Insight on Medical Office Administration Accreditation with CCHIM Director Lisa McKenzie

In April of this year, Anderson College was thrilled to announce that its Medical Office Administrator (MOA) program received accreditation status from The Canadian College of Health Information Management (CCHIM) – demonstrating that this program meets the quality and educational standards set out for the Health Information-Certified Associate (HICA) certification. Graduates of Anderson’s MOA program are eligible to write the National Certification Exam (NCE) and can begin their career as a certified health information professional.

CCHIM and its commitment to evolving standards to provide quality care to patients, meeting the demands of the time, is fundamentally responsible for our ability to recognize and design programs that align with the latest requirements.

To understand precisely what this accreditation means, why it is of significance, the criteria to achieve it and how it impacts graduates who become certified, credible, professionals we had the distinct pleasure of connecting with Lisa McKenzie, CCHIM Director.

A Wealth of Experience and Passion

Lisa McKenzie, current director of CCHIM, is a highly regarded and passionate health information management (HIM) professional who had been certified with CHIMA since 2009.

Over the last 15+ years she has worked in the Newfoundland and Labrador health system, primarily as a provincial leader around standards and quality, and has been heavily involved in HIM.

As she shared with us, “Everything health information is my passion; I’m very enthusiastic about it and in advancing the health information professions. So, in January, I had the privilege of joining CHIMA as the director of the Canadian College of Health Information Management and in the last four and a half months or so, I’ve been learning more and more about all the great work that this college has been doing, particularly in the last number of years.

“I’m really excited about this work, and now I’m even more passionate about the education side and learning about how we can empower our students as they’re coming up through their programs to become exceptional leaders within the HIM field.”

Celebrating Certification and Elevating Standards

“Congratulations are in order for Anderson College; it’s a wonderful opportunity for students that Anderson has worked to ensure their MOA program received this accreditation,” Lisa offered.

And then she shared with us, how all this evolved.

“We started to review our accreditations several years ago to modernize the health information profession because it really did lag behind on some of the ever-evolving things that were happening in healthcare. We saw a gap and an opportunity.

“We do realize that the folks at the frontline of healthcare, really are the face of healthcare. These healthcare roles weren’t certified, and there was no standardized training across the country. So, this offered an opportunity to recognize that these professionals, through formal certification, would bring visibility and credibility to the workforce; it would also signal quality and trust to Canadians and potential employers. In order to address the variations in training, we began working with academic partners across the country to build the foundational accreditation curricular standards for medical office assistant/administrator programs nationally.”

The Impact of Accreditation

“By developing these foundational standards, we’ve really leveled the playing field, so to speak, to ensure that people in these roles have the skills and the competencies that they need.

“Our standards are modern and flexible enough to allow academic partners to tailor the programs as they need. But, of course, we still maintain the core competencies required of the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare and many other sectors as well.”

The Criteria to Receive Accreditation

“Our standards focus on important practice areas for these roles such as clinical knowledge, so we include medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, professionalism, office management principles, technology and an overview of the Canadian healthcare system at large; we also include practical, professional experience within the industry.

“Our independent accreditation review team reviewed Anderson College’s medical office administrator curriculum in detail, found that you have exceptional coverage in all the practice areas. Of course, there’s always room for improvement. So, there were some emerging topics that we recommended adding, things like cybercrime, ransomware, digital health, as they are becoming more and more important of late. We also always recommend to all our programs that every part of their instruction include ethics, equity, diversity, and inclusion, because it’s so very important in healthcare and really in all sectors now.

“So, our CCHIM accreditation team found that Anderson’s program was quite exceptional in how they were covering the majority of these areas, which is fantastic.”

Certification Sets Graduates Apart

“In order to become certified, graduates of our accredited programs are required to write the national certification exam. This really ensures that students have acquired the knowledge and understanding of the competencies and the skills necessary for these roles. And of course, once the graduate successfully challenges the exam, they are then eligible to get the certification and to hold their professional membership with the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA).

“The importance of the certification is that it sets folks apart. There are many programs across the country for medical office assistant/administrator and certification is another way to give them the competitive edge, to show that they’ve got that commitment to uphold what’s required for certification, which is the adherence to a professional code of ethics, as well as continuing education.”

The Benefits of Accreditation – for Anderson, for our Graduates

“For Anderson, it demonstrates that you’re adhering to industry standards that are, incidentally, endorsed all across Canada, that you’re committed to academic excellence in every aspect of the program.

“For graduates, again, it signifies their commitment to uphold a professional code of ethics and to continually evolve in their knowledge and delivery to those they serve and support in the healthcare industry. National certification definitely separates them from other professionals in a competitive market.

“As you can imagine there is broad spectrum across Canada in how programs are being rolled out and delivered. Certification absolutely gives employers confidence that the person they’re hiring has got the skills that they’re going to require.”

CCHIM Ongoing Support

At Anderson we are committed to delivering leading-edge curriculum and preparing students with the education and confidence they need to be in demand and thrive in their profession. We asked Lisa how accreditation plays into our ongoing commitment to graduates.

“We do regular quality assurance check-ins with our academic partners. We do an audit after about two years, to ensure curriculum has stayed up-to-date and it’s still meeting the standard.

“We’re here to support our partners at every stage. We’re in touch with our partners all the time, so if there are emerging issues, we make suggestions for additions to program curriculum. It is a true partnership, very collaborative.

“We also love to support by presenting to your faculty and your students. This helps highlight some of the benefits of the CHIMA student membership and how the college will support them in their journey.

“Typically, we’ll meet with the students at the beginning to help them network and get involved in the profession and the industry early on. And then we’ll meet with them again just prior to graduation to help them navigate through the exam process. So really, it is a true partnership and we’re committed to working with Anderson and its students in a collaborative way.”

Additional Resources to Support the Implementation of Evolving Standards

“We have resources that are available to all our academic partners. We have what’s called the College Educational Resource Program, and our Annual Team Learning Subscription. These provide the schools and students, with educational resources to supplement their learning, and we work with industry partners to ensure that the resources provided are relevant and meaningful learning materials for students and faculty. We’re always expanding the contributors, working with many partners, to enhance those resources.”

Accreditation as it Relates to Improving Patient Care

“Our certifications are fully endorsed by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), and Canada Health Infoway. These are two major leaders in healthcare and health information across Canada, and they recognize the contribution of health information for safe and effective patient care as well as policy and funding.

“We also have Ontario MD and the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) that have recently partnered with us to elevate health data literacy for physicians and medical office assistants. This is going to be achieved through professional development initiatives, and by promoting awareness and adoption of the Health Information Certified Associates (HICA) certification, for frontline health information professionals.”

The Future with CCHIM and Anderson College

“We’re excited to continue in our collaboration with Anderson College, to make sure that graduates have all the tools they need to excel in the health information field and, as an accredited partner, you do set yourself apart from other programs by way of your commitment to excellence for students and graduates.

“Our support to you includes, highlighting Anderson College on our website so anyone seeking training can see you as an accredited program partner. We meet with you regularly to review your program and to preview exam results from the National Certification exam, once you start having graduates eligible. And we will keep you connected to what’s unfolding in the industry.

“I do believe this is going to be an exceedingly successful program for Anderson and for the graduates as well. It just adds to the credibility and legitimacy of your program, just another signal of excellence, that standard for students that Anderson upholds.

Lisa’s Final Thoughts for Us

“I just want to reiterate, that CHIMA and the college are here to support Anderson in whatever you need, with whatever we can do. I look forward to a visit to Ontario to meet with the Anderson College team and an opportunity to meet with the students to get them involved early on. Being part of an association as a student is incredibly valuable. All round this is a fantastic opportunity.”

We’re honoured to have had the opportunity to hear from Lisa McKenzie and look forward to how this relationship with CCHIM develops and enhances the experience and future of our dedicated graduates.

Thank you, Lisa for your invaluable insights!
_______________________

If this has piqued your interest and you think your goals may align with a healthcare career, you can take the “Anderson College Healthcare Training Readiness Quiz”.

If you’re ready to make the leap and want to learn more about a Medical Office Administrator career, we’re here to help you navigate the steps along the way – from program sign up to graduation, certification to career launch. Book a virtual appointment with an admissions advisor and let’s get you signed up for the next class.