Medical Assistant

This course is designed to provide medical assistant students with the basic clinical laboratory principles and skills used in a physician's office. Topics include specimen identification and collection, laboratory safety, microscopy, routine urinalysis, fecal analysis, clinical bacteriology, and blood grouping procedures. Two lecture and two laboratory hours per week.

This course is designed to teach students the fundamental clinical procedures medical assistants are allowed to perform with a minimum of supervision. Lecture and laboratory topics include taking medical histories, vital signs, and administration of treatments. Assistance at minor surgical procedures and maintenance of an aseptic environment are also stressed. Four laboratory hours per week.

Medical terms are taught in a systematic manner in tandem with the anatomy and physiology. This enables students to comprehend terminology used in health care facilities. Anatomy and physiology begins with the cell and progresses to the body cavities, planes, and systems through the digestive system. This is designed to strengthen the students' understanding of the clinical sciences and to increase the technical skills they need in administering patient care.

This course is an introduction to medical office pharmacology. Types and forms of drugs, their effects on body systems, and legal aspects of medication are emphasized. Abbreviations, systems of measurement, and dosage preparations are also included.

Students participate in a clinical affiliation at a selected health care facility for the final eight weeks of the spring semester. Students gain more practice in both clinical and administrative aspects of medical assisting and learn new techniques which are performed at their individual facilities. Clinical facilities include physicians' offices, hospitals, and health maintenance organizations. Each student is evaluated by the supervisor at the facility and the program instructor.
Prerequisite: C or higher in all Medical Assistant courses.

This is a continuation of MEDA 108 Anatomy, Physiology, and Terminology I. Additional body systems and their functions are covered. New medical terms are added at appropriate intervals throughout the course.
Prerequisite: MEDA 108 Anatomy, Physiology and Terminology I.

Students perform more complicated clinical procedures and utilize skills learned in MEDA 107 Medical Assisting Techniques I. Topics include electrocardiography, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and administration of medications. Clinical skills are increased, and students gain comprehension of the disease process and its relationship to clinical situations.
Prerequisite: MEDA 107 Medical Assisting Techniques I.

The basic principles and skills of hematology are covered. Lecture and laboratory topics include blood collection, hematocrit, hemoglobin, white blood cell counts, and differential evaluations. A brief introduction to blood chemistry may also be included. One lecture and two laboratory hours per week.
Prerequisite: MEDA 104 Basic Laboratory Procedures I.

The course introduces medical assisting students to medical office skills that are required for employment in a health care facility. The skills necessary for the medical assisting student include understanding the operations of the medical facility, telephone techniques, understanding confidentiality (HIPAA regulations), documenting medical records, filing, billing, and medical correspondence. The students are instructed to complete tasks for an electronic medical environment including patient registration, appointment scheduling, and posting patient accounts utilizing computer software.

This is a continuation of MEDA 224 Medical Office Management I. Managing medical finances (patient accounts/receivables, banking activities, posting charges, encounter forms, posting payments and/or adjustments, recording patient visits on a day sheet, balancing the day sheet, online payments, and patient aging accounts) utilizing medical software is a primary focus of this course. Medical coding is introduced (CPT, ICD, HCPCS). Health insurance (history, obtaining, paying, Medicare, Medicaid, Workers' Compensation); billing (types, credit agreements, collection agencies); and professionalism (externship, certification, professional organization, resume writing, successful job hunting) are covered.
Prerequisite: MEDA 229 Medical Office Management I.