Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health is launching a medical assistant school and specialized educational programs to expand career opportunities for healthcare workers, the health system said March 29.
The workforce development effort is part of a partnership between Adventist Health, which serves more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii, and Cope Health Solutions, a healthcare consulting and workforce development firm.
Under the partnership, a seven-month educational program that combines virtual courses with 200 hours of clinic-based learning and training will open for those who want to become medical assistants, the partners said. Medical assistants typically perform administrative tasks, such as updating and filing patient records, as well as scheduling follow-up appointments, and in California may also have some clinical responsibilities, such as recording vital signs.
The partners said scholarships will be available to local students, and Adventist Health's hospitals and clinics in Mendocino County and Central Valley communities will participate in the first year of the program.
In addition to the medical assistant program, programs will be created for recruiting, training and retaining clinical lab scientists, physical therapists and registered nurses, and the experiential Cope Health Scholars program will be expanded. The Cope Health Scholars program provides healthcare professionals with in-person experience in clinical and administrative healthcare settings.
Adventist Health and Cope Health Solutions said they hope the partnership will help with recruiting and retaining physicians and medical professionals, especially in rural areas where demand is highest.
More information about the Cope Health Scholars program and the medical assistant school sponsored by Adventist Health is available here.