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Phlebotomy Training Bay Area

Phlebotomy Training in the Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area is a densely populated region of California that includes cities, urban, and rural areas alike. With an amazing number of outdoor activities to enjoy, a vibrant culture to explore, and many large companies calling the Bay Area home, this is a great option in destinations to live, to work, and to play.

The Bay Area is known for liberal politics, diversity, and of course an amazing natural beauty that everyone can appreciate. More than 7,440,000 million people call the Bay Area home. The popularity and population of the area does lead to a cost of living that can be considered high when compared to other parts of the country. However that is also reflected in the salary that you can expect to earn as a phlebotomist. The average salary for a Phlebotomist in the Bay Area is $32,000.

Getting Certified as a Phlebotomist in California:

phlebotomy training bay area
The Bay Area also includes places like: Oakland, San Jose, and Palo Alto. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

As we mentioned in our Phlebotomy certification guide for California, the State of California requires a bit more in terms of certification from those working in the medical field. While some states do not require phlebotomists to get certified prior to working with patients, California definitely does. Beyond that, California also requires that phlebotomists get certified on the state level as well. Certification is overseen by the California Department of Public Health.

In general, those who can perform the duties of a phlebotomist are physicians, nurses, clinical lab scientists, and of course certified phlebotomists. Medical assistants are only permitted to do the duties of a phlebotomist in a physician’s office.

The State of California offers three types of phlebotomy certifications:

1. The Limited Phlebotomy Technician (LPT). This phlebotomist can only perform

finger stick draws

2. The Certified Phlebotomy Technician-1 (CPT-1). This phlebotomist can perform

both finger stick draws, and venipuncture draws

3. The CPT-2. This phlebotomist can perform finger sticks, venipuncture and also

arterial blood draws

Even with certification in hand, phlebotomists are not permitted to do any type of testing

on patients. This means that they can’t do point of care tests that include breath tests,

or glucose tests. Certified phlebotomists may only draw blood with the order of a

licensed physician, and must be supervised.

The Process of Obtaining Phlebotomy Certification in the Bay Area

There are quite a few requirements to meet in order to obtain your phlebotomist

certification in the Bay Area, and the requirements differ between the three types of

phlebotomy certifications.

The Limited Phlebotomy Technician (LPT) must be a high school graduate, or have

passed an equivalency exam. The LPT student must have completed 20 hours of basic

training at a California approved program, and also have completed 25 successful

needle sticks on patients. With certificate of completion in hand, students will be

awarded certification.

The Certified Phlebotomy Technician-1 (CPT-1) must demonstrate having graduated

from high school, or an equivalency exam. The student must have completed 20 hours

of basic training, 20 hours of advanced training, 40 hours of practical training, and must

have also completed 10 successful skin punctures and 50 successful venipunctures.

The CPT-2 must have on the job experience working as a CPT-1, and also have 1040

hours of work experience within the past five years. An additional 20 hours of advanced

classes must be completed, as well at 20 successful arterial punctures, under

supervision.

Transferring National Certifications, Renewals, and Refreshers:

If you have been working as a phlebotomist outside of California, once you move to the

Bay Area you will need to do your part to obtain your California-approved certifications.

The state requires that all individuals working as a phlebotomist obtain the right training

and certifications prior to working in the healthcare field. Your nationally recognized

credentials will not be sufficient to work in the State of California.

Once you have your certification in hand, you’ll be able to work in any medical facility in

California. It is up to you whether you want to continue to maintain your national

certification, but it is not required by the state.

Once you have your certification, it will be good for two years. It is important to stay on

top of the renewal process so that you don’t find yourself without the ability to do the

work that you love.

Many training facilities offer phlebotomy refresher courses to those who may have

otherwise been out of the game for a while, or for those who are just looking to stay up

to date on techniques and procedures.

Finding an Approved Training Facility in the Bay Area:

There are quite a few training facilities approved by the state to offer phlebotomy

training courses. The trick is to find that one that will meet all of your needs. Many

colleges offer opportunity for furthering your education, so be sure to look into all

available training so that you can achieve all of your career goals.

De Anza College, Cupertino:

De Anza College is in Cupertino, home to many tech companies. The college offers a

lot of medical training courses, including phlebotomy. State of the art facilities and

offering day, evening and online classes makes this a good school choice for the busy

professional.

You can visit the school’s website here:

https://www.deanza.edu/healthtech/

Bay Area Medical Academy (two locations):

Bay Area Medical Academy offers two campus locations, one in San Jose and one in

San Francisco. This education facility is a great choice for the student looking to obtain

all levels of phlebotomy certification. This school is just one of two in San Francisco

approved by the California Department of Public Health approved to offer CPT-1

certification.

You can visit their website here:

https://www.bamasf.com/programs

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa Junior College in pretty Santa Rosa will guide students toward obtaining his

or her CPT-1 certification. Classroom, lab, and hands-on clinical experience is a part of

this training program.

Click here to visit Santa Rosa’s website.

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