Wiki I want to work in a hospital setting--is that realistic?

[DebraMN]

I am currently in the middle of the CPC training course and hope to finish by early summer. I have no work experience in the healthcare industry at all. My ultimate goal is to work in a hospital setting because I really like working in large, busy, diverse settings like that. My question is--if I could get my foot into a hospital even in a non-coding position, perhaps as a patient coordinator or something similar, would I stand a chance of eventually transitioning to a coder?

 

[windurstiansmn]

I think if you put in the time and effort it could definitely be possible. I do want to give you a few things to consider, though. First, even if you are able to get your foot into the door, it may take additional training or certifications to land a job in their coding department. I would recommend you look into what their requirements are. Most hospitals want their inpatient coders to have AHIMA credentials such as RHIT, RHIA or CCS. These certifications also have eligibility requirements that must be met. See ahima.org for more information.

The second thing I want to mention is to please keep in mind that inpatient coders use ICD-10-PCS coding which is COMPLETELY different from how you'll learn to code taking a CPC course. I thought hospital coding was something I wanted to get into so I purchased the CIC course through AAPC. I quickly realized hospital coding is not for me. I do not enjoy it at all. I highly recommend you spend time looking into inpatient coding, maybe even job shadow a coder if you can find that opportunity. I'm not trying to steer you away from that type of coding, I just wanted to share my experience and thoughts on the subject.

Whatever your decision, I wish you the best of luck!

 

[hperry10]

Maybe....

I think it depends on the hospital system. Some will not hire you if you do not have any coding experience, others will give you a chance if you have proven yourself in other departments. I suggest reaching out to your local chapter officers and members of your chapter to get a better feel for the hospitals in your area. Also if you are looking to do inpatient coding, most hospitals require a CCS certification from AHIMA. I recommend looking at local job listings for hospitals in your area to see what their certification requirements are.

Heather CPC

2018 Treasurer Cape Coders, Hyannis, Ma

 

[mitchellde]

I think a hospital setting is an excellent place to start. It will give you a well rounded view of the health care system. I started in the hospital setting decades ago and it was the best experience and building block I could have. I know things have changed a bit, however I started out as what we then called a unit manager. Different facilities use different titles. I highly recommend this type of position if it is available in your area. When I was in this position we sat at the nursing desk and answered the phone and ordered tests order by the providers and communicated the results of the tests to the providers and nurses. Like I said it may have evolved over the years but at that time this was the pivotal person on the nursing unit, that one person that knew everything, which nurse was with each patient, the docs schedules and the conditions of each patient. I learned many things. From this positions I went to UR, and from there into administration. Back in those days we did not have a coding department mind you it was all just UR.
So yes I say get a position in the hospital any one that you can, hospitals like to hire from with in for the good positions. I had a friend want to get into the coding area and started at switchboard, eventually she made her goal and is the assistant administrator now.

 

[DebraMN]

I think if you put in the time and effort it could definitely be possible. I do want to give you a few things to consider, though. First, even if you are able to get your foot into the door, it may take additional training or certifications to land a job in their coding department. I would recommend you look into what their requirements are. Most hospitals want their inpatient coders to have AHIMA credentials such as RHIT, RHIA or CCS. These certifications also have eligibility requirements that must be met. See ahima.org for more information.

The second thing I want to mention is to please keep in mind that inpatient coders use ICD-10-PCS coding which is COMPLETELY different from how you'll learn to code taking a CPC course. I thought hospital coding was something I wanted to get into so I purchased the CIC course through AAPC. I quickly realized hospital coding is not for me. I do not enjoy it at all. I highly recommend you spend time looking into inpatient coding, maybe even job shadow a coder if you can find that opportunity. I'm not trying to steer you away from that type of coding, I just wanted to share my experience and thoughts on the subject.

Whatever your decision, I wish you the best of luck!

Thanks for the feedback. Just curious, why did you not like hospital coding?

 

[DebraMN]

Thank you all for your replies! I didn't realize that hospital coding used a completely different set of codes. I will definitely look into what the hospital near me seeks for coding credentials and go from there.