Practice Management Institute (PMI) has named Washington County Community College (WCCC) its 2023 Outstanding National Host Partner. The award, chosen nationally from among hundreds of hospital, college, medical society, physician service group and program host partners, is given to an organization who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to partnering with PMI for the purposes of advancing educational opportunities within their service area and state.
Washington County Community College, a part of the Maine Community College System, has been recognized for a number of ground-breaking initiatives. For five years, PMI and WCCC have been partnering to meet the training needs of existing medical office personnel throughout the state of Maine, while expanding ground-breaking training opportunities in support of Maine workforce and transitional residents, aimed at long lasting and sustainable employment within the healthcare industry.
The WCCC Pathways in Health Sciences program, which includes other PMI training options such as Certified Medical Coder, Certified Medical Insurance Specialist, Certified Medical Office Manager, and Certified Medical Compliance Officer, successfully lunched the ground-breaking Patient Services Representative certificate program. The 2-phase program was developed by PMI for WCCC, specifically to meet a workforce training need identified by Maine regional Federally Qualified Rural Health Centers, hospitals, and medical offices. The success of the program has now expanded beyond the state of Maine and is offered nationally by PMI.
The Patient Services Representative course is supported by the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan and the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce and is currently offered at no cost to Maine residents who qualify. All PMI courses are short-term training options that can follow a pathway into the WCCC Certificates in Medical Office Technology or Health Occupations as well as their Certified Medical Assistant program, which is an Associate in Applied Science degree. Students may now earn college credit for their participation in the Patient Services Representative and Certified Medical Coding (CMC®) training tracks to be used as micro credentials, or toward Associate, Bachelor, or other advanced degree tracks.
In 2023, In an unprecedented effort to unite the existing Maine healthcare workforce with students presently on track toward successful careers in healthcare, PMI and WCCC announced the creation and launch of the Maine Healthcare Employee Network. With a mission of enhancing professional success within the medical office through purpose, integrity, and education, this statewide initiative will work to build bridges between those already working in healthcare and those presently being trained in the areas of coding, billing, compliance, management, and front desk operations.
Our great gratitude to WCCC and to Nichole Sawyer, Dean of Workforce Development & Community Engagement, for her steadfast vision- from day one, for walking the walk, and for being a champion of not only her students, but of providers and medical practice staff throughout the state of Maine. We would also like to recognize Michelle Binette, Coordinator of Workforce Programming, for her collaboration and passion for what our partnership means to those served by WCCC. This collaboration is as good and as exciting and as filled with promise and service as it gets.
“This award is so special to us. We take great pride in spotlighting one very special partnership among hundreds- the organization and the partner liaisons, who have made a profound contribution to our company, and within our industry, It’s born of a particular message: tried and true, quality, and accessible education is vital, and can do much to build bridges by lifting up the people living in and working in the communities they serve.” said Michael Moore, PMI Vice President -Partner Development, Institutional Development, and Workforce Initiatives.
Washington County Community College was recently named one of the top 150 community colleges in the United States for its commitment to student success and educational excellence. Along with Maine’s six other community colleges, WCCC offers the lowest tuition and fees of any institution in New England. Washington County Community College serves as an educational, community, and economic development resource for Washington County and beyond by providing educational and workforce training opportunities with individualized attention to all who desire to gain technical skills, develop career specializations, engage in self-improvement, and/or prepare for transfer.
Practice Management Institute® (PMI) is the training, networking, and credentialing source for medical office professionals. For more than 40 years, physicians and their staff have looked to PMI for skills that contribute to a more efficient, profitable, and compliant office. Classes are hosted in many of the nation’s leading hospitals, medical societies, and colleges. PMI awards certification by exam to accomplished medical office coding, reimbursement, compliance, and management professionals. In all, more than 40,000 medical office professionals have earned their credentials through PMI.
Interested in a similar academic partnership with PMI? If your organization would like more information about partnering with PMI, please contact Michael Moore at 800-259-5562, Ext. 270 or email Michael directly at mmoore@pmimd.com.