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Medical Assisting Certificate

Certificate Code 5864

Program Contacts:
QC Campus
Betsey Morthland, 309-796-5285, morthlandb@bhc.edu

This certificate is offered at the Quad-Cities Campus.

The Medical Assisting program will train individuals to work under the supervision of a physician, providing medical office administration and clinical duties that include patient intake and care, routine diagnostic and recording procedures, pre-examination, and administering medication and first aid. The program will include courses in basic anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, health insurance and office procedures, pharmacology terminology and calculations, and ethics and law. Students will gain practical experience by completing two clinical courses plus an internship and seminar.

Medical Assisting professionals will see increasing opportunities for employment in the light of escalating health care costs. In order to keep operating costs in line, doctors and clinics want trained professionals with skills to provide good patient care and office management to expedite increasing insurance paperwork.

Required courses for this program include: »

BIOL 150 Medical Terminology
Prerequisite: 83 or above on COMPASS reading test or REA 098 “C” or better.
This course presents the principles of medical word construction through identification of root words, prefixes, suffices, combining forms, and methods of building medical terms. Emphasis is placed on correct medical word spelling, pronunciation, and definition, while introducing terminology specific to various body systems. The course is intended to prepare students to classify medical information for use in medical coding, billing, and reporting.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

HIM 147 Medical Assisting Clinical Techniques I
Prerequisite: Admission to Medical Assistant program.
This course presents a basic introduction to the profession of Medical Assisting and to the healthcare environment. Specifically, this course will introduce the student to basic aseptic technique, gloving and gowning, vital signs, height/weight, Snellen vision screenings, patient interviewing and positioning and injections (intradermal, intramuscular, and subcutaneous).
4 credit hours: 2 lecture hours; 4 lab hours per week.

HIM 156 Introduction to Health Insurance
Introduce students to health insurance industry; present step-by-step procedures for generating, processing, and submitting health insurance claims to commercial, private, and governmental health insurance programs.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

HIM 247 Medical Assisting Clinical Techniques II
Prerequisite: HIM 147 “C” or better.
This course presents advanced Medical Assisting skills including urinalysis, electrocardiography, basic blood collection methods (syringe, vacuum tube, capillary puncture).
4 credit hours: 2 lecture hours; 4 lab hours per week.

HIM 251 Medical Office Procedures
Prerequisite: BE 141 or equivalent.
Administration of the medical office; insurance, professional and business records.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

HIM 252 Pharmacology Terminology
Emphasis is on spelling, abbreviations, pronunciation, drug names and references and bodily effects of drugs. Drug classifications.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

HIM 254 Law Liability and Medical Ethics
A careful examination of health legislation and health policy implementation. Student will become aware of legal aspects of handling information and ethics involved in management of medical information. Case studies will be used to provide problem solving.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

HIM 261 Seminar
Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in HIM 265.
Discussion of internship activities, challenges, team opportunities and problems.
1 credit hour: 1 lecture hour; 0 lab hours per week.

HIM 265 Internship
Prerequisites: Instructor consent and concurrent enrollment in HIM 261.
Supervised field program, providing work experience in offices for students enrolled in Health Information Management.
3 credit hours: 0 lecture hours; 40 lab hours per week.

PN 110 Basic Anatomy and Physiology
Basic concepts of human anatomy and physiology.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

Course of Study Outline
First Semester Suggested Courses (Credit Hours)
BIOL 150 — Medical Terminology (3)
PN 110 — Basic Anatomy and Physiology (3)
HIM 156 — Introduction to Health Insurance (3)
HIM 147 — Medical Assisting Clinical Techiques I (4)

Minimester Suggested Course (Credit Hours)
HIM 251 — Medical Office Procedures (3)

Second Semester Suggested Courses (Credit Hours)
HIM 252 — Pharmacology Terminology (3)
HIM 254 — Law, Liability, and Medical Ethics (3)
HIM 247 — Medical Assisting Clinical Techiques II (4)

Summer Semester Suggested Courses (Credit Hours)
HIM 261 — Seminar (1)
HIM 265 — Internship (3)

Minimum total hours required for certificate (30)

Occupational Profiles

CIP Code:
SOC Code:

Cost of Attendance

Success Rates All Students Full-Time Part-Time
Completion rate at 100%
Completion rate at 150%

Job Placement Rate:

Loans

  • Median loan debt
  • Title IV loan debt
  • Private loan debt – $0
  • Institutional debt – $0