Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
Ochsner Health System, Tri-Parish Works and Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC) announced plans to expand Ochsner’s Medical Assistant (MA) Training Program in St. Tammany Parish. The MA Now Program in St. Tammany is being fully funded by Tri-Parish Works through the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) and open to those living in or near St. Tammany Parish and age 18 and older.
Originally launched in New Orleans in 2013, the six-month training program features accelerated classroom, clinical and on-the-job training, and addresses both the need for Certified Clerical MAs and to build additional career pathways. The program includes certification training for students in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Phlebotomy and EKG.
All interested applicants are required to attend one of two information sessions open to the public on Tuesday, June 18.
Application instructions for the MA Now Program will be provided at the information sessions. Applicants will be pre-screened extensively for eligibility and fit beginning June 17, and classes are scheduled to begin the following month by July 18.
"Education has always been a cornerstone of Ochsner, and we are proud to offer this program that provides students with a unique opportunity as they advance their careers from Medical Assistants (MA) to LPNs,” said John Herman, CEO, Ochsner Northshore Region. “We look forward to witnessing the countless success stories that this program will undoubtedly generate.”
To be eligible to apply, the applicant must have a high school diploma or equivalency, successful completion of drug screen and criminal background check and ability to commit to the six-month program. After successfully completing the program and hiring requirements, 100 percent of graduates will have the opportunity to interview for positions as a full-time MA at one of Ochsner’s health centers or employed as a phlebotomist or EKG monitor.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assistant is one of the nation's fastest growing careers, attributing to job growth across the country. In addition, MA is a position of strong need within Ochsner Health System.
Since its inception, more than 100 individuals have completed the MA Training Program, with 94 percent currently employed at Ochsner today. All Ochsner MAs also receive additional MA training after they are hired to further develop their skills and increase their scope of practice.
For any questions about the program, please email workforce@ochsner.org.
###
Ochsner Health System is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner's 40 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and specialty hospitals, and more than 100 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital” across three specialty categories caring for patients from all 50 states and more than 70 countries worldwide each year. Ochsner employs nearly 25,000 employees and over 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts more than 700 clinical research studies. Ochsner Health is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Tri-Parish Works, representing the local public workforce development system of St. Tammany, St. Bernard and Plaquemines with Centers located in Slidell and Chalmette. The Centers are overseen locally by the First Planning District Workforce Development Board and are part of a network of American Job Centers that work in conjunction with the U.S. Department of labor and the Louisiana Workforce Commission.