Medical Technician Programs

Admissions and Course Prerequisites:

All students entering AHDPG must submit or achieve the following:

• High School Diploma or the Equivalent, or Academic, Employer or Family Sponsorship.
• Complete the assessment associated with their respective program, as necessary.
• Maintain up-to-date information on the AHDPG Student Profile.

Program Overviews:

EKG Technician Program

This EKG Technician Program prepares students to perform EKGs. This course will include information on the anatomy and physiology of the heart, medical disease processes, medical terminology, medical ethics, legal aspects of patient contact, electrocardiography, and stress testing.

This EKG Technician program prepares students to function as EKG technicians. This course covers the following key areas and topics:

• Detailed anatomy and physiology of the heart
• Medical disease processes and terminology
• Medical ethics and legal aspects of patient contact
• Electrocardiography and echocardiography
• An introduction to the components, function, and proper use of the EKG machine
• The normal anatomy of the chest wall for proper lead placement
• 12-lead placement and other practices
• EKG Technician Detailed Course Information:

Role of the EKG technician

• Function of the EKG department in a variety of settings (hospital, clinic, office, mobile service)
• Medical terminology related to electrocardiography
• Care and safety of patients, including medical and legal aspects of patient care
• Anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system
• Electrophysiology, the conduction system of the heart, and the cardiac cycle
• Circulation of blood through the heart and vessels
• Lead placement for 12-lead electrocardiography
• Basic EKG interpretation of normal rhythms and arrhythmias
• EKG troubleshooting including recognizing artifacts
• Waves and measurements
• EKG strip analysis (P, Q, R, S, T waveform interpretation)
• Identification of rhythms using the 12-lead EKG
• Pacemakers
• Holter monitoring and the echocardiogram

Students who complete this comprehensive course will receive a certificate of completion from AHDPG and will be prepared to sit for the national certification exam administered by the National Health Career Association (NHA). Check your state requirements prior to enrolling.

Patient Care Technician Program

The healthcare industry is currently undergoing major changes in the way patient care is provided. This restructuring has resulted in the introduction of a new category of healthcare workers trained to perform a variety of patient care services. Patient Care Technicians must possess the technical skills necessary to service complex patient personal care issues, including the implementation of selected portions of a specific care plan that may include rehabilitation services, basic bedside care, collection of laboratory specimens, Phlebotomy, and EKGs. They work alongside doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers to oversee and monitor patients. This Patient Care Technician program will provide students with the basic medical knowledge and hands-on skills necessary to perform or obtain technical diagnostic testing and perform direct patient care.

Course Outcomes:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain the role of the Patient Care Technician.
• Explain Confidentiality and HIPAA.
• Recognize medical terminology and anatomy and physiology.
• Describe the various types and functions of healthcare facilities.
• Describe the function of the patient care departments in a variety of healthcare settings.
• Explain practices leading to patient safety.
• Demonstrate an understanding of basic medical law and ethics.
• Communicate effectively in a professional healthcare environment.
• Demonstrate interpersonal skills and application of knowledge of human behavior for a variety of patient types.
• Describe the anatomy and basic physiology of each of the body systems.
• Describe common disease states.
• Describe aseptic techniques and infection prevention procedures in both sterile and nonsterile environments.
• Explain how to observe and report the patient’s condition.
• Explain procedures related to mobility, body position, patient movement, and transfer.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the nursing process as it relates to caring for patients.
• Explain common procedures related to rehabilitation and restorative care (ambulation, range-of-motion exercises, etc.)
• Explain how to measure vital signs.
• Explain the procedure for setting up and assisting with a basic EKG procedure.
• Demonstrate how to assist patients with oral and personal hygiene (bathing, showering, etc.)
• Demonstrate how to assist a patient with basic grooming (hair care, nail care, shaving, etc.)
• Demonstrate how to make an occupied and unoccupied bed.
• Demonstrate how to assist a patient with dressing and undressing.
• Explain the procedures related to bowel elimination and colostomy care.
• Explain procedures related to toileting, incontinence, and catheter care.
• Explain how to monitor fluid intake and output.
• Explain procedures related to feeding patients and general nutrition.
• Explain procedures related to basic respiratory care (deep breathing exercises, assisting with nebulizer treatments, etc.)
• Explain procedures related to routine wound care.
• Demonstrate proper procedures for routine venipuncture and capillary blood collection.
• Demonstrate how to provide proper instructions for routine specimen collection (urine, sputum, stool, etc.)
• Demonstrate how to properly complete routine patient care activities, such as skin prep for procedures, applying antiembolitic elastic stockings, applying hot and cold packs, etc.)

Phlebotomy Technician Program

The Phlebotomy Technician program prepares individuals to collect blood from clients for the purpose of laboratory analysis.  This course covers the following key areas and topics:

Course Objectives:

• Process and procedures for collecting blood specimens for laboratory analysis.
• All aspects of blood collection and related procedures.
• The order of draw.
• Universal precautions
• Skills to perform venipunctures completely and safely.
• Terminology and related anatomy and physiology.

 Detailed Course Topics Covered:

• The history of phlebotomy and the healthcare setting.
• Quality assurance and legal issues.
• Infection control, safety, first aid, and personal wellness.
• Universal precautions including safety protocols and infection control.
• Laboratory operations (e.g. safety, quality control)
• Blood banks and blood typing, lab departments and personnel.
• Medical terminology and laboratory theory.
• Human anatomy and physiology of the circulatory system.
• Specimen collection, processing, and handling.
• Blood collection equipment, additives, and order of the draw.
• Venipuncture specimen collection procedures.
• Capillary puncture equipment and procedures.
• Special collections and point-of-care testing.
• Arterial puncture procedures.
• Non-blood specimens and tests.
• Pediatric and geriatric blood collection.
• Blood and blood composition, blood tubes, coagulation, venipuncture protocols, etc.

The Clinical Phlebotomy Externship is a standard 40-hour unpaid rotation. During these Externships, students are given a chance to get hands-on experience and practice phlebotomy procedures on patients with supervision. The Externship is designed to ensure students get a minimum of 50 accurate sticks (a combination of venipuncture/capillary sticks and 10 skin punctures) and record this on a log sheet that is signed by a lab supervisor.

Students who complete this comprehensive course will receive a certificate of completion from AHDPG and will be prepared to sit for the national certification exam administered by the National HealthCareer Association (NHA). Check your state requirements prior to enrolling.

Grading Scale:

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PERcentage Range	Letter Grade	Point Value
90 – 100	A	4.0
80 – 89	B	3.0
70 – 79	C	2.0
0 – 69	Failing	0.0

A minimum grade average of 70% is required to proceed from one course/subject module within the Coding and Billing program to the next course/subject module.

The composition of grades including applicable categories of assignments and associated weights varies by subject module and can be found in the individual course syllabuses.

Tuition and Fees:

EKG Technician Program

Tuition fee: $1,450.00
Books, Materials, and Technology Fee: $795.00 (nonrefundable)
Administrative Fee: $50.00 (nonrefundable)

Patient Care Technician Program

Tuition fee: $1,950.00
Books, Materials, and Technology Fee: $495.00 (nonrefundable)
Administrative Fee: $50.00 (nonrefundable)

Phlebotomy Technician Program

Tuition fee: $1,450.00
Books, Materials, and Technology Fee: $795.00 (nonrefundable)
Administrative Fee: $50.00 (nonrefundable)

Other Fees:

• 3% Convenience Fee (nonrefundable). Waived for direct bank draft payments.
• Extension Fee: Students requiring more time in the program than originally allocated will incur an Extension Fee. The Extension Fee will be assessed at $195 per month for students who pay upfront for their program or the monthly payment for students on the monthly payment plan.
• Missed Payment/Return Payment Fee: A $40 fee will be charged for each missed or returned payment.
• Readmission Fee: A student who leaves a program and consequently requests readmission will incur a Readmission Fee of $200.00.
• Transcript Fee: A fee of $15 will be charged for each transcript requested.

Completion Requirements:

Academics – A minimum score of 70% is required for graduation.

Remediation – The facilitator will work with any student who seems to be struggling to achieve and maintain a minimum course average of 70%. Any student who is in danger of not achieving the 70% required to pass the to the next semester will be counseled by the instructor and a plan for Student Improvement will be written. This plan will be placed in the student’s official file.