Glen Oaks Community College Launches Medical Coding Focus Option as Part of Medical Administrative Specialist Certificate Program

CENTREVILLE, Mich., Nov. 1 -- Glen Oaks Community College issued the following news release:

Glen Oaks Community College is pleased to announce the addition of a Medical Coding focus to the current Medical Administrative Specialist certificate program. The new option offers students the knowledge and skills to sit for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Certified Coding Specialist (CCS-P) exam.

"Physician office coding specialists are in high demand," said Brenda Luczek, GOCC professor, Allied Health and Medical Assistant program chair. "Adding this certification to either the Medical Assistant or the Medical Administrative Specialist certificate is a path to greater advantages in this ever-growing field."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations--meaning more claims for reimbursement from private and public insurance.

"Students in the Medical Administrative Specialist program can now choose from two areas of focus, or they may choose to do both," said Luczek. "The Business focus provides them with the financial management of the medical office and the skills to assist with tasks including scheduling and payroll. The Medical Coding focus provides them with the full range of coding skills from patient diagnosis to physician reimbursement including the skills to work with insurance companies.

"Certified coding specialists are masters of medical terminology, disease processes and pharmacology," said Luczek. "They are skilled in classifying and reviewing medical data from patient records and have the knowledge to assign codes for patient diagnosis and medical procedures. They may be employed in physician offices or hospital settings."

The "Coding" focus includes the addition of three courses to the program: 1) Diagnostic Coding; Procedural Coding; and Insurance Claims Processing.

Glen Oaks is offering the Diagnostic Coding class online beginning with the Winter 2014 semester. This course will focus on the necessary principles for properly coding diseases, conditions and injuries. Students will learn and be expected to demonstrate the ability to translate written diagnoses into the appropriate International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) numeric designation with an introduction to ICD-10-CM. Emphasis is also placed on coding compliance and adherence to official guidelines. Students will gain an understanding of the importance of data quality and data integrity. This course will prepare students to

62249 Shimmel Rd., Centreville, MI 49032 (269) 467.9945 or toll-free (888) 994.7818

successfully pass the AHIMA CCS-P certification exam--Medical Terminology and Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology are course prerequisites. Anyone with the necessary prerequisites is invited to register for the course to either work toward a certificate or upgrade their current skills.

Persons interested in the Medical Coding classes, the Medical Administrative Specialist program, or any of the Allied Health programs at the College should contact Luczek at 269-294-4267 or [email protected]. Registration for Winter 2014 classes at Glen Oaks begins November 11 for new students.

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