PSMA News Wave

Dear Readers,

Happy New Year! Another year of education and communication!

We are thrilled and eager to embark on another year of learning, growth, and community. In this newsletter, you’ll find important updates/events, the upcoming PSMA State Conference location, and clarity between Patient Care Technicians (PCTs) and Medical Assistants (MAs) roles in healthcare.

We hope you find this newsletter informative and helpful as we kick off the year. Let’s make it a fantastic one together! If you have a moment of your time to support PSMA and/or provide some feedback please email: pasmedicalassistants1@gmail.com. We are in urgent need of more support to continue offering this society to our members and continued education in this State. I hope we can to grow our volunteers- even it is a small moment of time to help PSMA!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Gonzalez, B.S., CMA (AAMA), PBT(ASCP)

We are excited to offer a variety of upcoming continued education face-to-face and online! Here are some highlights:

• Saturday, March 1, 2024. Spring 2025 Face-to-face education and Board of Trustee Meeting. 6 CEUs. Hershey, PA. Registration due Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Cost : AAMA members FREE and Non-members $ 20. Registration: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xR7025YF5--D3iTdTcuXigNbf9gPdXAQ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102474671300165174773&rtpof=true&sd=true
• May, 2 to 4, 2025. Annual State Conference. Allenberry Resort. Boiling Springs, PA. 8.5 CEUs. Details below.
• Zoom CEUs. It is hard to find healthcare professionals to host CEUs online with their busy schedules. There is form below for you to share with healthcare professionals to help support our zoom CEUs. https://forms.gle/tAdrdo2NCGv3NzVFA

Participation in these activities is a great way for medical assistants to explore new interests and develop valuable skills. We encourage everyone to get involved face-to-face or in person!

“Come and stay at Allenberry.” “Escape to luxury tranquillity.”

Location: Allenberry Resort

Website: https://allenberry.com/

Address: 1559 Boiling Springs Rd., Boiling Springs, PA 17344

Phone number: (717)-258-3211

CEUs: 8.5 total CEUs.

CEU cost: $$$

RSVP Room on website or call: https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/reservation/Fo3B2Q?allotment_block_code=b192060#checkin=2025-05-02&checkout=2025-05-04&allotment_block_code=b192060

Activities to do: Fly fishing, Hiking, Yoga, Pool, Pickleball, Dining, Longevity Center, Fitness Center, and Playhouse.

We have early bird special discounts for active paying AAMA members (paid 2025 yearly dues).

Early bird special ends April 1, 2025.

REGISTER FOR PSMA STATE CONFERENCE! View and click “file” then “print” : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BmZH4oJU7-VDtnOLhesb-WQ_vcxdtbitqUlPfz04lIA/edit

We hope to see in-person at Allenberry Resort!

Please watch the video below of how beautiful Allenberry Resort is!

September 19 to 22, 2025 Arlington, Virginia

https://www.aama-ntl.org/education-and-events/annual-conference

70th AAMA Annual Conference

Las Vegas, Nevada. TBD in 2026.

New Jersey Annual Convention ( In-person)
April 4 to April 5, 2025
https://sites.google.com/site/njsma1/welcome/annual-convention?authuser=0

Ohio Annual Convention (In-person)

April 3, 2025 to April 5, 2025

https://ff03b51c-868a-432b-aca6-dbd8a5953f01.usrfiles.com/ugd/ff03b5_5c668451a02e488b9e4ae4c9bab7a99a.pdf

In recent years, healthcare system has undergone significant changes in how direct patient care is provided. All while trying to address the challenge of filling vacant positions in healthcare.

As medical assistants, we have observed an increasing amount of patient care technicians (PCT) in both offices and hospitals settings. The purpose of this message is offering clarity on the roles and responsibilities of PCTs and Medical Assistants, but highlight the advantages and drawbacks of each profession, and provide some considerations for thought.

Patient Care Technicians (PCT)

Training: On the job training. Online Schools. Community Colleges. Technical Schools.

Length of training: 3 months to a year.

Prior education requirements: High school diploma, medical terminology knowledge, or CNA licensure.

Availble Credentials:

1. CPCT (NHA) - Certified Patient Care Technician (National Healthcareer Association)

Job responsibilities/ Skill set:

· Assist patients with personal hygiene, mobility and comfort.

· Monitor patients’ vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and heart rate.

· Phlebotomy.

· Obtain EKG reading.

Pro:

· Little to no cost on training.

· Accommodating for the individual wanting to get started in healthcare and work their way up.

· Short training, to quickly to get started on the job.

· Benefits such as PTO time, health insurance, access to retirement plans, and education reimbursement.

Cons:

· Short training may not provided adequate time to develop essentials skills and to apply critical thinking on the job.

· Limited knowledge of anatomy and physiology to apply critical thinking skills.

· Low starting pay. According to zip recruiter, the average pay rate in Pennsylvania ranges from $15.25 to $20.25.

Medical Assistants

Training: Technical Schools. Community Colleges. Private Colleges. Online Schools. On the job training.

Length of training: 1 year to 2 years. Earn a certificate or associate's degree.

Prior education requirements: Will vary based on education institutions criteria. Examples include: College ready in English, reading and writing, and math. High school GPA of 2.0 or higher. Successful screening interview to be admitted into program. Passed Anatomy & Physiology I / II with a C or higher. Maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher during the program.

Available Credentials:

1. CMA (AAMA) Certified Medical Assistant (American Association of Medical Assistants)

2. RMA (AMT) Registered Medical Assistant (American Medical Technologist)

3. CCMA(NHA) Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (National Healthcareer Association)

4. NRCMA(NAHP) Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant (National Association for Health Professionals)

5. MA Medical Assistant

- Completed on-the-job training, but did not pass or obtain a national credential, or did not renew credentials.

Pros:

· Accommodating for the individual wanting to get started in healthcare and work their way up.

· Versatile healthcare professionals in both office administration skills and clinical hands-on skills (phlebotomy, medication administration, obtaining vital signs, obtaining ekg, and etc.).

· Potential sign-on bonuses to fill open positions.

· Paid time off for major holidays.

· Off most weekends.

· Benefits such as PTO time, health insurance, access to retirement plans, and education reimbursement.

Cons:

· Cost of tuition will vary based on location and school. An estimate of $6,000 to $45,000 can outweigh salaries (avg. $21.46 to $ 22.69 from AAMA Survey) and cost of living.

· In Pennsylvania, medical assistants are not required by law to hold a credential to work or attend an accredited school. Medical Assistant can be trained on the job. However, there are some federal level guidelines that mandate medical assistants to be credentialed. As a result, most Pennslyvania healthcare facilities are now recommending credentials upon hiring. But this still allows healthcare institutions to set up their own training programs without a strong accreditation body to do quality control for evidence-based standards to ensure high level of professionalism and patient safety. This leaves a gap in accountability and raises the questions about whether graduates of unaccredited programs and in-house healthcare organization education are receiving adequate preparation for the workforce to deliver quality patient care.

o Summary of PA law: https://www.aama-ntl.org/docs/default-source/state-sop-laws/pa-delegable-duties.pdf?sfvrsn=59bafbfa_1

o Summary of MD law: https://www.aama-ntl.org/docs/default-source/state-sop-laws/md-regulations.pdf?sfvrsn=b1ad8a9c_1

· Healthcare organizations are not covering the cost of continuing education to maintain credentials for medical assistants. A recent survey of 4,778 full time CMAs revealed that only 14 % (669 CMAs) have employers covering the cost of continuing education fees.

o Survey: https://www.aama-ntl.org/docs/default-source/about/2024-c-b-report-web.pdf?sfvrsn=488d6fc8_3

· Healthcare organizations are not covering the cost of annual membership fee. The same survey of 4,778 full time CMAs responded that only 12 %. (574 CMAs) have employers covering the cost of annual membership.

Both Patient Care Technicians ( PCTs) and Medical Assistants play a crucial roles in healthcare. But their training, responsibilities, and education differ significantly. Both professions offer opportunities for growth, but healthcare organization need to address the gaps in continuing education support and credentialing requirements to help both professions succeed and advance in their careers. There also needs to be greater awareness of how loosely regulated Pennsylvania’s laws are regarding the job responsibilities and education requirements for medical assistants.

There is opportunity to enhance the support provided to medical assistants and patient care techs. One step could be increasing the pay to better reflect both vital roles in patient care. Additionally, institutions could consider covering some or all the costs for continuing education credits, which would help medical assistants grow professionally while benefiting the organization. It could be included part of benefits of working in a healthcare institution and or an effort to retain Medical Assistants in the office. Furthermore, creating a structured pathway for MAs and PCTs to transition to other roles in healthcare could foster long-term career development within the healthcare organization.

Written by and researched by : Jennifer Gonzalez, CMA(AAMA), PBT(ASCP)

Works Cited

https://advclinical.org/patient-care-technician-vs-cna/

https://nahpusa.com/nrcma

https://www.aama-ntl.org/docs/default-source/about/2024-c-b-report-web.pdf?sfvrsn=488d6fc8_3

https://www.nhanow.com/certification/nha-certifications/certified-clinical-medical-assistant-(ccma)

https://americanmedtech.org/medical-assistant

https://www.aama-ntl.org

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Patient-Care-Technician-Salary--in-Pennsylvania

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Medical-Assistant-Salary--in-Pennsylvania

PSMA has multiple means of communication:

• Email: pamedicalassistants1@gmail.com
• Instagram: pa_society_medical_assistants
• Facebook page name: Pennsylvania Society of Medical Assistants (PSMA)
• Facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/share/9zF11uWQhkpU3h32/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Website : https://pasociety-cma.org/
  
  

Or if you have questions for the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) visit their website: https://www.aama-ntl.org/contact