National Medical Assistants Recognition Week: Expert Interview & Advocacy Guide

The Evolving Role of Medical Assistants

In one form or another, medical assistants have existed for centuries. But it wasn’t until relatively recently that the role coalesced under a singular title.

Maxine Williams, CMA-A (AAMA), co-founded the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) in 1956, based on her conviction that the organization of medical office employees would greatly benefit the field of healthcare. Williams and her colleagues went on to establish many of the educational standards and principles that guided the profession through the 20th century and into the 21st. But the profession has also changed significantly since Williams’ early days.

“Medical assistants have transitioned seamlessly from their roles in medical practices to a greater variety of positions in clinics and health systems—such as patient navigator, prevention outreach specialist, and health coach,” Balasa says. “One of the main reasons why medical assistants have been able to excel in these new positions is that they have been ahead of the curve in adapting to the technology-driven aspects of health care, such as telemedicine and remote patient monitoring.”

The Future for Medical Assistants

In addition to their clinical and administrative duties, medical assistants are patient advocates. At times, patient advocacy overlaps with professional advocacy: groups like the AAMA act as a spearhead to push through important policy changes that both advance the medical assistant profession and benefit patients.

“AAMA has been at the forefront of state and federal advocacy efforts to ensure that competent medical assistants (under appropriate supervision) are permitted to perform nasopharyngeal swabbing for Covid-19 testing and administer Covid-19 vaccinations,” Balasa says.

“These efforts have been overwhelmingly successful. On the federal level, the AAMA has defended the classification of medical assistants as clinical staff whose services are billed incident to the services of licensed providers under programs such as the Medicare Chronic Care Management (CCM) and Transitional Care Management (TCM) programs and the appropriate use criteria (AUC) program that will go into effect January 1, 2022.”

Through policy advocacy, patient advocacy, certification, and continuing education, medical assistants are continuing to expand the profession. And, with the growing need for more allied health professionals, medical assistants will be increasingly called upon as some of healthcare’s most versatile workers. The role of the medical assistant has changed significantly in the 65 years since the founding of the AAMA, and Balasa sees it continuing to change in the future.

“I foresee medical assistants continuing to move into new and diverse roles within the American healthcare delivery system, such as primary telemedicine communicator, patient care coordinator, and patient advocate,” Balasa says. “Medical assistants will also be called upon to work in both inpatient and outpatient settings.”