College adds new medical training program

The Certified Medication Aide could prescribe medicine in settings like nursing homes and hospitals. The hospital in Globe asked the college to establish the training program.

“This is one step up from a CMA (certified medical assistant), so you can administer medication to patients in the hospital and in the nursing home – this is it’s own certification,” said Janice Lawhorn, the GCC board president hired to oversee the college’s bid for independent status. Currently, the GCC Provisional College District pays Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher to provide credentialing and run its programs.

CNAs make an average of about $36,000 per year in Arizona.

The college still has to find an instructor – a certified medical assistant with a master’s degree. The instructor will provide one-on-one supervision for students once they start their final, hands-on training in the hospital or nursing homes. The district already has nine students signed up for the program, which won’t start until March – providing the college can find an instructor.

“The certification will be offered the last eight weeks of this semester – and we will need between one and three clinical instructors on a part-time basis to help with the medication assistant program,” said Senior Dean Phil McBride.

EAC-Payson and its Globe counterpart have been building up training programs in medicine, often with the support of the MHA Foundation. The nursing certification offered by EAC in Thatcher is ranked as one of the best in the state, and includes programs on the EAC Payson and Globe campuses. EAC also has joint programs with Arizona State University, so students can start at one of the community college campuses and finish at ASU with both a bachelor’s degree in nursing and an AA degree from the community college. The program’s one of the fastest growing in the state.

The MHA Foundation also has an arrangement with the University of Arizona’s medical school to bring medical students working on an MD to Payson. The students get hands-on experience working with local doctors, in hopes they’ll get interested in specializing in rural medicine. Some 20% of Americans live in rural areas – but only 11% of doctors practice in those areas. The doctor shortage in rural areas has a big impact on the delivery of medical care in those areas.