In this course, students are provided a realistic record keeping experience for medical office assistants. Students enter data and work with protected health information in patient files using computerized patient billing and record keeping simulation. Legal and ethical issues involving billing and the submission of claims as well as security of health information are discussed. Students will use real world examples and develop practical skills through billing and health record management experience.

MDAS 105 is a prerequisite course for students who are planning to take St. Augustine at Lewis University’s Allied Health Programs. This course will address medical ethics, medical practice acts, legal responsibilities, liability, human relations and civil duties of the healthcare professional. This course is designed to enable the student to understand and apply legal and ethical issues as they relate to the healthcare practitioner.

In this course, students practice applying coding skills acquired in the CPT manual and the ICD-10-CM manual. Students find medical codes for diseases, conditions, treatments, and surgical procedures and become skilled at determining patient diagnoses and procedures by coding patient medical records. The importance of supporting documentation for every code selected is covered. Legal and ethical issues involving coding and the submission of claims are discussed. Students will use real world examples and develop hands-on experience through coding exercises that determine the correct codes to medical conditions, surgical procedures, as well as office visits.

This course will provide students with basic mathematical skills and their relation to the medical field. Topics include basic mathematical functions, fractions, decimals, use of ratios and proportions, dosages, percentages, and converting measurements. Students will also learn how to calculate dosages and conversions through instructor-created worksheets.

This course provides students with a basic understanding of their duties and responsibilities in the administrative front office. It also develops communication skills geared toward the medical environment. This course includes instruction in legal issues in the health care industry, developing good interpersonal relationships with other office personnel, duties as a receptionist, proper telephone etiquette, scheduling and recording patient appointments, filing and processing mail, and basic bookkeeping.

This course is designed to instruct the Medical Assisting student on routine procedures for the physical exam. Proficiency will be developed in taking vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate and respiratory rate) as well as the height and weight. Standard precautions will be practiced at all times. Students will learn how to take a patient’s medical history and do progress notes in new as well as established patients. Students will also learn how to perform venipunctures, and capillary punctures. Students are taught on how to administer injections within their scope of practice (intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal, and Z-track). An instructor certified by the American Heart Association will offer instruction and certification on Basic Life Support (BLS).

Students will be assigned to an affiliated physician’s office, medical clinic, or hospital outpatient clinic chosen by the Program Director of Allied Health. Students will serve in the front office administrative area and in the back office clinical area. It might be possible that a student will serve in one or more branches of the clinical site. Students will not receive pay for externship hours worked. The experience is designed to provide students with on- the-job learning activities during their externship rotation. Students are expected to pay for a physical examination and immunizations that are required by the externship site. Physical examination forms can be obtained from the Program Director of Allied Health. The MA Externship length is 160 hours.

This course provides advanced skills for the medical assistant. Pathological agents are studied. Diagnostic testing techniques are covered, including electrocardiography, gram staining and microscopy, and blood testing. Hemoglobin determination, glucometry, blood typing, blood smears for WBC count, and urinalysis are covered. Assisting in minor surgery will also be covered in this class. Other point-of-care tests are also performed by students such as throat swab for Strep throat test, pregnancy test, and Hematocrit determination. Students will also familiarize themselves with the commonly prescribed drugs by their classification and uses, along with side effects and contraindications.