UCM Workforce Program Honors Graduates Who Balanced Careers, Family and Ambition

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.