This morning my alarm clock went off at 7:00am, just as it does on most work days. Like most anal-retentive coders, I have my morning routine, which includes the usual suspects like brushing teeth and shuffling into the kitchen for that all important initial cup of coffee. Once my breath is fresh and my eyelids are open, I flip on the computer and wallah! I'm at work for the day. My work day routine begins by scanning my work, Coder Coach, and client email accounts. Sometimes I venture onto the Coder Coach page on Facebook to see if anyone has posted anything. Maybe I send or receive an IM to or from a client or coworker. Maybe I actually pick up the phone and call someone (not terribly likely). But rarely, in my daily dealings as a remote coding consultant, does my work involve face-to-face communication with people. And frankly, I miss it.
Let me be clear. I love communicating through email. I have relationships with friends in other states solely based on email. I have trouble communicating with people who hate email. I have access to six email accounts, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Yahoo IM on my iPhone. In other words, I am always virtually connected to just about any of my contacts at any given time. But there is no substitute for in person communication. And that's part of the reason why my Coder Coach events are not offered in an audio conference format.
I've been asked by several people from out of state to offer my Coder Coach events as webinars. Besides the fact that I have oodles of experience as a webinar presenter - for several years I presented 2-3 webinars per month - and I understand all too painfully well everything that could possibly go wrong with the technology aspect of the presentation (I know Murphy well!), I have no desire to feed into the increasing trend of discouraging face-to-face communication. And speaking of feeding, public speaking is one of my favorite things - it energizes me and feeds my desire to keep going with my career. Webinars just aren't the same. Frankly, my pets don't seem as enthused about learning coding as my human audiences (normally) do!
And it's not just the novices who want to network from afar. This new year means a lot of committee and board work for me. And even though my board meetings are offered in a conference call format, I try to attend the meetings in person. Two of the committees I work with have decided not to offer conference calls for their meetings because the chair persons are growing concerned about the lack of face-to-face networking among professionals. There are more opportunities to get educated remotely and that means that those face-to-face networking opportunities are more important than ever. Because if you're trying to break into the industry, look for a new job, or just (as my father used to say), "blow the stink off," you need to get away from your gadgets, get out of the house, and start talking to people.
So I encourage all of you to back away from the keyboard every now and then... that is, after you've researched online for the best local networking event. And get out and meet someone in person!
For local events near you, visit AHIMA's state component association web page at http://www.ahima.org/about/csa.aspx or the AAPC's local chapter finder web page at: http://www.aapc.com/localchapters/find-local-chapter.aspx.
Happy networking!
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
I Have a Degree, Why do I Have to Volunteer?
I meet so many people who are out there looking for their initial break into the field of coding. And so many of them are discouraged when they are continuously told that they need experience in order to be eligible for hire. The first recommendation I make is always to volunteer and many times that advice is met with resentment - "I have a degree - why should I have to volunteer?"
Well this is where I usually try to put on my politically correct attitude and explain why but I think what I'm going to start saying is "I have a degree, certifications, and 15 years of experience and I volunteer." As a matter of fact, I can't name a single person in the coding field who's successful who doesn't continue to volunteer because so much of the coding profession is governed by volunteers. And if you're a member of AHIMA or the AAPC and you don't feel like you're getting enough out of your membership (or, like me, you're just really passionate about what you do), you have the ability to get involved and affect change.
So let's talk about what volunteering entails and the kinds of doors it can open.
Pink Ladies and Candy Stripers
If you've ever visited a hospital you've seen them. They sport little lab-type coats in pastel (usually pink) colors and work in the hospital gift shop. They're the volunteers that most of us think of when we think of volunteering in a hospital. Or maybe you were picturing the candy cane jumpers of the candy stripers. Well, there's more to volunteering in a hospital than being a pink lady or candy striper.
There is a department in each hospital responsible for selecting, training, and scheduling volunteers. And since most people who offer to volunteer in a hospital prefer to work directly with patients and the public, this leaves prime voluntary real estate in the HIM department. If you offer to volunteer at a hospital and specifically request to work in the HIM department, chances are pretty good the competition is low (unless you told your fellow classmates about this blog!).
Okay, so volunteering in an HIM department isn't going to be glamorous. You won't be coding charts your first day there. But if they use paper records, you might be hunting for records for the coders to code. You might be scanning in paper forms into the electronic medical record. The point is, once you're in the department, you can start to observe the inner workings of an HIM department. And if you pay attention and ask questions, your experience will come quicker than you ever imagined.
Professional Volunteering
I used to feel bad for not spending more time at the local animal shelter volunteering. I just felt like I needed to be doing something in my spare time rather than meeting my friends for dinner. But I soon realized that I had ramped up my professional volunteering so much, that it was probably okay I didn't have time to go pet 200 cats on a Saturday afternoon. My pets appreciate that I don't come home smelling like 200 cats anymore!
The best career advice I can give is to join one or both of the national coding associations: either the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) or the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). If you want to get hired, you go where the employers are and they're members of AAPC and AHIMA. But becoming a member isn't enough. Now you need to network. And members of the AAPC and AHIMA network at events. So you need to go to the meetings and start talking!
This is usually where someone tells me how expensive those events are. And that cost is on top of the membership fees. If you don't have a job, you don't have the money to attend. Yes, it's a catch 22, but there's a loophole! The people who put those programs together are professional volunteers. And often, as a reward for their work, they get to attend for - wait for it - **free**. Or maybe a hefty discount. The point is, if you really want to attend, there are no excuses.
The professional organizations are made up of local organizations - state and/or regional - and they usually have boards. Boards are made up of elected individuals who are volunteering to run things on a local level. Whether it be a local AAPC chapter or your state AHIMA component state association, the boards get together for regular meetings to keep the organization afloat. They also discuss issues pertinent to the industry and how hospitals and physicians are reacting. Just attending these meetings can be an eye opener to the real challenges HIM and coding professionals face. There's also a lot of networking that happens at these meetings. I've both hired and been hired from networking at such events. And if you offer to chair or sit on a committee, it can be a great way to show off your skills and work ethic and make employers stand up and take notice.
I currently sit on a board that has a student liaison and at one of our meetings I had the opportunity to chat with her. She was so excited to be there and so excited about the chance to be a part of the board. I asked her how she heard about it and she said a mentor recommended becoming a member and from there she took the lead and asked the president about getting involved. We happened to have the student liaison position available.
But once you're in, I recommend keeping up the volunteering. I know a lot of colleagues who complain about how the organizations are run. These are usually people who don't vote in the organization elections or offer to help out either. So I look upon professional volunteering much as I do being an American citizen. I vote to earn the right to complain when things don't go how I'd like. And I volunteer in organizations so I can be a part of the change - even though things don't always go my way!
Put it on Your Resume
Volunteering isn't just a futile exercise to torture you and make you give up your precious time. It's a key component of your resume. Put everything you've done as a volunteer on your resume because it shows your commitment to the industry and it could mean the difference between equally qualified applicants.
When I first started running for board positions, I remember how inconsequential my volunteer experience looked compared to other candidates. But just build them one at a time - we all have to start somewhere. And over time, you'll see your list snowball. Here's an example of my volunteer history, as it appears on my resume:
Here's an important thing to keep in mind when volunteering. Coding is a very small industry in the grand scheme of things, so be careful what you say about whom when you are working in a voluntary capacity. Or any capacity, really. Don't burn bridges because it's not a matter of if, but when will you come across this person again? And don't think moving out of state is going to help out much. There a lot of coding professionals, myself included, who cross state lines. And rumors spread like wildfire, which can be both good and bad for you. Make sure you're one of the people that when someone decides to gossip, they say, "Have you ever met _____? She did some work on a committee I was on and she has great potential for the future!"
So come on out and join my colleagues and me for some volunteering - it's not just for novices!
Well this is where I usually try to put on my politically correct attitude and explain why but I think what I'm going to start saying is "I have a degree, certifications, and 15 years of experience and I volunteer." As a matter of fact, I can't name a single person in the coding field who's successful who doesn't continue to volunteer because so much of the coding profession is governed by volunteers. And if you're a member of AHIMA or the AAPC and you don't feel like you're getting enough out of your membership (or, like me, you're just really passionate about what you do), you have the ability to get involved and affect change.
So let's talk about what volunteering entails and the kinds of doors it can open.
Pink Ladies and Candy Stripers
If you've ever visited a hospital you've seen them. They sport little lab-type coats in pastel (usually pink) colors and work in the hospital gift shop. They're the volunteers that most of us think of when we think of volunteering in a hospital. Or maybe you were picturing the candy cane jumpers of the candy stripers. Well, there's more to volunteering in a hospital than being a pink lady or candy striper.
There is a department in each hospital responsible for selecting, training, and scheduling volunteers. And since most people who offer to volunteer in a hospital prefer to work directly with patients and the public, this leaves prime voluntary real estate in the HIM department. If you offer to volunteer at a hospital and specifically request to work in the HIM department, chances are pretty good the competition is low (unless you told your fellow classmates about this blog!).
Okay, so volunteering in an HIM department isn't going to be glamorous. You won't be coding charts your first day there. But if they use paper records, you might be hunting for records for the coders to code. You might be scanning in paper forms into the electronic medical record. The point is, once you're in the department, you can start to observe the inner workings of an HIM department. And if you pay attention and ask questions, your experience will come quicker than you ever imagined.
Professional Volunteering
I used to feel bad for not spending more time at the local animal shelter volunteering. I just felt like I needed to be doing something in my spare time rather than meeting my friends for dinner. But I soon realized that I had ramped up my professional volunteering so much, that it was probably okay I didn't have time to go pet 200 cats on a Saturday afternoon. My pets appreciate that I don't come home smelling like 200 cats anymore!
The best career advice I can give is to join one or both of the national coding associations: either the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) or the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). If you want to get hired, you go where the employers are and they're members of AAPC and AHIMA. But becoming a member isn't enough. Now you need to network. And members of the AAPC and AHIMA network at events. So you need to go to the meetings and start talking!
This is usually where someone tells me how expensive those events are. And that cost is on top of the membership fees. If you don't have a job, you don't have the money to attend. Yes, it's a catch 22, but there's a loophole! The people who put those programs together are professional volunteers. And often, as a reward for their work, they get to attend for - wait for it - **free**. Or maybe a hefty discount. The point is, if you really want to attend, there are no excuses.
The professional organizations are made up of local organizations - state and/or regional - and they usually have boards. Boards are made up of elected individuals who are volunteering to run things on a local level. Whether it be a local AAPC chapter or your state AHIMA component state association, the boards get together for regular meetings to keep the organization afloat. They also discuss issues pertinent to the industry and how hospitals and physicians are reacting. Just attending these meetings can be an eye opener to the real challenges HIM and coding professionals face. There's also a lot of networking that happens at these meetings. I've both hired and been hired from networking at such events. And if you offer to chair or sit on a committee, it can be a great way to show off your skills and work ethic and make employers stand up and take notice.
I currently sit on a board that has a student liaison and at one of our meetings I had the opportunity to chat with her. She was so excited to be there and so excited about the chance to be a part of the board. I asked her how she heard about it and she said a mentor recommended becoming a member and from there she took the lead and asked the president about getting involved. We happened to have the student liaison position available.
But once you're in, I recommend keeping up the volunteering. I know a lot of colleagues who complain about how the organizations are run. These are usually people who don't vote in the organization elections or offer to help out either. So I look upon professional volunteering much as I do being an American citizen. I vote to earn the right to complain when things don't go how I'd like. And I volunteer in organizations so I can be a part of the change - even though things don't always go my way!
Put it on Your Resume
Volunteering isn't just a futile exercise to torture you and make you give up your precious time. It's a key component of your resume. Put everything you've done as a volunteer on your resume because it shows your commitment to the industry and it could mean the difference between equally qualified applicants.
When I first started running for board positions, I remember how inconsequential my volunteer experience looked compared to other candidates. But just build them one at a time - we all have to start somewhere. And over time, you'll see your list snowball. Here's an example of my volunteer history, as it appears on my resume:
- 2010-2011 - First Year Director, Colorado Health Information Management Association (CHIMA)
- 2011 - ICD-10 Task Force Chair, CHIMA
- 2009-present - Coder Coach mentor
- 2009 - Past President, Northern Colorado Health Information Management Association (NCHIMA)
- 2008 - President, NCHIMA
- 2007 - President-Elect, NCHIMA
- 2005-2006 - Program Co-Chair, NCHIMA
- 1999-2001 - Data Quality Committee Chair, CHIMA
- 1998-1999 - Alternate Delegate, CHIMA
Here's an important thing to keep in mind when volunteering. Coding is a very small industry in the grand scheme of things, so be careful what you say about whom when you are working in a voluntary capacity. Or any capacity, really. Don't burn bridges because it's not a matter of if, but when will you come across this person again? And don't think moving out of state is going to help out much. There a lot of coding professionals, myself included, who cross state lines. And rumors spread like wildfire, which can be both good and bad for you. Make sure you're one of the people that when someone decides to gossip, they say, "Have you ever met _____? She did some work on a committee I was on and she has great potential for the future!"
So come on out and join my colleagues and me for some volunteering - it's not just for novices!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Next Event - May 25 - Cardiac Catheterization
When: May 25, 2010, 6:00-8:00 pm
Where: Emily Griffith Opportunity School - Rooms 403/405
1250 Welton Street Denver, CO
What: Cardiac catheterization coding has been deemed one of the most difficult areas of coding. Coding cardiac catheterization and percutaneous cardiac interventions (PCI) can prove to be a very lucrative career track, but first you need to know more than basic CPT coding. This event will provide an overview of cardiac anatomy along with coding guidelines for diagnostic heart catheterization and PCI procedures.
The presenter will also discuss documentation requirements and present actual cardiac catheterization reports for extra practice.
A basic knowledge of CPT is recommended for attendees. All attendees are encouraged to bring a 2009 or 2010 CPT codebook for coding case studies.
About the Speaker:
Kristi Stanton, RHIT, CCS, CPC is the Senior Consultant of Training & Education with The Wilshire Group Associates, LLC, based in Los Angeles, CA. She has 7 years experience with coding education, with a focus on interventional radiology, cardiac catheterization, hospital-based inpatient and outpatient coding, APCs, and DRGs. She is the founder and facilitator of The Coder Coach group and blog and is dedicated to mentoring new coding professionals.
Where: Emily Griffith Opportunity School - Rooms 403/405
1250 Welton Street Denver, CO
What: Cardiac catheterization coding has been deemed one of the most difficult areas of coding. Coding cardiac catheterization and percutaneous cardiac interventions (PCI) can prove to be a very lucrative career track, but first you need to know more than basic CPT coding. This event will provide an overview of cardiac anatomy along with coding guidelines for diagnostic heart catheterization and PCI procedures.
The presenter will also discuss documentation requirements and present actual cardiac catheterization reports for extra practice.
A basic knowledge of CPT is recommended for attendees. All attendees are encouraged to bring a 2009 or 2010 CPT codebook for coding case studies.
About the Speaker:
Kristi Stanton, RHIT, CCS, CPC is the Senior Consultant of Training & Education with The Wilshire Group Associates, LLC, based in Los Angeles, CA. She has 7 years experience with coding education, with a focus on interventional radiology, cardiac catheterization, hospital-based inpatient and outpatient coding, APCs, and DRGs. She is the founder and facilitator of The Coder Coach group and blog and is dedicated to mentoring new coding professionals.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Coming Soon: Back in Full Force!
Wow, I've been gone a long time! Now that we are through the holidays and I am over my annual post holiday illness, stay tuned... I will be posting weekly posts beginning next week. I haven't forgotten about you!
Also, if you are in the Denver area, I am now on a schedule with our monthly events. I will be hosting events the fourth Tuesday of each month beginning January 26. Next Tuesday's topic is the second in a reimbursement series. This month's topic is hospital diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). Here are future topics:
Also, if you are in the Denver area, I am now on a schedule with our monthly events. I will be hosting events the fourth Tuesday of each month beginning January 26. Next Tuesday's topic is the second in a reimbursement series. This month's topic is hospital diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). Here are future topics:
- Tuesday, February 23 - Hospital Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APCs)
- Tuesday, March 23 - Introduction to Physician Reimbursement
- Tuesday, April 27 - Discussion Panel: Resumes and Interviewing
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