Project Details
About the Project
There are many unsung heroes involved in medical care. One such is the Medical Office Assistant (MOA). These are highly skilled staff who specialize in all the requirements of running a medical office, from transcription and prescription, to referrals, alongside all the complexities of safely running a medical clinic. Until recently, however, this role did not exist within Island Health. Instead, this role was often performed by a booking clerk, or a nursing unit assistant.
In order to ensure each outpatient clinic is supported in a standardized patient-centred way, Dr. Paul Winston and colleagues in neurology (Dr. Kristin Attwell-Pope), plastic surgery (Dr. Rebecca Morley) and physical medicine and rehabilitation (Dr. Todd Yip) initiated a project to advocate for the MOA role within Island Health, and to ensure physician input in crafting the Human Resources profile for a MOA position.
They were able to successfully build consensus of the value for this position within Island, drawing upon a close collaboration with Cheryl Armstrong. After Cheryl moved on her role to a position at Providence Living, the team remains committed to advocating for MOAs to become recognized and valued members of the Island Health support staff.