Healthcare Programs   

The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program is a combination of 86 hours of classroom theory/lab and 24 hours of supervised clinicals. Training is offered that prepares the student to practice patient/resident care that includes activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, and grooming in addition to other non-skilled direct care needs in the long-term care setting. CNAs work under the supervision of licensed nurses.

This course prepares students to function effectively in many of the administrative and clerical positions of the health care industry. Medical administrative assistants, medical secretaries, and medical records clerks are all positions in great demand. This program covers important background information on the medical assisting profession and interpersonal skills, medical ethics and law, medical terminology, basics of insurance billing and coding, telephone techniques, scheduling appointments, medical records management, and management of practice finances. This program is intended to provide students with a well-rounded introduction to medical administration to gain the skills required to obtain a medical administrative assistant position in the healthcare field.

This program is intended for students who want to prepare for an exciting, challenging, and rewarding career in healthcare. This program will train students to assist physicians by performing functions related to the clinical responsibilities of a medical office. Instruction includes preparing patients for examination and treatment, routine laboratory procedures, diagnostic testing, technical aspects of phlebotomy, and the cardiac life cycle. Students will review important topics including phlebotomy, pharmacology, the proper use and administration of medications, taking and documenting vital signs, cardiology including proper lead placements, professional workplace behavior, ethics, and the legal aspects of healthcare. This program includes 140 hours of classroom lectures, hands-on labs, and a 160 hour clinical externship at a local healthcare provider.

The Dental Assisting Program prepares students for entry level positions in one of the fastest growing health care positions. The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with all areas of pre-clinical dental assisting and provide training in the professional skills required to function as an assistant in dental practice. This course covers administrative aspects (the history of dentistry and dental assisting, introduction to the dental office, the legal aspects of dentistry, policies and guidelines) and clinical aspects (introduction to oral anatomy, dental equipment, introduction to tooth structure, primary and permanent teeth, the oral cavity and related structures, proper patient positioning, dental handpieces, sterilization).

The medication aide program is a 100-hour, non-credit training course that prepares the student to administer routine medications to patients in a variety of healthcare settings, primarily long-term care. Medication aides practice under the supervision of licensed nurses. This program is governed by the Alabama Board of Nursing.

 

Patient Care Technicians work in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and assisted living facilities. These professionals must possess the technical skills necessary to service complex patient care issues including rehabilitation services, diagnostic tests, basic bedside care, collection of laboratory specimens, phlebotomy, and EKGs. In addition to labs requiring a student to practice and demonstrate EKG, phlebotomy, and base line nursing skills, lecture topics of this program include medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and miscellaneous patient care concepts. Other topics include HIPAA; vital signs; patient care; personal hygiene and grooming; and aseptic technique among others.

This comprehensive course will prepare students to enter the pharmacy field and to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s PTCB exam. Technicians work in hospitals, home infusion pharmacies, community pharmacies, and other health care settings under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. Course content includes medical terminology specific to the pharmacy, reading and interpreting prescriptions, and defining drugs by generic and brand names. Students will learn dosage calculations, I.V. flow rates, drug compounding, dose conversions, dispensing of prescriptions, inventory control, and billing and reimbursement.

The Phlebotomy Technician program prepares professionals to collect blood specimens from clients for the purpose of laboratory analysis. Students will become familiar with all aspects related to blood collection and develop comprehensive skills to perform venipunctures completely and safely. This course covers the following topics: terminology, anatomy and physiology, blood collection, specimen hands-on practice, training in skills and techniques for puncture methods, lab exercises, live blood draws, and working with a training arm.