Annapolis, Md.-based Luminis Health offers free training to nonclinical employees, such as reception staff, to supplement shortages among medical assistants, according to an Oct. 22 report from The Baltimore Sun.
Medical assistants are in high demand, and the Maryland Hospital Association categorizes the role as a high-need position across the state. At Luminus Health, which employs more than 2,200 providers, the system is typically short by 14 to 17 medical assistants.
To remedy this need, a $40,000 grant funds an 18-week program to train staff on triage, drawing blood and taking measurements of vitals, according to the report.
The grant originally provided funding for seven spots, but after 43 applications in one week, the program grew to 10.
“Our approach to this program, really, was to offer it as an advancement and retention program for current employees who were not medical assistants,” Roxanne Lawrence, vice president of primary care and community medicine for Luminis Health, told the Sun.
