McHenry County College (MCC) is offering a new certificate in the Spring semester for those looking to make an impact in the healthcare industry. Cancer Registry Management, an addition to the College’s Health Information Management program, will train students in case finding, coding, and staging of disease and treatment for proper abstracting.
Cancer registrars collect and code data that provides essential information to researchers and healthcare providers.
“Our students will make a difference in future cancer screening programs, treatments, and prevention,” said Christina Coclanis-Loding, Associate Dean of Allied Health at MCC. “Graduates can work at a variety of healthcare settings such as hospitals, central or state registries, software vendors, or pharmaceutical companies to name a few. And many cancer registry jobs also allow for remote work.”
Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for health information technicians/cancer tumor registrars to grow by 9% from 2020 to 2030.
“This certificate is ideal for those seeking advancement in their current career, making career changes, or seeking a new career in the field of Health Information Management,” added Allison Minicz, a faculty member at MCC and Certified Cancer Tumor Registrar.
There are currently only 12 accredited cancer registry certificate programs in the U.S. MCC will become the 13th in the nation and one of only two community colleges offering the program in Illinois.
The program is intended for students who have completed an associate degree. Students with a degree in Health Information Management are at an advantage as their prerequisites will have already been completed. The classes will be offered in an 8-week flexible online format, including an optional drop-in session with faculty weekly.
“The optional online video conferencing feature in MCC’s program will offer a unique experience for our students,” added Minicz. “Students will have the ability to talk with a faculty member live to receive immediate feedback.
The capstone course of the program is a clinical practicum that will give students hands-on professional practice in cancer registry.
Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to take the Cancer Tumor Registrar certification exam through the National Cancer Registrars Association.
The College will be hosting three info sessions for students interested in joining the program on September 15, October 18, and November 30, all at 6 p.m. The sessions will be held via Zoom. Students can join the sessions at https://bit.ly/3dUTp9W.
The Cancer Registry Management program starts in January 2023. For more information, visit www.mchenry.edu/registry or contact Chris Coclanis-Loding at ccoclanis-loding@mchenry.edu or (815) 455-8713.