Health Navigator
Associate of Science
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Associate of Science
During COVID-19, most clinical affiliates mandated vaccinations for all students attending clinical externships at off-campus sites. This was a clinical affiliate requirement and not a Broward College requirement, and declining the COVID19 vaccination prevented students from completing their program of study. At this time, clinical affiliates do not have mandatory COVID19 vaccination requirements. Clinical affiliates currently mandate the Flu vaccine and could reinstate the COVID19 vaccination requirements at any time and if so, students will be required to have the COVID19 vaccinate in order to attend clinical rotations, allowing them to progress in their program of study.
Are you looking for a career helping people navigate the complex world of healthcare?
The Health Navigator Associate of Science degree can allow you to work non- clinically as an advocate for patients and families ensuring they have access to options and available resources. Health Navigators are liaisons between patients, caregivers, and health care providers and assist those with little healthcare knowledge to give an understanding of the healthcare and health insurance systems. They provide services designed to promote, maintain, and improve the health of the patients and their family by reducing barriers and increasing opportunities for access to quality care.
This degree is ideal for those who want a career in healthcare, but may not have an interest in the clinical side of healthcare, as well as current healthcare workers who would like to gain a better understanding of the healthcare field.
Duties
International Students
International students have a limited number of online and blended courses they can take per semester and should fully understand the requirements before registering. It is recommended that international students review with their assigned advisor the Health Services Management program as well as their individual educational plan as several courses are only offered online and only offered during specific semesters. Failure to take courses in the appropriate order can impede an international student's ability to graduate in a timely manner. Online courses in the program include HIM2512, HIM2012, HIM1260, and HSC1531.
Recommendation For Health Navigator Capstone
Prior to taking HSC2810, Healthcare Navigator Capstone in the last term, it is required that students work with their assigned academic advisor to finalize their internships. Students should begin to identify potential preceptors three to six months prior to the start of the practicum. A letter from the planned externship facility needs to be approved by the Health Services Management Associate Dean or (HSC2810) faculty before making the internship commitment. The letter must contain all associated activities of the internship. For further information, please RSVP for a Virtual Information Session held monthly via Zoom.
Background Check
Students are required to complete a background check and drug screening prior to participating in a capstone in a healthcare facility. The cost of the background check and screenings are the responsibility of the student through Complio, American Data Bank 1-800-200-0853. The Complio package can be ordered from the Broward College Complio site. Some healthcare facilities may require additional screening prior to starting the internship. Any additional fees will be the responsibility of the student.
The Health Navigator program covers a broad range of medical, administrative, financial, and managerial knowledge to provide you with a diverse education that will prepare you for work in the healthcare field.
The degree offers students complete flexibility when scheduling classes with options to register for day, evening, or online classes. Students can complete their chosen track even when employed full time. Classes are offered on Central, North, and South campuses as well as fully online. Class sizes are small enough to allow for individual interaction with professors and fellow Broward College students.
Students completing the required 60 credits are awarded an Associate of Science degree in Health Navigator.
Students completing a Health Navigator AS degree often pursue a Bachelor degree in Public Health. The Health Navigator degree qualifies graduates for entry-level positions in a variety of health-related organizations. Patient Navigators are employed in clinics, hospitals, public health organizations, the health department, and agencies like the American Cancer Society or the American Diabetes Association. Health Navigator jobs may have a different title such as patient advocate, community health worker, community outreach worker, screening outreach worker, or care coordinator.
Job prospects for Health Navigators are projected to increase 11% faster than average over the next decade.
RSVP for our monthly Virtual Information Sessions to learn more!
Patients can face complex issues related to their health care that require learning unfamiliar information and making difficult decisions that weigh heavily on them, often affecting their lives for a long time. A Health Navigator must be equipped with a variety of skills to provide resources and comfort to patients:
Caring - The desire to help patients and their families is the most important asset in being a successful Health Navigator.
Communication - Health Navigators must communicate with a variety of people, from the patients and their families to doctors, nurses, and health insurance companies. They must serve as mediators, or liaisons, between the patient and those responsible for the medical, legal, and financial aspects of the patient's care.
Orderliness - The Health Navigator must keep detailed records and notes about each case and documentation of follow-up calls with the patient and others involved.
Critical Thinking - The Health Navigator must persist in challenging situations and be willing and able to find solutions through mediation and negotiation. Part of problem-solving involves having research skills because Health Navigators must seek out information that can help patients know their rights.
Perseverance - The Health Navigator’s role requires strength and patience to handle what patients are experiencing and expressing to them. They must stay positive so they instill trust in the patients who rely on them for advice and quality care.
RSVP for our monthly Virtual Information Sessions to learn more!
The AS degree in Health Navigator course content includes but is not limited to communication skills, leadership skills, human relations, employability skills, principles of health insurance, introduction to computer literacy, health care organization, medical ethics, legal aspects, and health and safety. Upon graduation, students are eligible to sit for the AHIMA CCA certification examination-Clinical Coding Associate.
The Health Navigator AS degree consists of ten separate tracks.
Courses common to all ten tracks include:
HSC1000 Introduction to Health Sciences
HSC1531 Medical Terminology
HIM1253C Coding I
HIM2232C Coding 2
HIM2278C Coding 3*
HSC2669 Prevention and Community Health
HSA2010 Issues and Trends in Public Health
HIM2012 Health Records Law
HSC2810 Health Navigator Capstone
*Not available in the Dental Hygiene track
****Students who start out in the Health Navigator and decide to apply to a limited-access program need to understand that there is no guarantee of admission in a limited-access program.
RSVP for our monthly Virtual Information Sessions to learn more!
This is NOT a limited-access program. Enrollment is open access each term.
Connect with your academic advisor for registration guidance or RSVP for our monthly Virtual Information Sessions to learn more!
Broward College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Applied Science, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Applied Science degrees. Broward College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Broward College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling 404-679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC's website (www.sacscoc.org).
Broward College Health Science Admissions staff may be contacted by email at healthscience@broward.edu.
North Campus
Building 46 | Room 252
1000 Coconut Creek Blvd.
Coconut Creek, FL 33066
Central Campus
Building 8 |Room 130
3501 Davie Road
Davie, FL 33314
Unlike loans, you do not have to pay scholarship money back. Broward College has limited scholarships for merit, financial need, degree choice, and more.
A BC degree checks all the boxes. If this program is your goal, get started toward becoming a student today.
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