Boost Your Career with a Diploma in Health Care Programs
In the matrix for the fastest growing occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected for 2012 to 2022, professionals in the medical and health sector came out on top, with the expected growth rate for industrial-organizational psychologists peaking at 53.4 percent. This was followed by personal care aides with a growth rate of 48.8 percent and home health aides, at 48.5 percent.
Diagnostic medical sonographers ranked sixth on the list, with 46.0 percent. Others also included on the list are:
- occupational therapy assistants
- genetic counselors
- physical therapist assistants
- physical therapist aides
- skincare specialists
- physician assistants
- occupational therapy aides
- health specialties teachers with postsecondary credits
- medical secretaries
- physical therapists
- orthotists and prosthetists
- nursing instructors and teachers with postsecondary educational credits
- nurse practitioners
- therapists specializing in other fields along with substance abuse
- behavioral disorder counselors
Data for the employment projects program was released in December 2013. With more than half of the jobs on the list involving the medical and health care sector, it’s not really any wonder why the Economic News Release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics cited a 2.6 percent projected annual growth rate for occupations and industries connected to the health care industry. Given the data, there’s a marked trend for jobs requiring specialized training, now more than ever. Here are just a few of the health care programs you can explore.
Medical Insurance Billing and Coding Associate of Applied Science
Coursework and classroom, along with real-world training, all combine to help prepare you as a medical billing and coding specialist. You’ll learn to keep track of a patient’s records. This includes records, bills and insurance information, along with official diagnoses. All of these are coded and collated.
Medical billing professionals like you ensure that the information is accurate, up-to-date and organized, using the right medical codes, whether it involves a current procedural terminology (CPT) or healthcare common procedure coding (HCPC). This way, insurance companies can act on the right information and provide their clients with the proper coverage. Patients, in turn, are aware of their payment and billing options every step of the way.
Patient Care Technician Program
Proper patient care is crucial in any modern health care setting. Instructions and guidelines on how to take care of your patients, to reach out and ease their suffering, to have a positive impact on their lives and their treatment is crucial and for many, an infinitely rewarding career. You’ll also learn EKG technology, giving you the necessary training to perform electrocardiograms on your patients and enhancing your effectiveness as a patient care technician. Preparing imaging results for physicians is also part of your job description.
Medical Assistant Diploma
This program trains you in medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology, administrative procedures, billing and coding, pharmacology, clinical procedures, laboratory skills and medical office management. The course also requires an externship so you’ll experience on-the-job training that will surely prove invaluable to you and your future employer.
Medical Office Specialist
As a medical staff, you’ll have to learn inpatient accounting procedures, triage, operative and medical report training, along with HIPAA privacy and security rules. Health and medical insurance and claims processing, medical coding and billing training, medical office administrative procedures and medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology are also covered in this program.
Vocational/Practical Nurse Diploma
If you’ve always wanted to become a nurse, this could be a great choice for you. You’ll train under the guidance of a physician, podiatrist as well as under a registered nurse and advanced practiced nurse to ensure that your training is comprehensive. Wound assessment and care as well as assuring patient safety and injury prevention measures are part of your training, among other things.
How to Become Part of the Program
You could take advantage of this trend by enrolling in a health care program. There are a lot of Texas Colleges that offer such programs so choice isn’t a problem—merely selection. Finding a college that meets your demand for flexibility is the challenge.
Institutions all over the state offer flexible program schedules along with quality education and training. With night and day classes, you’ll be in control of your schedule. So if you have plans to study and work at the same time, this is a good solution. This kind of set-up is especially suited for working professionals looking to reinvent their career.
For instance, Vista College has campuses in Amarillo, Beaumont, College Station, El Paso, Killeen, Las Cruces, Lubbock and Longview. You can pick the closest and most convenient campus for you, though online classes work, too, if you think the travel time to and from the school isn’t something your current schedule can accommodate at this time.