# Certified Coder in Lakeland Florida looking for work in Central Florida



## mabird33 (Jul 20, 2009)

Hello, I'm Matt Bird.  I recently passed the CPC-A exam.  I'm looking for work in Central Florida as a medical coder or a job related to coding.   I don't have years of experience.  I do have an education, incredible drive, and positive energy.   I've written about how my skills and education relate to coding.  My resume is located in the post below this one.

Coding Experience
CPC-A
AAPC member- active and earning CEU's
Billing/CPT Coding courses 2004
NGS American- Medical Benefit Analyst  July 2004-January 2005 

Positive
Bachelor's Degree- Elementary Education

Keys to Coding
The keys are Communication, Attention to Detail, Research, and Problem  solving.  I believe I possess these characteristics through my education and work experiences.  Professional development and continuing education are the building blocks of a successful coder.  Coding is evolving and coders need to make connections and build knowledge.  You have to be positive and make the job fun.

Working with Physicians
I believe you need to treat your physicians with respect.  It's important to build trust with physicians through communication.  Ways of building communication are through asking questions (refer to their expertise), be available to answer their questions, and setting up meetings.  Have high expectations for their documentation.  Build trust by letting them know your there to help them get the highest coding level based on their documentation and following HIPPA and coding guidelines.  When you need information from them be patient but also politely aggressive.  

Why do I want to be a medical coder?
I found that my skills and education translate well into the job of medical coder.  Through my courses and study I've become drawn into the world of coding.  I like the challenges and feeling of coding.  

Connections between my education and coding.
I have a major concentration in Language Arts.  In college a took a lot of higher level English and Reading courses along with Communication, Linguistics, and logic based Mathematics.  

Skills that I have from these courses that I can use as a coder are:

Strong Reading Skills (careful reading)
I've been trained to pick out small details in text.  As a coder you have to be able to pull small details from reports and accurately locate information in the coding books.  You need to pay attention to the details.  Many codes are similar and you need to focus to locate to correct code.  

Vocabulary Building
Going through the Language Arts program I built on my vocabulary.
As a coder, I'll always be learning and building my medical vocabulary.   
A coder's best friend is a good medical dictionary.

Communication Skills
As a coder, it's important to have exceptional communication skills.  You'll be communicating with your doctors, coworkers, supervisor, patients, insurance companies and auditors.  You need to get and share information.  To do that you need to communicate clearly and effectively.  To obtain my degree I had to demonstrate exceptional communication skills.
I've had to write many papers and give a lot of presentations.  I have experience speaking in front of large groups.  

Research
I spent a lot of time working on research papers.  I have a knack for finding information in books and on the internet.  As a coder, I'll have to use my research skills.  My resources include coworkers, coding books, medical websites, coding programs, and professional contacts.

Problem Solving
I took a lot of math classes and can problem solve and think logically.  Extensive surgeries and medical reports will require me to break down the report.  I'll break down by highlighting, underlining, numbering, and circling key information.   As a coder, you have to think logically and be organized.  You have to be an outside the box thinker.  Knowing that there are many different ways to approach a situation and solve a problem.

Having a degree in education will help me pick up and apply new information quickly.  My skills as an educator will be valuable to a future employer.  I have the motivation techniques and patience to help people master new concepts.  

Why should your company hire me?

I have a strong desire to be a medical coder.  I've wanted to do this for over 5 years.  The opportunity wasn't there in Michigan.  We moved 1000 miles for better opportunities to become medical coders.  

I bring positive energy and will use my skills to help the doctors get the maximum coding level for their documented services following HIPPA and coding guidelines.

I have unlimited potential.   I'm someone who wants to learn and apply my knowledge.  I want to help my coworkers and be part of something special.  



Matthew Bird CPC-A
4912 Elon Crescent
Lakeland, FL 33810
(863) 450-9543
mabird26@yahoo.com


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