has worked in the industry for 18 years. A vita is included as Attachment 21.6, and professional development record as Attachment 21.7. Both full-time faculty members are Certified Medical Assistants through the American Association of Medical Assistants. Faculty generally agree that the number of faculty is adequate both in the classroom and laboratory. Part-time faculty assignments are based on the number of students and laboratory sections. Faculty are least satisfied with the amount of time (contact hours) awarded for clinical education classes because the amount of time required to supervise and communicate with supervisors at clinical sites, as well as student communication, exceeds the current allotted time according to the current formula for calculating faculty contact hours. Travel time alone to one clinical site can exceed the current allotted credit. Equipment The faculty strongly agree that the MA program offers lab equipment necessary to enhance student learning in both the administrative and clinical areas. Medical Assisting students share lab equipment with the Diagnostic Imaging and Clinical Laboratory Technology programs. Equipment is updated as needed through the budget process and installation of the newest equipment took place in October. A state-of-the-art Cell-Dyn Emerald was purchased and will be utilized for hematology analysis by both the MA and Clinical Laboratory programs. Advisory Committee Minutes are included as Attachment 21.8.
Program Highlights The medical assistant program recently received Continuing Accreditation from CAAHEP for ten years, the maximum number of years awarded, with only one minor citation. The program has maintained this status for 17 years. The medical assistant program assisted with Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the state Medical Assisting meeting. Students were actively involved in the planning and preparing phases, sold advertisements, and brought door prizes in addition to networking with other medical assistants throughout the state of Alabama. Three students attended the annual American Association of Medical Assistants Conference and educational meetings and volunteered as proctors for meeting sessions. The Medical Assistant Club participates in community service and activities on campus. The program was highlighted in the CMA Today magazine for its Collaborative Learning Project involving the Medical Assisting and Architecture students designing doctors’ offices. The program director was a national speaker at the AAMA conference in Atlanta, Georgia, in September 2013 and presented “Collaborative Learning Across Campus� highlighting the ways the program students collaborate with other programs on campus to enhance skills.
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