Medical Office Administrator Program with Practicum

Medical Office Administrators perform a variety of administrative duties in doctors’ offices, hospitals, medical clinics and other medical settings as well as support of managers and professional employers. They are employed in offices throughout the public and private sectors.

Medical Office Administrators type correspondence, reports, invoices and related material from handwritten copy or machine dictation, using a computer. This may include the preparation of presentation materials. They also prepare routine correspondence and compile data, statistics and other information. Some administrators assist committees by taking minutes.

The duties of Medical Office Administrators also include specialized tasks. They schedule and confirm medical appointments, deliver messages between doctors and patients, type medical records and reports from handwritten notes, and interview patients to complete forms and case histories. They also make sure doctors get paid, by completing insurance as well as other claim forms and handling billing procedures. They may order medical supplies as well as regular office supplies. It should be noted that medical administrators are very often referred to as medical office secretaries, and related training programs in this province may also use that title.

A typing speed of 50-65 words per minute may also be required for employment. Changes in technology, such as the increasing use of electronic medical records (EMR), means these workers must be comfortable adapting to new software programs. Some employers may require specialized training in EMR systems.

Learning Objectives

The learning outcomes include the following:

• Perform receptionist duties such as greeting and checking in patients
• Manage and coordinate scheduling of appointments
• Compile patients’ charts
• Transcribe physicians’ orders
• Prepare birth and/or death certificates
• Record vital signs
• Order hospital supplies
• Complete the admission, preoperative, and postoperative procedures