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Healthcare Assistant and Healthcare Science

Mission Statement

The program mission is to prepare students with the knowledge, technical skills, and professional ethics required for entry level employment as a member of a healthcare team as well as to prepare students for competitive admission to an allied health program.

Work Environment

In 2008, the incidence of occupational injury and illness in hospitals was higher than the average for private industry overall. Nursing care facilities had an even higher rate. Healthcare workers involved in direct patient care must take precautions to prevent back strain from lifting patients and equipment; to minimize exposure to radiation and caustic chemicals; and to guard against infectious diseases. Home care personnel and other healthcare workers who travel as part of their job are exposed to the possibility of being injured in highway accidents.

Nature of the Work

Combining medical technology and the human touch, the healthcare industry diagnoses, treats, and administers care around the clock, responding to the needs of millions of people-from newborns to the terminally ill. About 595,800 establishments make up the healthcare industry; they vary greatly in terms of size, staffing patterns, and organizational structures. About 76 percent of healthcare establishments are offices of physicians, dentists, or other health practitioners. Although hospitals constitute only 1 percent of all healthcare establishments, they employ 35 percent of all workers.

The healthcare industry includes establishments ranging from small-town private practices of physicians who employ only one medical assistant to busy inner-city hospitals that provide thousands of diverse jobs. In 2008, around 48 percent of non-hospital healthcare establishments employed fewer than five workers. In contrast, 72 percent of hospital employees were in establishments with more than 1,000 workers.

The healthcare industry consists of the following segments:

Hospitals. Hospitals provide complete medical care, ranging from diagnostic services, to surgery, to continuous nursing care. Some hospitals specialize in treatment of the mentally ill, cancer patients, or children. Hospital-based care may be on an inpatient (overnight) or outpatient basis. The mix of workers needed varies, depending on the size, geographic location, goals, philosophy, funding, organization, and management style of the institution. As hospitals work to improve efficiency, care continues to shift from an inpatient to outpatient basis whenever possible.

Nursing and residential care facilities. Nursing care facilities provide inpatient nursing, rehabilitation, and health-related personal care to those who need continuous nursing care, but do not require hospital services. Nursing aides provide the vast majority of direct care. Other facilities, such as convalescent homes, help patients who need less assistance. Residential care facilities provide around-the-clock social and personal care to children, the elderly, and others who have limited ability to care for themselves. Workers care for residents of assisted-living facilities, alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers, group homes, and halfway houses. Nursing and medical care, however, are not the main functions of establishments providing residential care, as they are in nursing care facilities.

Offices of physicians. About 36 percent of all healthcare establishments fall into this industry segment. Physicians and surgeons practice privately or in groups of practitioners who have the same or different specialties. Many physicians and surgeons prefer to join group practices because they afford backup coverage, reduce overhead expenses, and facilitate consultation with peers. Physicians and surgeons are increasingly working as salaried employees of group medical practices, clinics, or integrated health systems.

Offices of dentists. About 20 percent of healthcare establishments are dentists' offices. Most employ only a few workers, who provide preventative, cosmetic, or emergency care. Some offices specialize in a single field of dentistry, such as orthodontics or periodontics.

Home healthcare services. Skilled nursing or medical care is sometimes provided in the home, under a physician's supervision. Home healthcare services are provided mainly to the elderly. The development of in-home medical technologies, substantial cost savings, and patients' preference for care in the home have helped change this once-small segment of the industry into one of the fastest growing healthcare services.

Offices of other health practitioners. This segment of the industry includes the offices of chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists, occupational and physical therapists, psychologists, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, dietitians, and other health practitioners. Demand for the services of this segment is related to the ability of patients to pay, either directly or through health insurance. Hospitals and nursing facilities may contract out for these services. This segment also includes the offices of practitioners of alternative medicine, such as acupuncturists, homeopaths, hypnotherapists, and naturopaths.

Ambulatory healthcare services. This segment includes outpatient care centers and medical and diagnostic laboratories. These establishments are diverse including kidney dialysis centers, outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers, blood and organ banks, and medical labs that analyze blood, do diagnostic imaging, and perform other clinical tests.

Employment

As one of the largest industries in 2008, healthcare provided 14.3 million jobs nationally for wage and salary workers. Healthcare will generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs between 2008 and 2018, more than any other industry, largely in response to rapid growth in the elderly population. Ten of the twenty fastest growing occupations nationally are related to healthcare. Many job openings should arise in all healthcare employment settings because of employment growth and the need to replace workers who retire or leave their jobs for other reasons.

Earnings

Average earnings nationally of non-supervisory workers in most healthcare segments are higher than the average for all private industry, with hospital workers earning considerably more than the average and those employed in nursing and residential care facilities and home healthcare services earning less. Average earnings often are higher in hospitals because the percentage of jobs requiring higher levels of education and training is greater than in other segments. As in most industries, professionals and managers working in healthcare typically earn more than other workers in the industry. Wages in individual healthcare occupations vary as widely as the duties, level of education and training, and amount of responsibility required by the occupation. Some establishments offer tuition reimbursement, paid training, child daycare services, and flexible work hours. Healthcare establishments that must be staffed around the clock to care for patients and handle emergencies often pay premiums for overtime and weekend work, holidays, late shifts, and time spent on call. Earnings vary not only by type of establishment and occupation, but also by size; salaries tend to be higher in larger hospitals and group practices. Geographic location also can affect earnings. Healthcare workers generally receive standard benefits, such as health insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, and pension plans. However, benefits can vary greatly by occupation and by employer.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition (http://www.bls.gov/oco/)

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the technical certificate in Healthcare Assistant will be able to complete the following:

  • Demonstrate emergency techniques required of entry level healthcare assistants (CPR, first aid, the use of fire extinguishers)
  • Adhere to legal/ethical principles in the practice of entry level healthcare skills
  • Demonstrate the personal and professional ethics and interpersonal skills that are expected in the workplace

Graduates of the technical certificate in Healthcare Science will be able to complete the following:

  • Adhere to legal/ethical principles in the practice of entry level healthcare skills
  • Demonstrate the personal and professional ethics and interpersonal skills that are expected in the workplace

Program Expenses

The Higher Education Act requires all colleges and universities to notify students and prospective students of all program costs for which they will be responsible. Students will be responsible for the following expenses each semester (unless otherwise noted):

  • Tuition ($75 per credit hour)
  • Registration fee ($39)
  • Student activity fees ($30)
  • Accident insurance fee ($6)
  • Instructional and technology supply fee ($55)
  • Background check (Approximately $40 per required check)
  • Malpractice insurance ($11 per year)
  • Program equipment ($50)
  • Textbooks (Approximately $950 the Healthcare Assistant program; Range from approximately $1,200 to $1750 depending on option chosen for the Healthcare Science program)

These expenses are based on costs in effect at the time this catalog was published. Prices are subject to change.

Gainful Employment

Information on graduation rates, job placement rates, median loan debt incurred by students and other gainful employment information is available on the college website here and here.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit the following information to the Admissions Office:

  • Completed and signed application for admission and a $20 nonrefundable application fee
  • Official high school or GED transcripts and/or official college transcripts from all colleges attended in the past (see General Admission Requirements)
  • Valid COMPASS, ASSET, SAT, or ACT test scores (see COMPASS and ASSET Placement Tests)