LTC and OCC Partner for Health Care

Recently, Lincoln Trail and Olney Central identified an opportunity for collaboration that has the potential to boost enrollment in an LTC program, meet the needs of a community partner, and improve the professional careers of the local workforce.

To meet the training needs of Carle Richland Memorial Hospital (RMH), OCC and LTC will cooperate in offering courses to RMH Medical Assistant employees. Currently, the hospital employs twenty Medical Assistants without a nationally recognized certification. As with the professionalization of any career, certification ensures quality, increases credibility, provides additional training, makes individuals more employable, and increases employee earning potential.

LTC’s Certified Medical Assistant Program prepares students for medical clerical duties, scheduling, record keeping, arranging hospital admissions, completing reports, processing health insurance, patient preparation, measurement of vital signs, assisting with first aid, and collecting and processing specimens. Successful completers earn national certifications though the National Healthcareer Association and/or American Medical Technologists. Students also have the opportunity to become certified Phlebotomy and EKG Technicans.

Through this opportunity, both current and potential Carle RMH Medical Assistants will receive training through LTC’s Certified Medical Assistant program while also enrolling in general education coursework at OCC. Ms. Laurie Jenkins, LTC’s Health Careers Program Director, will set up Saturday clinical opportunities for Carle RMH students enrolled in the program. “Health providers are increasingly finding that Certified Medical Assistants are an asset to their organizations. I am happy to make flexible scheduling opportunities for the RMH students.”