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"I've always felt really connected to, and empathetic for, people infected with AIDS and HIV, and have always wanted to help them."	"This is my niche, a perfect fit, and I'll stand up for myself and career anytime."	"I've met some of the most extraordinary people working here."
Name: Heidi McLean, CMA (AAMA) Occupation: Worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore In the spotlight: McLean traveled to Uganda to help people with HIV and AIDS. Read more about McLean's journey.	Name: Mary Lou Ninehauser, CMA (AAMA) Occupation: Works at an internal medicine practice in Coraopolis, Pa. In the spotlight: When called a nurse, Ninehauser stands up for her profession. Read more about Ninehauser's experiences.	Name: Mary Ellen Harvey, CMA (AAMA) Occupation: Works at Hematology Oncology Associates of Central New York In the spotlight: Harvey shares the challenges and rewards of working with cancer patients. Read more about Harvey's career.

"I've always felt really connected to, and empathetic for, people infected with AIDS and HIV, and have always wanted to help them," says Heidi McLean, CMA (AAMA). So, when the opportunity to help presented itself, McLean could not resist. Her church, Bay Area Community Church in Crownsville, Md., visits Africa every year for medical missions. "I wanted to go before, but I was pregnant or nursing and the timing never worked out," she says. This time around, since her children were no longer infants, McLean was ready for the mission. As an added incentive, so was her husband, Tim, a medical manager.

For 10 days in July 2010, the McLeans and a medical student and social worker from their church traveled to Entebbe, Uganda, where they met with three local social workers (who also translated) to provide care, education, prevention, support, and encouragement for people infected with HIV and AIDS in Kampala and Butriu. The team visited families in their homes and gave them food and clothing. "We provided some medical care on-site. I mainly took vitals and administered vaccines, and since they don't have a lot of modernized equipment, they were all interested in how my digital thermometer, stethoscope, and blood pressure cup worked, and curious what information I gathered by using them," says McLean. When basic care was not enough, the team helped transport the very ill to a nearby clinic for further treatment.

The team supplied the clinic with masks, gloves, gauze, and alcohol pads to help cut down on infection. "They didn't have a facility to store things, so vaccines and used needles were lying out and weren't sterilized or packaged," says McLean. "We spent a lot of time talking about the importance of sterilization and how to avoid cross-contamination." The team also attended an HIV/AIDS support group meeting and handed out children's toys, personal supplies, and food. "Because of the lack of food supply, many Africans would rather not take their meds because doing so on an empty stomach makes them sick," says McLean. "We talked to them about the best times to eat and take their medication if they're only eating one meal a day," she says. They also discussed the importance of getting tested for HIV or AIDS and the benefit of having a monogamous partner to avoid spreading the virus.

"We have so much medicine, treatment, and access to education in the U.S., and sadly, they don't in Africa. It was rewarding to share my medical [assisting] training and understanding of HIV and AIDS to help fight this epidemic."

McLean used to work at John Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore, where she interacted with many HIV and AIDS patients in addition to those getting tested for the virus. "I always felt comfortable working with patients going through this, and my medical assisting skills gave me the confidence to talk to them about their disease and the importance of taking care of themselves," she says.

The trip meant more to McLean than the medical care she provided. "The most touching part was a sense of connecting with humankind," she says. "Before we left, the locals asked us not to forget them because many times mission groups don't go back. It was rewarding to assure them that in the U.S. there is an entire church filled with people who think about them often and will be back every year to prove it."

Fresh out of medical assisting school, Mary Lou Ninehauser, CMA (AAMA), knew exactly what her career and credential meant, even if her first employer did not. "I was in a room with a patient who asked me where I went to nursing school, and I told her I wasn't a nurse, I was a CMA (AAMA)," says Ninehauser. The patient had not heard of the profession, so Ninehauser elaborated.

"My physician overheard the conversation and (after the patient left) called me into his office and said, 'Don't ever tell patients you're not a nurse,'" says Ninehauser. I told him that I would never tell people I was a nurse because I'm not, and I explained to him that not only could I get into trouble, but so could he for trying to pass me off as a nurse." Ninehauser says her employer understood the differences between nurses and medical assistants, but felt that if a patient thought she was a nurse, Ninehauser should go along with it for the benefit of the patient. Ninehauser stood her ground for her year of employment with the practice. "I guess it was good the incident happened early in my career because it prepared me for future encounters."

Today, with 30 years of medical assisting under her belt, Ninehauser says the experience helped shape her appreciation for the profession. "I've been criticized over the years for not furthering my education in order to become a nurse or another provider, but I absolutely love medical assisting and never had the desire to do anything else," she says. "This is my niche, a perfect fit, and I'll stand up for myself and career anytime."

Ninehauser worked in family practice and internal medicine for most of her career. For the past 11 years, she has worked for an internal medicine practice in Coraopolis, Pa., with two physicians and a physician assistant (PA). She rotates between assisting each physician for a week and rooming patients for a week. The weeks she assists the physicians, she performs tasks like screening calls, scheduling appointments, and entering scripts into the EMR system. The days she rooms patients, she takes vitals, patient histories, and performs procedures such as EKGs.

"I really like the variety. As the medical assistant, I get more of that than the doctors or physician assistant," she says. "I'm also able to learn so much from the other providers, which is always good career-wise."

Ninehauser says although she plays a crucial part on the team at her job, many patients are unclear of her role. "They'll ask to speak to the doctors' nurse and I'll tell them that they don't have a nurse, they have me, a medical assistant," she says. She also finds herself explaining the difference between her and the physician assistant. "Because I assist the doctors, patients assume I'm the PA."

Ninehauser spreads the word beyond the practice. "To keep things clear, anytime I call mail-order companies, pharmacies, and others, I always introduce myself as a CMA (AAMA)."

And the explaining never gets tiresome. "It's easy to stand up for myself, especially because it's not only keeping things honest, but it's opening people's eyes to the value of my profession and credential."

When Mary Ellen Harvey, CMA (AAMA), landed a job at Hematology Oncology Associates of Central New York, she quickly discovered that the opportunity was bigger than she was. "The clinical manager told me that my performance would determine if the practice hired more medical assistants," she says. "That was a lot of pressure that paid off because 11 years later, there are 11 of us working at the practice."

As a member of the AAMA for 13 years, Harvey also introduced her employer to the association. "They've paid for me to attend several state conventions over the years," she says. As a reminder, Harvey keeps them updated on her association involvement and also brings copies of CMA Today to the office. "It's good to let them know that I keep up with my CEUs and skills."

Harvey's skills prove helpful in several areas of the practice. For her first year, she worked in the radiation department, and for the past 10 years, she has worked under three physicians, helping mostly in the Medco department, where the physicians prescribe medication for chemotherapy. "On most days, I'm in the pod, where patients see the doctors for their follow-up visits," she says. With the practice seeing between 40 and 60 patients a day, Harvey performs a range of duties, such as taking patients' weight, vital signs, and medical histories, recording their chief complaints, reviewing their medications, as well as giving EKGs and oximetries. "I'm also a licensed phlebotomist, so sometimes I draw blood and work in the lab," she says.

Harvey says the variety in her job makes it a perfect fit. "I worked for a foot specialist right after medical assisting school and then an OB/GYN for four years after that," she says. "This is the right place for me. There are so many different types of cancer and blood disorders, so every day is challenging and fascinating."

While Harvey plans to develop professionally by learning new skills, she doesn't see herself leaving anytime soon, despite several opportunities. She has turned down four job offers from other physicians' offices during her time with Hematology and Oncology Associates. "I just never felt really enticed enough to leave," she says.

Patients are a big part of the reason why. Since many patients visit the practice regularly for chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Harvey develops relationships with them. "I've met some of the most extraordinary people working here," she says. "I always marvel at their courage and ability to keep a positive attitude despite what they're going through, and I take to heart making them as comfortable as I possibly can."

As much as Harvey enjoys her work, she says tough days are part of the job. "When I first started working here, it was hard because I certainly encountered some things that I'd never seen before," she says. "Some patients are very, very sick, and it's hard to deal with at first, but after a while I learned how to manage the stress and how to comfort patients and their family members."

Not everyone is cut out for the job, adds Harvey. "It can be emotional and heartbreaking, but someone has to be there to facilitate the job," she says. "I figure, 'why not me?' As a medical assistant, I've got the skills as well as the compassion."

• List your full name, including all of your credentials; your complete contact information; your workplace, including the city and state; the year of your certification; the year of your most recent recertification; and the first year of your AAMA membership.
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