Medical Assisting - Cox College of Nursing and Health Science

Medical Assisting from Cox College of Nursing and Health Science is a Campus Associate Health Aide degree that prepares you for a Healthcare career. Cox College awards an associate of science degree in Medical Assisting. Medical Assistants are multi-skilled health professional that work in tandem with medical staff in clinics and physician's offices. Medical Assistants will be trained to provide patient care through administrative tasks as well as taking vital signs and preparing patients for examinations. Outcome Criteria, upon completion of the program of study, the graduate will be able to: understand medical terminology, laboratory, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology as it relates to body systems and disease processes demonstrate office administration procedures including bookkeeping, processing insurance claims; and procedural and diagnostic coding perform diagnostic testing including; electrocardiography, respiratory, urinalysis, hematology, chemistry, immunology and microbiology demonstrate proper patient care; vital signs, patient history, prepare and assist with routine and specialty examinations apply pharmacology principles to prepare and administer oral and parenteral medications perform clinical procedures such as venipuncture, and capillary puncture accurately impart patient instructions for specimen collections. Career Outlook Medical Assisting is one of the fastest growing fields in health care. Employment is projected to grow much faster than average, ranking medical assistants among the fastest growing occupations over the 2006-16 decade. Job opportunities should be excellent, particularly for those with associate degrees. Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. They should not be confused with Physician assistants , who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician. Medical assistants who perform administrative tasks have many duties. They update and file patients' medical records, fill out insurance forms, and arrange for hospital admissions and laboratory services. They also perform tasks less specific to medical settings, such as answering telephones, greeting patients, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, and handling billing and bookkeeping. For clinical medical assistants , duties vary according to what is allowed by State law. Some common tasks include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examinations, and assisting physicians during examinations. Medical assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens and sometimes perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They might instruct patients about medications and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for x-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings. Medical assistants also may arrange examining room instruments and equipment, purchase and maintain supplies and equipment, and keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean. View more details on Cox College . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Health Aide courses.