Medical Assisting - Associate's or Diploma

Is a career as a medical assistant right for me?

Medical assistants provide care and comfort to people with health care needs. They're good at multi-tasking and work well as a part of a team.

What's the job outlook?

The demand for health care professionals is at an all-time high. As our population rises and technology advances, the need for high quality services becomes increasingly great. Medical assisting jobs are an instrumental part of this expansion. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012.

What will I do with my education?

Graduates of Heald's medical assisting program pursue rewarding careers in a variety of settings - including family and internal medicine clinics, hospitals, pain centers - and a wide array of specialty areas.

Medical assistants' job duties typically include both clinical and administrative tasks. While clinical duties vary according to state law, medical assistants generally write medical histories, record vital signs, prepare patients for examinations or lab tests, and assist physicians with examinations. They also perform basic tests on the premises, including drawing blood and administering injections. On the administrative side, medical assistants typically update and file patient records, handle insurance forms, schedule appointments, arrange for hospital admissions and lab services, and assist with billing. A Heald degree can help you qualify for positions ranging from clinical medical assistant and lab assistant to patient services representative.

Medical Insurance Billing and Coding - Associate's

Is a medical insurance billing and coding career right for me?

Medical insurance billing and coding is the perfect program for people who want to contribute to quality patient care from behind-the-scenes. Individuals who specialize in this area enjoy working with healthcare professionals and computer technology.

What's the job outlook?

Medical billing and coding specialists play a critical role in healthcare organizations by maintaining accurate records and protecting patient health information. Because healthcare organizations are being held to higher standards, opportunities for medical billing and coding specialists are plentiful. In fact, employment of medical billing and coding specialists is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2012*. At Heald, we can help you prepare for a rewarding career in this growing field.

What will I do with my education?

Graduates of Heald's medical insurance billing and coding program pursue rewarding careers such as medical record coders, clinical coding specialists and insurance claims analysts. They communicate with doctors and other healthcare professionals, manage medical records, and code diagnoses and procedures for reimbursement and research purposes.

As a professional in this field, your job responsibilities would likely involve collecting, maintaining and analyzing the data that doctors, nurses, researchers and other healthcare staff use to treat patients. You could end up working in a hospital, managed care organization, ambulatory care facility, insurance company, or even a government agency.

Medical Office Administration - Associate's or Diploma

Is a career in medical office administration right for me?

Medical office administration is the perfect program for people who want to help provide care and comfort to people with medical or dental needs. Individuals who specialize in this area generally have good multi-tasking and communication skills.

What's the job outlook?

The health services industry is thriving, and medical office administration jobs are at the heart of its growth. As our population rises and technology advances, the need for high quality health care services becomes increasingly great. The medical office administration field is an instrumental part of this expansion, so there's never been a better time to follow this career path.

What will I do with my education?

Graduates of Heald's medical office administration program pursue rewarding careers in a variety of positions, including medical office assistant, medical administrative assistant, patient representative and administrative assistant. With this expertise, you can be an integral part of any health care team, responsible for giving patients the most pleasant experience possible.

If you work for a small practice, you might handle general administrative tasks, such as greeting patients, scheduling appointments, filing records, purchasing supplies and equipment, and keeping the waiting and examining rooms in order. You might also educate patients about medication and special diets, and call prescriptions into a pharmacy. In larger practices and hospitals, medical office assistants tend to have particular areas of expertise, such as admissions, or insurance billing and coding.

*Occupational Outlook Quarterly

Program availability may vary by campus and by quarter.