Definition & Purpose
Certified Clinical Medical Assistants are valuable members of the healthcare team. Certified Clinical Medical Assistants perform daily administrative tasks as well as assisting in minor clinical procedures to keep doctor`s offices, hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities running smoothly. In other words, a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant is required to know almost every aspect of the clinical care of a patient, from files and records to keeping logs of medical conditions and taking vital signs. This allows Certified Clinical Medical Assistants to be very flexible in terms of the functions they perform inside a healthcare facility, and gives them advantages over single-function nurses or coders.
Certified Clinical Medical Assistants perform many administrative duties, including answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing patients medical records, filling out insurance forms, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission and laboratory services and handling billing and bookkeeping.
Clinical duties vary according to the State law and include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to the patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting the physician during the examination. Certified Clinical Medical Assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They instruct patients about medications and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to the pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for x rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings.
According to the United States Department of Labor, employment of Certified Clinical Medical Assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012 as the health services industry expands because of technological advances in medicine, and a growing and aging population. In other words, the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant profession is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the next ten years. Employment growth will be driven by the increase in the number of group practices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities that need a high proportion of flexible Certified Clinical Medical Assistants who can handle both administrative and clinical duties.
In view of the preference of many healthcare employers for trained personnel, job prospects should be best for Certified Clinical Medical Assistants with formal training or experience, and particularly for those with certification.
Course OutlineGeneral Information
PCCTI prepares you for the following certification exam:
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
- Please visit the official NHA website to find out the latest certification exam information
The course begins with an introduction to medical terms and vocabulary, as well as the guidelines for safe and professional medical practice and a brief overview of the human anatomy.
- Medical Terms and Vocabulary
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Professionalism
- Patient Communication
- Medical Law
Administrative Procedures
In the Administrative Procedures section of the class, the student is introduced to Medical Billing and Coding procedures, along with general bookkeeping, clerical duties necessary for a medical facility to function properly. The course may also focus on productivity software such as Microsoft Office, and accounting software such as QuickBooks and Medisoft.
- Written Communication
- Office Equipment
- Medical Records
- Appointment Processes
- Office Management
- Health Insurance
- Medical Office Coding (ICD-9 / CPT)
- Medisoft 10
- Intro to Computers
- Law and Ethics in Health Care
- Medical Office Administration
- Insurance Reimbursement Procedures
Clinical Procedures
The clinical portion of the course focuses on several aspects of general medicine, such as taking electrocardiograms (ECG) and blood tests, and performing simple emergency procedures such as Cardiopulmonary Resucitation (CPR).
- Infection Control
- Clinical Equipment
- Vital Signs
- EKG
- Phlebotomy
- Physician Assisting
- Laboratory Procedures
- Medication Administration
- Emergencies and First Aid
- Principles and Practice of Phlebotomy
- Clinical Laboratory Procedures
- Pharmacology Applications
- Medical Clinical Procedures I
- Medical Clinical Procedures II
The Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program includes:
- Law and Ethics in Healthcare: Importance of ethics, medical law, types of medical practice management, role of HMOs and PPOs. Group practices law liabilities, civil and criminal. Medical practice act, professional liability, HIPAA, TORT, Malpractice, medical records, collection practices, government plans, principle & practice among physicians and judiciary responsibility.
- International Classification of Diseases ICD: This teaches coding and reimbursement for the hospital inpatient setting designed to assist coders and those interested in coding careers.
- Principles and Practice of Phlebotomy:History & Advancement of Phlebotomy on a subject in Medical Assisting. Chain of infection, isolation techniques, protective equipment, lab requirements, uniform, charting, blood collections, equipment and supplies, evacuated tubes, capillary, butterfly infusion, venipuncture supplies, syringe method, blood draw methods & complications, finger sticks, processing specimens, order of draw, blood smear procedure for taking blood samples, rejection and other procedures. Special techniques in child patient draw, blood culture, arterial blood gas, throat culture, urine analysis, blood banks, vascular access devices, point of care testing, clia wave tests. Blood glucose cholesterol, chemistry panel, toxicology specimen skin test, and pregnancy test.
- HCPCS Coding: This program provides instruction and exercises in Modifiers, Supplies, Therapy, Outpatient PPS and Dental Durable Medical Equipment to Administrative Drugs Temporary DME, Orthotic/Prosthetic, Medical Services Pathology and Laboratory/ Diagnostic Radiology Temporary National Code (Non-Medicare), Vision Services
- Clinical Laboratory Procedures:Emphasis on examination, intervention treatment order by physician all vitals, documents and other surgical procedures and protocols
Chicago: (312) 920-8822
Oak Brook: (630) 705-9999
None.
Hours: 200 / 28 weeks / 7 Months Approx.