Allied Health

medical assisting

Administrative Medical Office Skills

Medical office careers are generally ideal for individuals interested in the field of health care but do not want to treat or diagnose patients. The growing health care industry fueled by the aging population continues to create a high demand for skilled professionals interested in a medical office career. Professionals in this field are crucial to the support of physicians, nurses, and other health care staff by handling valuable medical documentation such as appointment scheduling, correspondence, coding of procedures and diseases, and medical transcriptions. Individuals should enjoy performing administrative duties, and most careers in medical office require strong computer and data entry skills. Some jobs in this field involve interaction with patients and require strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work with people, including those that may be dealing with an illness. Other skills that are useful are organizational skills, as well as the ability to multi-task.

Program Details: The administrative medical office skills certificate consists of five courses and students are able to complete the program in two semesters.

Career Outlook:

Graduates of this program obtain positions as:

  • Medical receptionist
  • Medical secretary
  • Medical billing and coding professionals
  • Ward clerks

Employers include hospitals, medical offices, laboratories, clinics, and insurance companies.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the average starting salary for administrative medical office is $32,000 – $34,000. They report a higher than normal need for these health care professionals.

Health Career Pathways

The health career pathways certificate is designed for the student who is interested in an allied health career but unsure as to which career they want to enter. This certificate is also a transfer pathway to nursing programs (ASN and BSN programs) as well as other health fields.

Program Details: The health career pathways certificate consists of eight courses and students are able to complete the program in three semesters. This program is not intended to give students skills to enter the field of health care. Graduates of this program specifically transfer into another health field related program. All of the above courses transfer into the medical assisting degree and/or the health care management degree programs, should the student want to earn a degree.

Health Information Management: Coding Specialist Certificate

The medical coding professional is responsible for translating healthcare providers’ diagnostic and procedural phrases into coded form. Coding professionals do this by reviewing and analyzing health records to identify relevant diagnoses and procedures. This translation process requires interaction with the health care provider to ensure terms are translated correctly. Certified medical coders are trained in the anatomy and physiology of the human body and disease processes in order to understand the etiology, pathology, symptoms, signs, diagnostic studies, treatment modalities, and prognosis of diseases and procedures to be coded. The job entails knowledge of disease processes and procedural techniques to consistently apply the correct codes. A medical coding professional works as part of a team to achieve the best quality patient care. The HIMT: Coding Specialist Certificate prepares students to take the CPC coding certification exam.

Program Details: The health information management technology certificate consists of nine courses and students are able to complete the program in three semesters.

Career Outlook: Graduates of this program obtain positions as:

  • Health information technicians
  • Medical billing and coding professionals
  • Data Quality Managers
  • HIM Compliance Specialists

Employers include hospitals, medical offices, clinics, and insurance companies.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the median annual wage for medical records and health information technicians was $35,900 in May 2014.

Employment of health information technicians is projected to grow 15 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. The demand for health services is expected to increase as the population ages.

Phlebotomy

A phlebotomist is an integral member of the medical laboratory team whose primary function is the collection of blood samples from patients and donors. The phlebotomist facilitates the collection and transportation of laboratory specimens, and is often the patient’s only contact with the medical laboratory. The need to assure quality and patient safety mandates strict professional behavior and standards of practice for phlebotomists. Safety is key and all safety precautions must be taken to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. Positions are flexible and can consists of full time, part time, and per diem.

Program Details: The phlebotomy certificate consists of five courses and students are able to complete the program in two semesters.

Career Outlook: Graduates of this program obtain positions at hospitals, reference laboratories, and medical offices and clinics. Other graduates have become medical assistants, physical therapists, nurses and nurse practitioners

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the average starting salary for phlebotomist is $30,000 – $31,500. They report a higher than normal need for these health care professionals.

 

See the College Catalog for courses,
prerequisites and additional degree information.

Contact

Brian Clinton
Program Coordinator for Medical Assisting and Allied Health

Timothy Shizume
Program Coordinator for MLT and Phlebotomy