How to Become a Medical Office Assistant in Winnipeg

Winnipeg is a central Canadian city with a population of just over 700,000. With a diversified economy and sectors that include aerospace, advanced manufacturing, creative industries and agribusiness, the city has been growing at a steady pace in the years leading up to the 2020 pandemic. Winnipeg is expected to reach 1 million people by 2047.

With recent pressure on the healthcare system in Winnipeg as well as the rest of Manitoba, improving access to high-quality medical services is a major priority. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) has created an action plan to drive recruitment, retention, and training for healthcare workers. Medical Office Assistants (MOAs) serve an important support staff function within Winnipeg’s local healthcare system, supporting healthcare teams in hospitals, doctor’s offices, medical clinics, and other healthcare settings. 

An MOA is an administrative role responsible for tasks like medical reporting, reception, scheduling, inventory management, and public (or private) health insurance billing. They may also perform clinical duties like taking patients’ blood pressure, height and weight measurements, and other responsibilities that physicians and nurses need help with. They most commonly support healthcare teams in hospitals, doctor’s offices, medical clinics, and other healthcare settings.

If Winnipeg is where you call home, now or in the future, considering this much-required career path is well worth it — especially if you’d like to work in healthcare jobs that don’t require a degree.

In this blog article, we’ll explore salaries, training requirements, and job opportunities for Medical Office Assistant roles within private and public healthcare settings in and around Winnipeg, Manitoba — including Selkirk, Stonewall, Niverville, Oakbank, Oak Bluff, Stony Mountain, Teulon, and Lorette. Education & Training Requirements To Become A Medical Office Administrator In Winnipeg

There are many open Medical Office Assistant positions in Winnipeg in public and private healthcare facilities. Job opportunities with Winnipeg Regional Health Authority are typically available in inpatient care facilities, most notably hospitals. 

There are also job openings outside of conventional medical settings like hospitals and walk-in clinics. As an MOA you could apply your skills by working in: 

• Community health centres
• Home care centres 
• Immunization clinics 
• Long-term care centres 
• Ambulatory care clinics 
• Dental clinics
• Optometry clinics
• Insurance companies
• Chiropractic clinics 
• Naturopathic clinics 
• Acupuncture clinics 
• And more 

Whether you choose to apply for administrative work in an ambulatory care clinic or a naturopath’s office, you’ll need skills in medical record-keeping, medical transcription, public or private insurance billing, and standard procedures for medical offices. Additionally, many employers are seeking MOA applicants with a post-secondary education. Completing a diploma in Medical Office Administration can help you gain the necessary skills to successfully compete against with other candidates.

Medical Office Administrator Diplomas Vs Certificates

Career training for Medical Office Assistants is available in the form of Certificate and Diploma programs. Let’s break down the differences between these two credentials.  

Diplomas can span 1 to 2 years of study, delivering an in-depth curriculum that will equip you for work in a wide variety of medical settings. 

Diplomas tend to look better on your resume than Certificate programs and display a greater commitment to your career path. Some Diploma programs — including the Medical Office Administration Diploma offered by Sundance College — include practicum training so students can more effectively make the leap from the classroom to the medical office. 

Certificates are shorter credentials, spanning anywhere from just a few weeks to a few months long. Because they take less time to complete, they may not always provide the same depth of knowledge as a Diploma. For example, most Certificates do not include a practicum placement.  Additionally, Certificates are usually not eligible for the same student financial aid benefits as Diploma. 

Reasons To Get A Medical Office Administration Diploma 

Graduating with a Medical Office Assistant Diploma will set you up with the skills and specialized knowledge MOAs in Winnipeg require for success – and that employers look for. MOAs are responsible for important tasks

 like billing the provincial healthcare system correctly and on time, managing confidential records, and assisting patients throughout their healthcare appointments. A Medical Office Assistant Diploma will prepare you to perform these essential duties from the very first day on the job, in the healthcare setting of your choice.

MOA Diploma programs that set students up for success include courses in: 

• Anatomy & physiology
• Medical terminology  
• Medical transcription  
• Computer software  
• Coding & billing systems for public and privately insured medical offices 
• And more

Diploma curriculums are designed with outcomes based on practical skills and knowledge fit for an MOA role.

Medical Office Administrators’ Job Outlook & Salary In Winnipeg

Total demand for Medical Office Assistants is on track to be higher than the supply; from 2022 through 2031, the Government of Canada expects 41,100 new medical administrative assistant jobs and only 36,400 applicants.

 MOAs in Winnipeg are required at above average rates. Indeed.com shows over 100 open MOA positions in Winnipeg, MB. These openings include work in all sorts of medical health settings from chiropractors’ offices and medical aesthetics clinics to general practitioners’ offices. 

MOA positions are also available in hospitals, but they often come with a different title! There is a position closely related to an MOA, but it’s more commonly known as a Hospital Unit Clerk.

Whether you choose to become a Unit Clerk  at a hospital or an MOA in outpatient healthcare settings like walk-in clinics — the name of your employer, your pay, and your benefits can vary. 

How Much Does A Medical Office Administrator Earn In Winnipeg? 

Minimum wage in Winnipeg is $15.30/hour, or $31,824 per year at 40 hours per week. The median average wage for an MOA in Winnipeg is $21.70/hour or $45,136.00 per year

! Wages usually vary depending on your workplace of choice, your employer’s pay scale, full-time hours, and whether you work for a regional health authority. The average highest hourly rate for an MOA in Winnipeg is $27.00/hour or $56,160.00 per year. 

If you know where you want to end up working, you can better identify the wage or salary you’ll make starting out. Do your own research or tap into your professional network to find out about advancement by researching the type of position you are most interested in and the employer for that position! 

What Skills Are Required For a Medical Office Assistant?

Medical Office Assistants should demonstrate excellent administrative skills. This important skillset involves competencies in record-keeping, transcription, and billing. However, these aren’t the only skills critical to an MOA’s success. MOAs should also possess a variety of hard and soft skills, including organization and communication skills.

MOAs’ Hard & Soft Skillsets  

Skills can be divided into hard and soft categories. But what’s the difference between hard skills and soft skills, and why do MOAs need both? 

Hard skills are often learned through study, resulting in technical ability; an MOA working in Winnipeg will need to take a Manitoba Health Card with confidence and use it to bill public health insurance for medical services — using specialized software found in medical offices all over Manitoba. They’ll also need knowledge of billing with Manitoba’s health insurance codes with thorough understanding of medical terminology to match services rendered with these codes. 

However, soft skills are also incredibly important; you’ll need the organizational skills to enter data, properly keep patient records, and handle other detail-oriented tasks efficiently.  

You’ll also need to foster a welcoming environment for anyone working in the medical office or hospital — and properly assist the public who pass through. A medical office that demonstrates outstanding external and internal communication is always better prepared to provide excellent healthcare.  

What Job Can You Get After Medical Assistant? 

The most comprehensive Medical Office Assistant programs equip you with practical skills and knowledge that are relevant in various healthcare or wellness settings as well as different provinces. After completion of a Medical Office Administration Diploma, you’re positioned for a variety of lucrative job opportunities with different employers across Canada, including:

• Medical Transcriptionist 
• Medical Billing Clerk 
• Medical Scheduler 
• Hospital Unit Clerk 
• Patient Coordinator 
• And more 

After becoming successful in one or more of these roles for years, MOAs gain additional skills and experience that can open doors to advancement opportunities with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, private clinics, or other employers. Senior positions in this field include:

• Medical Office Manager 
• Clinic Manager 
• Medical Office Trainer 
• And more 

Why Becoming An MOA In Winnipeg & Area Is An Amazing Career Choice

Becoming an MOA in Winnipeg could be the most fulfilling part of your career path — one that lets you support Manitoba’s healthcare system or countless wellness providers. The field of health and wellness in Winnipeg requires skilled MOAs ready to keep the system running efficiently and effectively. 

While Medical Office Assistants don’t need a 4-year degree to start an MOA career and advance professionally, most employers look for post-secondary education and practical experience when hiring.  Sundance College offers a Medical Office Administration Diploma

 with a 5-week practicum work placement, giving you the chance to put practical and classroom knowledge to good use. Through their practicum, students have the opportunity to seek mentorship, apply the skills they learned in class, and start their new career path.

You can choose to study online or at our campus in Winnipeg (or Edmonton or Calgary). And if you decide to move away from the Winnipeg area at some time, your education and training will help you secure an MOA position in another province or territory. To learn more about how you can earn your Medical Office Administration and launch your new career in less than a year, get in touch with us and start talking to one of our Advisors.