By Alex Greenwood,
May 5, 2025
Hazmat Safety Specialists receiving their certificates at the recent UCM Missouri
Innovation Campus ceremony.
The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is celebrating the achievements of more than
80 students who completed professional certificate programs through the university’s
Workforce and Professional Education division this spring.
The programs, which include in-demand fields such as medical billing, sterile processing
and clinical medical assistant, are conducted at the Missouri Innovation Campus in
Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
“UCM's certificate courses are immersive, and the graduates, many who have families
and full-time jobs, were really dedicated to their career aspirations,” said Clarinda
Dir, program manager for Workforce and Professional Education. “The graduations are
emotional with many proud statements about what their family members accomplished,
especially the younger members of the family that have watched mom and dad work so
hard for so many hours to get this achievement.”
Certificate programs completed this term include:
Clinical Medical Assistant
Twelve students completed this program, which prepares individuals to assist physicians
with clinical duties in medical offices. Training includes preparing patients for
exams, conducting lab procedures and diagnostic testing, performing phlebotomy, and
understanding the cardiac life cycle. Graduates are eligible to sit for the National
Healthcareer Association Certified Medical Assistant exam.
Clinical Medical Assistant graduates.
Medical Billing with Remote Worker Certification
Thirty-seven students in two cohorts learned how to file insurance claims, address
billing issues, navigate payer guidelines, appeal denials, and use coding manuals
such as CPT and ICD-10. The program also prepares graduates for remote work opportunities
in the medical billing field.
Medical billing graduates (above and below).

Certified Nursing Assistant – Mental Health
Six students completed this course, which combines classroom instruction and clinical
experience to prepare graduates for hands-on care in hospitals and long-term care
facilities. Graduates earned Missouri CNA certification and American Heart Association
Basic Life Support certification.
Certified Nursing Assistant – Mental Health graduates.
Sterile Processing Technician
Twenty students earned credentials in this program, which trains individuals to clean,
sterilize, assemble and distribute surgical tools and equipment. These technicians
play a critical role in supporting patient care in hospitals, surgical centers and
other healthcare facilities.
Sterile Processing Technician graduates.
Hazmat Safety Specialist
Eight students completed this course, gaining skills to identify and remove hazardous
materials such as mold, asbestos and lead. The curriculum also covered developing
exposure control and abatement plans. Graduates earned OSHA 7200 and OSHA 7205 certifications.
“These programs are hard, our students have families and jobs, so all of us in Workforce
are extremely proud of our students’ accomplishments,” Dir said.
For more information about upcoming certificate programs, visit ucmo.edu/workforce or email workforce@ucmo.edu.