HCC Medical Assisting program awarded accreditation
Mar 30, 2016
Before you see a doctor, you must meet with the medical assistant. This person is at the frontline of every successful medical practice. Medical Assisting is one of the fastest growing health careers in the United States. Houston Community College (HCC) is meeting the demand for Medical Assistants in the Greater Houston Area by educating and training students in the heart of the Texas Medical Center.
The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) has taken notice and recently awarded the Medical Assisting Certificate program at HCC continuing accreditation for another eight years.
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014 there were 591,300 Medical Assisting jobs and the median annual wage was $29,960.
- Healthcare experts project employment for medial assistants will grow 23 percent from 2014 to 2024 and give partial credit to the growth of the baby-boom population and the increased demand for preventive medical services.
- As medical practices expand, physicians will hire more assistants to perform routine administrative and clinical duties.
“The program at the HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences trains medical assistants to be multi-skilled and prepared for a fast-paced environment and in-demand- career,” said Cynthia Lundgren, Medical Assistant Program director.
The accreditation standards are established by CAAHEP, Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB), American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and American Medical Association (AMA).
The Medical Assisting program at HCC trains students to function as multi-skilled technicians in ambulatory health care delivery systems. Skills include stress testing, phlebotomy, pharmacology, and administration of medications, medical insurance coding, administrative, and clinical duties.
This program is offered in the HCC Health Sciences Center of Excellence. For more information, visit hccs.edu/centers.