Clinical Medical Assistant

The Clinical Medical Assisting Profession

The Clinical Medical Assisting program is designed to prepare students to function as professionals in multiple healthcare settings.  Medical assistants with a clinical background perform various clinical tasks including assisting with the administration of medications and with minor procedures, performing an EKG electrocardiogram, obtaining laboratory specimens for testing, educating patients, and other related tasks. Job opportunities are prevalent with physician’s offices, clinics, chiropractor’s offices, hospitals and outpatient facilities.

The Clinical Medical Assisting Program

The purpose of the Clinical Medical Assisting program is to prepare students to assist physicians by performing functions related to the clinical aspects of a medical office. This course covers the following key areas and topics:

• Clinical responsibilities of the medical office – assisting the physician with patient related care
• Preparing patients for examination and treatment, routine procedures and diagnostic testing
• HIPAA, patient confidentiality, legal aspects of healthcare and regulatory patient care issues
• Recording and taking of vital signs, blood pressure, and other patient care items related to the physician office visit
• Review and administration of medications, allergies and other pharmacology related items
• Laboratory procedures, phlebotomy and the proper techniques required to collect specimens for laboratory analysis
• Cardiology and the proper placement of leads when taking a 12 lead EKG

Education and Certification

• Clinical Medical Assistants should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
• Students who complete this comprehensive course would be prepared to sit for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) national certification examination.
• In addition to facilitating entry-level clinical medical assisting related positions, this course is ideal for students interested in pursuing a future formal Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Nursing (LPN) or a Nursing (RN) program.

Detailed Course Topics Covered

• Responsibilities of the clinical medical assistant and introduction to healthcare facilities
• Medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, circulation of the heart and blood vessels
• Care & safety of patients, medical & legal aspects of care, confidentiality and HIPAA
• Effective verbal and non-verbal communication, interpersonal skills and human behavior
• Aseptic techniques, infection prevention, universal precautions, proper use and disposal of biohazards and sharps
• Documenting patient medical histories, updating patient medical files, vital signs and documentation
• Appling sterile dressings, preparing patients for x-rays, performing various injections, administering oral medications, instructing patients on the proper usage of medications
• Phlebotomy, venipunctures and capillary sampling, collecting specimens and point of care testing
• Performing 12 lead EKGs and EKG strip analysis (P,Q,R,S,T wave form)