Health Sciences

If you enjoy precision and detail, consider a medical coding career. As a medical coder, you'll review medical documentation provided by physicians and translate it into numeric codes that represent diagnoses and treatment. In addition to coding, courses also cover anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, diseases, health data management, and computer applications. The coded data are used for many purposes, including healthcare claims and research.

Graduates of this program are employed as entry-level coding specialists in hospitals, clinics, physician practices, surgery centers, care facilities, consulting companies, billing services, and insurance companies.

Graduates are eligible to take the Certified Coding Associate exam of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Additional certification exams and career opportunities are available for those with on-the-job coding experience.

As a medical assistant (MA), you would be an indispensable member of a healthcare team, directly assisting a physician or RN. This program prepares you for an active role in providing care-assisting with examinations, carrying out select medical and diagnostic procedures, collecting specimens, and performing routine laboratory tests.

The program focuses on laboratory and clinical procedures, insurance and finance, medical terminology, and skills to keep a medical office running smoothly. You'll also get valuable on-the-job experience. Graduates become medical assistants, laboratory assistants, phlebotomists, insurance clerks, and electrocardiogram technicians in a variety of medical settings.

Take on an important role in the healthcare sector by becoming a dental assistant. In this career, you'll do more than traditional chairside assistance; you'll actively engage with patients, guiding them toward optimal oral health practices. Your responsibilities will extend to assisting dentists in various dental procedures, including general dentistry, oral surgery, endodontics, orthodontics, and pediatrics. You may also have opportunities to work in a dental lab, perform x-rays, schedule appointments, and manage office tasks.

Western's comprehensive technical diploma courses are designed to equip you with the skills necessary to excel in private practices, dental groups, or governmental agencies focused on dental services. The program covers essential skills, including four-handed dentistry, dental anatomy, radiography techniques, oral hygiene principles, adherence to OSHA standards, and effective communication.

Upon completion, you'll have the chance to enhance your credentials by pursuing certification through the Dental Assisting National Board examination. This opens doors to a fulfilling and impactful career in dental healthcare.

The Nursing Assistant program is your pathway to a rewarding NA career and also serves as a foundation for pursuing other health-related programs. Over the course of 81 hours, you will acquire and demonstrate essential skills, including effective communication, basic nursing and personal care, respect for client's rights, and the care of clients with dementias. This program is proudly recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

With this technical diploma, you become eligible to take the Wisconsin Nursing Assistant competency evaluation. Passing this evaluation allows you to be included on the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry, opening doors to employment opportunities in various healthcare settings such as nursing homes, hospitals, home health agencies, CBRFs, and more. This program equips you with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide crucial care and support to individuals in need within the healthcare industry.

Get the skills you need to start making a difference in healthcare-fast. In just four credits, Western's Phlebotomist/Specimen Processor program equips you with hands-on training to collect and process patient samples, operate modern lab equipment, and support critical diagnostic testing. This short-term credential is also part of the Medical Lab Technician associate degree pathway, giving you the flexibility to continue your education and expand your career options. With strong job growth and competitive wages, this program offers a rewarding entry point into the healthcare field.

Prepare for a fast-paced career in healthcare as a Clinical Medical Assistant. This hands-on technical diploma program equips you to perform minor diagnostic tests and procedures, promote patient safety, mediate between patients and providers, guide patients through a clinic's facilities and procedures, and prepare stock examination and procedure rooms. You'll train in real-world lab environments and gain experience that prepares you to work in clinics, physician offices, and outpatient care settings.

Western's program is designed with local healthcare employers in mind, helping you graduate ready to step into an in-demand medical career and make an immediate impact on patient care.

Western's Expanded Functions Dental Auxiliary (EFDA) program offers short-term, targeted training for working dental professionals looking to broaden their responsibilities under a dentist's supervision. Through classroom and laboratory instruction, you'll learn to place and finish restoration material, apply sealants, perform coronal polishing, take impressions, and perform other newly approved procedures that streamline patient care and may enhance earning potential.

The program includes 30 clinical experiences completed at your place of employment or another approved dental office so you can immediately apply what you learn.

Have you ever thought about becoming the heartbeat of a healthcare team? That's exactly what you'll be as a registered nurse (RN)! Our program isn't just about teaching you the nuts and bolts of nursing; it's about turning you into a leader in healthcare. Imagine combining knowledge from social, mathematical, and physical sciences with pharmacology and pathophysiology to make crucial clinical decisions. That's what you'll learn here.

Communication is key in nursing, and you'll become an expert at it. You'll also learn how to work effectively with others and use available resources to help patients maintain, regain, and improve their health. Think about mastering the art of critical thinking and problem-solving using the nursing process. It's not just about following procedures; it's about leading with compassion, respect, and cultural sensitivity.

Nurses are in high demand in all sorts of care settings, so your skills will be sought after. Plus, to ensure you're fully prepared, all registered nurses must pass a national exam to practice. Our graduates have consistently aced this exam compared to other programs nationwide. So, if you're ready to step into a career that's both challenging and rewarding, where you can truly make a difference, our RN program is the perfect place to start your journey.

Health information technologists play a vital role in the healthcare sector by processing, storing, and exchanging health data within an electronic environment. As a Health Information Technologist (HIT), your responsibility is to safeguard health data, ensuring it is processed, delivered, and analyzed in compliance with state and Federal laws, such as HIPAA, while upholding confidentiality and security standards.

In our HIT program, you will delve into documentation practices, electronic health record laws and regulations, as well as the confidentiality and security of patient information. You'll learn how to maintain the integrity and accuracy of documentation within electronic health records, and gain proficiency in analyzing healthcare data, including mortality rates, census figures, and death rates, as well as the application of data to improve patient health outcomes. Coding is a fundamental aspect of effective documentation practices, and you will become skilled in identifying appropriate procedure and diagnosis codes to facilitate patient billing and uphold documentation standards, ensuring that bills are submitted correctly and accurately in accordance with federal and state laws.

As an HIT professional, you will become a member of the American Health Information Management Association, joining a community that provides the knowledge and resources needed to make a meaningful impact on healthcare while ensuring the accuracy and security of patient health data.

Radiographers play an important role in the care of individuals who are ill or injured. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that diagnostic images are of the highest quality, enabling the medical team to make precise diagnoses and provide appropriate patient treatment.

In Western's program, you will gain a deep understanding of the impact of radiation on the human body, acquire the skills to accurately position patients, determine the optimal exposure settings, and learn how to safeguard both yourself and your patients from the effects of radiation.

Core classes are conducted in classroom and laboratory settings, with a strong emphasis on hands-on clinical experience within a healthcare environment. We offer classes in various formats, including traditional face-to-face, online, and blended, to accommodate your preferred learning style and schedule.