The Medical Assistant Accelerated Pathway to Employment Training Project

Developing a pipeline for medical assistants and improving access to health care careers in the greater Milwaukee region

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Full Project Name:The Medical Assistant Accelerated Pathway to Employment Training Project (MAAPET)Primary Community Organization:Employ MilwaukeePrimary Academic Partner:Linda Meurer, MD, MPH, Family and Community MedicineAward Amount:$398,581

Award Date

July2020

Project Duration:32 months

Project Description Narrative:

Team-based patient care relies on multiple providers to be properly utilized at their licensed level to assure patients receive the best possible care. A documented shortage of medical assistants (MAs) has had significant impact on the delivery of ambulatory patient care services for individuals, and creates substantial levels of overtime and a work burden on other members of the medical team. To meet this critical health care workforce need, support an economically disadvantaged workforce, and significantly improve the equitable delivery of health care services across impacted communities in southeast Wisconsin, a new approach is needed.

Through this award, project partners will develop, pilot, and evaluate an accelerated training program that provides immediate engagement to wages and on-the-job training to increase a diverse talent pool of medical assistants working in ambulatory clinics across southeast Wisconsin.

Additional community partners: Center for Healthcare Careers of SE Wisconsin, Children's Wisconsin, Froedtert Health, Advocate Aurora Health, Ascension, Medical College of Wisconsin

Outcomes & Lessons Learned:

Reduced training time for Medical Assistants by up to 85% while maintaining competitive outcomes for participants
Enrolled 131 participants in the accelerated medical assistant training program
88% of the enrollees successfully completed the 14-week program, and 94% of program graduates were placed as medical assistants. 96% of MAAPET participants who attempted the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant certification exam have passed the test and earned their certification
Center for Healthcare Careers of Southeast Wisconsin launched the 11th cohort of the MAAPET program after the AHW project period ended. It was such a successful program that partners wanted to sustain it into the future. They are currently exploring additional funding opportunities to continue and possibly expand the MAAPET program

Project Updates:

Enrolled 89 trainees in the program to date, 73% of whom are underserved, Black, Hispanic, Hmong, low income and/or disabled
Experienced a 94% success/completion rate for participants, 95% completed clinicals, 90% hire rate, and 80% have maintained employment
Planning to launch three additional cohorts during the remainder of the project period
Created "The MAAPET Experience," a podcast that shares stories from the trainee perspective