Health Information Coding Specialist Certificate of Achievement ­

This certificate program prepares students to assign diagnostic and procedural codes supported by medical documentation in accordance with official coding and reporting guidelines and compliance regulations. Students choose reportable codes to use on exercises, case scenarios, and actual patient records with basic to moderate and advanced clinical complexity.

The Health Information Coding Specialist of Achievement, like the Clerk I and Clerk II, is an adjunct certificate to the Health Information Technology Program.  Students completing the Health Information Certificate or the AS in Health Information degree earn the Coding Specialist Certificate of Achievement as an additional certificate. Courses required for the Clerk I and Clerk II are built upon with additional, more complex material for the Coding Specialist.

In addition, to better prepare students for the job market, a Professional Practice Experience (PPE) is also completed. For this certificate, the student is assigned to a specialty PPE that provides the basic hands-on experience in an HIM Department but is more focused on coding.This specialty PPE presents the student with an advantage. Facilities prefer to hire seasoned coders with 3 or more years inpatient coding experience.  The coding PPE provides an opportunity for the student to be specifically trained by that facility and for the PPE site mentor to be able to assess the student’s capabilities. Successful students are often hired by the PPE facility with an agreement to sit for a coding certification exam.

This certificate can also be earned by students who wish to complete only the Coding Specialist Certificate of Achievement. This certificate is the third in a progression of competencies.The required courses for this certificate build upon those completed for Clerk I and Clerk II, and can be further built upon to earn additional certificates. The Coding Specialist certificate prepares the student for more advanced jobs than do the Clerk I and Clerk II. Coders are in high demand for both code assignment as well as auditing functions. Entry-level and experienced coders are in high demand in the Bay Area.

As in all cases, certification is important. The coding certifications sponsored by the AAPC and AHIMA do not require an AS in HIT. Students who complete the Coding Specialist Certificate are ready to sit for the CPC , CCA and CCS exams.

Over the last two years, we have appreciated a significant increase in the number of students sitting for and successful at various coding credential exams.

In the period analyzed (Spring 2016 - Fall 2018), a total of 30 Coding Specialist  Certificates of Achievement were awarded.  Including Summer semesters, this averages to about 4 certificates per semester. This completion number is higher than the prior reporting period and is expected to continue to increase. The variation in totals per semester is due to students in part-time status or completing coursework out of sequence.

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Assign diagnosis and procedure codes using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) and the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) official coding guidelines for inpatient and outpatient records.
• Assign procedure and service codes using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT).
• Use and maintain electronic applications and work processes to support clinical classifications and coding.
• Apply for Certified Coding Associate (CCA) examination offered through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
• Demonstrate professional and behavior skills and adhere to the necessary ethical standards of coding for HIM employment as a health information coder.

In line with the Institutional Learning Objectives (ILO), this program reflects the following:

• ILO Communication 2a: Communicate effectively
• ILO Personal and Career Development 4c: Use technology in pursuit of intellectual growth and/or career development
• ILO Communication 2a: Communicate effectively
• ILO Communication 2b: Demonstrate respectful interpersonal and intercultural communication

The minimum time for completion of this certificate is 3 semesters. Completion time will vary based on student preparation and number of classes completed per semester.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
	Choose one of the following Anatomy and Physiology options:
OPTION 1
Bio 106	Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology	4	S1
OPTION 2
BIO 108	General Human Anatomy	4	S1
	AND one of the following Physiology courses
BIO 111	Human Physiology	5	S1
BIO 112	Introduction to Human Physiology	4	S1
	First semester required courses
HCT 61	Introduction to Health Care	3	S1
HIT 50A	Medical Terminology I	3	S1
HCT 67	Computer Applications in the Health Care Setting	2	S1
	First semester: choose one of the following English courses
ENGL 88	College Reading and Writing	6	S1
ESL 186	ESL Introduction to College Reading and Writing	6	S1
	Second semester required courses
HIT 50B	Medical Terminology II	2	S2
HIT 57	Disease Process	3	S2
HIT 63	Health Information Systems	3	S2
HIT 65	Organization of Health Data	2	S2
HIT 77A	­ ICD­-10­-CM Coding	2	S2
	Third semester required courses
HIT 73B	ICD­-10­-PCS Coding	4	S3
HIT 74	­ Introduction to Quality Improvement	2	S3
HIT 76	CPT Coding	3	S3
HIT 77A	­ Professional Practice I	5	S3
HIT 78	Reimbursement Methods in HIM	2	S3

The program is a three-semester certificate but it is possible for students to complete it in two semesters. Bio 106 is often taken during the summer prior to entering the program. For many students who have been out of school for an extended period of time, this is an option more likely to produce successful outcomes.

Communication skills in the healthcare field are important measures of employment success as well as certificate completion. Students who have passed the ENG required courses but do not demonstrate mastery of written and oral communication skills benefit from, HCT 61, taken in Semester 1, where the I-BEST program is used.

.Students who were exposed to I-BEST techniques, demonstrated significantly higher written and spoken English skills in subsequent classes. Honed study habits, necessary for the complex courses required in this program were evident and attributed to the foundation courses and I-BEST.

While a successful attempt in a coding certification exam does not require an AS in HIT, students who complete the Coding Specialist Certificate of Achievement and secure a job in the industry discover that further advancement requires an RHIT. 

Health information technology programs that prepare a student for long-term professions and successful attempts of the RHIT exam, must be a CAHIIM-accredited program. Employers value the RHIT certification as well as the certificates of achievements. The Coding Specialist Certificate is the third certificate achievement in this pathway for students seeking a high-level profession. Many students who initially seek only the Coding Specialist Certificate will continue to the AS in HIT. 

Students are encouraged to take courses in sequence as each group of more complex skills builds on the prior certificate requirements.

 

Health information technology programs that prepare a student for long-term professions and successful attempts of the RHIT exam, must graduate from a CAHIIM-accredited program. Employers value the RHIT certification as well as the certificates of achievements. The AS Major in HIT is the capstone achievement in this pathway for students seeking a high-level profession. Some students also elect to continue their HIT studies in a Baccalaureate program. In California, there are presently eight AS degree credentialed programs. Four programs have campus-based options. Only one is located in Northern California. Adult learners benefit from having options for Face-to-face, hybrid and distance classes. The City College HIT program provides a flexible program that offers hybrid courses which is often more supportive of reentering adult learners and fulfills a need in this area for an accredited program.. There are plans to develop a modified on line coding certificate in the future. The CCSF HIT Program offers not only traditional hospital setting Professional Practice Experience externships but also has developed seven specialty options for advanced students. These are Coding, Research Revenue Cycle, Professional Fee Revenue Cycle, Data Governance, ACO Research, Privacy and Compliance. These were developed over three semesters in response to industry demand and the move to the Electronic Health Record. At this time, the City College program is the only face-to-face option available to students in the Northern California area. City College of San Francisco fulfills a dynamic need in the Northern California area.

Canada College and Skyline College are the two colleges in the service area that have similar programs. Bernadette Newland, Adjunct Faculty in the Medical Assisting Department was contacted (newlandb@smccd.edu). Her response was that the coding program at Skyline College was placed on hold and the Certificate program continues at Canada College. She affirmed that the program at CCSF would not in any way impact the program at Canada College.