Career Growth Archives

I Am AAPC: Megan Smotherman, CPC

By Lee Fifield

In Career Growth

Sep 1st, 2026

No Comments

At 36 years old, I am many things — but the role I am most proud of is being a mother to two beautiful daughters. Motherhood has given me the greatest sense of purpose I have ever known. Becoming a wife and a mother was always my lifelong dream, and every decision I made about ...

I Am AAPC: Yuri Nelson, CPC, CPCO, CPMA, CEMC

By Lee Fifield

In Career Growth

Aug 3rd, 2026

No Comments

Becoming an AAPC member was one of the most defining decisions of my healthcare career. When I first entered the healthcare field more than a decade ago, I knew I wanted to build a path rooted in accuracy, integrity, and continuous learning. AAPC represented all of those values. It offered not only a respected professional ...

I Am AAPC: Elakiya K, CPC-A, CSM, LSSBB

By Lee Fifield

In Career Growth

Jul 1st, 2026

No Comments

Healthcare has always been personal to me. Long before I learned about codes, claims, and compliance, I stood beside patients as a physiotherapist, helping them take their first steps after injury and regain hope after pain. In those moments, I understood what healthcare truly means — it’s not just treatment, it’s transformation. Yet, as I ...

Highlights From RISKCON 2026

By Lee Fifield

In AAPC News

Jun 25th, 2026

No Comments

Attendees gathered remotely for two days of insights into risk adjustment. Healthcare professionals of all stripes recently took part in RISKCON, AAPC’s two-day virtual conference held June 23-24, to learn the latest about risk adjustment. Each day was packed with sessions that educated attendees on documentation, resources, policies, data management, artificial intelligence (AI), legislation, and ...

I Am AAPC: Chimeka Kindred, MBA, CPC, CRC, CPMA, AAPC Approved Instructor

By Lee Fifield

In Career Growth

Jun 1st, 2026

2 Comments

In 2009, exhausted from call center jobs and searching for something better, I enrolled in a medical coding program at Concorde Career College. Ten months later, I sat for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) exam and failed. Six weeks after that, I retested, passed, and became a CPC-A — ready for a new career. Or ...