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Medical Administrative Assistant

The Medical Administrative Assistant certificate program is designed to provide clerical and administrative staff with knowledge of common medical procedures and terminology used in a medical office. Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants positions require specialized healthcare training in medical law, medical ethics, medical billing, medical coding, and medical transcription.  

This program approved for WIA and TAA funding.

Medical Law and Ethics

This course provides instruction in principles, procedures, and regulations involving legal and ethical relationships among physicians, patients, and medical assistants.  Includes current ethical issues and risk management as they relate to the practice of medicine and fiduciary responsibilities.

Medical Insurance

This course emphasizes accurate ICD-9 and CPT coding of office procedures for payment reimbursement by patient or third party and prevention of insurance fraud.  Additionally topics may include managed care or medical economics.

Medical Terminology

This course provides a study and practical application of a medical vocabulary system.  Includes structure, recognition, analysis, definition, spelling, pronunciation, and combination of medical terms from prefixes, suffixes, roots, and combining forms.

Administrative Procedures

This course in medical office procedures which may include appointment scheduling, medical records creation and maintenance, phone communications, transcriptions, coding, billing, collecting, third party reimbursement, credit arrangements, and use of computer in the medical office.

Computers in Health Care

Introduction to the concepts of computer technology related to health care and the tools and techniques for collecting, storing, and retrieving health care data using Medisoft software.

Operating Systems

This course is designed to assist beginning students gain expertise in Windows XP. The topics include menus and dialog boxes, creating and saving files, creating shortcuts, organizing files, sharing data between files and applications, customizing the desktop, and using the Internet.

Word Processing Level 1

Prerequisites: Windows or equivalent skills. Word processing program that allows students to efficiently create and revise professional documents such as letters, reports, memoranda, and resumes. Topics include saving and retrieving documents, formatting basic business documents, changing fonts, printing, and block functions. The use of spell checker and thesaurus and mouse techniques will also be covered.

Spreadsheets Level 1

Prerequisites: Windows or equivalent skills. Topics include terminology, basic commands to create and save a file, how to write formulas, and how to perform mathematical calculations.  Also is covered is worksheet editing, formatting, and printing.

Presentation Tools Level

Prerequisites: Windows or equivalent skills. Topics include: creating and working with a presentation; outlining, adding and modifying text; drawing and modifying objects; changing masters and using color schemes; creating, editing and formatting graphs; creating organizational charts; linking information with other applications; and producing a presentation.

Business Writing

Students learn to develop a mastery of language skills and written communications.  Students are encouraged to develop their critical thinking, decision-, making, and problem-solving skills.

Customer Service

Topics include fostering positive attitudes, recognizing and dealing with customer turnoffs, dealing with dissatisfied customers, exceeding customer expectations, using behaviors that win customer loyalty, getting others to give great service, applying winning telephone, email, and web site techniques, using written messages, and understanding the one-to-one customer future.

Cultural Diversity in Today’s Workforce

This course provides an overview of workplace diversity to include gender, cultural background, age, and other factors. Topics include behavioral expectations and standards in today’s workplace.

Career Development

This course will provide the student with knowledge and skills to obtain and maintain a job.  Topics to include are career and personality assessments, interviewing techniques, resume writing, salary negotiations, working with community agencies, and developing a career portfolio.

For more information, contact Schneil Dunn at 972-860-7077 or email SchneilDunn@dcccd.edu.