Certified Procedural Coder Class Offered

Fairmont State Community & Technical College's Center for Workforce Education 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, Fairmont State's Director of Economic Development and Workforce Education. "Working in doctor's offices and hospitals throughout our area, certified coders can make significantly better salaries than those who do not have this certification."
Evening classes will be held at the Center for Workforce Education, 320 Adams St., Suite G01, Fairmont. The program is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This 80 hour, non-academic credit training course will begin on Sept. 6 and run through Dec. 8. The program is designed to prepare individuals to take the national certification exam to become a CPC. The certification exam is scheduled for Dec. 10.

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.

"Medical coding and billing is one of the rapidly growing professions in the health care industry," said Amy Cunningham, the AAPC-certified instructor for the course.

"Scrutiny from federal and state agencies, as well as the insurance industry, mandate 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, please call the Center for Workforce Education at Fairmont State at (304) 367-4920. Additional information, detailed class schedules and registration forms are located on the Center's web site at http://www.pierpont.edu/ce.

Class size is limited and pre-registration is required.