News & Views

Considering a career in medical billing and coding? The Harris School of Business offers a Health Claims Specialist program to prepare students for this career path

Are you looking for a career in the field of healthcare? Can you picture yourself working in a medical office? If so, one career path that you might want to consider is medical billing and coding. At the Harris School of Business, the Health Claims Specialist program trains students to work as medical billers and coders.

What do medical billers and coders do? In short, they are responsible for preparing, submitting, and processing medical insurance claims. Working with medical insurance claims involves attention to detail.  As a medical biller and coder, you may be expected to take on some of the following tasks:

In the Professional Medical Assistant program and the Dental Assistant training program, students learn how to measure blood pressure and why it is important

Have you ever wondered why every doctor’s visit seems to start with getting your blood pressure taken? In the Professional Medical Assistant program and the Dental Assistant training program at the Harris School of Business,  students learn how to take vital signs, including blood pressure..

Why is taking blood pressure so important? According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it is important, because high blood pressure generally has no symptoms, but it can be a serious condition. Diagnosing high blood pressure early and treating it properly can help to prevent heart disease, stroke, eye problems, or kidney disease.

Are you considering a massage therapy program, but wondering how you will afford it? If you are looking for financial aid for a massage therapy program, there are several tips you might want to consider.

The first step is to talk with a financial aid advisor at the school where you are applying. At Harris School of Business, our financial aid advisors are here to help. After you have completed the application process, you can meet with a financial aid advisor to learn about options. Here are some of the options you might explore:

Are you at a crossroads in your career path? Are you considering technical schools and business schools? If you are wondering how to research and apply to local technical schools, here are some tips that may help:

Research the Job Outlook

If you want to attend a technical school, you will want your new career to be in a field that is projected to grow over the coming years. The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a good place to learn about job outlooks for the future. This online resource contains descriptions of hundreds of careers, and helps users determine which fields are high-growth and fast-growing fields. For each career, the handbook has easy-to-click tabs that describe “what they do,” “how to become one,” “pay,” “work environment,” “job outlook,” and more.

With the high cost of college today and the uncertainty surrounding employment, many young adults are choosing career-focused education options as opposed to pursuing traditional, four-year liberal arts degrees.

A wide variety of skill-based training is available through accredited business schools and even adults who have been in the workforce for years are now turning to this option as a way to secure a more viable future career.

The ceremony emphasized the importance of career-focused education and the dedication of Harris’s instructors

Have you ever had a teacher who really made a difference in your life? Or an instructor who went “above and beyond?” This spring, the Harris School of Business, together with its parent company the Premier Education Group, held a staff appreciation ceremony to honor the instructors and other staff members at Harris.

The event, held at the Enterprise Center at Burlington County College, allowed staff members to socialize together and to be recognized for their years of service.  The following individuals were given special awards:

Students get their cholesterol, glucose, and weight measured to help screen for diabetes, heart disease, and more

Students at the Voorhees location of the Harris School were treated to a health screening fair in May. A health service came to the Voorhees campus in South Jersey and provided screenings for cholesterol, glucose, height, and weight.

At Dover, students learn to be medical assistants, certified nurse’s assistants (CNAs), and more

Do you want a meaningful career where you can help others? If so, a career in the field of healthcare might be for you. At the Dover campus of the Harris School of Business, there are five career paths in the health care, allied health, and nursing assistance fields:

Certified Nurse’s Assistant: Certified Nurse’s Assistants, or CNAs, work directly with patients and support the nursing staff in serving the patients’ needs. Students participate classroom learning, clinical procedures, and lab experiences to learn the skills that CNAs need to be successful in this career. CNAs can work in a number of settings, such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home health agencies. . .

Health Claims Specialist, Pharmacy Technicians, and Professional Medical Assistant are three programs that prepare students for careers in the field of healthcare

Are you looking for a career in the field of healthcare? Do you live near Atlantic County, NJ? If so, the Linwood campus of the Harris School of Business may be a good fit for you. The Linwood campus offers career-focused training in three programs: Pharmacy Technician, Health Claims Specialist (medical billing and coding), and Professional Medical Assistant.

For business schools and technical schools, externships are a way to offer real-world job experiences

Learning how to take someone’s blood pressure in the classroom is one thing, but actually trying it on a real patient is another. Classroom learning provides an excellent foundation in the concepts and skills you will need in your new career field, but when it comes time to find a job, sometimes students may still feel nervous about entering the real world of work.

Student Jessycah Johnson, of the Voorhees campus, demonstrates an intramuscular injection

“Learning by doing” can be a great way to learn a new skill. At Harris School of Business, all of our programs feature hands-on experiential learning which helps prepare our students for the tasks and responsibilities they may face in the world of work.

Dana Watson, a graduate of the Cherry Hill, NJ campus, completed the Massage Therapy program, earned her NCBTMB certification, and got ready to begin her new career

Dana Watson knew she was ready for a new career field after the TV station where she was working went defunct. She had worked in broadcast television for 10 years. As a producer with CN8, she was so successful that some of her programs even won Emmy awards! But over the years, she witnessed the fast-paced demands of a changing industry, and decided it was time to move on.

If you’re interested in working in the medical field, but aren’t sure you want direct interaction with patients on a regular basis, then a career in medical billing and coding may be a great choice for you.

There may be days when you’re asked to work with patients or coordinate between them and their insurance companies to clarify or explain the billing for their procedures, but in general, your work would be in an office of a hospital, a private medical practice or even of an insurance company.

The South Jersey campus invited Dr. William Paveletz to demonstrate dental procedures

The Dental Assistant students at the Voorhees campus of the Harris School of Business were in for a treat in early April. A special guest was coming to lunch. Clinical Educator Dr. William Paveletz met with the students, enjoyed lunch, and then provided a clinical education session.

During the session, students learned how to place a dental base, liner, and composite material, as well as how to light cure the materials in a prepared tooth. The clinical education session gave the students a chance to practice these techniques using dental models and dental tools.

Thinking about making a career change or pursuing training for a specific job can seem overwhelming. There are many questions to be answered and options to be researched.

But once you’ve narrowed down your plan, there are really a few simple steps to take from there in order to move forward. Take for example, the process of choosing a dental assistant training program. If you’ve already decided that you’re interested in becoming a dental assistant, then consider working through these steps below to continue on the path to making your new career choice a reality.

South Jersey autism awareness group has been holding “bubbles” fundraiser for 10 years 

Do you know a person who is affected by autism? If you do, you may know that people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face a lot of challenges. The Linwood campus of the Harris School of Business recently held a Bubble Day for autism awareness.

In unison with other participating schools and organizations across the country, over 100 students from the Linwood, NJ campus went outside in the cold at 1:15 pm on Monday, April 22 to blow glycerin bubbles. The vision of the bubbles floating to the sky is meant to raise hope and awareness of people living with autism. The bubbles are used as an analogy for breaking through the bubble of isolation that autism creates.

There are a variety of reasons why you may choose to have a career as a health claims specialist (medical billing). Health claims specialists work in the business side of healthcare which may be a perfect fit for you if you are interested in both finance and medicine.

A job as a health claims specialist (medical billing) will enable you to be a part of the medical field while working more as a business person, rather than working with patients on a clinical level. For people interested in the financial side of healthcare, this is often a good career to pursue.

All About a Career as a Health Claims Specialist

Health claims specialists work in a variety of settings including:

Dental Convention at Valley Forge PA counts toward Continuing Education Credits for Certified or Registered Dental Assistants

Conventions can be a great avenue for professionals to share and expand their knowledge and experience. This spring, students in the Dental Assistant program at the Voorhees campus of the Harris School of Business attended part of the 27^th Annual Valley Forge Dental Conference. Held on March 6, 7, and 8 in Valley Forge, PA, the convention provided new learning experiences for students.

Partnership with local rehab center in Pennsauken gives Cherry Hill students networking experiences

One of the many benefits of a Harris education is that students get to experience our network of community partners. These partners include local and regional employers who work with us in a number of ways, such as serving as externship sites or consulting on our Advisory Board. In some cases, these partners even hire our graduates!

One very valued partner of our Cherry Hill campus is the Concord Health & Rehabilitation Center, which recently invited Massage Therapy students to a wine and cheese reception to celebrate the opening of their new location in Pennsauken, NJ.

If you are considering a career-focused educational path, but feel that the burden of tuition may be too much to take on, remember that many programs offer financial aid to students who need assistance.

At the Harris School of Business, we have a dedicated staff of financial aid advisors who help each student work through the various grant and loan possibilities as well as financing options. Don’t let questions or concerns about finances keep you from exploring your education opportunities!

How Does Financial Aid Work?

Step #1: Apply

After you complete your admissions application, your financial questions can begin to be answered. However, it is important that you first apply. The admissions departments at each of our campuses are open every weekday as well as on Saturdays for your convenience.

The Surgical Technology program at our Voorhees, NJ and Dover, DE campuses prepares students for working in surgical and other clinical settings

If you are the type of person who thrives in a fast-paced setting, a career as a surgical technologist could be a good fit for you. Surgical technologists play an important role in the field of healthcare by providing assistance in surgical settings.

Surgical technologists are also called operating room technicians, and are often responsible for helping to prepare operating rooms, arrange surgical equipment, and assist doctors and nurses during surgeries. Surgical technologists can work in a number of environments, such as hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, or specialty hospitals.

Graduates are ready to pursue careers as medical assistants, massage therapists, medical billers, and office assistants

Congratulations are in order for the graduates of the Cherry Hill campus, who participated in a graduation ceremony on April 8. The Harris School of Business is proud of all of the graduates, and wishes to acknowledge the following students who received awards:

Pursuing a career in massage therapy could be the perfect path for you.

Are you looking for a career that will allow you to help people manage stress and pain and improve their overall health? Are you interested in alternative healthcare? Can you see yourself working in a variety of settings with a flexible schedule? If so, a massage therapy career may be able to combine several of these interests and skills. Depending on what your individual preferences are, there are several unique paths this career choice could take.

Students get ready to pursue careers as Health Claims Specialists (Medical Billers and Coders), Professional Medical Assistants, Massage Therapists, and more

The Hamilton, NJ campus of the Harris School of Business wishes to congratulate the 60 students who participated in the recent graduation ceremony on March 18. This is a time to be proud of your accomplishments!

The event was a celebration of everyone’s hard work, and it was also an opportunity to recognize students who made some remarkable achievements.

From a small employment service, to a business school, to a seven-campus career-focused education school, the history of the Harris School of Business began with one woman

Have you ever wondered why we are called the Harris School of Business? The school is named for its founder, Ms. Ethel S. Harris, a woman who led an inspirational life.

When Ms. Harris was 37 years old in 1957, her husband Anthony passed away, leaving her with three children to raise on her own. In reflecting on her own need for a strong career to support her family, she took a great leap and opened her own business in 1959—an employment service dedicated to helping people get connected with job opportunities.