Blog

As new students prepare to start school, they think about the supplies they will need, how to study, and what they will learn. Something that is just as important, but sometimes overlooked, is creating support systems that will help them succeed in their new academic adventure. The National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA) was […]

“We want to consider ourselves not only in the community, but we are part of the community. Everyone who walks into the door, you see them as yourself,” says Pasue Mahan, Senior Clinic Manager, Chicago Family Health Center NIMAA is proud to partner with healthcare organizations that share our vision of transparent and accessible pathways

By Lori Nichols, MSPH, NIMAA Director of Business and Partnership Development Healthcare experts predict that the primary care workforce in the United States is nearing a crisis due to a decreasing proportion of medical school graduates opting for careers in primary care. Couple this with a rising number of providers nearing retirement, and we are

By Lori Nichols, NIMAA Director of Business and Partnership Development At NIMAA, we believe that by focusing on creating equitable career pathways, eliminating barriers to employment, and contributing to a positive social return on investment, we can help achieve a critical and fundamental change. We can build health care teams back up, not only to

By Susan Klos, NIMAA Curriculum Director and Instructor When many of us think about school, we imagine a physical building where you can meet with the instructor in class to ask questions about assignments, or sit with peers around a table to work on a group project. Establishing a connection to instructors and peers is

By Dawn Chambers, NIMAA Instructor *Names have been changed for patient privacy purposes In 2010, I had just begun my career as an eager and excited Medical Assistant (MA). After only a week of working in the clinic, I was placed with a physician who primarily served the LGBTQ+ community and specialized in caring for

By Carolina Rose, NIMAA Distance Education Manager Now that we have a vaccine and COVID-19 herd immunity is in sight, we can all start to get excited about returning to “normal” life. While the pandemic has created a great deal of disruption in our daily lives, it has also provided opportunities for change in the

By Misae Vela Brol, NP, Clinica Family Health Services; NIMAA Advisory Board member Speaking from more than 15 years of experience as a Family Nurse Practitioner in Denver, CO, Medical Assistants (MA) are integral to the health care team and key to my success as a provider. A medical assistant properly trained in team-based care

By Lynne Jones, Executive Director of the Commission on Family Medicine The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted well-known shortfalls of the U.S. healthcare landscape, as well as helped to validate what can be accomplished when we are at our best. Let’s focus on what we know about how we are at our best as health care

By Suzanne Smith, Health Center Operations Division Director, Colorado Community Health Network The fact that Community Health Centers (CHCs) and the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA) share a common focus – improving the lives of community members – is no surprise, given that NIMAA was founded by two CHCs. However, it is this