OSSMA Star Awards
Congratulations to Our Winners!!
Excellence in Publishing:
Diana Rogers, (CMA) AAMA
Medical Assistant of the Year:
Natasha Geno, CMA (AAMA)
Mentor of the Year:
Mary Elizabeth Regis, CMA (AAMA)
Educator of the Year:
Jennifer Dietz, CMA (AAMA)
Eligibility
Entries that were produced and presented in final form between June 1 and February 1 are eligible. The submitters, nominators, and nominees must be AAMA/OSSMA members.
Nominees must meet the following for their respective STAR Award category:
• Excellence Awards: Excellence in Publishing – OSSMA Chapter
• Awards of Distinction: Individuals who are both AAMA/OSSMA members and CMAs (AAMA)
(see below for more information about each award)
Entry Deadline
Entries must be emailed no later than February 18, 2024. There will be no extensions to the deadline and no exceptions will be made. Incomplete entries will be automatically disqualified.
Entry Preparation
STAR Award entries may be submitted via email. Be sure your submission includes the completed entry form. (Use a separate form for each entry.) Ensure that all required materials are attached to your email. Entries that do not meet all the submission requirements will be automatically disqualified.
OSSMA Star Award Details
Excellence in Publishing
Recognizes the best chapter society newsletters, or e-newsletters, and editors.
Judging Criteria
Entries are judged on content (including national, state, and chapter news items, educational pieces, and information on continuing education), frequency, editing, writing, and design.
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What to submit:
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Completed entry Form
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Copies of each issue published between January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024
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Excellence in Publishing entries may be submitted electronically. Incomplete entries will be automatically disqualified.
Awards of Distinction
• Medical Assistant of the Year
• Educator of the Year
• Mentor of the Year
Does someone you know deserve distinctive recognition for their professional contributions and OSSMA/ AAMA service? The OSSMA Awards of Distinction are designed to recognize these individuals. Any AAMA member is eligible to nominate or be nominated for one or more award. Selection will favor those who have served on the state level. To enter nominees in any of the categories below, the following must be submitted:
• Completed entry form
• A detailed statement listing specific accomplishments achieved by the nominee
• The nominee’s professional résumé, which includes work experience
• The nominee’s OSSMA résumé, including involvement at all three levels of AAMA membership, current CMA (AAMA) status, and emphasis on state achievements
• At least two detailed letters of recommendation supporting the nominee’s qualifications for the select award (Word docs are preferred, but PDFs will be accepted.)
Incomplete entries will automatically be disqualified.
Medical Assistant of the Year
Presented to the medical assistant who has been nominated by peers as an exemplary professional medical assistant and has displayed outstanding commitment to advancing the profession through service on the state level.
Mentor of the Year
Presented to the volunteer leader who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help meet the goals of the OSSMA and to promote, therefore, the professional identity and stature of its members, and the medical assisting profession by having displayed outstanding leadership and mentoring abilities on the state level.
Educator of the Year
Presented to the educator from a medical assisting program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) who has been nominated by supervisors and peers as a result of the nominee’s outstanding dedication to and accomplishments in the field of medical assisting education. Such accomplishments might include extraordinary dedication to education activities on the state level; exceptional support of students; or contribution to the medical assisting body of knowledge (e.g., author of or major contributor to a medical assisting or health-related textbook).