Washington County Community College Students Benefit from Newly Renovated Medical Assisting and Phlebotomy Lab

2022 Medical Assisting and Phlebotomy students at Washington County Community College are the first to have full access to the newly renovated lab for an entire academic year.

The new lab was finalized last fall and has been helping students prepare for their future in the workforce ever since.

“The funding for the renovation was part of a bond project for the community college system and WCCC’s portion of the bond, went toward renovating a classroom wing with Riverview Hall,” mentioned Department Chair, Medical Assisting Program Director, and Instructor, Cindy Moholland, MBA, CMA(AAMA), PBT(ASCP)

The lab is where students perform clinical tasks, such as drawing blood, assessing vital signs, performing EKGs, and many more hands-on assignments.

“The part that is particularly exciting for me is the renovation of the Medical Assisting and Phlebotomy Lab. We were able to have a modern lab and classroom area, as well as a simulated exam room that looks just like an exam room in a medical office. We also have a mock administrative area for patient reception and scheduling,” said Moholland. “The students can be performing a task, and instructors can observe them in the observation room giving them a more realistic experience.”

Moholland says the best part of having a newly renovated space is being able to individualize and customize the instruction for each student.

“I can work with small groups of students in different areas of the classroom.  A small group of students can be working on a lab in the instructional areas while other students are being evaluated in the exam room or clinical area.  So, it allows me to diversify instruction.  Everyone doesn’t have to be doing the same thing at the same time,” she said.

Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical duties in ambulatory care settings such as clinics, physician’s offices, walk-in clinics, and specialty practices.  Duties include but are not limited to, preparing exam rooms, obtaining vital signs, greeting and scheduling patients, patient referrals, administering medications, and obtaining patient specimens. The Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting is an Accredited Associate Degree Program by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health programs (www.caahep.org )

For more information on the Medical Assisting and Phlebotomy programs, contact Cindy Moholland at (207)454-1016 or cmoholland@wccc.me.edu.