flynn043

It's the question I am asked most often as a mentor. "How do I get experience if no one will hire me without experience?" The unfortunate reality is that many employers aren't ready to assume the time, effort, and risk associated with hiring a newbie coder. But that doesn't mean that getting a job as a coder is impossible. If you begin by looking at the job postings in your area for coders and then take a look around your live or virtual classroom at the number of students who will be looking for coding positions at the same time you will be, you can see that it just doesn't add up. In most markets there simply aren't enough coding positions for every coding student. But that doesn't mean there aren't other positions that will allow you to use and cultivate your skills and potentially align you for that coding position. It can be especially tricky to make your way into a coding position in a hospital if you have no practical experience. The ...

You can find me on Twitter through codercoach@gmail.com. I will be posting blog updates and other information as I have it.

…or is it? When I was taking coding classes on Thursday evenings in the mid-90s, everyone in my class – including the instructor – had the same dilemma. There was a great new show on TV called “ER.” And it was on during coding class. Bearing mind that DVR didn’t exist at the time, sometimes we were able to talk our instructor into letting us go early and she would joke with us and tell us she’d give us extra credit if we went home and coded “ER,” that is, translate the conditions of the patients of the week into codes. I don’t know if anyone actually did. I certainly didn’t because I was just trying to understand the clinical lingo and decide what was important and what wasn’t. So now it’s your turn – how would you code this hospital inpatient scenario? “CC: Pt adm w/ c/o CP, SOB, fever, weakness. PMH: CHF, HTN, DM type 2. Findings: Temp 102. BP: 100/65. CXR w/ infiltrates. Labs: WBC 40,000, sputum (-), BC (-). Assessment: sepsis, pna. Plan: IV abx, IVF, repeat BC.” Statemen...

The buzz in the industry right now is the implementation of new code sets for reporting diagnoses and hospital inpatient procedures. The new coding systems, collectively referred to as ICD-10, will be implemented on October 1, 2013. That may seem like a long time away, but to coders, it's like telling everyone in America that they have less than three years until we only speak Japanese here and that English will be outlawed. In other words, it's a big deal. So many experienced coders and coding students are all asking the same question: when do we need to learn ICD-10? ICD-9-CM vs. ICD-10? First, let's get straight what exactly we're talking about. Currently, we use the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) to report diagnoses and hospital inpatient procedures. ICD-9-CM is divided into three volumes: Volume 1 - Tabular list of diagnosis codes (lists all codes with their descriptions) Volume 2 - Index of diseases V...

Well 2010 is shaping up to be a busy year for me indeed! My speaking calendar is filling up and I wanted to let you know of some dates in case you are in the neighborhood and want to stop by! Here's what I have scheduled to date: Fourth Tuesday of each month – Coder Coach presentation (presenter and/or facilitator), Denver, CO April 13 – “Taking the Shock out of Electrophysiology (EP) Coding” – Local AAPC Chapter, Denver, CO April 23 – “Soft-Hard Cath Lab Coding in an EMR Environment” - AAMAS Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL May 5 – “Cardiac Catheterization: Beyond the Basics” - CHIMA/WyHIMA Annual Meeting, Golden, CO June 17 – “Cardiac Catheterization Coding” and “The Importance of Networking in Coding” – Local AAPC Chapter, Colorado Springs, CO September 2 – “FY 2011 CMS IPPS Update” – AHIMA Audio Conference If you have any questions about specific events, please feel free to email me at codercoach@gmail.com.

When I enrolled in HIM school, I never envisioned my career would end up the way it has. For those of you keeping score at home, let me briefly outline how it has turned out. I am a senior consultant - and the only coding professional - for a small consulting firm that specializes in hospital revenue cycle management and electronic medical record conversions. I do project-based work that involves improving coding and charging accuracy with our clients. Right now that means working closely with cardiac catheterization and interventional radiology coders and auditors. In the coming months and years it means hours of developing ICD-10 training materials and helping the coding workforce get ready for the switch in 2013. Well obviously as a child I didn't think "I want to grow up to be a coding professional" but even once I selected an area of study and was taking classes, I was having trouble visualizing what my days would be like - which is pretty sad considering my m...

We've all seen or heard those bold tag lines in print ads and on television and the radio advertising the lucrative opportunities in medical coding and billing. But can companies and schools who make these claims really get you ready to enter the work force? Maybe, but there are some steps you should take before you give your money to any education institution. Let me first state that I am neither here to endorse nor denounce any school or college. I am simply trying to arm prospective students with the knowledge they need to make the best choices about their future careers. Step 1: Assess Your Community's Need for Coders Before you hand any money over for that coding program that promises to deliver, you need to do a little homework about your local job market. Yes, it is true - there is a national shortage of coders and the need for more coders in the future is only expected to increase. But that doesn't mean that coders are needed everywhere. Some places may be satur...