TDC Programs of Instruction

Medical Programs at Technology Development Center

Front/Back Office Medical Assistant

Front Office Medical Assistant

Medical Insurance Billing Technician
(Fast Track)

Physical Therapy Aide

John Loest - Medical Programs Instructor

John Loest - Instructor

Jo Wilmoth - Paraeducator

Deanna Bury - Paraeducator

Back Office Medical Assistant - 19 weeks

Course Information:

The Back Office Medical Assistant curriculum is taught through the use of hands-on skill demonstrations and practice, video presentations, books and software tutorials.

Training on medical assistant theory and skills begins early in the curriculum to ensure that the student has adequate time to practice. Students learn about the different types of medical practices, the medical assistant's ethical and legal responsibilities, and medical abbreviations and terms. The anatomy and physiology course presents the fundamental body structures and functions. The course begins with anatomical positions and progresses through each of the ten systems of the body.

The pharmacology course presents the essentials of drug calculation and how the different medications affect the human body.

In Venipuncture and Skin Puncture, the student is introduced to the theory and skills required to obtain a blood specimen in the doctor's office. This course is designed to meet the venipuncture and skin puncture requirement for medical assistants under the California Code of Regulations. After successful completion of this course, a venipuncture and skin puncture certificate is awarded. This certificate enables students to draw blood in a physician's office setting.

Contact 298-1744 for more information.

NOTE: Enrollment in the Venipuncture and Skin Puncture class is restricted to students enrolled in the Medical Assistant program.

Optional Course Enhancements:

Interactive Anatomy Lab
Internet Basics

Employment Opportunities:

Back Office Medical Assistant
Chiropractic Assistant
Optometric Assistant
Veterinary Assistant

John Loest Assisting Medical Program Student

Elements:

Anatomy & Physiology
Computer Operating System Fundamentals
Keyboarding 1
Medical Assistant Skills 1
Medical Assistant Skills 2/CPR & SFA
Medical Assistant Theory/Law & Ethics
Medical Terminology
Pharmacology 1
Pharmacology 2
Venipuncture & Skin Puncture
Word Processing 1

Software:

A.D.A.M® The Inside Story
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Word
South-Western Keyboarding Pro Multimedia

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Front/Back Office Medical Assistant - 32 weeks
	Course Information: The medical assistant profession is one of the fifty fastest growing occupations in the state. Employment of medical assistants is expected to grow almost twice as fast as the average for all occupations because of anticipated expansion of the health services industry. Students receive hands-on experience in medical record keeping and medical insurance billing. Topics include learning to schedule appointments, taking care of patients' needs in person or on the telephone, receiving payments, keeping medical and billing records, completing insurance forms, entering financial transactions into bookkeeping ledgers, and completing and mailing monthly statements to patients. The back office curriculum is taught through the use of hands-on skill demonstrations and practice, video presentations, books and software tutorials. Students practice skills related to all aspects of back office medical administration and learn about the different types of medical practice, the medical assistant's ethical and legal responsibilities, and medical abbreviations and terms. The anatomy and physiology section begins with anatomical positions and progresses through each of the ten systems of the body. CD-ROM software and filmstrips are available for student use in this area. In Venipuncture and Skin Puncture, the student is introduced to the theory and skills required to obtain a blood specimen in the doctor's office. This course is designed to meet the venipuncture and skin puncture requirement for medical assistants under the California Code of Regulations. After successful completion of this course, a venipuncture and skin puncture certificate is awarded. This certificate enables students to draw blood in a physician's office setting. Contact 298-1744 for more information. NOTES: Students who have a high school diploma or GED and complete the program listed above are eligible to take the RMA^® Certification Exam. This is a national exam for Medical Assistants. Fees for the exam are not included with the fee for the training program. Enrollment in the Venipuncture and Skin Puncture class is restricted to students enrolled in the Medical Assistant program. RMA^® is a Registered Service mark of the American Medical Technologists.

		Elements: Anatomy & Physiology Business English Computer Operating System Fundamentals Computer Spreadsheet/Graphics Computers in the Medical Office Electronic Calculator Medical Assistant Skills 1 Medical Assistant Skills 2/CPR & SFA Medical Assistant Theory/Law & Ethics Medical Coding Medical Insurance Billing Medical Records Management Medical Terminology Pharmacology 1 Pharmacology 2 Telephone Techniques & Technology Venipuncture & Skin Puncture Word Processing 1 Software: A.D.A.M^® The Inside Story Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Medisoft Employment Opportunities: Front & Back Office Medical Assistant Administrative Assistant Chiropractic Assistant Hospital Admitting Clerk Medical Assistant Medical Billing Clerk Medical Receptionist Medical Records Clerk Office Manager Optometric Assistant

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Front Office Medical Assistant - 21 weeks
	Course Information: The medical assistant profession is one of the fifty fastest growing occupations in the state. Employment of medical assistants is expected to grow almost twice as fast as the average for all occupations because of anticipated expansion of the health services industry. Students receive hands-on experience in medical record keeping and medical insurance billing. Topics include learning to schedule appointments, taking care of patients' needs in person or on the telephone, receiving payments, keeping medical and billing records, completing insurance forms, entering financial transactions into bookkeeping ledgers, and completing and mailing monthly statements to patients. In medical insurance billing, students learn procedures for billing patients for medical supplies and services. Students are also given instruction on the steps required to complete Medicare, Workers' Compensation, Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Champus and Superbill forms. Typing begins by using an alphabetic keyboarding program and progresses to the IBM WheelWriter typewriter/word processor. When a student begins this curriculum, a foundation is built starting with some basic clerical skills. Business math, Business English, typing, electronic calculator, record management, word processing and computer spreadsheets are part of the course curriculum. The above elements prepare the student to function proficiently in the medical office environment. Contact 298-1744 for more information.

		Elements: Business English Computer Operating Systems Fundamentals Computer Spreadsheet/Graphics Computers in the Medical Office Electronic Calculator Keyboarding 1 Math Intermediate Medical Coding Medical Insurance Billing Medical Records Management Medical Terminology Telephone Techniques & Technology Software: Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Medisoft Optional Course Enhancements: Accounting 1 Internet Basics Employment Opportunities: Data Entry Clerk Front Office Medical Assistant Hospital Admitting Clerk Medical Billing Clerk Medical Receptionist Medical Records Clerk Office Manager Optometric Office Assistant
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Medical Billing Technician - 23 weeks
	Course Information: The ability to process claims is a significant task, one that underlies the success of a dental or medical practice. A billing technician must be able to extract information from patient history, treatment and account records, use diagnostic and procedure codes, type correct information on most commonly used medical and dental insurance forms, detect and correct charge-entry errors and maintain an insurance claims register. They must know alphabetic and numeric filing, use a medical dictionary, look up code and procedure numbers and know the different claim forms. When a student begins this program, a foundation is built starting with some basic clerical skills. Business English, math, typing, electronic calculator and record management are part of the course curriculum. Because it is necessary for all office personnel to have a basic knowledge of computers and their uses, word processing and computer spreadsheet/ graphics are included to teach students to use the microcomputer as a complete desktop tool. Medical record management is an activity-intensive instructional program designed for mastering and applying alphabetic indexing rules in a medical office. Medical terminology is designed to provide students with the skills to learn terminology easily and quickly. Typing 1 begins with learning the keyboard layout and progresses to an IBM WheelWriter typewriter/word processor. The goal of medical law, ethics and bioethics is to provide medical personnel with a basic knowledge of legal issues applicable to the medical office setting. Medical coding enables the student to abstract information from the patient record and combine it with their knowledge of reimbursement and coding guidelines to optimize physician payment. Students work with the latest equipment, receiving hands-on experience with IBM word processing/typewriters, desktop calculators and PC computers while learning the latest software available. Contact 298-1744 for more information.

		Elements: Business English Computer Operating System Fundamentals Computer Spreadsheet/Graphics Computers in the Medical Office Electronic Calculator Keyboarding 1 Medical Billing Procedure Medical Coding Medical Insurance Billing Medical Law, Ethics & Bioethics Medical Records Management Medical Terminology Word Processing 1 Software: Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Medisoft Optional Course Enhancements: Accounting 1 Math Intermediate Employment Opportunities: Data Entry Clerk Hospital Admitting Clerk Insurance Claims Clerk Insurance Verification Clerk Medical Billing Technician Medical Receptionist Patient Accounts Clerk
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Medical Insurance Billing Technician (Fast Track) - 16 weeks

Course Information:

This "Fast Track" course is designed for the student who is already familiar with basic computer skills, including word processing, and also has adequate keyboarding skills. Emphasis for this curriculum will be to teach the student without previous exposure to the healthcare field how to complete medical and dental insurance forms on an entry-level basis.

The text/workbook introduces and simulates situations using Medisoft for Windows, a widely used medical administrative software. While progressing through Medisoft's menus and windows, students learn to input patient information, schedule appointments and handle billing. In addition, they produce various lists and reports, and learn to handle insurance claims, both on paper forms and electronically.

Medical coding utilizes information from the patient record and combines it with the knowledge of reimbursement and coding guidelines to optimize physician payment.

Contact 298-1744 for more information.

Optional Course Enhancements:

Computer Operating System
Math Intermediate

Employment Opportunities:

Data Entry Clerk
Hospital Admitting Clerk
Insurance Claims Clerk
Insurance Verification Clerk
Medical Billing Technician
Medical Receptionist
Patient Accounts Clerk

Prerequisites:

Math Test
Proficiency in Microsoft Word
Proficiency in Microsoft Windows
Proficiency in Typing

Elements:

Computers in the Medical Office
Computer Spreadsheet/Graphics
Electronic Calculator
Medical Billing Procedure
Medical Coding
Medical Insurance Billing
Medical Records Management
Medical Terminology

Software:

Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Medisoft

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Medical Receptionist - 14 weeks
	Course Information: The medical receptionist is an integral part of the healthcare team. In this program, students begin their training with medical terminology. The medical terminology course covers basic medical word roots, prefixes and suffixes, and the basic body systems. Personal typing begins with learning the keyboard layout and progresses to an IBM WheelWriter typewriter/word processor. Students work with the latest equipment, receiving hands-on experience while learning the latest software available. Students will then learn to use the computer as a complete desktop tool by learning word processing, spreadsheet/graphics and computer applications with emphasis on the computer operating system. In Computers in the Medical Office course, students will work directly on the computer, scheduling appointments and processing basic insurance billing information. To ensure competency in the clerical tasks, the student will complete personal typing and math intermediate. Medical receptionists interact with numerous medical professionals in a variety of tasks and are a key element in the healthcare team. Contact 298-1744 for more information. Employment Opportunities: Data Entry Clerk Front Office Medical Assistant Hospital Admitting Clerk Medical Receptionist Medical Records Clerk Optometric Office Assistant

		Elements: Computer Operating System Fundamentals Computer Spreadsheet/Graphics Computers in the Medical Office Electronic Calculator Keyboarding 1 Math Intermediate Medical Terminology Telephone Techniques & Technology Word Processing 1 Software: Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Medisoft
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Medical Records Technician - 19 weeks
	Course Information: Medical record technicians handle patient records for hospitals or other healthcare facilities. They interact with numerous medical professionals in a variety of tasks. Students in this program receive hands-on experience in medical record keeping and medical insurance billing. Topics include scheduling appointments, taking care of patients' needs in person and on the telephone, receiving payments, maintaining medical and billing records, completing insurance forms, entering financial transactions into bookkeeping ledgers and distributing monthly statements to patients. Students receive hands-on training using an alphabetic keyboarding program and progress to the IBM WheelWriter typewriter/word processor. Basic courses in business English and math prepare the student to function proficiently in the office environment. In the constantly expanding medical field, computers play an increasingly vital role in day-to-day activities. As an enhancement to the medical records program, word processing, computer spreadsheet /graphics, medical coding and computers in the medical office are offered. Contact 298-1744 for more information. Employment Opportunities: Records Clerk (Medical Services) Healthcare Coordinator Insurance Enrollment Clerk Medical Receptionist Medical Records Technician Unit Clerk
		Elements: Business English Computer Operating System Fundamentals Computer Spreadsheet/Graphics Computers in the Medical Office Electronic Calculator Keyboarding 1 Math Intermediate Medical Insurance Billing Medical Records Management Medical Terminology Word Processing 1 Software: Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Medisoft Optional Course Enhancements: Internet Basics Medical Coding
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	Pharmacy Technician - 21 weeks
Course Information: Pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of a pharmacist to prepare and dispense medication. They work in a hospital or other medical facility processing pharmaceutical supplies and equipment according to prescribed methods. In this program, students begin their training with medical terminology and pharmacology to learn medical word roots, prefixes and suffixes and the essentials of drug-dose calculation. Fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion, the metric system, and household and apothecary systems of measurements are covered, as well as how various medications affect the human body. Personal typing is presented to increase the students' processing of patient prescriptions. In medical insurance billing, students receive instruction on the steps required to complete Medicare, Workers' Compensation, Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Champus and Superbill forms. Pharmacy theory studies the background theory relevant to working in the pharmacy setting. Pharmacy law, the medication order, prescription interpretation, pharmaceutical calculations, drug preparation and drug classifications are covered in course modules. The Pharmacy Clinical Skills courses allow students to practice some of the hands-on skills of the pharmacy technician. Pharmacy abbreviations and trade and generic names are emphasized in the skills course. Students learn the steps to assist the pharmacist with preparing and dispensing medication by mixing pharmaceutical preparations, filling bottles with prescribed tablets and capsules and by typing prescription labels. As part of the program, the student may perform an externship in either a retail or hospital establishment for enhanced job readiness. In addition, this program prepares the student for the Pharmacy Technician Certification (PTCB) exam. Contact 298-1744 for more information. NOTE: A high school diploma or GED is required to register as a Pharmacy Technician. As part of the process, fingerprints are submitted to government agencies for a background check. Fees for photos, fingerprints and registration are not included with the fee for the training program.
		Elements: Keyboarding 1 Medical Insurance Billing Medical Records Management Medical Terminology Pharmacology 1 & 2 Pharmacy Clinical Skills 1 Pharmacy Clinical Skills 2 Pharmacy Theory 1 Pharmacy Theory 2 Telephone Techniques & Technology Word Processing 1 Software: Microsoft Word FSI Pharmacy Management System Optional Course Enhancements: Computers in the Medical Office Computer Spreadsheets/Graphics Electronic Calculator Internet Basics Employment Opportunities: Pharmacy Assistant Pharmacy Clerk Pharmacy Driver Pharmacy Technician
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	Phlebotomist - Evenings
Course Information: Basic Phlebotomy This class provides the basic 20 hours of beginning didactic training in phlebotomy required by the California Department of Health Services. Also included are additional hours of classroom lab time. Externships are available for students planning to apply for state CPT1 certification and who meet both the school and clinical requirements. Some externship sites require verification of immunizations in accordance with the policies of the clinical lab site. Class components include: Infection control, basic anatomy, medical terminology, patient identification, proper vein selection and skin puncture selection, collection equipment, post puncture care, and waste disposal. Students practice on each other or can bring a volunteer (over 18 years old) for the classroom lab. Dates and times will be announced in class. Attendance to all classes in the session is required. Prerequisite for enrollment: Proof of a high school diploma or GED is required and students must be 18 years of age or older to enroll in the class. (This is also a requirement for state certification.) Advanced Didactic Phlebotomy Instruction This class has been approved by the California Department of Health Services to provide a minimum of 20 hours of advanced didactic (theory) classroom instruction. After successful completion of basic phlebotomy, advanced phlebotomy, and the externship, the student is eligible to take the state and nationally recognized exam for Certified Phlebotomy Technician 1 (CPT1). Attendance to all classes in the session is required. Class components include: Advanced infectious disease control and biohazards, anticoagulation theory, knowledge of pre-analytical sources of error, anatomical site selection and patient preparation, risk factors and appropriate responses to complications, recognizing problems and taking corrective actions with specimen processing and transport, communication skills, ethics and legal issues, and quality assurance for accurate and reliable results.		Independent study lab sessions are available for students who wish to prepare for the State Exam after completing the basics and advanced courses and the externship. Practical Externship to be arranged Prerequisites: Phlebotomists with previous basic theory, education and experience will need to bring in written documentation of having 1,040 or more hours of on-the-job training in phlebotomy. All students, including those who have completed a 20-hour state approved basic class after April 9, 2003, must bring documentation at the first class meeting showing a minimum of 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures on real patients of varying ages, weights and health status. Verification must be on employer or externship site letterhead. Specifications are listed in Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. Employment Opportunities: Certified Phlebotomy Technician 1 in a clinical lab setting. Elements: Basic Phlebotomy Classroom Lab Advanced Didactic Phlebotomy Instruction Software: A CD-ROM accompanies the phlebotomy textbook.
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Physical Therapy Aide - 21 weeks
Course Information: Physical therapy aides work directly with patients under the supervision of a physical therapist. They provide routine treatments, assist with supportive devices and may also keep inventory records of supplies and equipment. To ensure competency in the clerical tasks, the physical therapy aide program presents courses in typing personal, business English, electronic calculator and record management. In medical insurance billing, students learn procedures for completing Medicare, Workers' Compensation, Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Champus and Superbill forms. The medical terminology course covers basic medical word roots, prefixes and suffixes. The anatomy and physiology course presents the fundamental body structures and function. The course begins with anatomical positions and progresses through each of the ten systems of the body. The physical therapy aide courses teach the background theory relevant to working in the physical therapy setting. Observation, reporting and charting, preparation for patient care, transfer techniques, therapeutic exercises, physical therapy agents and modalities, range of motion exercises and specialized therapies are taught in the course modules. During the physical therapy aide skill section, the student practices the skills required of the physical therapy aide in a realistic setting. Students learn the basic skills required for scheduling an appointment and completing a medical record. Vital signs, body mechanics and wheelchair transfer techniques are also covered. Contact 298-1744 for more information.
	Elements: Anatomy & Physiology Business English Computers in the Medical Office Electronic Calculator Interactive Anatomy Lab Keyboarding 1 Medical Insurance Billing Medical Records Management Medical Terminology Physical Therapy Aide Skills Physical Therapy Aide Theory Word Processing 1 Software: A.D.A.M^® The Inside Story Microsoft Word Medisoft Optional Course Enhancements: Computer Spreadsheets/Graphics Internet Basics Math Intermediate Employment Opportunities: Chiropractic Assistant Healthcare Coordinator Medical Receptionist Physical Therapy Aide Unit Clerk
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Back Office Medical Assistant - 19 weeks

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Front/Back Office Medical Assistant - 32 weeks

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Front Office Medical Assistant - 21 weeks

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Medical Billing Technician - 23 weeks

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Medical Insurance Billing Technician (Fast Track) - 16 weeks

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Medical Receptionist - 14 weeks

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Medical Records Technician - 19 weeks

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Pharmacy Technician - 21 weeks

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Phlebotomist - Evenings

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Physical Therapy Aide - 21 weeks

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