up most of your duties. On the administrative side of your education, you learn the ins and outs of working in a medical office. A lot of paperwork goes into this field, and you must know how to safely handle and manage it.

Course Requirements in Medical Assisting

• Pharmacology in Allied Health
• Medical Law and Ethics
• Digital Literacy for Healthcare
• Medical Terminology

Billing and Coding Programs in Oregon

Although standard medical assistant programs combine clinical work and administrative work, you may feel more drawn to an administrative role. If so, medical billing and coding may be the right choice for your education. This is a growing area of need in many medical facilities. Doctors and nurses have growing caseloads, and they simply don’t have the time to make sure that billing paperwork and medical codes are accurate. By becoming a certified billing and coding professional, you may free up doctors’ and nurses’ time, improving patient care.

Class Options in Billing and Coding Programs

• Computerized Insurance and Billing
• Medical Records Management
• CPT Coding for Medical Office Applications
• CPT Coding for Hospital Applications

Oregon Nurse Aide and Patient Care Tech Classes

If you know you want to work in an assisting role but your strengths are on the clinical side of this industry, consider an Oregon CNA or patient care technician program. At these schools, you learn the basics of patient documentation and paperwork. However, you spend the vast majority of your time learning how to provide direct care to the people you serve. Your instructors may show you many specific procedures, including patient transfers, patient ambulation, feeding and hydrating, toileting assistance, and medication administration.

Nurse Aide Classes

• Patient Mobility
• Wound Care
• Patient Admission and Discharge
• Anatomy and Physiology

Medical Secretary and Administrative Med Assisting Programs in Oregon

While comparing administrative medical assistant schools in Oregon, you may find that medical secretary positions appeal to you. These programs are fairly similar to standard medical assisting programs.

They are different in one major way: they take the administrative aspects of this field and make them the focus of your education. In your classes, you should learn how to check patients in, get medical history, ensure that forms are properly filed, and collect payments. Your training may also delve into basic customer service principles, patient privacy laws and ethics, and teamwork in an office setting.

Required Medical Secretary Courses

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Medical Administrative Practice
• Clinical Office Procedures
• Coding, Classification, and Reimbursement

There are many ways you can make a difference in healthcare as a medical assistant. Finding the right school may be the first step in building a solid career in this field.

Explore your options now by contacting medical assistant school options in Oregon.

Learn More About Medical Assisting Programs in Your City

• Portland

Medical Assisting Careers in Oregon

You may have kept an eye on healthcare job statistics in recent years as this field has grown and grown. Even if you haven’t, it’s impossible to avoid the huge growth in this industry. Many clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes are struggling to find the help they need. As you explore employment options in Oregon, keep in mind that you can positively affect patients’ lives with your daily work. Consider your professional interests and which type of medical assisting work most interests you.

Job growth is positive in many states, and this trend continues in Oregon. Employment statistics indicate continuing growth in healthcare, which may continue for several years to come. Medical assistants play a key role in local clinics and hospitals. They may see a 25% increase in job openings between 2014 and 2024 (O*Net, 2017). If you go into billing and coding, you may become a medical records technician. Medical records technicians may see an 18% boost in demand between 2014 and 2024 (O*Net, 2017).

Job openings for nursing assistants may see a 17% increase by the year 2024 (O*Net, 2017). With administrative jobs opening up across Oregon, medical secretaries and administrative medical assistants may benefit. Demand for medical secretaries is expected to jump 25% by the year 2024 (O*Net, 2017).

Why is healthcare growing so quickly in Oregon and why is this the right time to explore jobs in this field? The state’s population is expanding rapidly, leaving many facilities without the staff they need to meet patients’ needs. Oregon’s Medicaid expansion has improved residents’ access to healthcare, further boosting employment needs at facilities throughout the state (Healthcare Finance News, 2017).

Oregon offers a great deal of flexibility to medical assistants understanding the importance of the position. This is a solid entry level position in the health care industry with more emphasis on rural jobs in the state. The salary is a bit lower than the national average, but if you like helping people, then the Oregon medical assistant career may be right for you. Contact the schools you see on our site to learn more about how you can enter this essential healthcare profession.

Listed below are all of the schools offering Medical Assistant programs in Oregon. As a rule, you should contact at least 3-5 schools during the course of your research, and ideally more. There are important differences between the programs in terms of cost, admissions requirements, and other characteristics, and, as with many things in life, the way to find the best Medical Assistant program for your needs is to spend some time shopping around.

Here Are The Medical Assistant Schools…