Certified Procedural Coder Class Offered
The Center for Workforce Education of Fairmont State Community & Technical College
is offering a Certified Procedural Coder (CPC) certification training program. This
program is accredited through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).
A Certified Coder may obtain employment in a variety of health care settings.
"Opportunities exist in the expanding health care industry for people with these
specialized skills," said Paul Schreffler, Director of Economic Development and Workforce
Education for FSC&TC. "Working in doctors offices and hospitals throughout our area,
certified coders can make significantly better salaries that those who do not have
this certification."
Evening classes will be held at the Monongalia County Technical Center (MTEC) in
Morgantown. The program is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This
80-hour, non-academic-credit training course will begin on June 7 and run until September
13. The program is designed to prepare individuals to take the national certification
exam to become a CPC. The certification exam is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 17.
A mandatory orientation session for prospective students will be held at MTEC at
6 p.m. Tuesday, May 31.
"No experience is required to take the course, but it is strongly recommended that
interested participants have a background in anatomy and physiology and medical terminology
either through work or educational experience," said Kim Raines, the AAPC-certified
instructor for the course.
"Medical coding and billing is one of the rapidly growing professions in the health
care industry. Scrutiny from federal and state agencies, as well as the insurance
industry, mandates the correct assignment of both diagnosis and procedure codes to
insure accurate reimbursement. The coding professional is an integral part of maintaining
the viability of the practice via knowledge of the various coding systems. Medical
coding and billing is an ever-changing field, one in which the professional is always
learning new medical terms, the latest advanced procedures and coverage regulations."
For more information, call Fairmont State's Center for Workforce Education at (304)
367-4920. Class size is limited and pre-registration is required.
