ESMO3000 - ESOL Supported Medical Office Front Desk Certificate Program

Course Description

Course approved for SNAP Scholarship.

The next session of this course is Feb 2024

This 20-week online program is designed for English Language Learners with intermediate to advanced English skills, focusing on preparing students for entry-level employment in the medical office field and providing additional training for those already employed in the medical sector. The program is taught by live instructors on Zoom, fostering interaction and engagement. Students with Intermediate to Advanced ESOL language skills will receive support throughout the program with a contextualized ESOL component that closely follows the academic curriculum.

The program consists of several courses:

1. Digital Literacy: The first course covers essential digital tools, including Outlook for calendar management, video conferencing applications (Zoom and GoToMeeting), Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, as well as Microsoft Office Applications like Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. Throughout the program, students will also participate in supported English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) studies to enhance their English language skills.
2. Effective Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Healthcare: This course teaches effective communication in a healthcare setting. It covers recognizing communication barriers, discussion diversity, respect, empathy, patient rights, teamwork, and professionalism through written and verbal communication. Students will learn to adapt their communication for patients with special needs. Office procedures such a phone etiquette, filing, scheduling, and mail management will also be practiced.
3. Medical Ethics: Students will learn key terms such a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), Advance Directives, and Release of Information as they relate to a medical office. This course emphasizes ethical considerations within the healthcare field.
4. Computer Keyboarding Practice: Typing skills are vital in an office environment, and ongoing keyboarding practice at home is required to improve students' typing proficiency.
5. Medical Terminology and Abbreviations: This section provides an introduction to medical terminology and the use of computers in healthcare. Students will learn about medical data entry, registration, scheduling, appointments, charts, and the significance of Electronic Health Records (EHR).
6. Basic Introduction To Medical Billing and Coding: Medical Billing and Medical Coding are two distinct but important interconnected parts of the healthcare system.
7. Career Development: This course helps students prepare for employment in a medical office. It covers different front office medial job types, further education requirements, and gaining practical experience. Students will create a PowerPoint presentation on a medical office related topic as part of this course.
8. Personal Finance Literacy: The final portion of the training introduces personal finance concepts. It covers budgeting, debt management, saving, credit history, insurance, taxes, investments, and retirement planning. The goal is to equip students with the knowledge to make informed financial decisions throughout their careers and life stages.

Requirements for enrollment include an intermediate or higher level of English proficiency (SPL 4/5).

Please contact us elsp@necc.mass.edu to get instructions on how to register.