This certificate program prepares students to assign diagnostic and procedural codes supported by medical documentation in accordance with official coding and reporting guidelines and compliance regulations. Students choose reportable codes to use on exercises, case scenarios, and actual patient records with basic to moderate and advanced clinical complexity.
The Health Information Coding Specialist of Achievement, like the Clerk I and Clerk II, is an adjunct certificate to the Health Information Technology Program. Students completing the Health Information Certificate or the AS in Health Information degree earn the Coding Specialist Certificate of Achievement as an additional certificate. Courses required for the Clerk I and Clerk II are built upon with additional, more complex material for the Coding Specialist.
In addition, to better prepare students for the job market, a Professional Practice Experience (PPE) is also completed. For this certificate, the student is assigned to a specialty PPE that provides the basic hands-on experience in an HIM Department but is more focused on coding.This specialty PPE presents the student with an advantage. Facilities prefer to hire seasoned coders with 3 or more years inpatient coding experience. The coding PPE provides an opportunity for the student to be specifically trained by that facility and for the PPE site mentor to be able to assess the student’s capabilities. Successful students are often hired by the PPE facility with an agreement to sit for a coding certification exam.
This certificate can also be earned by students who wish to complete only the Coding Specialist Certificate of Achievement. This certificate is the third in a progression of competencies.The required courses for this certificate build upon those completed for Clerk I and Clerk II, and can be further built upon to earn additional certificates. The Coding Specialist certificate prepares the student for more advanced jobs than do the Clerk I and Clerk II. Coders are in high demand for both code assignment as well as auditing functions. Entry-level and experienced coders are in high demand in the Bay Area.
As in all cases, certification is important. The coding certifications sponsored by the AAPC and AHIMA do not require an AS in HIT. Students who complete the Coding Specialist Certificate are ready to sit for the CPC , CCA and CCS exams.
Over the last two years, we have appreciated a significant increase in the number of students sitting for and successful at various coding credential exams.
In the period analyzed (Spring 2016 - Fall 2018), a total of 30 Coding Specialist Certificates of Achievement were awarded. Including Summer semesters, this averages to about 4 certificates per semester. This completion number is higher than the prior reporting period and is expected to continue to increase. The variation in totals per semester is due to students in part-time status or completing coursework out of sequence.
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
In line with the Institutional Learning Objectives (ILO), this program reflects the following:
The minimum time for completion of this certificate is 3 semesters. Completion time will vary based on student preparation and number of classes completed per semester.
Course | Title | Units | Year/Semester (Y1 or S1) |
---|---|---|---|
Choose one of the following Anatomy and Physiology options: | |||
OPTION 1 | |||
Bio 106 | Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology | 4 | S1 |
OPTION 2 | |||
BIO 108 | General Human Anatomy | 4 | S1 |
AND one of the following Physiology courses | |||
BIO 111 | Human Physiology | 5 | S1 |
BIO 112 | Introduction to Human Physiology | 4 | S1 |
First semester required courses | |||
HCT 61 | Introduction to Health Care | 3 | S1 |
HIT 50A | Medical Terminology I | 3 | S1 |
HCT 67 | Computer Applications in the Health Care Setting | 2 | S1 |
First semester: choose one of the following English courses | |||
ENGL 88 | College Reading and Writing | 6 | S1 |
ESL 186 | ESL Introduction to College Reading and Writing | 6 | S1 |
Second semester required courses | |||
HIT 50B | Medical Terminology II | 2 | S2 |
HIT 57 | Disease Process | 3 | S2 |
HIT 63 | Health Information Systems | 3 | S2 |
HIT 65 | Organization of Health Data | 2 | S2 |
HIT 77A | ICD-10-CM Coding | 2 | S2 |
Third semester required courses | |||
HIT 73B | ICD-10-PCS Coding | 4 | S3 |
HIT 74 | Introduction to Quality Improvement | 2 | S3 |
HIT 76 | CPT Coding | 3 | S3 |
HIT 77A | Professional Practice I | 5 | S3 |
HIT 78 | Reimbursement Methods in HIM | 2 | S3 |
The program is a three-semester certificate but it is possible for students to complete it in two semesters. Bio 106 is often taken during the summer prior to entering the program. For many students who have been out of school for an extended period of time, this is an option more likely to produce successful outcomes.
Communication skills in the healthcare field are important measures of employment success as well as certificate completion. Students who have passed the ENG required courses but do not demonstrate mastery of written and oral communication skills benefit from, HCT 61, taken in Semester 1, where the I-BEST program is used.
.Students who were exposed to I-BEST techniques, demonstrated significantly higher written and spoken English skills in subsequent classes. Honed study habits, necessary for the complex courses required in this program were evident and attributed to the foundation courses and I-BEST.
While a successful attempt in a coding certification exam does not require an AS in HIT, students who complete the Coding Specialist Certificate of Achievement and secure a job in the industry discover that further advancement requires an RHIT.
Health information technology programs that prepare a student for long-term professions and successful attempts of the RHIT exam, must be a CAHIIM-accredited program. Employers value the RHIT certification as well as the certificates of achievements. The Coding Specialist Certificate is the third certificate achievement in this pathway for students seeking a high-level profession. Many students who initially seek only the Coding Specialist Certificate will continue to the AS in HIT.
Students are encouraged to take courses in sequence as each group of more complex skills builds on the prior certificate requirements.
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