Office Administration - Health Services

Description

Students in this program acquire the knowledge and specialized skills required to successfully perform in the administrative health field. Students learn medical document production, medical terminology, transcription, human anatomy, medical ethics, and develop skills in workplace communication and patient relations. In addition, students learn Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and are introduced to health information management concepts. Qualifying students will have the exciting opportunity for hands-on learning through a fourth semester field placement within the local medical community.

Career Opportunities

Graduates from this program may find employment in medical practitioners' offices, long-term care facilities, and hospitals. They may also find careers opportunities within the pharmaceutical industry; provincial and federal governments; medical services in industry; clinics; alternative medical practices such as naturopathy, chiropractics, acupuncture, shiatsu; and other areas of health services, as well as general offices.

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. conduct oneself professionally and adhere to relevant legislation, standards and codes of ethics;
2. manage the scheduling, coordination and organization of administrative tasks and workflow within specific deadlines and according to set priorities;
3. coordinate the collection, analysis, distribution and response to communications in the workplace to facilitate the flow of information;
4. operate and provide support to others related to the use of office equipment and technologies;
5. evaluate, establish and administer health records management systems to ensure confidential, secure, accessible and organized electronic and paper records;
6. produce financial and client billing records for health services by compiling relevant information and using accounting software;
7. produce health documents and reports using available technologies and applying industry standards;
8. use interpersonal and client service skills to respond to the diverse needs of clients, their family members and the health care team;
9. identify and use non-invasive clinical tasks to support effective and efficient health service operations;
10. apply basic entrepreneurial strategies employing critical thinking and ethics within the health services field;
11. employ environmentally sustainable practices within the industry.

External Recognition

The Office Administration Health Services program of Georgian College is awarded accreditation through the Canadian College of Health Information. The College sets the educational and accreditation standards for health information professionals in Canada. This program meets the quality and educational program standards set out for the Health Information-Certified Associate (HICA) certification. Graduates of the Office Administration Health Services program are eligible to write the National Certification Exam (NCE) and can begin their career as a certified health information professional.

Program Progression 

The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.

Fall Intake 

• Sem 1: Fall 2025
• Sem 2: Winter 2026
• Sem 3: Fall 2026
• Sem 4: Winter 2027

Winter Intake 

• Sem 1: Winter 2026
• Sem 2: Summer 2026
• Sem 3: Fall 2026
• Sem 4: Winter 2027

Articulation

A number of articulation agreements have been negotiated with universities and other institutions across Canada, North America and internationally. These agreements are assessed, revised and updated on a regular basis. Please contact the program co-ordinator for specific details if you are interested in pursuing such an option. Additional information can be found on our website at https://www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Admission Requirements

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or mature student status
• Grade 12 English (C or U)

Mature students, non-secondary school applicants (19 years or older), and home school applicants may also be considered for admission. Eligibility may be met by applicants who have taken equivalent courses, upgrading, completed their GED, and equivalency testing. For complete details refer to: www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/academic-regulations/

Applicants who have taken courses from a recognized and accredited post-secondary institution and/or have relevant life/learning experience may also be considered for admission; refer to the Credit for Prior Learning website for details:
www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Additional Information

In the fourth semester of this program students may have the opportunity to participate in work integrated learning. Note that a work placement, work permit is required for international students wishing to pursue this opportunity.

Graduation Requirements

20 Program Courses
2 Communications Courses
3 General Education Courses

Graduation Eligibility

To graduate from this program, the passing weighted average for promotion through each semester, from year to year, and to graduate is 60%. Additionally, a student must attain a minimum of 50% or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each course in each semester unless otherwise stated on the course outline.

Program Tracking 

The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the Fall intake of the program. Where more  than one intake is offered  contact the program co-ordinator for the program tracking.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
Program Courses
COMP 1113	Business Documentation and Text Processing	42
OFAD 1001	Office Procedures and Strategies	42
OFAD 1022	Professional Development and Employability 1	42
OFAD 1007	Computer Applications 1 for the Office	42
Communications Course
Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.		42
General Education Courses
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.		42
	Hours	252
Semester 2
Program Courses
COMP 1013	Advanced Business Documentation	42
COMP 1114	Multi Media Communications	28
MATH 1034	Office Math Applications	42
OFAD 1006	Introduction to Medical Terminology	42
OFAD 1020	Computer Applications 2 for the Office	42
OFAD 1023	Professional Development and Employability 2	14
Communications Course
Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.		42
	Hours	252
Semester 3
Program Courses
COMP 2026	Integrated Office Simulations	42
OFAD 2000	Anatomy for Health Services 1	42
OFAD 2014	Bookkeeping for the Office Professional	42
OFAD 2031	Health Services Transcription	42
OFAD 2025	Electronic Medical Office	42
General Education Course
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.		42
	Hours	252
Semester 4
Program Courses
COMP 2027	Computerized Administrative Simulations	42
OFAD 2006	Anatomy for Health Services 2	42
OFAD 2026	Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) for Health Services	42
OFAD 2032	Health Services Practical Experience and Clinical Applications	42
OFAD 2033	Foundations in Health Records and Information Management	42
General Education Course
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.		42
	Hours	252
	Total Hours	1008

Graduation Window

Students unable to adhere to the program duration of two years (as stated above) may take a maximum of four years to complete their credential. After this time, students must be re-admitted into the program, and follow the curriculum in place at the time of re-admission.

Disclaimer: The information in this document is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs. 

Program outlines may be subject to change in response to emerging situations, in order to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes required for graduation. Components such as courses, progression, coop work terms, placements, internships and other requirements may be delivered differently than published.