Health Occupations Program
The Health Occupations Program resides within the Allied Health Department and currently offers the following certificates: Health/Service Careers Foundational Skill Certificate (7.5 units) and the Gerontology/Health Certificate of Achievement (16.5 units) in collaboration with the Child, Family, and Education Department.
Our Mission
The mission of the Health Occupations Program is to provide an opportunity for individuals to enhance their knowledge, skills, and competencies to meet the demands and the commitment required for a career in healthcare.
Our Vision
The vision of the Health Occupations Program is to assess and evaluate the student, resources, and employment outcomes for individual’s pursuing a health or service educational pathway.
Our Goals
- To foster a sense of a service and commitment
- To produce knowledgeable and effective health care professional
- To support quality of care in the healthcare industry
Career Paths
The Health/Service Careers Foundational Skill Certificate prepares students with entry level skills and competencies needed for employment opportunities within the healthcare and social service industry. The core courses provide in-depth information into health occupations careers and trends, the occupational and educational opportunities and the educational, physical, emotional and attitudinal requirements. Topics focus on competencies required of healthcare and social service providers, such as HIPAA, Professionalism/Ethics, Diversity/Cultural Awareness, Teamwork, Collaboration, Conflict Resolution, Customer Service, Safe Practice/Infection Control, Medical Terminology, and First Aid. Completion of this skills certificate provides the first step in making an informed decision regarding the selection of additional programs of study leading to healthcare and service careers. The 7.5 units of instruction include four courses:
- HLTHOCC 062: Skill Set for the Healthcare Professional (2 units)
- HLTHOCC 063: Basic Medical Terminology, Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for the Healthcare Professional (2 units)
- HLTHOCC 064: Cultural and Legal Topics for Healthcare Professionals (1 unit)
- HLTHOCC 065: Fundamentals for the Healthcare Professional (2.5 units)
The Gerontology/Health Certificate of Achievement is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students to pursue entry level employment servicing the aging population and provide the fundamentals needed to work in the healthcare industry. This program is designed to prepare students for employment in the field of aging to support the needs, interests, abilities, and issues of the aging population in California. In addition to the four HOC Core courses students may take three additional courses to receive this stackable Achievement Certificate.