Program Info
Program Description
Prepares individuals to function with supervision in a health care office providing customer service as well as patient intake and discharge services. The curriculum includes medical office procedures such as scheduling appointments, managing the telephone, filing, mail duties, preparing and maintaining patient records, basic insurance claims, word processing, basic, spreadsheet and database skills, as well as medical office policies such as privacy requirements.
This program may be completed in one semester or it may be used as a stepping stone for the Medical Insurance Specialist certificate followed by the Associate in Business degree in Medical Practice/Facility Business Management. The students may elect to stop out at the end of any one of the three stages depending upon their career and educational objectives.
- Medical Receptionist, Level I Certificate, 13 credit hours
- Medical Insurance Specialist, Level II Certificate, 38 credit hours
- Medical Practice/Facility - Business Management Associate in Business degree, 71 credit hours
- Communicate effectively using verbal, non-verbal, and written communication as it relates to various health care providers and related businesses.
- Perform administrative front office skills within the scope of practice as it relates to an ambulatory care setting.
The employment outlook for the Medical Receptionist is good, but very competitive especially for entry-level positions. Information about career placement is available through the College Placement Office which also assists students in finding employment.
Many health care employers are now requiring criminal background checks and drug screens of their new applicants.
HFC continuously attempts to improve each program, and as a result courses and requirements may be modified. Curriculum, course content and admission criteria are subject to change by action of the College faculty and administration.
Admission Requirements
All students seeking admission into the Medical Receptionist Certificate Program must schedule an appointment with the Health Careers Student Success Navigator. Admission to the program is based upon satisfying the following admission requirements:
- A minimum high school grade-point-average of C+ (2.5) or a minimum average score of 55 on the GED test, or a minimum college grade-point-average of C (2.25) for both transfer students and Henry Ford College students.
- Eligible for placement in MATH 080.
- Health Careers typing test at 45 words/min or better.
Complete one of the following: - ACCUPLACER Reading score of 80 or higher.
- Successful completion of ENG-081 or higher
Once these requirements have been met, the student will be given a granted petition to register for classes from the program director. Once a class roster has been filled for a particular class, the student may place themselves on the course waitlist for the next possible seat.
Medical Receptionist program course waitlists are not carried over from semester to semester. The student will be required to meet with a health careers advisor to make sure they are placed in the proper class.
Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen
Consistent with Michigan Public Health Code and the requirements of our clinical affiliates, a Criminal Background Check and a Drug Screen clearance (on the first test) is required for all students in the medical assistant program prior to beginning their clinical assignments. The cost for the Health Appraisal, Drug Screen, Immunizations and background check are in addition to the cost of basic tuition and fee schedule.
The Medical Receptionist program may be completed in two semesters following a full-time schedule once the program admission requirements have been met, or the program may be extended and completed on a part-time basis. In either case, careful scheduling is required. Students are strongly encouraged to consult the Health Careers Student Success Navigator in planning their class schedules.
Program Requirements
Course name | Credit Hours |
---|---|
AH-100: Medical Terminology | 4.00 |
MOA-101: Administrative Medical Procedures I | 4.00 |
MOA-110: Processing Health Insurance Claims | 2.00 |
HCS-131: Computers in Health Care | 3.00 |