Pitt-Titusville Hub to offer new medical assistant program

From staff reports

Beginning in July, the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville’s Education and Training Hub will feature a new Certified Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy course, which will be free for qualifying students.

The course will be offered by the Brockway Center for Technology and the Arts at Titusville, which is an affiliate of Manchester Bidwell Corp., one of the partners of the hub. Student recruitment for the course will begin in June.

Manchester Bidwell, headquartered in Pittsburgh, provides urban and rural communities with education, workforce and economic development programs through barrier-free access to opportunities and professional development.

“MBC is proud to be a hub partner,” said Joanna Papada, MBC’s vice president of external relations. “We are able to forward our vision of creating an environment where people feel and foster a sense of belonging, where people respect each other, are valued and treated with dignity.”

Debbie Heigel, BCAT’s executive director, added, “I am extremely proud to bring our job training programs to the Titusville area. Our first offering, the Clinical Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy program, is designed to be a 9 1/2-month certification course that provides training, uniforms and books at no cost to our students.”

In early May, Jessica Hummer, a registered nurse, was selected as the acting director/job training instructor to teach at the Titusville campus. She has more than 13 years of experience as a registered nurse and began her training in 2009 after graduating from Clarion University.

The Clinical Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy program, slated to begin July 18, is designed to prepare students to assist in medical environments in patient procedures and administrative duties, with special emphasis on acquiring proficiency in using the electronic health record systems needed for today’s technologically advanced health care environment.

“This is a major turning point for the hub and our partnership,” said David Fitz, interim executive director of the hub. “With the approval of BCAT’s licensure for a Pitt-Titusville location, we’ve taken an enormous step in fulfilling the promise we made to the region when our partners first came together,” he said.

Applicants to the clinical medical assistant program must have a high school diploma or GED and pass a drug screening to qualify for enrollment.

The course is the first offering from BCAT and MBC.

Other anticipated additions to the Pitt-Titusville campus include a ceramics studio, makerspace, and an art gallery. These additional contributions are a part of Pitt-Titusville’s ongoing renovations, which will continue in 2022.

To learn more about BCAT or to apply for their summer cohort at Pitt-Titusville visit www.upt.pitt.edu/BCAT.