OCTC's Medical Assisting Earns Reaccreditation and Retools Program for Fall 2024

by Bernie Hale

Owensboro, KY (02/21/2024) — Owensboro Community & Technical College's (OCTC's) Medical Assisting program recently renewed its accreditation. OCTC's program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). The CAAHEP is the largest programmatic accreditor of the health sciences profession, working with 2,591 programs at 1,365 institutions.

Programs must request to be accredited and then complete a self-study. A site visit is conducted by a committee on accreditation (CoA) that then authorizes the designation or may make recommendations for improvement. The CoA reviews the site findings based on the program's compliance with the CAAHEP standards. The CoA report is then sent to the national CAAHEP board for review and approval.

OCTC President Dr. Scott Williams commented, "Accreditation is an important value for our students. It ensures that our programs are of the highest quality, teaching the needed subject manner, use up-to-date equipment and remain relevant to our workforce partners."

Medical assistants are healthcare professionals who work alongside doctors in clinics and medical offices. They are responsible for providing a smooth workflow and scheduling, obtaining patient vitals, history, and insurance, and assisting with exams. OCTC's program offers the Associate in Applied Science degree, a shorter-term diploma, and the following certificates: medical assisting, medical office administrative assistant, medical office insurance billing and coding, and electrocardiograph technician.

Program Coordination Natalie Horstman added, "We are happy to have our reaccreditation established. I am excited to be able to focus on growing the program and getting more students in the workplace."

In addition, the program has been revamped to accommodate the busy adult looking to work while in school and maintain a busy family life. The program will meet two days per week on campus, with the balance of the program being delivered in an online format. This hybrid model will allow students the support they need but also offer the flexibility to work and/or tend to children while in the program. The program prepares graduates to sit for the national exam to become certified medical assistants.

The Medical Assisting program is eligible for the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship. This scholarship program is funded by the Kentucky Lottery and was created for citizens of Kentucky who do not have an associate degree and are interested in some high-demand fields. Find out if you qualify at www.workreadykentucky.com.

For more information about the program, please contact Natalie Horstman via email at natalie.horstman@kctcs.edu or call 270-686-4600.

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