Ensuring student success through
preparation and national certification
With Ascend Learning’s National Healthcareer Association
Put your students on a pathway to high quality industry
recognized health science credentials
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Ascend Learning introduction and
background
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What is the National Healthcareer
Association (NHA)?
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National certifications for High
School students
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Employer recognition
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Pre-pathway assessment
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Implementation and how to certify
your health science students
Ascend :Learning has dedicated resources specifically to
school districts, students and teachers in CTE
Skills Assessments
Great Content
Preparation
National Certification
The National Healthcareer Association is well known
throughout the post-secondary education and healthcare
provider industries
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Develops exam preparation and student
success resources
Allied Health program admissions
assessments
Interactive, web-based learning tools
Focused remediation
Learning strategies
Utilize NHA examination blue prints
Professional development available to
ensure teacher and student success
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Certification organization since 1989
Offers 10 Allied Health National
Certification exams based on job task
analysis
Nearly 400,000 certification holders
nationally
Committed to patient safety and
quality patient care
Certifies students, graduates, and
current health care professionals
Certifying your students with NHA provides students with
a national credential, verifiable by local employers
NHA’s certifications help students get jobs, and help schools meet
Perkins requirements
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End-of-pathway assessment for “career ready” students
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Proves level of knowledge and competency
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Improves student confidence
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Enhances student resume
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May result in higher pay and career advancement
In a recent study of allied health educators, 92% reported NHA's
Certification Exams help improve candidate placement rates
The National Healthcareer Association offers national
certification attainable by students prior to high school
Case Study: Broward County
Schools
Florida’s Medical Academy model
prepares students for state
approved, nationally recognized
industry certifications.
Enrollment in the Health Sciences
Pathway has grown since the
incorporation of a national
certification. Students are required
to utilize preparation material and
practice assessments as a course
grade.
Broward County’s Health Science
Program has expanded into 18
campuses and will grow to include
5 more high schools during the 1314 school year.
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High school campuses throughout the United States
such as Laredo United, and Broward County
Schools are offering an NHA certification to their students at the end of their health science course.
Districts are now considering providing stackable credentials to enhance their students
employability upon graduation.
The National Healthcareer Association offers secondary
students provisional certification in 8 high demand fields
Certified Medical
Administrative
Assistant (CMAA)
Certified Clinical
Medical Assistant
(CCMA)
Certified Patient
Care Technician
(CPCT)
Certified EKG
Technician
(CET)
Certified
Electronic Health
Records
Specialist
(CEHRS)
Certified
Pharmacy
Technician (CPhT,
ExCPT exam)
Certified
Phlebotomy
Technician
(CPT)
Certified Billing
and Coding
Specialist
(CBCS)
Eligibility requirements for NHA certifications are
straightforward. ExCPT, CPT and CET present specific
eligibility criteria. .
Examination for the
Certification of
Pharmacy Technicians
(ExCPT)
Certified
Phlebotomy
Technician (CPT)
Certified EKG
Technician (CET)
Eligibility Requirements:
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Students must be 18 years old and
posses a high school diploma (ExCPT)
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Students must not have any criminal
history (ExCPT)
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Students must be within we months of
graduating from high school prior (all
other certifications)
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Phlebotomy certification requires 25 live
venipuncture sticks and 10 live capillary
sticks
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EKG Tech certification requires 10 live
EKG’s
Students (except for Pharmacy Tech) will receive a provisional certification
that expires 12 months after testing unless proof of graduation is presented.
Proof of graduation transfers a students certification from provisional to full
Stackable credentials provide students even greater
opportunities for employment
Clinical Pathway:
CCMA
150 Questions
Multi-skilled
employees in
doctors offices
CPT
110 Questions
35 Live Sticks
CET
110 Questions
10 Live EKGS
CPCT
110 Questions
Replacing CNA’s
in some
hospitals
Stackable credentials provide students even greater
opportunities for employment
Administrative Pathway:
CMAA
110 Questions
CEHRS
100 questions
21 critical thinking
items
CBCS
100 questions
Major Employers Nationally recognize NHA Certifications
• Johns Hopkins Hospital
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Mayo Clinic
WalMart Pharmacies
American Red Cross
MD Anderson
University of Chicago Medical Center
Scott and White Healthcare
Nearly 200 employers nationwide
require or highly recommend NHA
certification for their employees
Johns Hopkins recognizes
and requires NHA
credentials for the entry
level allied health
employees.
Praise from Scott & White Healthcare
“A nationally certified candidate can earn anywhere from
fifty cents to over several dollars more per hour.”
“For the Allied Health positions that we require nationally
certified employees, we recognize credentials from the
National Healthcareer Association”
Implementing National Certification
How do you know if your students are prepared for
the rigor of health science course curriculum?
Educators face a variety of challenges from a student body
that might not be prepared for the academically rigorous
curriculum
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Students are not prepared for allied health programs
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Math and science educational background is not sufficient
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Reading is difficult for many ESL students
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Many students have been out of the educational environment
for some time
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Recruiting, screening, and admitting students costs schools time
and money – students are struggling and drop-out rates remain high
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Schools face increasing accreditation, regulatory, and competitive
pressure for improved completion and placement rates
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There is mounting pressure on educators to provide early
assessment and remediation, with few good resources available
The Discover Health Occupations Readiness Test
measures basic essentials skills to determine academic
preparedness for Health Science career-focused
programs
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Multiple choice questions covering
the core academic domains of
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Reading Comprehension
Mathematics
Science
English and Language Usage
A composite score is calculated and
aligns with a number of allied health
careers
Discover is a comprehensive aptitude test that measures
general academic preparedness of students entering
allied health programs
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Only standardized assessment specifically
designed for allied health applicant population
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Ensures consistent, objective measures for allied
health applicants
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Identifies student academic strengths and
weaknesses and provides customized remediation
tools
Content Area
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Enables schools to guide students to the career
path that best suits their competencies
Suited for diploma and associates degree programs
Number
of Items
Time Limit
Reading
24
29 minutes
Mathematics
17
26 minutes
Science
27
33 minutes
English and Language
Usage
17
17 minutes
Total
85
125 minutes
Discover is a comprehensive aptitude test that measures
general academic preparedness of students entering
allied health programs
NHA’s Ascend Learning partners can provide course
resources to help prepare students for certification
ATI Allied Health Study Guides can be used to prepare
for NHA certifications
Practice exams can be used as a diagnostic
to tailor course content and as a final exam
to assess readiness for the certification
exam
Individualized report details
topics for review
Assessment contains rationales
explaining correct and incorrect
answers
Can be accessed 5 times with
each purchase
www.atialliedhealth.com
Online assessment can be
accessed from any internet
connection- ideal for practice at
home or in the classroom
Becoming an NHA Testing Site is very easy!
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A Site Application should be completed by each campus along with
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Proof of state approval to operate
Tax exempt certificate
Testing center attestation
Terms of Use
Whomever will proctor the NHA exams will complete online proctor
training
Instructor will select testing date and tell NHA certification specialist
NHA will open online student registration
Students create a candidate profile and register for their exam through
the NHA website
www.nhanow.com
Thank you!
Lyndsey Hall
Career and Technical Education Director, NHA
978-460-2605
Lyndsey.hall@nhanow.com
Your Investment in National Certification and preparation
Product
Cost
Certification Study Guide
$40.00
Certification Practice test
$25.00
ExCPT, CPT, CET, CMAA, CBCS, CEHRS
certification exams
$105.00
CCMA and CPCT Certification Exam
$149.00
Next Steps
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Individual meetings, phone calls to discuss your local needs and participating
industry partners.
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Complete Site Applications and submit NHA approval paperwork (Lyndsey can
send via email)
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Certification specialist introduction and one-on-one instructor training
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Proctors register
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Identify testing dates
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Students register and take exam!