Hidalgo Medical Services Enhances Nursing Career Path

Category: Community News Community News
Published: 12 March 2023 12 March 2023

pictured here deandra lopezPictured here: Deandra LopezSilver City, New Mexico, March 9, 2023: Hidalgo Medical Services (HMS) is committed to high quality services as it serves both Hidalgo and Grant County residents. As part of this commitment, HMS developed their own Medical Assistant (MA) Career Ladder Program to ensure each of its approximately 30 medical assistants receive the best education and support needed to deliver high-quality and safe clinical care. 

Medical assistants work directly with medical and behavioral health licensed practitioners as part of their daily duties. In New Mexico, a medical assistant can enter the workforce without any formal healthcare education and can perform medical services under the direction of a licensed practitioner, and as per HMS policy.

The educational entry requirements for a medical assistant at HMS is a high school diploma or G.E.D. Once an individual completes the hiring requirements at HMS, the medical assistant then begins their career journey which includes a formal seven-day didactic training program with HMS’s Education Specialist. This classroom education is then followed up by the required clinical rotation which must be completed under the direction of their practitioner, registered nurse supervisor, and an experienced medical assistant preceptor. The successful completion of both their didactic and clinical internship are required prior to the medical assistant working solo with their practitioner. “Preparing our medical assistants to be successful and feel part of a great team that provides high quality person-centered care is our number one priority,” stated Albert Diaz, RN and Chief Nursing Officer. 

Following this initial employment education, the medical assistant is required to prepare for, and pass their medical assistant certification exam from National Healthcareer Association (NHA), within six months of their hire date. HMS provides the human and financial resources to complete this certification. Once the medical assistant completes their certification they receive a $2.00 an hour salary increase. Their baseline salary is set by utilizing third party data sources to ensure competitive local and regional salaries. The HMS Medical Assistant Career Ladder program continues post NHA certification and six months’ timeframe by offering additional educational goals leading to additional pay. These include phlebotomy and EKG certifications. HMS intends to add additional certifications in the future in support of developing our medical assistant team in providing the best care possible while simultaneously providing a career path that rewards education and committed service to the communities served by HMS.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.