SCCC's Medical coding program gets national accreditation

Newton — The Sussex County Community College Medical Coding and Billing Program recently received approval by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) as having an approved comprehensive coding certification program. The accreditation identifies coding education programs which have been evaluated by a peer review process against national standards for entry-level coding professionals. This process allows academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and private companies to be acknowledged as providing an AHIMA Approved Coding Certificate Program. The approval designation assures healthcare providers that graduates of the SCCC comprehensive coding program possess the necessary job skills to attain success in entry level coding positions. Students are guided through a comprehensive coding curriculum providing them with more than 795 hours of instruction in ICD-9-CM and CPT coding and reimbursement methodologies. “The program at SCCC has been a leader in coding since its inception in 2002, and is now the only AHIMA approved Comprehensive Coding Program in the State of New Jersey,” said Bernice Staudinger, program coordinator. “We are extremely proud of the students in our program. Not only are they exceptionally well-trained in coding and the most current health information technology, they are highly ethical professionals, who possess the skills and knowledge that will enable them to effectively and efficiently contribute to our healthcare community.” A clinical coding specialist in the healthcare organization reviews and analyzes health data. They are responsible for translating diagnostic and procedural terms and services utilized by healthcare providers into coded form. The resulting code set is then utilized for a variety of purposes including billing, submission of claims to health plans for payment, clinical research, public health reporting and statistical reporting for decision support. Clinical coding specialists are employed by all types of health care organizations including acute and long term care hospitals, physician offices and clinics, nursing homes, home health agencies, community mental health clinics, health plans, government agencies, and other organizations involved with the provision of funding of health services. Full-time students can complete the Medical Coding & Billing Program at SCCC in one year. For more information call the Health Sciences Department at 973-300-2272.