Program Type
Certificate
Format
Off Campus (Online)
Estimated Time to Complete
Two semesters (One academic year)
Program Description
The Patient Access Specialist program prepares students to be trained as specialists who handle patient encounters, patient customer service questions and other registration duties within a healthcare organization. The Patient Access Certificate will provide the individual with entry level skills in patient registration/access duties. Students will begin with basic tasks such as answering the telephone, customer service skills, making appointments, canceling appointments, updating demographic information, verifying insurance coverage, and calculating co-payment. Through classroom instruction and a simulated office program, students learn proper phone etiquette, how to schedule, cancel and modify patient appointments, how to verify third party coverage and calculate co- payments. The curriculum is based on a 9-month certificate – with the option of continuing on to the 2-year Medical Administrative Assistant degree.
Mission
Institutional Mission Statement
Turtle Mountain Community College is committed to functioning as an autonomous Indian controlled college on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation focusing on general studies, undergraduate education, Career & Technical Education, scholarly research, and continuous improvement of student learning. By creating an academic environment in which the cultural and social heritage of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa is brought to bear throughout the curriculum, the college establishes an administration, staff, faculty, and student body exerting leadership in the community and providing service to it.
Career Outlook
The Patient Access Specialist will efficiently and effectively fill the demands of the healthcare field that have dramatically increased with the expansion of health care coverage brought about by the Affordable Care Act and the Meaningful Use incentives brought about by the use of the Electronic Health Record. Upon completion of the 9-month program, graduates may find employment opportunities with medical offices, hospital admitting departments, emergency rooms, and freestanding clinics as patient registration clerks, admission clerks and ward clerks. Additional experience may provide opportunities as managers or supervisors, in Patient admissions, patient registration or patient accounts.
Credit Hours
33 Credits
Application Deadline
Review the TMCC Academic Calendar for registration deadlines for each semester.
Plan of Study Grid
Year One Fall
| BIOL 115 | Human Structure & Function | 4 |
| BOTE 171 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| HIT 107 | Customer Service Strategies in Health Care Setting | 3 |
| HIT 176 | Introduction to Health Information | 4 |
| HIT 277 | Medical Office Procedures | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 17 |
Year One Spring
| HIT 178 | Electronic Health Records | 3 |
| HIT 182 | Medical Language Applications | 4 |
| HIT 270 | Medical Office Simulation I | 2 |
| HIT 274 | Patient Access Certification | 2 |
| HIT 282 | Medical Billing & Insurance | 3 |
| HIT 290 | Patient Access Internship | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |