Overview
There is growing evidence that medical assistants (MAs) can play an important role in supporting primary care practices’ transition to team-based care, often resulting in improved quality of care, access to care, and productivity, as well as improved job satisfaction and reduced burnout. Some of the expanded roles include MAs serving as:
MAs are eligible to provide these services under their scope of practice, including in the state of New York, but little is known about the variation in use of MAs in traditional or advanced roles across sites. Much of the research on MAs to date has focused on individual health systems with few studies delving into variation in MA scope of practice across primary care sites, including hospital-based ambulatory care, community health centers, and small primary care practices. This study builds on a planning phase grant, awarded to the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (NYACH), the healthcare industry partnership of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development to undergo a landscape analysis and inform the design of a potential research effort.
- Medical scribes to document the patient encounter during the office visit
- Health coaches to deliver patient education and collaborative goal setting
- Care navigators to help guide patients through the health care process
- Pre-visit planners to identify patients in need of preventive screening or overdue for needed tests, such as HbA1c levels for patients with diabetes
MAs are eligible to provide these services under their scope of practice, including in the state of New York, but little is known about the variation in use of MAs in traditional or advanced roles across sites. Much of the research on MAs to date has focused on individual health systems with few studies delving into variation in MA scope of practice across primary care sites, including hospital-based ambulatory care, community health centers, and small primary care practices. This study builds on a planning phase grant, awarded to the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (NYACH), the healthcare industry partnership of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development to undergo a landscape analysis and inform the design of a potential research effort.
Research
To provide greater insight into use of MAs in primary care in New York, the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute conducted a three-part research study funded by the New York Health Foundation.
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Part 1: Focus Groups
Thirty-five MAs from across the state of New York were interviewed regarding their typical work day, team-based activities, job satisfaction, training, and career pathways. Thematic analysis of the transcripts identified 9 main themes, covering: 1) MA roles and coordination of care across teams, 2) MA involvement in translation services and patient voice, 3) MA technical training and tasks, 4) MAs’ relationships with providers and importance of feeling valued, 5) MA staffing challenges and well-being, 6) MA compensation and benefits, 7) career ladders within the MA profession, 8) financial barriers to MA training and further education, and 9) unique issues related to DACA recipients. Report: Medical Assistants in New York: Focus Group Findings |
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Part 2: Survey
Between November 2024 and April 2025, the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute surveyed employers of MAs in primary care in New York State about MA support, benefits, training and career paths, recruitment and retention, and roles/activities in their organizations. The survey also queried employers’ perceptions of potential expansions to MA roles including involvement in giving injections/vaccinations. Report: Survey Results: The Medical Assistant Role in Primary Care |
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Part 3: Environmental Scan
As a final step, the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute conducted an environmental scan focused on the role of NY state and other fiscal sponsors in supporting MA training, promising program examples, and key challenges to MA workforce development in the state. This report presents an overview of MA training in New York by describing the general landscape, the roles of NY state and other fiscal sponsors in supporting MA training, promising program examples, and key challenges to MA workforce development in the state. Opportunities to maximize use of existing programs and funding mechanisms to better support MA workforce development and practice optimization were identified. Report: Medical Assistant Training in New York: Landscape, Challenges, and Opportunities for Enhancement |
Acknowledgements
Support for this work was provided by the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth). NYHealth’s mission is to improve the health of all New Yorkers, especially people of color and others who have been historically marginalized. The views presented here are those of the authors and not necessarily those of NYHealth or its directors, officers, and staff.
We would also like to thank our colleagues at the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (Daniel Liss, Senior Advisor, Industry Partnerships-NYC Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development, Jasmine Vega-Pegram, Executive DirectorNYACH, Deepa Dhawan-Director-NYACH,) and Shawna Trager, MPA, who were integral partners in all three phases of the study.
We would also like to thank our colleagues at the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (Daniel Liss, Senior Advisor, Industry Partnerships-NYC Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development, Jasmine Vega-Pegram, Executive DirectorNYACH, Deepa Dhawan-Director-NYACH,) and Shawna Trager, MPA, who were integral partners in all three phases of the study.