The document discusses the roles of medical assistants (MAs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes how MAs at Erie Family Health Centers adapted their workflows to provide telehealth services, taking on new tasks like educating patients and troubleshooting technology issues. The document also outlines the training program at NIMAA, which provides distance education for MAs combined with clinical externships in primary care settings.

1. The Future Role of the Medical
Assistant in Effective Care Teams
May 19, 2020

2. Today’s Faculty Panel
Josie Llaneza
Director of Programs and
Health Equity
Erie Family Health Centers
Josie Llaneza is the Director of Patient Programs and Health Equity at Erie Family Health
Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center based in Chicago, IL. Erie currently serves
over 80,000 patients across 13 locations on the west and north sides of the city and up into
the northern suburbs. Josie is responsible for the oversight and evaluation of Erie’s
supportive programs and services for their patients ranging from case management and
health education to onsite WIC services, community partnerships around health promotion
and the integration of research at Erie. Additionally, she provides senior operations
oversight to Erie’s five school-based health sites, the NIMAA medical assistant training
program at Erie, and is responsible for leading the development and implementation of
Erie-wide strategies to identify and address the social determinants of health impacting Erie
patients. During Erie’s rapid care model adjustment in response to COVID-19 she has been
the operations leader guiding the team implementing their new telehealth service line.
Josie completed her Master of Public Health degree in Health Management and Policy at
the University of Michigan and is passionate about systems level and creative thinking
around reducing health disparities and addressing social determinants of health.

3. Today’s Faculty Panel
Lucia Mendisabal
Certified Medical Assistant
Immunization Program Coordinator
Salud Family Health Centers
Lucia Mendisabal has been a certified Medical Assistant for 6
years. She currently works for Salud Family Health Centers as
the Immunization Program Coordinator. She has a passion for
working with the under-served and under-insured. She
has experience in working for high-functioning team based
medical groups. She graduated from Everest College with a
certificate in medical assisting in 2014 and is currently enrolled
in associate-level classes to receive a degree in Health Care
Administration.

4. Today’s Faculty Panel
Elizabeth (Betty) Murphy
Associate Director of Education
NIMAA
Betty Murphy serves as Associate Director of Education for NIMAA. Ms. Murphy’s field
experience includes ten years as a certified medical assistant in Pulmonology and Adult
Medicine. She brings 17 years of experience in the field of post-secondary vocational
training. Betty worked previously at Porter and Chester Institute in several roles. She
started her career as a medical assisting instructor and then served as program director.
She then led the allied health programs as Director of Education with a staff of 15
instructors and over 250 students. She developed curriculum for the medical assisting
and administrative health specialist programs as Curriculum Chairperson where she was
responsible for oversight of over 50 faculty and 500 students at 9 campuses throughout
Massachusetts and Connecticut. She played a key role in the migration of all curriculum
to an online platform and transforming a fully residential program to one that utilized a
blended learning delivery model. Elizabeth earned her Associate’s Degree in Medical
Assisting from Springfield Technical Community College and a Master’s Degree in Health
Care Management from Cambridge College.

5. Using Zoom
Note the Q&A option:

6. Series Objectives
Provide an analysis of how COVID-19 has impacted the
practice of patient-centered team-based care regarding the
provider/MA relationship.
Highlight the importance of a team-based care approach as
we transition from a COVID-response practice model to a new
practice reality.
Explore and reaffirm the role of the MA as vital to the team,
during COVID-19 and moving forward.

7. Today’s Faculty Panel
Elizabeth (Betty) Murphy
MM, CMA (AAMA)
Associate Director of Education
NIMAA
Josie Llaneza
MPH
Director of Patient Programs and
Health Equity
Erie Family Health Centers
Lucia Mendisabal
CMA (AAMA)
Immunization Program
Coordinator
Salud Family Health Centers
Elena Thomas Faulkner
MA
Chief Executive Officer
NIMAA

8. We want to hear from you!

9. Today's Session Objectives
Highlight the ways in which MAs have contributed to team-
based care during COVID-19.
Highlight how MA skills and training will need to shift in a post-
COVID-19 environment.
Explore how MA staffing and roles will change as a result of
COVID-19.

10. The role of the MA at your
health center

11. Providing comprehensive care at 13 sites to over 80,000
patients.
Our mission: Motivated by the belief that health care is human
right, Erie Family Health Centers provides high quality,
affordable care to support healthier people, families and
communities.
Erie Family Health Centers

12. Changes to MA Workflow
Huddle with
paired provider
Call patient
from waiting
room
Room and
complete pre-visit
workflows: vitals,
screenings,
standing orders,
smoking status,
chief complaint,
review last visit
note
Support if needed
during visit Ex:
procedures,
administer
immunization,
draw labs
Post-visit: can
provide AVS, link
to needed
referrals (WIC,
care/case mgmt.,
health ed), set
follow up
appointment or
walk to front desk
Virtual check in
with paired
provider(s)
Pre-visit call and visit prep:
verbal consent, documenting
telehealth specific items, vitals as
able, smoking status, screenings,
chief complaint, review last visit
note, what to expect, connecting
patient to video platform
If needed post-
visit
engagement
and follow up
Normal MA Workflow:
Telehealth MA Workflow:

13. Changes to the MA Pre-visit Process with Telehealth
Completing usual
tasks in new and
creative ways
• Vitaling
• Screening
Incorporating tasks
other team members
usual conduct
• Conducting and
documenting consent
• Scheduling follow up
• Social needs screening
Taking on
completely new
tasks
• Educating patients on
telehealth
• Technology troubleshooting
• Using new technology –
texting platforms

14. NIMAA MODEL:
8-Month
Distance
Education with
Concurrent
Primary Care
Externship
Instructional Model
• On-Line Academics
• High-Touch
• Apply as You Learn
Content
• Traditional MA Content
• Team-Based, Primary Care Focus
• FQHC/ Community Health Context and History
Externship Experience
• 12 Hours Weekly
• Team-Based Care Setting
• Cumulative Skills Building: Skills Lab & Coaching
Community Based
• Applicants from Externship Organization Communities
• Supports Career Ladders/ Grow Your Own
• Long-Term Partnership

15. MA Training in Partnership with
Primary Care Practices
Providing educational opportunities that
address workplace shortages in
primary care.
UpSkillMA
Providing practicing medical assistants
with next-level training and expertise to
excel in high-performing primary care
teams.
https://www.nimaa.org https://www.weitzmaninstitute.org/upskillma
Our Training Opportunities