Administrative Healthcare Assisting

Program Description
The Administrative Healthcare Assisting (AHA) Certificate program at SUNY Erie offers an opportunity for students to learn either administrative or clinical aspects of the Medical Assisting profession.

AHA students develop a professional vocabulary of medical terminology and gain an understanding medical law and ethics for healthcare professionals including healthcare competency, equity, cultural competence, and patient navigator concepts. AHA students also learn the standards and features of an EHR system and appointment scheduling using the MEDENT Electronic Health Record (EHR) Practice Management System.

The Administrative Healthcare Assisting (AHA) Certificate program offers two different concentrations to prepare students for employment positions in a variety of medical and healthcare settings in one academic year:

AHA Administrative Concentration:
The Administrative Concentration incorporates eleven (11) existing administrative courses required by the Medical Assisting AAS program and focuses on administrative procedures and financial processes for the medical practice, physician office coding and reimbursement procedures, including ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS II, managed care, revenue cycles and remittance advices.
 
Midway through their second semester, students participate in a supervised administrative externship experience of at least 80 contact hours in an assigned SUNY Erie affiliated healthcare setting. Bridging the gap between student and allied healthcare professional, the externship gives students the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of AHA Program Competency requirements.  Students will perform administrative skills acquired throughout the duration of the Administrative Healthcare Assisting program, earning practical experience while engaging with other members of the healthcare team.
 
The goal of the Administrative Concentration is to produce graduates who possess the necessary knowledge of contemporary patient-centered healthcare practices and the necessary administrative skills to become efficient administrative healthcare assistants. A nationally recognized certification exam is administered upon successful program completion for graduates to demonstrate competency in skills attainment as they begin careers as certified administrative health assistants and work alongside other valued members of the allied healthcare team. This concentration also provides a broad base of information that allows graduates to successfully continue their education in a related healthcare field or apply credits toward a Medical Assisting AAS degree or other 2-year and 4-year Allied Health programs such as Healthcare Administration, Health Information Management (HIM), or (HIT) Health Information Technology (HIT).

AHA Clinical Concentration:
For those seeking an in-demand entry-level career in the healthcare industry, the Clinical Concentration incorporates twelve (12) Medical Assisting AAS courses and introduces students to the role of the phlebotomy technician in a simulated clinical environment while providing a credentialing pathway that prepares learners for national certification exams. In addition to using simulation arms to practice basic venipuncture skills and learn the phlebotomy specimen collection process and phlebotomy theory and techniques, students will learn the fundamentals of laboratory safety, proper disposal of biohazardous waste materials and medical sharps, and discuss established regulations and standards, quality assurance and liability risk management as they apply to the practice of phlebotomy. 
 
In the second semester, students obtain direct patient care experience collecting clinical samples from actual patients under the supervision of a host-site preceptor during individually assigned off-campus clinical rotations using techniques and skills learned in the on-campus simulated clinical environment. Students also complete compliance training sessions in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards regarding Bloodborne Pathogens, Infection Control and Laboratory Safety procedures, as well as the standards to safeguard protected health information (PHI) as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 
 
The goal of the Clinical Concentration is to produce graduates who possess the necessary knowledge to work effectively with patients alongside other valued members of the allied healthcare team as entry-level certified phlebotomists. A nationally recognized certification exam is administered upon successful program completion for graduates to demonstrate competency in skills attainment as they begin careers as certified phlebotomists but may serve as a gateway into another healthcare career and/or add valuable experience and certification to enhance another degree. This concentration also provides a broad base of information that allows graduates to successfully continue their education in a related healthcare field or apply credits toward a Medical Assisting AAS degree or other 2-year and 4-year Allied Health programs such as Nursing or Clinical Laboratory.