Clinical Medical Assistant

This course provides students with an overview of the medical assisting profession and its role in the healthcare delivery system. Students are introduced to the major functions and departmental inter-relationships. Students will prepare for the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification at the end of this course.

This course provides essential legal and ethical principles for those pursuing a career in the healthcare field. It provides a foundation of all the essentials including the legal system, the patient/physician relationship, professional liability and medical malpractice prevention, workplace law and ethics, medical records, confidentiality, bioethical issues, ADA, and HIPAA. Students are also introduced to medical records, electronic health records, and patient interviews.

This course provides students with basic clinical skills. Emphasis is placed on learning the fundamentals of procedures that relate to patient care. Topics to be covered include medical asepsis and infection control, infectious diseases/ blood borne pathogens, preparing the medical record, and taking measurements and vital signs. Also included will be administering medication, injections, phlebotomy, hematology, blood chemistry, and serology.

This course provides the student with advanced clinical skills. Emphasis is placed on assisting the physician. Topics to be covered include assisting with the patient examination, eye and ear assessment, disinfecting and sterilizing equipment, and assisting with surgical procedures. The student will understand physical agents to promote healing, assisting with specialty examinations and procedures, radiology, and diagnostic imaging and electrocardiogram.

This course provides an overview of the revenue cycle in the healthcare field. Topics include applying diagnostic and procedural coding, group and private insurances, HMOs, PPOs, and government sponsored medical insurance programs. Accurate completion of claim forms and third-party payer reimbursement processes is discussed.

The course is designed to combine both administrative and clinical skills in a simulated office environment. Students will walk through a typical day of an MA professional. The student will complete the 120-hour practicum as a review tool for the medical assisting student to prepare for their profession. Included in this course is preparation for the certification examinations.