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Medical Office Coding

Catalog Year 2009-2010

MHCC Faculty Advisor Carole Wickham: 503-491-7195 - Room AC 2772 Carole.Wickham@mhcc.edu

Medical Coding is an important healthcare profession and is one of the few that does not require direct contact with patients. Coders may specialize by department or by disease depending on the type of employer. Coders will check medical charts for accuracy and completion, verify signatures, verify medical data in computers, clarify information or diagnosis by communicating with the provider, and assign the appropriate diagnosis and procedural codes. These codes are used for insurance and billing purposes.

Students completing this certificate can find employment in hospitals, insurance companies, doctor's offices, professional coding firms, nursing homes, medical group practices, home health agencies, medical clinics, and temporary agencies.

Students who complete this shorter term Medical Office Coding program can go to work and return.at any time to complete the Medical Office Specialist AAS degree.

Program Outcomes
At the completion of this program, the student should be able to:

• differentiate the roles of the healthcare team, elements of successful leadership, and problem-solving strategies
• discuss and use medical terminology
• discuss verbal and nonverbal communication, including gender differences, cultural awareness and sensitivity, and the elements of speaking and listening
• discuss the knowledge and skills required of a medical billing specialist/claims analyst
• discuss the elements of billing and coding
• complete a professional resume
• explain job searches and correct interview techniques
• use specialized computer programs (EMR), and the Microsoft Office suite

Medical Office students are required to have a criminal background check (http://www.mhcc.edu/docs/docsAlliedHealth/criminalbackgroundcheck.pdf) and a current Tuberculin skin test (PPD) at the beginning of the MO110 Powerful Strategies for the Office Team class. Medical Office students must document completion of the three-dose Hepatitis B vaccine series and complete a Measles Immunization Clearance Certificate for School Attendance form prior to beginning the externship placement process. Some externship sites may require further immunizations. See program director for site specific requirements.

Note: A minimum grade of C is required in all courses.

1 Courses may be taken the summer prior to beginning the program.
2 Prerequisite. See course description in back of catalog.
3 A lternate selections are BI121 and BI122, or BI231 and BI232 and BI233, or equivalent Anatomy and Physiology sequence.
4 Students may not use demonstrated proficiency on the College Placement Test (CPT) to satisfy this requirement.

See pages 7-10 of the printed catalog.