Select a program of interest to explore trade schools that match your goals.
The best patient access representative programs near Smithfield, Virginia pair focused training with a state median wage of about $37,060 a year for patient access representatives (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Most students finish a 3-to-9-month patient access or medical office certificate, or start directly with employer training; the voluntary NAHAM CHAA credential can come with experience.
Patient access representatives register patients, verify insurance coverage, schedule appointments, and manage front-desk operations in hospitals and clinics. Training typically covers insurance verification, scheduling systems, medical terminology, and HIPAA.
| # | School | BOC Score (0–100) | Tuition | Median grad earnings (all majors) | Graduation rate | Online | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Solutions Academy | 51.5 | Contact school for pricing | Not reported | 94% | — | 156 mi |
| 2 | Centura College-Newport News | 36.3 | Contact school for pricing | $37,316 | Not reported | — | 13 mi |
| 3 | Centura College-Virginia Beach | 35.4 | $16,637 | $37,316 | 64% | — | 32 mi |
| 4 | Centura College-Norfolk | 25.5 | Contact school for pricing | $37,316 | Not reported | — | 22 mi |
| 5 | Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach | 23.5 | $18,489 - $23,803 | $43,374 | 26% | — | 28 mi |
| 6 | Fortis Institute-Towson | 23.5 | Contact school for pricing | $40,980 | 41% | — | 168 mi |
| 7 | Centura College-Chesapeake | Not rated | Contact school for pricing | $37,316 | 67% | Yes* | 26 mi |
Schools closest to Smithfield, Virginia are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from Smithfield, Virginia is shown for reference. The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation, earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it. *Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is completed in person. Read the full methodology.
This page lists 8 schools within 168 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 7 of them carry a score. 1 does not have enough federal outcome data to score, and appears last rather than being hidden.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
| School | Median graduate earnings |
|---|---|
| Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach | $43,374 |
| Fortis Institute-Towson | $40,980 |
| Centura College-Newport News | $37,316 |
| Centura College-Norfolk | $37,316 |
| Centura College-Chesapeake | $37,316 |
| Centura College-Virginia Beach | $37,316 |
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $28,760 |
| 25th | $33,960 |
| 50th (median) | $38,010 |
| 75th | $45,130 |
| 90th | $49,950 |
| Year | Employment |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,007,200 |
| 2034 projected | 1,007,600 |
Finish high school or earn a GED. Customer service and office experience are helpful.
Complete patient access or medical office training. Short certificate programs typically cover insurance verification, scheduling, terminology, and privacy rules (HIPAA).
Learn your employer’s systems. Health systems provide paid on-the-job training in their registration and EHR software.
Consider the NAHAM CHAA credential. The Certified Healthcare Access Associate is a voluntary mark of competence in the field.
Advance in the revenue cycle. Experienced representatives may move into lead, supervisor, financial counseling, or billing roles.
No. No license is required to work in patient access. The National Association of Healthcare Access Management (NAHAM) offers the voluntary Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA) credential, which some employers value.
Common entry paths are direct hire with employer training, a short patient access or medical office certificate, or transfer from another customer service role. Skills transfer across every part of the healthcare industry.
Certificate programs in patient access and medical front office work typically run 3 to 9 months. Many representatives instead start with a high school diploma and paid on-the-job training in their employer's registration systems.
According to BLS OEWS (May 2025), patient access representatives in Virginia earned a median annual wage of about $37,060. Pay varies with experience, employer, and specialization. The 10th-to-90th percentile range was about $28,800 to $47,220 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The schools listed above are within driving distance of Smithfield. Compare them by tuition, program length, BOC Score, and the credential each one awards.
No. No license is required to work in patient access. The National Association of Healthcare Access Management (NAHAM) offers the voluntary Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA) credential, which some employers value.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.
| Data | Provider | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | May 2025 |
| Employment Projections | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2024-2034 |
| Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System | National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) | 2024 |
| College Scorecard (school-level outcomes) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release |
| College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release (updated 2026-06-12) |
| Occupational licensing requirements | CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2026-02-22) |
| Registered apprenticeship programs | CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2025-10-25) |
