Clinical medical assistants combine clinical and procedural knowledge, working across the domain of health care facilities to aid inpatient treatments and clinical operations. They are tasked with working directly with patients and supporting the work of doctors and other health care professionals. The 100% online course will prepare you to work as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), designated by the National Healthcare Career Association (NHA).
Job Outlook for Certified Clinical Medical Assistants
The healthcare field offers one of the leading areas of opportunities for career growth today. Within healthcare, medical assistants are among the most in-demand professionals. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates job opportunities for medical assistants will grow by 16% by 2031. Medical assistants earn an average salary of $37,370.
Course Objectives
Prepare to take and earn the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam
Learn the the various administrative and clinical job duties of a medical assistant
Know the standards for ethical behavior, communication, and protecting patient information
Demonstrate basic medical terminology knowledge and familiarity with common clinical procedures
Be able to effectively run the medical office
Medical Terminology
Introduction to Medical Assisting
Laws & Ethics
Communications
The Medical Office Environment
Scheduling
Managing Medical Records
Health Insurance
An Overview of Medical Billing and Coding
Insurance, Claims, Billing and Collections
Finance and Accounting
Pharmacology
Pathophysiology
Infection Control
Reviewing Patient History
Recording Measurements & Vital Signs
Preparing for Exams
Specimen Collection
Phlebotomy
Testing
In-Office procedures
Medications
Handling Medical & Mental Health Emergencies
Physical Rehabilitation
Nutrition and Dietary Restrictions
This online class will begin within 24-hours of student enrollment. Students will have 12-months to access their course and will complete approximately 540 hours of course work during this time.
Instructor
Nancy Smith
Carline Dalgleish
Sharon L. Blackford
Stacey O'Brien
Nancy Smith has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Her clinical experience includes working as a medical assistant for a network of rural health clinics, and as a medical coder, insurance claims specialist, and medical records auditor. She worked as a medical office manager for ten years, where she recruited and trained all medical assistants. Nancy holds a bachelor’s degree in vocational education and has developed and taught medical assistant programs.
Carline Dalgleish has worked in medical office administration for over 30 years. She holds a bachelor’s degreein Business Information Systems, a master’s degree in Leadership, and a post-baccalaureate certificate inHealth Information Management. She is a Registered Health Information Administrator and an AHIMA Ap-proved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer. Dalgleish is the author of an ICD-10 coding system and also owns her own con-sulting firm, AnnGrant Educational Services.
Sharon L. Blackford, MA, BA, RMA, has over 30 years of experience in the medical field. She has amaster’sde-gree in Organizational Management, abachelor’sdegree in Business Management, and has served as a Regis-tered Medical Assistant since 1994. Sharon was anactive-dutyClinical Specialist in the U.S. Army for 10 years.Sharon later moved to the Gulf Coast to accept a position as the Director of Education of Blue Cliff College andwas promoted to Campus Director.
Stacey O’Brien has more than 10 years of experience in medical coding and reimbursement. Ms. O’Brien hasbeen a risk adjustment coder for a Medicare advantage plan, audited medical records for a consulting firm, andcurrently supervises the coding and electronic claims submission process for a group medical practice. She hasa bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a CPC coding certification from the AAPC.
WHAT DOES A CLINICAL MEDICAL ASSISTANT DO?Clinical medical assistants complete a variety of functions including patient scheduling, managing patient records, or assisting with routine procedures.ARE CCMAs THE SAME AS CNAs?No, CCMAs serve in a variety of clinical and administrative roles while Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) work full-time with patient care including dressing, bathing, and moving patients.IS CERTIFICATION REQUIRED TO WORK AS A CMA?While certification is not required to work as a CMA, many employers prefer to hire certified individuals as it validates a candidate's credentials.IN WHAT FACILITIES DO CCMAs WORK?CCMAs commonly work in hospitals, physicians' offices, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities, according to the BLS.WHEN DOES A CMA TYPICALLY WORK?It depends on the office, some work 9-5 while CMA's in an urgent care facility may be required to work evenings and weekends.HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A CMA?Short certificate programs last a couple of months while longer associates programs may take 2 years.
