How to Get Started in a Medical Coding Career

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Reflections of a Coder Coach: Ready to Get Back to Normal

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A few weeks ago, it occurred to me that my job hasn't been "normal" for the last six years.  Right around this time six years ago is when I first went to AHIMA's ICD-10 Academy and earned my status as a trainer.  Creating and presenting ICD-10 training materials came soon after that and it wasn't until recently I realized that my job hasn't been normal for the last six years.  And since I've only known my husband for four years, one could argue that he's never known me when I'm normal... er.. at least when my job is normal! As I look around the articles and social media related to coding, a lot has changed in this industry in the six or seven years that I've put myself out there as the Coder Coach.  When I first started blogging and meeting once a month with coding students and wanna-be's, there weren't a lot of people out there looking to mentor coders.  Now, my voice is one of many as people who never heard of coding before ICD-10 jum...
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Code for the Day - Say Goodbye to the Old Coder Coach

This has been a busy couple of weeks.  I've been able to visit with a lot of people I rarely get to see.  Old friends at a high school reunion.  My brother.  And one of my nearest and dearest BFFs.  A BFF with a marketing degree and a brilliant personal blog.  The same BFF who inspired me to start blogging in the first place. So as we caught up over dinner tonight, the conversation covered everything from work to personal relationships to her beautiful daughters - and our blogs.  And she offered to rehab my blog for me.  As I watched her work over the Coder Coach blog, I realized the format was old and dying.  And once again I took to my code book.  Voila... Today's code for the day: R54 Age-related debility That was the old blog.  And what do you think of the new one? As I learn a few new tricks, I hope you enjoy the enhancements to this site.  Soon I will be adding resource links for all the coder wanna-bes out there as well ...
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Top Ten Reasons to be a Coding Professional

I would love to take credit for making up this list of reasons to be a coder, but I can't. It's a list that came out about 15 years ago and I believe it was published in The Journal of AHIMA. This list was popular when I first started coding in the mid-90s. I have yet to see an electronic copy of it, but found a photocopied list in a scrapbook (er, chart) my coworkers gave me when I left my first coding job. This list graced my bulletin board for a long time! Some of these are a bit dated, but most still ring pretty true and I updated Ms. Scichilone's credentials as she is still a well-respected practicing HIM professional. I hope you enjoy this little bit of levity! Top Ten Reasons to be a Coding Professional by Rita Scichilone, MHSA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CHC 10. You love to read really small print. 9. Carrying around code books is better weight training than those cute little dumbbells you buy at the fitness store. 8. Classification systems and nomenclatures make gre...
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