CODING SPECIALIST - Certificate Program

Every time a patient receives health care, the provider must document it. That's where medical coding specialists come in. A coding specialist's job is to assign a code to each diagnosis and procedure for reimbursement purposes.

Whether you're already employed in a medical records-related field and wish to enhance your coding knowledge or have no prior experience but would like to gain skills for entry-level coding positions, Northwestern College's Coding Specialist Certificate program may be right for you. This program emphasizes skills for assigning both ICD-9-CM (disease and injury diagnosis) and CPT (health care treatment procedures) codes for the categorization of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs)/Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APCs) that determine payments. Our program introduces these coding concepts, as well as the billing processes of ambulatory and acute care settings, preparing you for employment as an entry-level coding specialist.

PROGRAM GOALS

Our program is designed to help you meet your educational goals, while preparing you to take the next step in your career. Upon completion of the program, you will be adequately prepared in:

• Medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and pathophysiology
• Health data management
• Health services organization delivery comparably in Medial Law and Ethical Standards
• Health informatics

VIRTUAL LAB

Learning is important, but no amount of lectures and reading will sufficiently prepare you for the real world. Experiential learning, or learning by doing, is an essential component of the academic experience. Getting hands-on practice with software that you'll encounter outside the classroom can help you prepare for anything your career might throw at you.

The vLab, or Virtual Lab, is a virtual training management system that provides students in campus-based and distance learning colleges with access to a full array of health information management technologies that support best practices. The vLab allows students to work with software that closely simulates real world applications in health information technologies. The vLab exercises teach you to use electronic tools to solve problems and make decisions, enabling you to become a leader in tomorrow's health information management workforce.

Note: An additional fee is required for the Virtual Lab.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Students who successfully complete Northwestern College's Coding Specialist Certificate program could find employment in the following settings:

• Medical offices
• Medical insurance companies
• Sports medicine clinics
• Speech therapy practices
• Outpatient laboratories
• Digital imaging facilities
• Freestanding surgical centers
• Occupational medicine clinics
• Home health agencies

THE NC ADVANTAGE

Northwestern College's Coding Specialist Certificate program offers a quality, career-oriented education that prepares you to begin or advance your career in medical coding. When you near the end of the program, you will register for a course which allows you to take the professional credentialing exam from either the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and/or the American Academy of Professional Coders (AACP). AHIMA credentials are highly respected in the hospital setting and AAPC coding credentials are better known in physical practices. The exam fee for the professional credentialing exams offered through the Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and/or the American Academy of Professional Coders (AACP) is included in the price of the program.

Request more information about our program today, and join this growing occupation.