Title of Effective Practice: - California Postsecondary Education ...

Direct Connection to Policy Area 1 of The Illinois Commitment
Sustaining Economic Growth in Illinois Through Healthcare Education
Midstate College
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
According to the office of Governor Rod Blagojevich, “…the projected number of potential caregivers,
including nurses, is projected to decrease 4.2 percent between 2000 and 2020, while the number of those who
need care is projected to increase by 31 percent.”
Description of the effective practice:
Midstate College has responded to the need for training healthcare workers to alleviate the shortage of
healthcare workers in Illinois by continuing to offer the CAAHEP-accredited Associate of Applied Science
Degree in Medical Assisting, the diploma in Medical Coding, and the diploma in Medical Transcription. The
development of the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Health Information provides education in coding,
billing, and insurance. These programs appeal to displaced homemakers and dislocated workers. Both two-year
programs of study, along with the shorter diplomas, allow a graduate to obtain wages in accordance with the
standards established by the Department of Labor for the Workforce Initiative. The tri-county area (Peoria,
Woodford, and Tazewell counties) has five hospitals, four schools of nursing, one regional medical college, and
approximately eleven hundred physicians. There are numerous opportunities for entry-level employment.
Those individuals looking for career advancement into administrative and business areas also have a unique
degree opportunity at Midstate College by enrolling in the Bachelor of Science Degree is Health Services
Management. Graduates of the Health Services Management Degree examine the use, cost, quality,
accessibility, delivery, organization, financing, and outcomes of healthcare services. The health services
manager works in clinics, hospitals, health departments, insurance companies, managed care companies, mental
health and rehabilitation facilities and long-term care facilities. A combination of management skills and
clinical knowledge enables the graduate to move into a leadership role as a department manager, trainer, or
supervisor. These trained individuals provide administrative support by allowing nurses to focus on the
utilization their unique clinical skills for patient care.
How does this practice achieve sustainability?
It is anticipated with growing enrollments, that Midstate College’s programs in medical assisting, medical
coding, medical transcription, health information, and health services management, will provide the trainingrelated
graduates to sustain the economic growth of Illinois by answering the need for health-related employees.
What are the results/measurable outcomes?
Midstate College’s medical assisting program is graduating approximately 50 students a year. Job placement for
these graduates has been approximately 98 percent. Local healthcare employers often offer tuitionreimbursement
opportunities to enhance professional development. Currently, there are fifty-six students
enrolled in the B.S. in Health Services Management program.
Contact Information
Name: Margaret Starr
Email: mstarr@midstate.edu
Phone: (309) 692-4092
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