AU Blogspot

Thanks to Hubschenhosen for the photo. 

Let’s be honest, we all want to either lose or at least maintain our current weight.  The question is: how do we do it in a way that’s lifestyle friendly and healthy?  First, you need to make a commitment to yourself.  This commitment is more psychological than anything else.  In other words, say to yourself, “This is what I’m going to do, this is how I’m going to do it, and I’m not going to give up!” 

Secondly, follow these helpful tips.

1.    User smaller plates when available. 

2.    Eat slowly.  Take about 20 minutes per meal. 

3.    Remember PORTION SIZE does count. 

4.    Try to implement one healthy dish into your dinner routine.  After a month of integrating this new meal, you’ll be prepared to add another one.

Lastly, follow the E.X.E.R.C.I.S.E. Principle to guide you in maintaining your weight in a healthy manner.   

E-Eat: Don’t skip meals. Prepare for those busy days by keeping some healthy snacks around. 

X-Xtra: Avoid eating extras that you really don’t want or have room for.  Save those extra calories for those foods that really hit your taste buds 

E-Exercise: Don’t compromise on your workouts during the holiday season.  If possible increase your activity to burn off those excess calories you will be consuming. 

R-Relax: For all of us, balancing life, work, and family can be very stressful at times.  Be sure you take the time to relax and possibly avoid emotional over-eating. Read the rest of this entry »

I am currently enrolled in Ashworth University’s Medical Billing program. I am pleased with the content that is covered and the program offers so much more than a local or community college. However; I would like to see the Medical Billing program go into more detail about insurance programs like Etna and Cigna.  

I would also love to see the school develop a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management. If Ashworth would offer an Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree in this field, I would sign up for the program in a heartbeat. If a school has an opportunity for you to receive an Associate degree—then you should be able to continue on with that same school to obtain your higher degrees.  

Additionally, I think it would be great if the school offered medical coding and an online internship that allows you to apply the knowledge you have learned to gain “virtual” hands on experience. The best thing I like about Ashworth is that it is affordable and you can pay as you go. There is always room for improvement, but overall, I am very pleased with my experience with Ashworth University and would recommend this school to anyone.

Crystal
Medical Billing Program Student
Ashworth University School of Health Care

These days, with an estimated 60% of the US population being overweight, it seems as if everyone is trying to lose weight. When I ask my friends about strategies for shedding pounds and healthy living, most of them say, “I don’t eat bread, sugar, rice, or pasta. I’m cutting back on the carbs.”   

Weight loss occurs when you consume fewer calories than what you burn off during the day. So should you cut out carbs to lose weight? Hmmm…It depends on which dietary sources of carbohydrates you eat. Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy so trying to cut them out completely is unhealthy. Carbohydrates are found in grains, fruit, vegetables, most dairy products, and sugary desserts. Most foods that are good for you contain carbohydrates and are fundamental to a healthy diet.  

So what carbohydrates should you take out of your diet? Cut carbohydrates that add extra calories with little or no nutritional value.  These include candy, soda, sugary desserts, and fruit drinks. Drinks that contain 100% juice have some nutritive value. Fruit drinks that are made with mostly sugar and water, such as Kool-Aid or Hawaiian Punch contain little nutritional value and add empty calories that should be avoided if you’re trying to lose weight.  

So go ahead, eat your whole grain bread, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta without guilt! Most foods that contain carbohydrates are important sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Carbohydrates do not make you gain weight. Overeating and lack of exercise does.

Carla Hardy MS, CSCS
Fitness and Exercise Instructor
Ashworth University

              
             Thanks to Javier Belmont for permission to use this Photo.

While working as a pharmacy technician, you will see that most muscle relaxants and hormones are available only as prescription (or legend) drugs.  A few years ago, I was working at a retail store late on a Friday evening.  A person walked slowly up to the pharmacy counter and asked me to sell him some carisoprodol (a muscle relaxant).  Being pretty naïve, I asked for his name so I could pull up his refills on the computer.  He replied, “I don’t have a prescription.”  After I informed him that carisoprodol required a prescription, he left the pharmacy.  Without a valid prescription I could neither provide the man with carisoprodol nor appropriately assess his intentions for use.  

Be aware that, even though many muscle relaxants are not controlled substances, they do have the potential for being abused.  You can perform a valuable service by assisting the pharmacist in monitoring the quantity and frequency of refills your customers purchase.  If you notice a possible abuse situation, notify the pharmacist.  If it’s a case of the original prescription being no longer adequate, it may be time for the patient’s doctor to try a higher dose or another medication altogether. 

Tina Boyd Stacy
Pharmacy Technology Instructor
Ashworth University

 
              Thanks to Gisela Giardino for permission to use this Photo.

I enrolled in April of last year, but I had to set my studies aside for a few months due to a sprained left ankle and a fractured right ankle.  It was kind of hard to study when you’re constantly sleeping!

I’m now back to work and studying…

The medical billing course has been extremely helpful in my present job working for the “Insurance” company.  It has really opened my eyes to the health-care industry as a whole. I can now see why doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies do what they do—not saying that either side is right or wrong.  I have worked both sides of the fence. 

However; I now have a greater understanding of the whole concept and I really do think that Ashworth has been my greatest teacher EVER!!

I highly recommend that all who are studying this course to not get discouraged. There is light (and a great job) at the end of the tunnel!!

Good Luck and Be Blessed…

Dani
Medical Billing Student
Ashworth University School of Health Care

It’s June and I’m seriously ready to restart a fitness and wellness routine. It’s always nice to know you can get a fresh start at the beginning of a new month. I’ve been putting it off for way too long, and I’ve constantly felt like I need to really change for way way too long. I’ll admit, I’m really not happy with how I look, no matter what anyone else says to me otherwise. 

I recently read some tips for starting and sticking to a fitness/wellness plan and here are some of the ones that I felt applied to me (and may apply to someone getting back into it all, too). 

1. Prepare

I think this is the most important because just like anything in life, it’s better to plan. You can think of this as an appointment in your calendar, like a doctor’s appointment or an important meeting. Mark it on your calendar or planner. Create an alert on your cell phone so you can’t forget. 

2. Start Slowly

Just because you know you’ve ran 3 miles before doesn’t mean you can do it as simply if you’ve been out of it for awhile. It’s probably better to start out slowly and gradually build up your distance and even speed. 

3. Be Positive

Think about the gold at the end of the rainbow. Preparing and making a goal, and sticking to it is really hard! I know because I’ve been there, and I personally battle with this myself. Hard work reaps great reward and you should constantly remind yourself with that. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s face it, not everyone is an effective communicator.  Some people are more reserved and must put forth a great deal of effort to be sociable and interact with others on a daily basis.  For other people, it’s not difficult at all to put on a smile, chat with, and listen to others. And although sometimes it’s tough to listen to the problems of others, especially when we’re distracted by our own troubles, the bottom line is that as health care workers, our own needs and desires take a back seat to those of our patients.  Put yourself in their shoes:  When we’re not feeling well, or must have a procedure performed, we certainly don’t want to encounter a grumpy, rude, or disinterested medical office employee.  We want to be considered important, and we want to be able to interact  with caring medical staff members who act as though they truly are concerned with our well-being.  Therefore, as a medical assistant, it is imperative that you keep your own expectations and requirements in mind when you are dealing with patients.  Remember, you represent the physicians and the entire office staff.  The attention and impression you give will improve or detract from the quality of the patient’s encounter, as well as the overall success of the health-care facility.

As the key link between the office and the patient, you must learn to give patients the individual care that they require and deserve.  You must learn to assess a patient’s needs quickly so that you can address their problems and concerns effectively. Part of this process is being able to tailor your response to each individual.  For example, you certainly would not communicate with a sick child the same way you communicate with an 80-year-old patient.  Think about how would you deal with a patient who speaks little or no English.  Would you greet a patient coming to the office for an immunization shot differently than you would treat a patient coming in to be treated for HIV?  Throughout your Medical Office Assisting program, we’ll consider the answers to these critical questions.

In learning how to individualize your approach to helping each patient, you will also learn about Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in this program.  As well as being able to assess the needs of a patient, you must also understand how those needs can be met.  To determine this, you must decide where you perceive those needs falls in the hierarchy of needs.  Maslow believed that basic, physiological needs must be met before higher goals can be reached.  For example, if a patient is homeless, his primary concern will be that he has something to eat and a place to sleep tonight, not that his blood pressure is elevated and he may have a stroke someday.

With respect to terminally ill patients, we will focus a lot on Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s five Stages of Dying.  You should take note of her highly insightful theories.  The chances are very good that you will at some point manage patients who are terminally ill (these five stages also apply to patients suffering from grief).  Knowing the emotional state of the patient makes empathy and communication easier.  The stages also explain why a patient might be cooperative and pleasant one day and angry and combative another day. 

Remember, it’s a privilege to work in a medical office.  I never take this privilege for granted and encourage you to demonstrate the same kind of pride when dealing with your patients.  At the end of the day, we’re here for the patients and are held to standards of excellence that should never be compromised.

John E. Long
Medical Office Assisting Program Instructor
Ashworth University School of Health Care

                              
                             Image courtesy of Matt Cipov.

A dog’s body language can tell you a lot about how the animal feels and how it may behave.  All dogs exhibit varying degrees of “dominant” or “submissive” behavior, depending on the circumstance.  Dominance and submission are survival mechanisms having roots in prehistoric pack behavior.  As a veterinary assistant, it’s important to understand the meaning of different canine body postures.  For example, truly dominant dogs stand their ground, make direct eye contact, and may even show their teeth.  These expressions mean, ”Stay away from me.  I’m tougher than you are.  And, if you get any closer, I’ll show you just how tough I am.”  Obviously, this type of dog is difficult to handle.  As a Vet Assistant, you must be careful not to provoke these animals.  Sometimes, all it takes to precipitate an act of aggression is to look directly into a dog’s eyes! More common, and just as dangerous, are canine fear-biters.  Fear-biters only seem to be submissive.  In stressful situations, they may crouch low or even roll onto their backs.  Their ears may be back, and they will usually try to avoid eye contact.  These signals mean, ”I’ve given up.  You win, so don’t bother me any more.”  Basically, the fear-biter is trying to show, in canine body language, that it is offering no threat to you, so any further aggressive actions are unnecessary.  Unfortunately, these signals are the fear-biter’s warning that if you don’t leave him alone, he will attack as a last resort.  Most people don’t recognize the danger that a cowering dog presents.  The fear-biter may respond with a quick, dangerous bite when the unwary human gets too close.  Since veterinary clinics are unfamiliar, threatening places, dogs whose behavior is normally quite predictable may become fear-biters in a clinical setting. Because veterinary clinics are threatening places to animals of all species, it isn’t unusual for a normally docile animal to act in an aggressive manner.  Even when an owner assures you, “Oh, he won’t bite,” always be on your guard.  An animal that may not bite at home, may do so in a clinic.  Anything is possible.

Ken Roberts
Veterinary Assisting Program Instructor
Ashworth University

From Hannah Waight of Experience:

No longer is healthcare confined to doctors and nurses - now more than ever jobs are available for people with all types of interests within this highly diverse industry. Although you may not look forward to that trip to the dentist or those yearly shots from the doctor, no one can deny that healthcare is an essential aspect of all of our lives.  People who are willing and able to work in the health industry will always be in demand.  In fact, healthcare has long been one of the biggest industries in the nation, and now, because of the aging population of the United States and advances in medical technology, the need for qualified workers is only going to increase.  Your ideal job is within your grasp as long as you have the appropriate background and inside information.

As an industry, healthcare offers a diverse range of jobs for many different types of people.  You can work in the traditional health provision sector as a doctor or nurse, or in a wide variety of medical fields.  Preventative medicine and recovery is getting increasing attention from insurance companies looking to keep their costs down: dietitians, counselors, and physical therapists all play key roles in keeping people healthy. Research in academic medicine and biotechnology provides opportunities for professionals interested in discovering the next generation of treatment.  The people- and paperwork-oriented are needed to run the business and administrative side of the industry.

Copyright © 1996 - 2008 Experience, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

To read more of Hannah’s great article, login to the Ashworth University Career Center through the student portal and click here.

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University

It’s well chronicled that the leading cause of Cardiovascular Heart Disease is high cholesterol, yet the statistics indicate that a staggering 20 million Americans suffer from some form of heart disease, therefore one must at least partially conclude that, despite the amount of educational materials, informational resources, and medical support available to the public at large; the message may be being heard, but people are generally not listening.  One explanation I believe carries some weight is that most people simply do not understand how to apply the indirect messages they are hearing directly to their everyday lives and diet. 

             Thanks to B Baltimore for permission to use this Photo.

I’ve provided the following two videos to help you directly apply the aforementioned messages in a safe, simple, and healthy way.  In the first video, the characteristics of heart disease are defined, so that we can first identify the nature of this deadly disease and its’ manifestations before developing misinformed prevention plans.  In the second video, a certified fitness coach provides a concise analysis of what factors contribute to high cholesterol levels and also offers some practical exercise tips you can take advantage of while conducting your daily routine.  I hope you enjoy these brief, but informative videos and begin applying the knowledge you have gained.  I’m interested in hearing about some of the heart disease related challenges that either you or your family have faced over the years.  Please feel free to share your experiences with the Ashworth student community. I’ll talk to you again soon.  In the meantime, stay focused on your program studies and achieving your goals.  Take care.

Kathy Carter
Nutrition, Diet, And Health Science Instructor
Ashworth University