Kaiser Permanente School Inaugurates Medical Assistant Training Program with 50% Tuition Discount

Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences (KPSAHS) starts a Medical Assistant education program in April, and to encourage applicants in this fast-growing field, is offering a 50% tuition discount to the first cohort. Applications are due February 1.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California currently has 362 openings for medical assistants, and across the country, the U.S. Department of Labor says the number of medical assistant positions is expected to grow by 23 percent between 2014 and 2024. To help fill the growing need to train new medical assistants, the School of Allied Health Sciences in Richmond will launch a new 15-month Associate of Science Degree in Medical Assisting program beginning in April 2017.

KPSAHS has been training students for careers in allied health fields such as radiologic technology, diagnostic medical sonography, and nuclear medicine technology for more than 25 years. In March 2015, the school achieved Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission accreditation, which paved the way for KPSAHS to offer Bachelor of Science degrees.

The new Associate of Science degree program will start with 25 students and will have several unique features. Besides receiving an Associate of Science degree in medical assisting, graduates will be eligible to sit for certification exams in basic and advanced phlebotomy and EKG. Students will do their clinical training within Kaiser Permanente medical centers and will learn to use the organization’s electronic medical record software, KP HealthConnect.

"Some of the large for-profit schools that trained medical assistants have closed over the last two years," said Tammy Arnold, KPSAHS medical assisting program director. "Combine that with Kaiser Permanente’s growing membership and the increased demand for medical assistants in primary care, and the result is a drastic need for training."

"Graduates of the program will be eligible to work anywhere and will be very marketable," said KPSAHS Associate Administrator Kristina Lopez. "But the intent is that they will apply for work within Kaiser Permanente."

Tuition for the 15-month program will be $7500 for the inaugural cohort, and $15,000 after. Medical Assistants at Kaiser Permanente earn $25 - $27/hr, not including benefits. KPSAHS offers loans with forgiveness for those employed after graduation at Kaiser Permanente. Applications are due February 1. For more information about the School of Allied Health in Richmond, please visit http://kpsahs.edu/