Start Your Health Care Career

Patients are at the center of everything we do at Catholic Health. Our medical assistants (MAs) often see patients at the beginning and end of each visit. They are critical to ensuring that our patients get the care and service they deserve at our physician offices, ambulatory centers and six hospitals across Long Island.

Catholic Health, in partnership with Suffolk County Community College and Suffolk County Department of Labor, have created a Clinical Medical Assisting Program to help a new generation of health care professionals begin their careers as MAs.

Qualified students may be eligible for tuition scholarships.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

MAs are much-needed members of every health care team. Their role is to provide a wide range of administrative and clinical services to patients. As our population continues to age, and those health care needs become more complex, the demand for MAs will increase.  

Suffolk County Community College will offer a Clinical Medical Assisting Program that requires students to attend classes on the college’s Riverhead and Brentwood campuses and complete an externship at Catholic Health or other health care organization.   

 

Contact Suffolk County Community College for more information about the application process.

Suffolk County Community College will evaluate applications.

The seven and a half month program is designed as a hybrid program with a mix of in-person and online classes at its Riverhead and Brentwood campuses.

The Clinical Medical Assisting Program includes:

  • Administrative training on day-to-day activities in a medical setting, such as speaking with patients, scheduling their appointments, processing insurance forms and filing medical records. 
  • Clinical training on what happens with patients in the examination room, such as checking vitals, documenting information, obtaining labs and providing education.  

Catholic Health will assign each student to a supervisor to oversee the student’s day-to-day experience and ensure a successful outcome.

An externship is required at the program’s conclusion to enforce the administrative and clinical training. Catholic Health has partnered with Suffolk County Community College to host its MA students for externships. Each student must complete 80 hours onsite in a medical office, ambulatory center, or hospital department to complete the program. 

Catholic Health will actively recruit graduates of Suffolk County Community College’s Clinical Medical Assisting Program after successful completion of the externship. 

You could be employed as a MA at Catholic Health within months. In addition, Catholic Health will help you chart your career path as a MA or other administrative and clinical roles within our health system.

There is great demand for medical assistants on Long Island. We’re honored to partner with Suffolk County Community College to support this new program with new MAs who can meet the needs of our patients.

Patrick O’Shaughnessy, Catholic Health President & CEO

Our new Clinical Medical Assisting Program is an example of how we partner with businesses to meet the employment needs of Suffolk County residents and local employers like Catholic Health.

Dr. Edward Bonahue, president of Suffolk County Community College