Indiana Nursing Schools Degrees & Careers

Recently, the Harrison College Columbus Indiana college campus submitted the following nominations for the Indiana INTERNnet IMPACT Award. The IMPACT Award is given in recognition of the hard work career services professionals, students and intern sits do to prepare students for successful careers after graduation. Below are the nomination we have submitted. The first nomination is for a student, Brenda Cox, and the second, for our Medical Program Coordinator, Kim Bricker-Brown.

 

Outstanding Intern Nomination--Submitted by Kim Bricker-Brown

Brenda Cox, a current Medical Assistant student completing her education at Harrison College and a 160-hour internship at Sandcrest Family Medicine has continually demonstrated superior leadership skills and professionalism.

After completing just 4 weeks of the externship experience she secured a position with the practice. Her employer noted that Brenda is always willing to learn new tasks and displays  an overall enthusiasm for both the externship experience and her new position.

In the classroom, Brenda is an extraordinary leader and mentor to her fellow students. She comes to class ready to learn, participates actively in discussions and assignments, and is always willing to lend a hand. She has always been willing to participate in volunteer opportunities such as a recent Health and Wellness Clinic at Rock Tenn Company in Columbus.

Having completing a recent course at another Harrison College campus, her instructor made a point to inform us that she was one of the best students she had ever had the pleasure to have in class. This comes to no surprise to one of her instructors at the Columbus Campus who remembers that Brenda would often go the extra mile to excel in her coursework and strives for perfection.

Most recently, Brenda had the opportunity to demonstrate her skills and capabilities as a medical professional when a classmate was involved in a car accident. She sprung into action to assist the driver of the vehicle, securing both the vehicle and the victim until emergency response personnel arrived on the scene. Brenda maintained both poise and confidence as she calmed the victim. She communicated effectively with emergency personnel both on the scene and when she took it upon herself to follow up with her classmate in the ER.

Outstanding Career Services Professional Nomination-Submitted by Jeanni Urbahns

I have nominated Kim Bricker-Brown, the Medical Program Coordinator (MPC) at the Harrison College, formerly Indiana Business College (IBC), campus in Columbus, Indiana, . 

Kim Bricker-Brown is the head of our Medical Assistant (MA) externship program. Every MA student is required to complete a 160 hour externship in a physician’s office. Every quarter Kim is busy making contacts and building relationships in the medical community in order to secure and support the MA externship program. Here are just a few examples of the effort she puts into the internship program.

• Kim provides every medical assistant student with information about the required externship from the moment they begin classes.
• Focus on the end career goal is maintained throughout the two-year, Associate of Applied Science degree program.
• Students are held accountable for their educational and professional progress.
• Students are given many opportunities to plan and prepare for their externship experiences. Many students live outside of the Columbus area; they are given additional support when seeking externships closer to their homes.
• If a proposed intern site has not had prior experience with the Harrison College MA externship programs, Kim will make an appointment to sit down with them face-to-face to explain all aspects.
• Kim makes quarterly site visits to check on the progress of each extern.
• Kim uses site feedback to strengthen the MA program and to assist externs on an individual basis.

In the end, the comments of our extern site managers lead me to feel that Kim would be an excellent candidate for the INTERNnet IMPACT Award for Outstanding Career Services Professional.


Chris Armuth, Office Manager, Nashville Family Medicine, Nashville, Indiana

“I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how pleased we are that we participated in you MA externship program. In 2008, we decided for the first time, to take on a Medical Assistant extern. She turned out to be an excellent student, who was willing to learn anything we were willing to teach. She ended up being someone that we hired with a great attitude and work skills. We couldn’t be happier with our new employee. Thank you for sending her our way and we look forward to working with you in the future.”

Trish Huffman, RN, Internal Medicine Associates, Columbus, Indiana

“Internal Medicine Associates has had the opportunity within the past year to have had three students from Indiana Business College (IBC). We also had a student extern from another college.

With having students from two different colleges, I have to say I am more impressed with the students from IBC. Students from IBC seemed more prepared and eager to do tasks at hand of a Medical Assistant. I would often have to remind myself that they were not on the payroll!
I can say that we have hired 2 out of the 3 students from IBC this past year. I would recommend this program to anyone.”

“America’s future will be determined by the home and the school. The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence we must watch what we teach, and how we live.” Jane Adams

The following was written by Vene Bartlett, a student at the Harrison College Columbus, Indiana campus. Thank you, Vene, for sharing your this with us all.


No matter how old they are, one of my favorite things to do is hold my grandchildren on my lap and rock them, just as my grandmother once did to me, slowly back and forth while patting their little legs in a steady rhythm. What a comfort it had been for me as a child and here I find myself passing it along to a new generation. What an example my grandmother was to me! And now, I find my grandson, Malik, only three years old, patting my arm or back the same way. I find great pleasure in thinking that my great grandchildren and their children who follow will find the same comfort that I felt as a child.

Sometimes I sit and think about the impact that my life has on my grandchildren and the example I am setting for them in word and deed. One value I plan to pass along to future generations is the belief that a college education is a priority.

You see, we are a family of adult learners who value education at any age. Dave Bartlett, AKA “Grandpa”, is currently a student at Harrison College’s distance learning program in pursuit of a network administration career. I am a student at Harrison College Columbus Indiana college campus taking day classes that will assist me in a career as a medical reimbursement specialist.
My oldest daughter, Megan, is a student at Harrison also. She attends classes at night. My youngest daughter, Amy is a registered nurse and is currently teaching at the campus at nights.

I know that our belief in education will impact generations to come. As a mother and grandmother, I have always stressed the importance of studying hard and doing your personal best in school, but as adult education program student, I, and the rest of the adults in my family, have put this belief into action and become a living example of what education can do. We have become living examples to the children.

If you are an adult learner and experiencing days when you think you just can’t do it anymore, ask yourself what kind of an example am I setting for my family and remember the power you have to make a positive impact on the ones around you.

I am happy to report that my ten year old granddaughter, Makala, is already planning her college education at Harrison College.

Medical Assisting is a hot career choice in today’s job market. Careers in medical assistant positions are in high demand as Baby Boomers enter into their retirement years.
 

Harrison College, formerly Indiana Business College, has recognized the importance of educating skilled medical assistants for many years. In fact, Harrison College was the first of the Columbus Indiana colleges to offer medical assisting as an Associate of Applied Science degree. We were also the first in town to offer a program recognized by The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).
 

All of the medical assistant student participate in an Externship during their final quarter. This experience allows them to put into practice the many healthcare skills they are trained to perform. The students are expected to complete 160 hours of training as a physician’s office where they assist in treatment of patients and front office procedures. 
 

As the Medical Program Coordinator for the Columbus, Indiana college campus, Kim Bricker-Brown, CMA (AAMA), conducts performance evaluations for every student as they complete their externship. Here are just a few comments Kim received recently while talking with employers about our medical assisting students.

 

Cathy Murray, Manager, Batesville Urgent Care, Batesville, Indiana

“I believe that IBC has sent us great students. They seem to be well prepared for the extern sites and the workplace as well. All of the students sent to us from IBC are very motivated, friendly, and energetic individuals who are ready to learn everything they can while at our site. We enjoy having the students at our sites and find having the students a great learning experience for us as well!”

Chris Armuth, Office Manager, Nashville Family Medicine, Nashville, Indiana

“I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how pleased we are that we participated in you MA externship program. In 2008, we decided for the first time, to take on a Medical Assistant extern. She turned out to be an excellent student, who was willing to learn anything we were willing to teach. She ended up being someone that we hired with a great attitude and work skills. We couldn’t be happier with our new employee. Thank you for sending her our way and we look forward to working with you in the future.”

Trish Huffman, RN, Internal Medicine Associates, Columbus, Indiana

“Internal Medicine Associates has had the opportunity within the past year to have had three students from Indiana Business College (IBC). We also had a student extern from another college.

With having students from two different colleges, I have to say I am more impressed with the students from IBC. Students from IBC seemed more prepared and eager to do tasks at hand of a Medical Assistant. I would often have to remind myself that they were not on the payroll!

I can say that we have hired 2 out of the 3 students from IBC this past year. I would recommend this program to anyone.”