I Bet You're Wondering What I've Been Up To...

Oh wow, has this been a crazy fall! Up until this year, "Rocktober" was a term we used in Colorado whenever our beloved Colorado Rockies made it to the playoffs. This year Rocktober took on a whole new meaning for me. And while it was a great month, I am so happy to say it's over and now I can concentrate on the less busy holiday season. Yes, October was that busy!

As you saw from some of my blog postings, I kicked off October in true coder fashion by attending the AHIMA Convention and Exhibit in Salt Lake City. What a great opportunity to learn the newest, latest, and greatest from some of the nation's best HIM and coding minds and get in some serious networking as well. This year was particularly busy at convention as I was honored with an AHIMA Triumph Award for mentoring, mainly due to my efforts with the Coder Coach blog and some of the networking and educational events I've hosted over the last couple of years. It was an incredible honor and to help commemorate the occasion, I took my personal and professional mentor - my mom (pictured here with me) - along with me. It's hard to tell who was more excited about my award!

This was also the first year that I was chosen to speak at the national level. I presented an outpatient track at the coding meeting on the overlap between coding and charging in the cardiac cath lab. As if that wasn't enough, I just couldn't say no when another Triumph Award recipient and fellow Coloradan, Dee Johnson, asked me to be a part of the Student Academy. Dee is a student at Arapahoe Community College, my alma mater here in Colorado, and was a key planner in this year's Student Academy. The academy is a free event for students in AHIMA programs at the convention each year. I was a part of the mentor lightning rounds where several established professionals spent a few minutes with each group of students to share our experience and answer questions. All of that and Apolo Anton Ohno too! The Olympic athlete and Dancing with the Stars champion was our closing keynote speaker and he had an inspiring message about giving it your all.

Once I was back at home, there was no rest for the weary as I delved into not one, not two, but FIVE client trainings. For those who aren't aware, training sessions take about 4-5 times as long to prepare as they do to present but the work is always well worth it when I get to training. That is my favorite part of my job because it combines two of my great talents: coding and talking! My last week of training involved three training sessions, work-related road travel, a snow storm, and, of course, that inevitable sinus infection as a result of a crazy month. I would love to tell you that following that last training on October 28 I headed out for happy hour with my friends, but truth be told, I had a nice evening vegging out on the sofa and catching up on all my DVR'd shows!

So here we are in November and I'm trying to wrap a few things up before the holidays. Last weekend I met with a fantastic group of super coder geeks (birds of a feather!) who were so amazing to not only spend their own time coding some records in ICD-10, but to also give up a Saturday to come together and talk about the results. This is a project that the Colorado Health Information Management Association's (CHIMA) ICD-10 Task Force has undertaken to assess documentation readiness for ICD-10. I have had a great year chairing this task force and working with an enthusiastic group who is making great strides as a clearinghouse for ICD-10 information in the state of Colorado.

Last week I was interviewed by ICD-10 Watch, a terrific resource for anyone interested in ICD-10. We specifically chatted about the fantastic opportunities that await coders as we transition to ICD-10. The interview is recounted in the blog posting How ICD-10 can create opportunities for medical coders.

Whew, I think I need to take a nap now that I've recounted the previous month's events! I plan to get back to the ICD-10-PCS series in another week or two, but bear with me - November's calendar is starting to fill up, so it might be 2012 before I can give the series the attention it deserves. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a terrific holiday season.

ICD-11 is Coming...

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, medical terminology, and procedural knowledge but you can learn that over the next couple of years as you code in ICD-9-CM. Plus, most employers have plans for training their workforce and getting a coding position now gives you a starting point for learning ICD-10.

So go ahead and go for that open coding position now. Do whatever you can to position yourself for the transition and get ready for a career of continuing education. Not only will you need to book continuing education units to maintain any coding credentials you have, the codes change at least annually, so change is constant. And be ready to adopt ICD-11....

From the Green Room at AHIMA

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!

Networking at the AHIMA Student Academy

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 when you volunteer either with coding/HIM departments or with your local coding/HIM associations.
-Stay positive and avoid being defensive. People pick up on attitude quickly. If you are looking for a job and have been for a long time it's easy to let bitterness creep into your conversations. So be careful to keep positive and hopeful.

More from AHIMA in Salt Lake City coming soon!

Live from AHIMA Salt Lake City!

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 getting that firsthand information and feel a little like I'm getting some super secret information - along with the other 500 people in the room.

More for SLC as the conference progresses... Stay tuned!

Boy, How Time Flies....

Oh wow, do I realize I have dropped the ball! I know there are some folks out there waiting for the next installment of the ICD-10 root operations postings. Please be patient! This is a very busy time of year for coders - especially those of us who do a lot of education and public speaking. I've been wrapped up in coding updates, training sessions, training material development, and some local and not-so-local traveling as the fall conference season kicks off. I plan to pick back up next week after the AHIMA conference, so please hang in there!

Spotlight on Certification: The Certified Coding Associate (CCA)

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 out what credentials they require where you want to work.

I'd like to start with the newest AHIMA credential, the Certified Coding Associate (CCA).

I've never taken the CCA exam because when it came out, I was already certified as a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS). And while many aspire to be a CCS, AHIMA doesn't recommend taking that exam until one has at least 2-3 years of experience as a hospital inpatient and outpatient coder. But what about those people who have taken coding classes and want to prove they know a thing or two so they can land an entry-level coding position? Enter, the CCA credential.

AHIMA created the CCA credential to demonstrate one's "coding competency in any setting, including both hospitals and physician practices." In essence, it lets your future employer know you've taken the core coding and HIM classes. When I talk to people who are trying to begin coding careers, I often hear them say something along the lines of, "Why should I waste my time with an introductory credential?" or, "It's a waste of money."

Well, from my perspective, if you have taken the time and effort to take the CCA exam, it tells me one big thing: you're serious about coding as a career because you took the initiative to study for an exam. And if I were hiring, that is something I would definitely take into account. Coding certifications cost money - it's an occupational hazard. But being without a coding credential most likely means not having a career as a coder. Which do you want more?

CCA Specs
The CCA credential, as mentioned, is available through AHIMA. It costs $199 for AHIMA members to take the test. If you aren't a member of AHIMA and plan to work as a hospital-based coder, I highly recommend joining. Again, another cost that is important to your career if you're serious about working as a coder. If you aren't a member of AHIMA, the cost is $299. The CCA credential is the only HIM credential worldwide that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), although I've heard AHIMA is seeking the same approval for other credentials.

As for content, it's not just coding. And I think this surprises a lot of people who take the test. It also tests for HIM-related competencies. That's something to keep in mind when you're studying for it. There are six domains that make up the CCA test:

1. Health Records and Data Content (20%)
2. Health Information Requirements and Standards (14%)
3. Clinical Classification Systems (36%)
4. Reimbursement Methodologies (10%)
5. Information and Communication Technologies (6%)
6. Privacy, Confidentiality, Legal, and Ethical Issues (14%)

The tasks for each domain are outlined on AHIMA's website along with FAQs and other important exam information. If you plan to take the CCA exam, I recommend spending a lot of time on the CCA page.

CCA Jobs
The CCA credential is still relatively new for those of us who have been around for a decade or so. And I admit, as a profession, we're a little slow to accept new ideas sometimes. Job postings may not state the CCA credential as one that is accepted. My general rule is, if the job calls for a CCS and you have the CCA, apply for it. The employer may not get enough job applications from qualified individuals. And if it was me, I would certainly look at a CCA with more interest than someone without any certification. The credential is catching on, though, and I'm starting to see it in job postings. So, do I think it's a credential worth getting? If you don't have any other certifications, then yes. Absolutely!

Curious about whether or not to take the CCA if you have an RHIT? If so, check out this past blog of mine on the HICareers website: "Should There be a CCA After RHIT in Your Title?"