Medical Coding Specialist Certificate
The Medical Coding Specialist Certificate is designed to prepare students for employment as medical coders. Medical coders are health information professionals who specialize in analyzing health record documentation and determining diagnoses and procedures required for reporting purposes. Medical codes determined by medical coders are used primarily for reimbursement purposes; however, medical codes are also used for public health, research, operational and organizational planning, and benchmarking purposes in healthcare.
The work of medical coders requires knowledge of biomedical sciences, healthcare delivery, health information technology, and health record documentation. Therefore, the rigor of this certificate provides students challenging curricula in these domains.
Medical coders traditionally work in hospitals, ambulatory healthcare facilities, and physician offices to code records for reimbursement purposes. However, some medical coding professionals use their knowledge and expertise for non-traditional employment opportunities with third-party payers, medical software vendors, and the government (among others).
The healthcare industry depends on highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals in all areas of practice. Therefore, individuals considering a career in medical coding should recognize the importance of earning medical coding credentials after completion of this certificate program. Credentialing in healthcare is often required for employment, demonstrates professional competence, and illustrates commitment to one's profession. Successful completion of this program prepares students to sit for either the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) credentialing examination offered by the American Health Information Management Association and/or the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) and/or Certified Professional Coder-Hospital Outpatient (CPC-H) credentialing examination offered by the American Academy of Professional Coders.
(Major Code 4660; State CIP Code 51.0713)
First Semester
| MIRM 140 | Fundamentals of Health Records | 2 |
| MATH 116 | Intermediate Algebra* (or higher) (Note: Students planning to pursue undergraduate degrees in health information management or healthcare administration should take MATH 171 College Algebra.) | 3 |
| HCIS 255 | Technology Concepts in Healthcare | 2 |
| HC 130 | Medical Terminology for Healthcare Professions | 3 |
| BIOL 144 | Human Anatomy and Physiology* | 5 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Second Semester
| HCIS 271 | The Culture of Healthcare | 2 |
| MIRM 143 | Coding Classification Systems I* | 3 |
| MIRM 141 | Computer Systems for Health Information Management Professionals* | 3 |
| MIRM 142 | Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare | 3 |
| ENGL 121 | Composition I* | 3 |
| Total Hours | 14 | |
Third Semester
| BIOL 227 | Human Pathophysiology* | 4 |
| MIRM 145 | Reimbursement Methodologies* | 3 |
| MIRM 147 | Introduction to Pharmacology* | 2 |
| MIRM 144 | Coding Classification Systems II* (Note: Students are recommended to concurrently enroll in BIOL 227) | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Fourth Semester
| MIRM 146 | Coding Classification Systems III* | 3 |
| MIRM 148 | Medical Coding Internship* (Note: Students must complete all other required certificate coursework with a "C" or higher grade to enroll in this course.) | 1 |
| Total Hours | 4 | |
Total Program Hours: 45