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That was a key message this morning in a presentation by Dr. T.B. Ustun from the World Health Organization (WHO) at the AHIMA convention general session. Yes we are still on track for implementing ICD-10 in the US on October 1, 2013 (just under 2 years for those of you keeping score at home) but while the US works to catch up with the rest of the industrialized countries who have been using ICD-10 for several years, the WHO is already looking at ICD-11. Does that worry you as a current or future coding professional? I know a few current students are concerned about learning ICD-9 in school and then trying to get a position as a coder using ICD-10. Should they go ahead and start working now using ICD-9 or wait until 2013 and use ICD-10? Well, from my perspective, the critical thinking skills that make a coder a good coder will not change even though the codes themselves do. And yes, ICD-10 - especially from the procedure perspective (ICD-10-PCS) requires more anatomy and physiology, ...

Today is a big day as the AHIMA conference General Session kicks off. At the moment, I'm hanging out in the green room backstage with the Triumph Award recipients. I am very honored this year to have been awarded one of the Triumph Awards for mentoring for my work with the Coder Coach. This is a new experience for me - to be backstage and a part of the presentation. And I'm very excited to have one of my mentors (and favorite people in general) with me to celebrate - my mother, who is also a retired RHIT. I will post more pictures later, but here's a super secret green room photo!

Today I spent a couple of hours at the AHIMA Student Academy as a mentor for their lightning rounds. AHIMA's Student Academy is a one day free event for students in AHIMA based programs. Several mentors including myself were asked to spend time giving advice on certification, career planning, volunteering, and networking - you know, a lot of the things I blog about through the Coder Coach! It was great to network with the future of our profession and see so many people excited about their future careers. So here's a little recap from the mentors' advice to students today: -Follow your bliss - if a particular area interests you, pursue it, even if the pay isn't great. If you go for a job that you're passionate about, the money will follow. -Certification is a must if you want to be taken seriously and want to excel. -Network, network, network. Communicating and networking with current pros is key. -Volunteer. You would be amazed at the doors that will open for you wh...

Today marks the first day of AHIMA's Coding Community meeting, which kicks off the annual convention. This year we're meeting in Salt Lake City and as usual, I am like a little kid in a candy store here. Every year AHIMA is a bigger deal to me since it's a chance to reconnect with former coworkers and meet new professional contacts. And since this year my focus is heavily on workforce development, I thought it would be fun to send out reports from my experiences through my blog and maybe you can join me at AHIMA next year. So here goes... This afternoon I will be presenting on coding and charging in the cardiac cath lab and I'm sure my audience will find it the best presentation at this conference (tongue in cheek!). But for me, my favorite presentation happened this morning with the national coding update. Every year we have the coding gurus from AHIMA, the American Hospital Association and the AMA talking about upcoming coding changes for ICD-9-CM and CPT. I love get...

I get a lot of questions from interested individuals about coding certifications. Like it or not, employers are looking more and more to credentialed coders to staff the workforce. It's almost impossible to get hired without a coding certification -but which one is right for you? What do the different certifications say about your qualifications? And what will you have to do to maintain your certifications? I thought I would help out by spotlighting different coding credentials. There are two main organizations I will focus on and there are a lot of certifications. So be patient - I will get to all of the AHIMA and AAPC credentials eventually! And remember - I hold certifications with both organizations, so I'm not here to sell you on any single credential. If you plan to work in hospitals, AHIMA credentials are more widely recognized whereas physician offices usually require AAPC certifications. Before you decide which organization to join, do your homework and find o...

I think there are a lot of students out there learning ICD-9-CM right now who are feeling a certain apprehension about the ICD-10 implementation. It's a tricky time to be educated in coding right now - you may decide you love ICD-9-CM only to have it ripped from your grip in 2013 and replaced by something that doesn't closely resemble your new found love. So maybe you've been reconsidering a field in coding. Well, let's not overreact! First of all, let's look at what it is you like about coding, what will be changing, and then decide if it's time to overreact! First of all, ICD-9-CM, Volumes 1 and 2 (the diagnosis codes) are being replaced by ICD-10-CM. And although there are some tricky areas and all of the code numbers are different, the overall feel and use of ICD-10-CM is not that dissimilar to what we're used to today. Yes, it will be more difficult to roll codes off the top of our heads like many of us can now with ICD-9-CM, but it will not be imp...

Here is a link to my latest post on the HI Careers blog: http://hicareers.com/Blog/BlogArticle.aspx?Id=92 .