Associate in Science (AS) Health Care Specialist

Through the Health Navigator Associate in Science (A.S.) degree program at Valencia College, you can gain the skills and knowledge to make a difference in the lives of those who need help navigating their health care or simply accessing community resources. From health insurance to hospitalization and from wellness to rehabilitation, our world-class health care system can be hard to navigate. Increased health literacy is consistently associated with better health outcomes and quality of life. You can make the difference in the lives of your family and community as a specially trained professional. Health Navigators may also facilitate access to care and follow-up for sick and complicated patients with cancer, HIV, and a range of other complex health problems. In addition, Health Navigators can assist with identifying and enrolling patients in various health insurance plans including ACA Exchanges, Medicaid, Medicare, and disability services.

The curriculum content provides students with technical skill proficiency and includes competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills needed to be successful health navigators. Students also explore work attitudes, general employability skills, and occupation-specific skills. Health Navigator is an open-access program, though a minimum grade of C or better is required in all professional coursework.