This certificate program prepares students for careers as clinical coders. Clinical coders are skilled in classifying medical data utilizing knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, disease processes, and pharmacology. Clinical coding is important to healthcare organizations because coding accuracy influences public health policy, impacts revenues, and drives the assessment of healthcare outcomes.
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: A coding credential provides proof of competency in the field and is often a requirement for clinical coding-related and healthcare revenue management positions. Graduates of the Clinical Coding Certificate are eligible to sit for AHIMA coding certification exams including:
- Certified Coding Associate (CCA®)
- Certified Coding Specialist (CCS®)
- Certified Coding Specialist-Physician-based (CCS-P®)
Students may also choose to seek additional coding certification through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).
Certificate Learning Outcomes:
- Apply knowledge of data content structure and standards to apply classification system guidelines including International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10- CM), International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Procedure Coding System ( ICD-10- PCS), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, Level II (HCPCS II), and Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED), and ensure health record documentation is complete and accurate.
- Protect health information by controlling access, ensuring information security, and understanding the legal and ethical issues in the use of health data.
- Utilize healthcare data to manage the revenue cycle of the healthcare organization through understanding of payment methods and systems in all care settings.
- Evaluate organization compliance with regulations and standards to support reimbursement.
- Understand and apply knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, anatomy & physiology, medical terminology, computer concepts and computer applications as they relate to health information management.
PROGRAM APPROVAL STATEMENT
The CT State Middlesex Clinical Coding Certificate coding program is approved by the AHIMA Professional Certificate Approval Program. 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.
Value for Students
The AHIMA Professional Certificate Approval Program 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
Program approval effective January of 2021 - January of 2024 with annual interim approval during these years.
Offered by the Middlesex campus of the CT State Community College only; AHIMA PCAP approval is limited to the Middletown location. The courses are offered fully online, allowing students to access the program from anywhere.
Eligible for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding.