As a medical assistant, you’ll help instruct and treat patients as well as handle the administrative procedures needed to keep an office running smoothly. Medical assistants are skilled in connecting with patients and other allied health professionals.

You’ll work alongside physicians in outpatient or ambulatory care facilities, such as medical offices and clinics. Stark State medical assisting students are assigned to clinical sites.

After finishing your technical courses in three semesters, you’ll be eligible to take the certified medical assistant certification exam and the national certification to become a certified EKG technician.

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) work in all medical areas, such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes, health care clinics and even in a patient’s home. Graduates of Stark State’s practical nursing program receive a certificate of completion and are eligible to sit for the NCLEX Practical Nursing exam to receive licensure.

The day program offers a fall semester and spring semester start with classes Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The evening/weekend program offers a spring semester start ONLY with classes two evenings a week from 4 – 9:30 p.m. and clinical experiences every Saturday from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. All PN classes and labs are held at Stark State College Akron. Clinical experiences are at healthcare facilities within a 75-mile radius. There are 46 seats available with each new cohort.

Nursing is a rewarding profession that combines technology with caring to assist people in obtaining and maintaining optimal health.

The associate degree nurse (ADN) practice in a variety of settings: hospitals, long-term and extended-care facilities, clinics and other health care agencies. The ADN graduate functions in three primary roles: provider of patient care, manager of patient care and member within the nursing discipline.

Using the methodology of the nursing process, the associate degree nurse formulates clinical judgments, collaborates with clients and other health care professionals, and practices within legal, ethical and social obligations.

Stark State College’s ADN program consists of five semesters of academic coursework and hands-on learning experiences in the classroom, learning laboratory and clinical settings. The program prepares the individual to qualify for the licensing examination for registered nurses.

Prepare to work as a clinical assistant; infection control manager; practice manager; or dental hygiene assistant and/or receptionist in dental offices, dental clinics and public health facilities.

You’ll get training to provide basic, supplemental and supportive dental services alongside licensed dental professionals. The curriculum includes instruction in the dental sciences, materials, radiography, office management, preventative dentistry and general chair side procedures.

Courses are offered during the day, evening and weekends during fall, spring and summer semesters.

With two semesters and completion of major courses, you can earn a career enhancement certificate and be able to sit for Ohio’s dental assistant certification exam. After completing career enhancement certificate courses, you’re also eligible to apply for the Ohio dental assistant’s radiographer certificate. With four additional semesters of study, you can earn an associate of science degree with a major in dental assisting.*

Continually changing regulations for reimbursement of health care services have created a demand for qualified medical coders. This valuable member of the health information team is responsible for translating diagnostic and procedural phrases into coded form for reimbursement purposes, analysis of patient outcomes and research.

You learn third-party reimbursement methodologies, along with a thorough understanding of medical coding guidelines, anatomy and physiology and disease processes. You’ll also get a thorough understanding of the medical record content, legal and ethical issues and information systems.

The 36-credit-hour medical coding certificate program is a morning or night track to prepare you for entry-level employment. A new group of students begins each fall semester, with a rigorous schedule that includes highly accelerated summer semester courses.

Prospective students must meet criteria as outlined in program pre-application requirements, but fulfilling the criteria does not guarantee admission to the program.

Today’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry makes possible modern living including medicine, technology, and personal comfort at home and on the job, as well as food preservation. In fact, it supports almost every component of our way of life. The HVACR industry is growing and becoming more technologically complex. As a result, industry leaders have mandated that employees have a variety of skills including technical problem solving, communications, and customer relations. The new HVACR employee must be a professional in every way and has great potential for advancement. Areas of opportunity include factory or distributor technical representative; factory, distributor or dealer sales professional; system design technician; distributor or dealer customer service manager; project estimator; project manager; dealer field service technician and more.

Stark State College offers a commercial/industrial lab as well as a residential lab totaling approximately 4000 square feet. Both labs have a wide variety of modern HVACR and refrigeration equipment due to the many area HVACR and refrigeration businesses that support the program with state-of-the-art equipment. The HVACR program also has a 750-square-foot full sheet metal lab.

Massage therapy is a study of the interrelationship of body, mind and spirit. Massage therapists apply specific techniques to the muscular structures and soft tissues of the human body, effectively relieving pain and restoring function. Professional massage therapists are an integral part of a health care team and are recognized for their important role in helping to treat illness and chronic ailments.

Stark State College offers an associate of applied science degree in massage therapy that can be completed in five semesters and includes courses that prepare students for success in their profession. Upon successful completion, students are issued a certificate which allows them to apply for licensure with the State Medical Board of Ohio after receiving a passing score on the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) Exam, Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx).

Massage Therapists in Ohio are required to be licensed. The State of Ohio Medical Board approves the curriculum at Stark State and is the licensing agent for massage therapy. Therapists are licensed as limited medical practitioners and are able to work in private practice as well as hospitals, clinics, spas, doctor and chiropractor offices and in many other venues.

The massage therapy program at Stark State challenges the student in proficiency of hands-on skills as well as extensive knowledge of anatomy, physiology and massage therapy theory. Self-care for the massage practitioner, client wellness education and community involvement through volunteerism are also an integral part of the curriculum.

Massage therapists benefit from knowing that they make a difference in the lives of others, enjoy a high level of autonomy in their employment and ample time with clients to convey a sense of caring, which facilitates a healing environment.

Stark State College - Akron offers a program in Criminal Justice: Corrections that focuses on the study of the criminal justice system and how it relates to the field of corrections. This program covers topics such as the role of corrections in society, the history and development of corrections, and the various types of correctional institutions. Students will also learn about the different approaches to corrections, including the punishment and rehabilitation models, as well as the challenges and issues faced by correctional officers and administrators. By completing this program, students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a career in the field of corrections.

The LPN to RN bridge program offers the LPN an avenue to transition into the RN role capitalizing on the skills they have already learned as an LPN. This program offers the LPN the associate degree nursing education required for licensure and a foundation to pursue further educational opportunities in nursing. The applicant must be a graduate of an approved school and have a current, unrestricted Ohio LPN license.

A licensed practical nurse must inform the department chair if he/she is currently participating in the Ohio Board of Nursing Alternative Program prior to submitting an application to the nursing program.

This career enhancement certificate, offered entirely online, is 21 credit hours that prepare you for entry-level employment as a medical biller.

A medical billing specialist is responsible for preparing and submitting claims to third party payers for reimbursement. You’ll work with claims and claim denials to ensure maximum reimbursement for services provided, resolve patient billing issues, answer questions from insurance providers and be accountable for the financial health of the revenue cycle.

In this program, you’ll learn how to submit primary and secondary claims, how to verify a patient’s benefits and the steps to auditing and appealing an insurance carrier’s denial. As with all healthcare professions, there is an emphasis on confidentiality of the patient’s health record and compliant release of information.