For Kaylee Griffin, a typical day in occupational health at Tufts Medical Center can mean drawing blood, performing fit testing, helping employees after an exposure or injury, answering phones and making sure new hires and volunteers have everything they need before they begin their work.
It’s a lot to keep track of. But it’s exactly where she wants to be. As a medical assistant, Kaylee has found a role that gives her the hands-on clinical experience she has been working toward for years. Her ultimate goal is to become a nurse, a path inspired in part by the strong women who have surrounded her throughout her life.
“My mom's a nurse and both my grandmothers are nurses,” said Kaylee. “Just having these strong women in my life and watching them excel was really inspiring.”
But getting to the clinical side of healthcare required a leap.
A new path, close to home
Before becoming a medical assistant, Kaylee spent nearly two years as an administrative coordinator in the Collegiate Center for Wellness at Tufts Medicine. She enjoyed her work, but she wanted more clinical experience.
That opportunity came through a new workforce development program offered by Tufts Medicine in partnership with Regis College. The self-paced program was designed to give a group of Tufts Medicine employees an opportunity to complete the education and training required to become a medical assistant.
Kaylee was one of about 10 employees selected for the inaugural 2026 cohort.
The program combined online coursework with clinical externships. Through Regis College, Kaylee studied anatomy and physiology, EKGs, blood draws and other medical-assisting skills. After completing the coursework and exams, participants needed to complete an externship where they got to do the actual work of medical assisting, while demonstrating competencies in specific areas. After that, participants could take a certification exam, with Tufts Medicine ultimately reimbursing the cost of the program.
Kaylee moved quickly. While working full time at Tufts Medicine and holding a part-time job as an activities assistant in a memory care unit, she completed the online coursework in about eight weeks. This is self-paced and typically takes about five months. Then came six weeks of evening externships in primary care and urology/gynecology.
“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I was in primary care from 5:30 to 8pm,” she said. “And then on Wednesdays I was in urology/gynecology.”
She performed patient intake and vital signs, observed and assisted with procedures, performed EKGs and learned firsthand what it means to be on the clinical side of patient care.
“I wanted to get it done,” she said. “My end goal is to be a nurse, and the clinical experience was most important to me.”
She completed her certification before even having a medical assistant position lined up. Soon after, she made the move from her administrative role to occupational health, putting her new skills into practice.
Caring for the people who care for others
Occupational health may be a small clinic, but Kaylee quickly discovered just how much happens there. She and another medical assistant share the front desk, while working alongside nurses and a nurse practitioner. Together, they care for employees and volunteers throughout Tufts Medicine, from new-hire requirements and flu clinics to workplace injuries and blood exposures.
One of the most important parts of Kaylee’s job is also one of the simplest: Helping people feel less afraid.
If an employee is accidentally pricked by a needle or experiences another potential exposure, anxiety can come quickly. Kaylee understands that. Her approach is to listen, stay calm and offer whatever reassurance she can.
“You have to be compassionate,” said Kaylee. “No one would want to go through what they’re going through, so we should try to understand what they’re facing.”
That instinct reflects the Tufts Medicine value of Heart: We bring compassion to healthcare. For Kaylee, compassion isn't complicated.
“It doesn't take anything to be nice,” she said. “It's so much easier to be nice to somebody and listen to what's going on.”
Her view is also shaped by having experienced healthcare from the other side. As a Tufts Medicine patient herself, she knows what it feels like when someone truly listens and what it’s like when they don't.
“I do get it,” said Kaylee. “I do understand that no one knows what you're going through.”
One of the things she appreciates most about Tufts Medicine is the sense of community.
“I've made such great friends here,” she said. “My coworkers here are incredible. It's just nice to work with nice people and they're helpful.”
She also sees Tufts Medicine as a place where employees can continue to grow. Her own journey from administrative coordinator to medical assistant is proof.
“There’s so much opportunity here,” she said.
For Kaylee, that growth is only beginning. She hopes to continue building her clinical experience and eventually become a nurse, following the example set by the women in her family. Until then, she’s enjoying learning something new, helping the people who walk through the occupational health doors and being part of a team that cares for the people who care for others.
She’s also found a strong sense of community at Tufts Medicine, where she sees people working together to support one another and provide the best possible experience for patients and colleagues.
“We’re all in this together,” said Kaylee. “We have to work together to improve the patient care experience and serve our patients better.”
Kaylee’s experience is just one example of how employees can build new skills and pursue new career paths within Tufts Medicine. A new medical assistant certificate program will open to employees across Tufts Medicine this fall.
Explore career growth opportunities across Tufts Medicine — from workforce development programs to clinical roles that put compassion into practice.
