Ivy Tech Community College is bringing its medical assistant education offerings to Hamilton County through a partnership with Community Health Network that provides space in the Community Health Pavilion in Noblesville.
The medical assistant program prepares students to work in the ambulatory care setting and focuses on patient care, venipuncture, electrocardiograms, vital signs, injections, electronic medical records and medical coding. Students that successfully complete the Ivy Tech program are eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam through the American Association of Medical Assistants. Medical assisting can also be a springboard career for students interested in nursing, which will be offered on the Hamilton County campus beginning in 2023.
“Community has been a great partner with Ivy Tech over the years and this latest effort to provide space for our students will help us address a critical need in our state’s healthcare industry by helping us graduate more students to enter the healthcare field,” said Ivy Tech Hamilton County Chancellor Stacy Atkinson.
In addition to providing clinical site space for the incoming cohort, Community has provided externship opportunities for medical assistant students. Externships provide students with temporary job training and learning opportunities to experience the potential of working in a healthcare setting.
“We are excited to work with our Ivy Tech partners in a way that will help address the healthcare workforce shortage,” said Community Health Network Chief Nursing Officer Jean Putnam. “Medical Assistants are a critical component of our care team, and we are pleased to provide learning space for educational collaboration.”
The demand for medical assistants in Indiana is projected to increase 15 percent between now and 2029. There are currently more than 16,000 medical assistants in the state with more than 2,375 openings. Ivy Tech graduated 239 medical assistants from fall 2020 through summer 2021.
The first Hamilton County cohort of six students began class this week and is led by chairwoman Lisa Owens. Owens serves as the Medical Assisting Program Co-Chair and Director of Clinical Education at Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis.
Ivy Tech Hamilton County’s healthcare profession offerings will expand with the completion of its new Health Sciences Lab, slated for completion in early 2023. The lab will be in the current campus facility at 300 N. 17th St., Noblesville. The 15,000 square-foot learning space will include classrooms, simulation labs, and student social space. In addition to Medical Assisting, it will offer Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) preparation and Nursing education.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering associate degree and short-term certificate programs, and trainings that align to the needs of the community. The College also offers courses and associate degree programs that seamlessly transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor’s degree.
About Community Health Network
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Community Health Network has been deeply committed to the communities it serves since opening its first hospital, Community Hospital East, in 1956. Community Health Network puts patients first while offering a full continuum of healthcare services, world-class innovations and a new focus on population health management. Exceptional care, simply delivered, is what sets Community Health Network apart and what makes it a leading not-for-profit healthcare destination in central Indiana. For more information about Community Health Network, please visit eCommunity.com.