My experience at an AHIMA trainer session Part 3
During this three-day training, we learned as much as possible about this new classification system. I received a letter in the mail right before leaving for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Academy for ICD-10 trainer session in Grapevine, TX, only to find out that the learning doesn’t end after the three days!
I still have to take the “final exam” between late October and late January 2010 to demonstrate that I understand and can apply this new system to become an “AHIMA certified ICD-10 trainer.”
I was surprised that there was not a specific credential or at least a designation, even if it was just an appendage onto one of my AHIMA certifications, to notate that I had endured this training. Even the American Academy for Professional Coders designates its professional medical coding curriculum (PMCC) instructors with an “I” at the end of their credential (i.e., CPC-I).
I’m not sure how to publicize that I did this training other than to add it as a tidbit of information onto my bio. It should be identified somehow right?
It was amazing to sit through such an intensive training session. I recently taught a class in Boston, and I had to admit to my students that I was reminded of how my Boot Camp attendees feel when we cover so much material in a five-day class. I had an increased sympathy for them, having endured it myself recently. It reinforced to me how important it is to have engaging, fun, and energetic instructors — especially in an intensive learning format.
This three-day session was definitely an information-overload experience, but I feel confident that I can share this information with the masses when the need arises.
Has your coding manager or coding staff members attended any kind of ICD-10 training sessions yet? Now that I’ve shared a bit of my experience, we would love to hear what yours was like. Please post your comment here.
About the Author: Shannon McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC-I, is director of coding and HIM at HCPro, Inc. where she manages the instructors of the Certified Coder Boot Camps® which cover physician and outpatient hospital coding and inpatient hospital facility coding. As a lead consultant for HCPro’s Revenue Cycle Institute, she works with hospitals, medical practices, and other healthcare providers on a wide range of coding-related issues with a particular focus on coding reviews and audits. McCall has extensive experience with coding for both physician and hospital services. Prior to joining HCPro, Inc., she worked for Per-Se Technologies, a national medical practice management company, where her duties included serving as instructor for Per-Se’s in-house coding training and certification program.
