Medical Coding
Become an inpatient or outpatient coder, auditor, clinical documentation specialist, insurance evaluator, case reviewer, teacher or compliance officer.
Health Information Management
Technicians may become release of information officers, computer software specialists, informatics technicians, trainers and managers.
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AHIMA Professional Certificate Approval Program (PCAP)
BCC's Medical Coding program is approved by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Professional Certificate Approval Program (PCAP). This designation acknowledges the coding program as having been evaluated by a peer review process against a national minimum set of standards for entry-level coding professionals. This process allows academic institutions to be acknowledged as offering an approved coding certificate program.
The AHIMA PCAP designation:
- Identifies specialized programs that meet established coding educational standards
- Stimulates improvement of educational standards through faculty development opportunities, and by involving faculty and staff in program evaluation and planning
- Promotes a better understanding of the goals of professional coding education
- Provides reasonable assurance that practitioners possess the necessary job skills upon entry into the profession
Testimonals
As a 2015 graduate of the HIM Associates Degree program at BCC, I am very grateful for the education and training I received. The HIM and Coding classes were taught by respected and knowledgeable experts working in the HIM field, and were a great introduction to all the different pathways this profession can lead to, including coding, reimbursement and many more. The BCC program not only assisted me with passing the coding certification exams I took post graduation, but also prepared me for a career in inpatient medical coding; which I have been proudly maintaining since shortly after I graduated. Becoming a certified professional coder was the best career change I could have made for myself, and I owe a world of thanks to the education and support I received in my time at BCC.
My BCC education has provided me with a brand-new opportunity for the future. As a server for many years, I was tired of it all. I wanted a new career, one that I knew could take into retirement, one that would be stimulating, challenging, and rewarding. I had no idea what a medical coder was, but I was drawn to it. I liked the idea of working in the medical field, I also knew I wanted to work on the technical side of it. I made my decision to go for it. I was 51 years old, never been to college and was excited to start this journey. I enrolled in a lot of classes, I was working full time and taking 12 credits a semester. It was a lot, but I was determined. I started with the basic required classes and then moved into the classes for HIM.
The Medical coding classes were intense, filled with information and knowledge, and I was both exhausted and energized by them. Little did I know it would be the educators that gave me the desire to keep going. Both educators teaching my medical coding classes are in the field, and they both have so much knowledge. The amount of work I was doing was made easier because of them. And when they said "If you have any questions, text me and I will get back to you" or that they would meet with me in person, I didn't really believe them. But they did. I texted or met or emailed them constantly and they were always there to help. They also helped me in other ways such as with obtaining my AAPC National Certification.
So, it is now two years later, and I am currently pursuing this career. I had no experience in this field, which made finding a job more difficult, but I kept applying. I now work for BMC and am proud to be here. I learn so much every day. I know, from talking to my coworkers and the amount of education they received elsewhere, that I have received the best education for this profession, not only because of my time at Berkshire Community College, but mostly because of the faculty that believed in me and this profession.