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Inpatient Entry Advice

S

suthunbelle

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Location
Saint Augustine, FL
I am a new CPC, and my biggest hope is to get my foot into a hospital position. I have tried applying to numerous jobs online but never receive a response. Any suggestions on how to make an impression?
 
Honestly, it's going to be a bit harder to get into inpatient hospital coding than it would be to go about getting in to do outpatient and move into inpatient. Most hospitals require AHIMA credentials (not all) for inpatient coders such as the RHIA, RHIT, or CCS. Unfortunately AAPC doesn't have an "inpatient" coding credential. The CCS from AHIMA is their mastery outpatient and inpatient facility coding credential. Some will take other credentials for inpatient training positions. Some times the best thing to do is work your way into the position.


The CPC will definitely get you in the door to the medical field but may be not starting out as a coder and networking is going to be your friend. Try going to local chapter meetings, apply to insurance companies (gets your experience with codes), hospitals, and clinics. My first job working with codes was as a claims clerk verifying ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes and procedures codes, HCPCS level II, and CPT under the guidance of coders as well as processing the claims and after a year I took the CPC-H (after taking an online class) and passed and I got hired on as a coder and luckily because I had experince with the inpatient coding process and rules, they hired me as an inpatient coder. I took the CCS a little later and passed that which is definitely opening up doors for me to move up as I do some auditing work now and I've only been doing this for 2 years and I work for a large hospital. It does happen and I know I'm lucky because I read stories on here of people never getting a job after years of looking. You just have to get your foot in the door and impress the right people.


I hope this helps give you some ideas.

Daniel Rowden CCS, CPC-H
 
Try This (Anything is Possible)

The way to get into Facility Coding (My personal plan i tried for myself) is to try and get with a outpatient hospital physician coding practice, work there for awhile. Gain experience and try to transfer over as an entry level hopsital coder IF local hospitals in your area offer any type of entry level Hospital Coder position.
 
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