Healing: Well-assisted

A Medical Assistant is a multi-skilled health professional specifically educated to work in ambulatory care settings and perform administrative office tasks in addition to clinical duties. As an integral part of the healthcare team, the medical assistant directly influences the public’s health and well-being. The Medical Assistant Program prepares students with various knowledge related to health sciences, communication, and specialized skills related to assisting physicians and other healthcare professionals in a patient care setting. These skills are obtained through formal study, practical experience, and hands-on training.

Graduates of the Medical Assistant program will be prepared to enter a versatile and schedule-friendly fast-growing profession. Medical assistants have diversified skills that allow them to work in various medical office settings, such as family practice, pediatric practice, urgent care, and some surgical outpatient clinics.

Program Objectives:

Students will be prepared to perform entry-level skills including:

• Understand the law and ethics of health care professions and what a scope of practice is
• Perform basic skills related to patient reception, appointment scheduling, and correspondence
• Perform basic skills related to management and documentation of health care records, understand what meaningful use is, and comply with all HIPAA regulations
• Perform basic skills related to office management and finances
• Maintain the asepsis of patient exam rooms, treatment rooms, and sterilize medical instruments
• Assist the physician with obtaining accurate medical histories, performing patient exams, and treatments
• Perform phlebotomy, collect specimens, and perform CLIA waived tests for biological specimens such as blood, urine, and other body tissues
• Administer medication and injections, perform diagnostic testing, and obtain physiologic measurements such as vital signs, height, weight, and circumference as directed by the physician.
• Perform electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings as directed by the physician.