Techniques October 2012 - 59

Career Curve

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Eastern Gateway Community College
PhoTo courTesy of easTern GaTeway communiTy colleGe

EaSTErn GaTEway COmmunITy COLLEGE (EGCC) serves Columbiana, Jefferson, Mahoning and Trumbull Counties in Ohio with three locations: Jefferson County Campus (main campus), Steubenville; Valley Center, Youngstown; and Warren Center, Warren. Other delivery sites include Choffin Career and Technical Center, Youngstown; Columbiana County Career and Technical Center, Lisbon; Mahoning County Career and Technical Center, Canfield; and Trumbull Career and Technical Center, Warren. As a state institution, Eastern Gateway offers degrees, certificates, programs and courses to prepare students for transfer to a four-year institution or to prepare them for immediate entry into the workforce. Among the programs in health information management at Eastern Gateway is the Medical Coding Specialist Certificate program, which is an approved program of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). This program is intended to prepare students to become professionals who can code, classify and index diagnoses and procedures for the purpose of reimbursement, standardization, retrieval and statistical analysis, as well as help them apply legal principles, policies and regulations for the control and use of health information. The curriculum emphasizes familiarity with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes, which the Medical Training & Certification Guide notes is needed in order to become a proficient medical coder. In the first semester of the program, the courses include Human Anatomy and Physiology II, Succeeding in College, English Composition I, Introduction to
www.acteonline.org

Students in the Eastern Gateway Community College Medical Coding Certificate program are acquiring the skills needed to manage today’s complex health care information.

Health Records, and Clinical Classifications System I. In the second semester, students study Reimbursement Methodologies, Healthcare Delivery Systems, Clinical Classifications Systems II, Principles of Pharmacology, and Pathophysiology. In addition to Computer Software Applications in Healthcare and Advanced Coding, the third semester includes an elective and a professional practicum. Through Eastern Gateway’s Medical Coding Specialist Certificate program, students not only gain knowledge about the principles of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, but upon successful completion of the program, they will also be eligible to apply for the AHIMA national certification exam for Certified Coding Associate (CCA). It is also important to note that the Medical Coding Specialist Certificate program is actually the first year of the Health Information Management associate’s degree program, providing a seamless transition for those who wish to continue on to earn a two-year degree

and the opportunity for a supervisory or managerial job. Offering the knowledge of important and timely regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, along with the professional certification valued by employers, Eastern Gateway’s Medical Coding Specialist Certificate program is preparing students to fill a growing need for professionals who can manage today’s complex health care information. Whether they go on to an associate’s degree or go directly into a medical coding position, Eastern Gateway graduates will bring with them the necessary skills that career and technical education is known for providing in the field of health care. For more information about Eastern Gateway Community College and its Medical Coding Specialist Certificate program, visit www. egcc.edu.
Susan Reese is a Techniques
contributing writer. She can be contacted at susan@printmanagementinc.com.

October 2012

Techniques

59
Techniques October 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Techniques October 2012
