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15 May2018

The Benefits of Career-focused Education at Northwestern College

Written by Northwestern WebTeam. Posted in Uncategorized

Specialized education that results in a successful career is good education, something J. F. Fish believed when he founded Northwestern College in 1902. He also foresaw that Chicago would need competent, well-trained workers to support its rapidly growing business community. His vision still holds true today.   

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Northwestern College offers focused degree and certificate programs geared to industries that are expected to grow and produce new jobs well into the future. Unnecessary coursework has been eliminated in Northwestern College’s programs in business administration, healthcare and technology to concentrate on the skills directly related to your chosen career. Many programs can have you ready for your career in as few as two years.

A Northwestern College education delivers a results-based education that is important to a fulfilling career. The following are benefits of choosing to study at Northwestern College.

Programs that meet rising healthcare needs

According to the American Medical Student Association, the number of people over the age of 65 will have increased by 73 percent between 2010 and 2030. These older Americans will make up the majority of patients who will need healthcare – one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States.

At Northwestern College, you can choose a program that involves patient care or the administrative side of healthcare. Your training prepares you to play a vital role in this in-demand field. Check out your options:

  • Nursing. The foundation of every healthcare organization, nurses provide hands-on care to patients and work as liaisons between patients and the rest of the healthcare community. Earn your associate degree at the Violet L. Schumacher School of Nursing at Northwestern College.
  • Radiologic Technology. You’ll learn to perform diagnostic imaging exams, including X-rays, that are crucial to patient care. Northwestern College provides specialized training toward an associate’s degree that will set you apart in the medical community and give you the firm foundation for an entry-level position in healthcare.
  • Medical Assisting. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth of the medical assistant field on the national level is expected to increase by 24 percent through 2024. When you earn your certificate from Northwestern College, you will be able to help doctors by administering medication, checking vital signs, drawing blood, removing sutures, noting patient medical history and more.
  • Medical Coding Specialist. Medical coding is at the heart of the healthcare industry, keeping doctors and nurses on track and organized. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for medical records and health information technicians (billers and coders) is growing much faster than the average for other occupations. Northwestern College offers a certificate program in coding specialist.
  • Dental Assisting. At Northwestern College, dental assistant students learn what they need to work in any type of dental office. Students in the one-year certificate program get hands-on training in a state-of-the-art facility, learning to take X-rays, sterilize instruments, record patient information and offer chair-side assistance.
  • Health Information Technology. The Northwestern College health information technology associate’s degree program integrates two of the more profitable healthcare industry options – coding and health information management – and can prepare you for your career in two years when studying full time.

New bachelor’s program in business administration

Northwestern College has recently launched a new bachelor’s program in business administration that offers students the opportunity to enroll in one of two tracks – Human Resource Management (HRM specialization) or Logistics & Supply Chain Management (SCM specialization). A major advantage of the program is that all classes are online, giving students many options.

Here is an overview of the differences between the two tracks:

  • Human Resources Management. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for human resources managers are expected to grow 9 percent by 2026. As new companies enter the marketplace and other organizations expand, more human resources managers will be needed to plan and oversee employee benefit programs, recruit and hire employees, and handle staffing issues. This track is the ideal choice for those who prefer more of an administrative environment.

  • Logistics & Supply Chain Management. Students who choose this track should have a desire to work in the transportation industry, warehousing or retail. SCM is important to businesses everywhere, and the effectiveness of a company’s logistics operation can mean the difference between big profit and big losses.

New bachelor’s program in Health Information Management (HIM)

HIT has created the need for a way to effectively manage an organization’s information systems. That is the responsibility of HIM. Northwestern College has recognized the growing need for HIM professionals and has just launched a four-year Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management program. Students who have completed a two-year associate’s degree in HIT are eligible to move on and take third- and fourth-year courses (the bachelor’s program) in HIM.

Flexible study options

Since many Northwestern College students have part-time jobs, schedule flexibility allows them to work, or to handle family responsibilities, while pursuing their education. Many courses are available online (the bachelor’s program in business administration is only online), and many programs offer the choice of morning, afternoon or evening classes. Because of its career-focused training, Northwestern College prepares you to begin your career (in most cases) in two years or less.

Instructors who are experts in their fields

Because the instructors work in their fields, they are able to bring real-world experience into the classroom. That enhances the hands-on experience you get across all programs by providing you with what you need to succeed in today’s ever-changing workplace. They have experienced what you will experience on the job, making you workforce ready as soon as you graduate. Because of the small class sizes, instructors are able to give you dedicated one-on-one time to ensure you grasp all that your program offers. Free peer and professional tutoring is also available to those who require additional assistance.

A commitment to student success

Students’ success is a direct reflection of the education they receive, and Northwestern College empowers students to succeed. Founder Fish and his successors believed that a career education should prepare students for significant, responsible lives and equip them with the intellectual and social skills necessary to succeed. At Northwestern College, you learn through a well-balanced mix of hands-on practical training, traditional classroom teaching and in-field externships that will help you begin a career that will carry you through your entire lifetime.

For a career-focused education with flexible class times that adapt to your schedule, contact Northwestern College today.

 

10 May2018

Northwestern College Violet L. Schumacher School of Nursing

Written by Northwestern WebTeam. Posted in Alumni Spotlight

Graduate: Teena Richardson

The Journey to Destiny – The Story of Teena Richardson

 

“Giving up was not an option,” – A simple, yet inspiring message from nursing student graduate Teena Richardson, a wife and mother of six, who has finally embarked on her road to destiny. Teena has wanted to become a nurse for as long as she can remember.

 

After completing high school, Teena attended a previous college, prior to enrolling at NC. Unbeknownst to Teena, obstacles would present that she was not ready for. Ultimately, she was placed on academic probation and was subsequently dismissed from the college. Teena would have given up then but, she knew something greater was to come.

In 2001, Teena enrolled in school to become a Certified Nurse Assistant. Never in a million years did she expect to become so comfortable and satisfied with the patients she cared. While being a CNA, Teena worked in many environments, caring for patients of various populations. Fast forward seventeen years later, and Teena is currently working as a CNA, doing what she loves, caring for people in need.

Teena’s desire to become a nurse one day was still within her. After researching many programs, she decided to attend Northwestern College, where she previously earned certificates in Phlebotomy and EKG in 2008. Teena’s positive experience at Northwestern College motivated her to continue her education in the Violet L. Schumacher School of Nursing.   

Though the Nursing program at Northwestern College was rigorous, giving up was not an option for Teena. She states she owed it to her future patients to ensure that high standards of care was always at the forefront.

The support Teena received from her family, friends, faculty, staff, and administration have been unparalleled, launching her even closer to her dream of becoming a nurse one day.

During her time as a nursing student at NC, Teena became employed at Loyola University Medical Center as a Patient Care Technician. In addition, she also worked as a student worker in the Career Development Office at NC.

Teena has words of wisdom to prospective students: “Step out in faith and follow your dreams; you’ve landed in the right place.” To the current nursing students, Teena says “keep your head up and your eye on the prize, the fruit of your labor will be so sweet.”

Teena Richardson will soon be taking the NCLEX-RN licensure examination, which is required in order to become a nurse. NC wishes Teena all the best in her future endeavors!

24 Apr2018

Faculty Spotlight: Gladys Nieves, Assistant Professor/Dental Assistant Instructor

Written by Northwestern WebTeam. Posted in Uncategorized

 In the 20-plus years Gladys Nieves has worked as a dental assistant, she has witnessed the evolution of the dental industry. She has seen it go from the “dinosaur” era of paper records and unsterilized equipment to the digital record keeping and stiff regulations of today’s world. Nieves, an assistant professor and dental assistant instructor at Northwestern College, has done it all – which is a real bonus for her students.

How she went from dental assistant to assistant professor

“I have so much under my belt,” Nieves says. “I’ve worked with pediatric dentists. I’ve worked with the best surgeon. I worked in a hospital setting.” After teaching at another college for five years, it closed. She returned to the field and managed a dental office for two years. “It was important for me to go back and see all the digital stuff and how it’s working now,” she says. “It just refreshed everything for me and took me to a better level.” She trained new assistants at her office – something she said prepared her for teaching once again. When an opportunity to teach at Northwestern came up, she jumped on it. “When I went in for my interview and I started telling them what I know and the people I know, they said, ‘You know what? Let’s get you a classroom.’ I never thought that would happen.”

How the dental field has changed

The biggest noticeable industry change has been with regulations. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was passed to ensure the privacy and security of patients’ healthcare information. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards have improved. “Back in the day, they [dental assistants] were so afraid to sterilize their doctor’s drills because they thought they would break off and need to be replaced,” Nieves says. “Having such standards … having it nice and sterile for the patient makes everybody safe and the environment safe.” Other changes include the way they take X-rays and radiation dosage. “It just gets better and better – the X-rays, the pictures,” she says.   

What she teaches her students

At Northwestern College, dental assistant students learn what they need to work in any type of dental office. “We

teach them here how to chart in a computer setting and also in an old-school paper setting,” she says, “if they get a dentist who still loves his paper charts.”  They learn different types of cavities, teeth names and numbers, surfaces, and how to take specific X-rays (depending on whether the patient is in the office because of a dental emergency or routine exam). She says students also learn how to be professional and answer the phones correctly. Nieves has them practice sending emails to cancel or fill appointments. “If the email doesn’t make sense, I correct them so it looks more professional,” Nieves says. “It’s really important for dental assistants to know that.”

How doing an externship helps students

Besides regular classroom study, dental assistant students are required to complete a 120-hour externship in a real dental office. In school, students work on each other as practice. The externship is different. “They need that hands-on experience to see how a real patient reacts with X-rays or a mold in the mouth, so they learn that they have to be gentle about it,” she explains. “Their friends are going to be a little more lenient on them, but the patients are going to be afraid.” Although students are not paid by the host dentist, they are qualifying for graduation. “We let them know – you have to shine in your externship; you have to treat this like it’s your job,” she says. “It’s their incentive to hurry up and finish those hours because they can graduate and get hired. It’s a win-win situation.”

What makes Northwestern College special

“Northwestern College has a beautiful state-of-the-art facility, and a lot of these new doctors – they’re getting that,” Nieves says. “They’re going top-notch with their stuff because they want to impress the patients who come in and are competitive with other new doctors.” Students at Northwestern work in that type of environment, but the comprehensive program prepares them to be able to work in any dental facility. “We touch upon every dental aspect, and then their last term we touch on every specialty there is.” Additionally, Nieves says the students develop strong camaraderie with their classmates. “They help each other out. It’s very important for them to look out for each other as dental assistants. Why don’t you come here? It’s really nice.” Nieves says that in many cases, students end up working for the dentist they externed for. “They train them the way they want them, so they wind up keeping them,” she says. “That’s a foot in the door for the student.”

What the prospects look like for dental assistants

Nieves says dental assistants are more in demand than are dental hygienists because of their varied responsibilities. A dental hygienist cleans teeth and can administer anesthesia. “If they can hire a doctor to clean teeth and do everything, they’ll hire a doctor,” she says. “There’s less chance of employment for dental hygienists.” On the other hand, dental assistants do the bulk of the work. They set up the instruments a doctor needs for any given procedure, take molds for custom impressions of teeth and for creating special appliances, take X-rays and set up bleaching trays. “They need to know the instruments, the functions, the setups,” she explains. “If a doctor’s doing a filling, they need to know what type of filling and what instruments they need for it.” Nieves says that in a typical dentist’s office, they might need three or four dental assistants. In large offices, that number could go up to 15. “I used to work at the hospital, and I’d see 15, 20 assistants and there would be one to two dental hygienists.”

 What she likes best about teaching

“I love it when students succeed. They love this program,” she says. As students “get” the program, they begin talking a dental language, Nieves says, is built in the dental community. “We talk about a specific tooth that has a decay on it, and it’s a big deal. Oh, tooth number three has an occlusal decay. Only we know what that means.” She says she loves when they catch on. “That’s what I love about it – when I see them speaking to me the way I know, my language of dental talk. Welcome to my world!”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for dental assistants is expected to grow by 19 percent from 2016 to 2026 – much faster than the average for other occupations. If you think your future career could be as a dental assistant, contact Northwestern College today.

 

 

03 Apr2018

Faculty Spotlight: Christopher Wheat, Program Director of Health Information Management

Written by Northwestern College. Posted in Faculty Spotlight

Christopher Wheat had originally planned on becoming a physician when he entered the University of Chicago as an undergraduate. Fortunately for Northwestern College, he changed his plans. The multi-degreed, multi-awarded Wheat is now Program Director of the college’s new Health Information Management program. How he went from there to here is a fascinating story.

15 Feb2018

How Unscrupulous Physicians in Illinois Profit from Misuse of Medical Coding and Billing

Written by Northwestern WebTeam. Posted in Healthcare

medicalAlthough physicians are not required to swear the original Hippocratic Oath, written in 500 BCE and detailing a moral code of contact, they do vow similar sentiments. The modern version essentially states to “do no harm” and also consider patients’ social and financial well-being when treating them. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous physicians out there who abuse their position for personal financial gains. In Illinois, the lax medical regulations have made it possible for even disgraced doctors to line their pockets at the expense of their patients.

08 Feb2018

How Dental Health Can Affect Heart Health

Written by Northwestern WebTeam. Posted in Healthcare

gumWhen a person has periodontitis, advanced periodontal (gum) disease, the mouth is like a battlefield. Millions of bacteria are fighting their way in, taking shelter in the soft tissues of the gums. Then, they fire their nasty, infectious strains through the blood stream. Initial losses include teeth, which may fall out. Unexpected victims, however, may be the arteries and, ultimately, the heart.

Although there has been no definitive proof that gum disease causes heart disease, the links between the two are becoming stronger. If you have periodontal disease, it could be an early warning sign of cardiovascular disease, the #1 killer of Americans. In fact, one out of four people in the U.S. dies of heart disease every year – a staggering 610,000 people. Isn’t that reason enough to heed all possible warnings?

23 Jan2018

Employee Spotlight: Griselda Calderon, Senior Admissions Coordinator

Written by Northwestern WebTeam. Posted in Faculty Spotlight

Most people who have gone to college and received their degrees say “goodbye” to the hallowed halls forever. Griselda Calderon, senior admissions coordinator in nursing at Northwestern College, is an exception.

Calderon was an adult student who didn’t return to college until she was 30. She graduated from Northwestern College with a degree in paralegal studies. “I wasn’t successful at the community colleges because it’s just like you’re in an empty hole. Here, it’s a little more one-on-one,” she says. She went on to complete her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Roosevelt University. After accepting a temporary paralegal job, she soon realized it wasn’t what she wanted in a career. “I had to sit back and evaluate what I really wanted.” She turned to her alma mater, where she always felt that she mattered. “I looked online,” she says. “I saw they (Northwestern College) were hiring in admissions, and I’ve been here ever since.”

21 Dec2017

Faculty Spotlight: Raj Patel – You CAN Go Home Again

Written by Northwestern WebTeam. Posted in Faculty Spotlight

Raj Patel, 2012 graduate of Northwestern College’s Radiologic Technology Program, spent nearly four years working at a major Chicago hospital. He was well into a successful career when the director of the radiography program called and asked if he would like to teach. “I’d never thought about teaching,” Patel says. “I’d thought about doing something instructional like maybe a C.I., an instructor on-site at the hospital.”

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