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Responding to a need in the community, the Casper College Center for Training & Development soon will open a Clinical Medical Assistant training program on the campus. The classes will begin March 2. To register, visit www.adultedreg.com and choose Casper College.

The course fee is $2,595 and includes books, consumable supplies, externship and the course completion certificate. Financial assistance is available. The course is offered in partnership with Boston Reed College, which provides the curriculum.

Graduates will be prepared and qualify for optional certification offered by the National Center for Competency Testing.

The classes will be held at convenient times on evenings, afternoons and weekends.

A free informative session will be offered on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 6 p.m. in the Thorson Institute of Business, room 221, at Casper College. Financing options, pre-requisites and externships will be covered. For more information or to register or RSVP for the informative session, call Ann Dalton at 268-2085.

What is a Medical Assistant?

A Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) works in physicians’ offices or clinical settings, helping with procedures, care for patients, performing basic lab tests and administering medications.

According to Ann Dalton, Casper College Center for Training & Development Workforce Training Specialist, the CMA training level is between that of a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and a Registered Nurse. A CMA career does not require a college degree.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, starting pay averages $10 to $16 per hour. Demand is growing for medical assistants as employment in the healthcare field thrives.

According to Dalton, more CMA programs in Wyoming, through Boston Reed College, are in the works. In many states like Colorado, CMAs are a recognized field, and they are becoming widely used nationally. Sage Medical Group in Casper currently uses CMAs, Dalton said.

“Providers like them because the medical assistant helps the doctor spend more time with the patient,” Dalton said. CMAs help by taking notes, preparing the room and more.

An educated person in the room with the doctor and patient also provides a better experience.

Hiring CMAs helps medical facilities financially by allowing more time for doctors and nurses to perform duties specific to their training while CMA’s perform theirs.

“This really has been an effort driven by the community; there has been a need for it,” Dalton said. “We’re just helping to fill that workforce need in Casper and probably throughout the rest of the state.”

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