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Undergraduate Certificate in Rural Health Administrative Support

Qualified administrative support professionals are necessary to support the providers in rural health communities. The critical functions they provide include medical coding and billing, claims processing, information management, clinical documentation improvement, and business operations.

The Undergraduate Certificate in Rural Health Administrative Support is designed to address each of these functions through a six course, 18 semester credit hour training program. The program is funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and supports HRSA’s collaboration with the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) to enhance healthcare delivery in the rural counties and parishes of the DRA region. The parishes of the DRA served in this training program include Bienville, Claiborne, Jackson, Lincoln, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Red River, Union, and Winn. The aim of the program is to provide training to current employees working in the DRA region health care facilities as well as new entrants to the workforce and dislocated workers.   Anyone who lives or works in these parishes is eligible to apply for the training program.

Louisiana Tech and Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) will work together to teach and administer the program. Students will register at BPCC for the first three courses and Louisiana Tech for the last three.

A cohort of 20 will be accepted annually and will complete the program in three quarters. The online program allows students to learn on their own schedule, within a certain time frame. Technology used to design the program is state-of-the-art and will include immersive activities using virtual reality, real life simulations, and an interactive learning management system. Students will participate in a short online orientation prior to beginning the program. The orientation will provide students with skills to be successful in the training program.

Each student will also be assigned an advisor who can assist in course content navigation and answer questions. The cost of tuition, fees, and books is included in the training program. Students will be required to have access to a computer with camera and microphone as well as access to high-speed, reliable internet.

Courses:

  • HIM 101 – Diseases and Conditions of Rural Communities: A survey of medical terminology, anatomy, pathophysiology, and common therapies used in rural health settings.
  • HIM 111 – Introduction to Rural Health:  An introduction to the types of rural health facilities, including an overview of accreditation and licensure requirements, different ownership models and structure.
  • HIM 253 – Code Sets in Rural Health:  A study of classification systems used in rural health facilities, including current versions of ICD and CPT.
  • HIM 346 – Rural Health Revenue Management:  A study of the reimbursement cycle, billing rules and regulations, and health plans common to rural health.
  • HIM 432 – Financial Management of Rural Health:  An overview of rural health care financing and financial management of rural health organizations; emphasis on audits, contracts, and performance metrics.
  • HIM 476 – Rural Health Practicum: Professional practice experiences and simulations in rural health settings.

Each cohort will begin the program in August and complete the program in May of each year.

The strategic partners included in the training program are Bossier Parish Community College, Northern Louisiana Medical Center, Jackson Parish Hospital, and Betaflix, Inc.

This website is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $600,000 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

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