Florida Department of Education
Curriculum Framework 

Program Title: 	Healthcare Support Specialist
Career Cluster: 	Health Science

College Credit Certificate	
CIP Number	0351081401	
Program Type	College Credit Certificate (CCC)	
Program Length	21 credit hours	
CTSO	HOSA	
SOC Codes (all applicable) 	For program SOC codes, please see the Program and Course Tables section of the CTE Program Resources page linked below.	
CTE Program Resources 	http://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/program-resources.stml	

Purpose

This certificate program is part of the Medical Assisting Advanced AS degree program (1351080103).   

A College Credit Certificate consists of a program of instruction of less than sixty (60) credits of college-level courses, which is part of an AS or AAS degree program and prepares students for entry into employment (Rule 6A-14.030, F.A.C.).

This program offers a sequence of courses that provides coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in the Health Science career cluster; provides technical skill proficiency, and includes competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of the Health Science career cluster. 

This program is designed to prepare students for employment as healthcare support workers. 

The content includes but is not limited to assisting management by expediting and facilitating the maintenance and production of routine administrative and clinical tasks; performing medical administrative activities such as preparing and updating of patients’ medical histories and discharge summaries; learn the special terminology and procedures associated with medicine and assist in the administration of policy. Emphasis is placed upon students’ theoretical and clinical proficiency so they will be well prepared for employment as medical office support staff and healthcare support workers in medical offices, hospitals, and other healthcare settings. 

Additional Information relevant to this Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is provided at the end of this document.
Florida’s Career Readiness Skills for CTE Programs

Employability Skills	
01.0	Apply academic skills to workplace scenarios.	
01.01	Use reading skills.	
01.02	Use writing skills.	
01.03	Use mathematical strategies and procedures.	
01.04	Use scientific principles and procedures.	
02.0	Design a solution to an industry problem.	
02.01	Use critical thinking.	
02.02	Use creativity.	
02.03	Make sound decisions.	
02.04	Solve problems.	
02.05	Reason. 	
02.06	Plan and organize.	
03.0	Manage resources within an industry project	
03.01	Manage time.	
03.02	Manage money or resources.	
03.03	Manage materials.	
03.04	Manage personnel.	
04.0	Oversee the subcomponents, operations and output of a technical or organizational system.	
04.01	Manage systems.	
04.02	Monitor systems.	
04.03	Improve systems.	
05.0	Use information for decision making.	
05.01	Locate information.	
05.02	Organize information.	
05.03	Use information.	
05.04	Analyze information.	
05.05	Communicate information.	
06.0	Apply relevant technology to workplace scenarios to aid productivity.	
06.01	Use technology.	
07.0	Interpret and express interpersonal communication.	
07.01	Communicate verbally.	
07.02	Listen actively.	
07.03	Comprehend written material.	
07.04	Convey information in writing.	
07.05	Communicate nonverbally.	
07.06	Interpret nonverbal communication.	
08.0	Interact with others to accomplish workplace goals.	
08.01	Collaborate with others in a team.	
08.02	Respond to customer needs.	
08.03	Exercise leadership.	
08.04	Negotiate to resolve conflict.	
08.05	Respect others.	
09.0	Manage personal behavior to maximize productivity and professional growth.	
09.01	Demonstrate responsibility and self-discipline.	
09.02	Adapt and show flexibility.	
09.03	Work independently.	
09.04	Demonstrate a willingness to learn.	
09.05	Demonstrate integrity.	
09.06	Demonstrate professionalism.	
09.07	Take initiative.	
09.08	Display positive attitude.	
09.09	Take responsibility for professional growth.	
Job Attainment	
10.0	Find, assess and apply to job opportunities.	
10.01	Identify online job posts relevant to his or her career aspirations.	
10.02	Compare and contrast the job posts’ required qualifications, job duties, compensation, benefits and employers. 	
10.03	Define what information, documentation and writing prompts are required for the positions.	
11.0	Communicate personal competence, character and fit for a job opportunity.	
11.01	Develop a resume.	
11.02	Write a cover letter.	
11.03	Curate a professional portfolio that includes work products.	
11.04	Prepare for and experience a mock job interview.	
12.0	Cultivate and leverage relationships to professionally advance.	
12.01	Request a signed reference letter, letter of recommendation and/or an online skill/professionalism endorsement. 	
12.02	Develop a plan to cultivate a professional digital footprint.	
12.03	Develop a networking plan for a specific industry of interest.	

Standards

After successfully completing this program, the student will be able to perform the following:

01.0	Demonstrate the ability to communicate and use interpersonal skills effectively.
02.0	Demonstrate an understanding of and apply wellness and disease concepts. 
03.0	Recognize and practice safety and security procedures. 
04.0	Recognize and practice infection control procedures. 
05.0	Demonstrate knowledge of blood-borne diseases, including HIV/AIDS. 
06.0	Apply basic math and science skills.
07.0	Demonstrate an understanding of anatomy and physiology concepts.
08.0	Describe the cardiovascular system.
09.0	Recognize and identify collection reagents supplies, equipment, and interfering chemical substances.
10.0	Practice infection control following standard precautions. 

Florida Department of Education
Student Performance Standards

Program Title: 	Healthcare Support Specialist
CIP Number: 	0351081401
Program Length: 	21 credit hours

This certificate program is part of the Medical Assisting Advanced AS degree program (1351080103). At the completion of this program, the student will be able to:	
01.0	Demonstrate the ability to communicate and use interpersonal skills effectively. The student will be able to:	
01.01	Develop basic speaking and listening skills.	
01.02	Develop basic observational skills and related documentation strategies in written and oral form.	
01.03	Identify characteristics of successful and unsuccessful communication, including communication styles and barriers.	
01.04	Respond to verbal and non-verbal cues.	
01.05	Compose written communication using correct spelling, grammar, formatting, confidentiality, and specific formats of letter writing.	
01.06	Use appropriate medical terminology and abbreviations.	
01.07	Recognize the importance of courtesy and respect for patients and other healthcare workers and maintain good interpersonal relationships.	
01.08	Recognize the importance of patient education regarding healthcare.	
01.09	Adapt communication skills to varied levels of understanding and cultural orientation, including diverse age, cultural, economic, ethnic, and religious groups.	
01.10	Adapt elements of communication using the sender-receiver model.	
01.11	Distinguish between and report subjective and objective information.	
01.12	Report relevant information in order of occurrence. 	
02.0	Demonstrate an understanding of and apply wellness and disease concepts. The student will be able to:	
02.01	Describe strategies for prevention of disease, including health screenings and examinations. 	
02.02	Identify personal health practices and environmental factors that affect optimal function of the major body systems. 	
02.03	Identify psychological reactions to illness, including defense mechanisms.	
02.04	Identify complementary and alternative health practices. 	
03.0	Recognize and practice safety and security procedures. The student will be able to:	
03.01	Recognize safe and unsafe working conditions and report safety hazards. 	
03.02	Demonstrate the safe use of medical equipment.	
03.03	Identify and practice security procedures for medical supplies and equipment. 	
03.04	Demonstrate personal safety procedures based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulations, including standard precautions. 	
04.0	Recognize and practice infection control procedures. The student will be able to:	
04.01	Define principles of infection control, including standard and transmission-based precautions.	
04.02	Demonstrate knowledge of medical asepsis and practice procedures such as hand washing and isolation.	
04.03	Describe how to correctly dispose of biohazardous materials according to appropriate government guidelines, such as OSHA.	
05.0	Demonstrate knowledge of blood-borne diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The student will be able to:	
05.01	Recognize emerging diseases and disorders.	
05.02	Distinguish between fact and fallacy about the transmission and treatment of diseases caused by blood-borne pathogens, including Hepatitis B.	
05.03	Identify community resources and services available to individuals with diseases caused by blood-borne pathogens. 	
05.04	Identify “at-risk” behaviors which promote the spread of diseases caused by bloodborne pathogens and the public education necessary to combat the spread of these diseases. 	
05.05	Apply infection control techniques designed to prevent the spread of diseases caused by blood-borne pathogens to the care of all patients following CDC guidelines. 	
05.06	Demonstrate knowledge of the legal aspects of HIV/AIDS, including testing.	
06.0	Apply basic math and science skills. The student will be able to:	
06.01	Draw, read, and report on graphs, charts, and tables.	
06.02	Measure time, temperature, distance, capacity, and mass/weight.	
06.03	Make, use, and convert using both traditional and metric units. 	
06.04	Make estimations and approximations and judge the reasonableness of the result.	
06.05	Convert from regular to 24-hour time.	
06.06	Demonstrate the ability to evaluate and draw conclusions. 	
06.07	Organize and communicate the results obtained by observation and experimentation. 	
06.08	Ask appropriate scientific questions and recognize what is involved in experimental approaches to the solution of such questions. 	
06.09	Calculate ratios.	
07.0	Demonstrate an understanding of anatomy and physiology concepts. The student will be able to:	
07.01	Define the terms anatomy and physiology.	
07.02	Define both medical terms and abbreviations related to all body systems.	
07.03	Define the principal directional terms, planes, quadrants, and cavities used in describing the body and the association of body parts to one another. 	
07.04	Define the levels of organization of the body from cells to systems.	
07.05	Describe the function of the 11 major organ systems of the body (1) integumentary, (2) skeletal, (3) muscular, (4) nervous, (5) endocrine, (6) cardiovascular, (7) lymphatic, (8) respiratory, (9) digestive, (10) urinary, and (11) reproductive. 	
07.06	Describe signs and symptoms of common pathologies.	
07.07	Discuss diagnostic options to identify common disease pathology and treatment options. 	
07.08	Compare structure and function of the body across the life span. 	
08.0	Describe the cardiovascular system. The student will be able to:	
08.01	Label the heart and surrounding structures.	
08.02	List the functions of the heart and surrounding structures.	
08.03	Trace the flow of blood through the body.	
08.04	Identify and describe the electrical conduction system.	
09.0	Recognize and identify collection reagents supplies, equipment, and interfering chemical substances. The student will be able to:	
09.01	Identify and discuss the proper use of appropriate types of equipment needed to collect various clinical laboratory blood specimens by venipuncture.	
09.02	Define and utilize correct medical terminology and metric measurement needed for specimen collection.	
10.0	Practice infection control following standard precautions. The student will be able to:	
10.01	Define the term “hospital-acquired infection.”	
10.02	Describe and practice procedures for infection prevention, including hand washing skills.	
10.03	Discuss transmission-based precautions. 	
10.04	Identify potential routes of infection and their complications.	

Additional Information

Laboratory Activities

Laboratory investigations that include scientific inquiry, research, measurement, problem solving, emerging technologies, tools, and equipment, as well as experimental, quality, and safety procedures, are an integral part of this career and technical program/course. Laboratory investigations benefit all students by developing an understanding of the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work, as well as the skills required to manage, operate, calibrate, and troubleshoot equipment/tools used to make observations. Students understand measurement error and have the skills to aggregate, interpret, and present the resulting data. Equipment and supplies should be provided to enhance hands-on experiences for students.

Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO)

CTSOs are co-curricular career and technical student organizations providing leadership training and reinforcing specific career and technical skills. Career and Technical Student Organizations provide activities for students as an integral part of the instruction offered. Other CTSOs not listed in this curriculum framework or recognized by the Florida Department of Education are permissible provided they support student mastery over the standards and benchmarks of this curriculum framework.

Accommodations

Federal and state legislation requires the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities to meet individual needs and ensure equal access. Postsecondary students with disabilities must self-identify, present documentation, request accommodations if needed, and develop a plan with their counselor and/or instructors. Accommodations received in postsecondary education may differ from those received in secondary education. Accommodations change the way the student is instructed. Students with disabilities may need accommodations in such areas as instructional methods and materials, assignments and assessments, time demands and schedules, learning environment, assistive technology, and special communication systems. Documentation of the accommodations requested and provided should be maintained in a confidential file.