How to Hire a Medical Front Office Assistant

Medical assistants work in doctors offices, medical centers, clinics, hospitals, and health care foundations. There are two types of medical assistants: clinical and front office. Clinical medical assistants, who are usually certified by the American Association of Medical Assistants, maintain health records, collect blood and urine samples, and conduct patient observations. Medical front office assistants often work in the reception area and are the first point of contact for patients.

• 1

  Prepare a hiring timeline. You may need four to six weeks to complete the hiring process, including a week to advertise, a couple of weeks for the short-listing and interviewing process, and another couple of weeks to complete the background checks.

• 2

  Organize a selection committee if you are hiring for a large medical center or a very busy outpatient clinic. The office manager can handle the hiring for most doctor's offices.

• 3

  Prepare a job description. Front office medical assistants handle phone calls, greet visitors, manage appointments, help patients fill out insurance forms, and perform data entry tasks. Your ideal candidate will have administrative experience and good people skills, but be flexible. Depending on the job market, there may not be enough candidates with a medical office background, and you may have to hire someone with general administrative experience.

• 4

  Advertise the position internally if you are a large organization. If you cannot find enough qualified internal candidates, advertise externally on job boards or contact recruitment firms specializing in healthcare professionals.

• 5

  Track the resumes. Prepare a short list of four or five of the most qualified candidates.

• 6

  Discuss the interview process with the office doctor or the selection committee. Decide on a general list of areas to explore with the short-listed candidates. Conduct the interviews.

• 7

  Ask for a list of references and request permission to conduct background checks. Conduct these checks.

• 8

  Offer the job to your top choice. In most cases, this involves sending an offer letter and requesting an accept or decline indication. Agree on a start date.

• 9

  Introduce the new medical assistant to the team. Explain the various office policies and procedures.