Healthcare support jobs hiring around Chicago - what worked for you?

Several clinics and a hospital near Chicago are hiring medical assistants, patient-care techs and schedulers. This is my first time dealing with any of this. Shifts range from mornings to overnight. Do any of these pay for certification?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 12 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.