Forging Quality Coders for the Future UW Health s Coder Apprenticeship Program. Target Audience: to prepare for the ICD-10 transition

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Di

d i th R

h

Diamonds in the Rough

Forging Quality Coders for the Future

UW Health’s Coder Apprenticeship Program

Target Audience:

Anyone interested in unique and innovative ways Anyone interested in unique and innovative ways

to prepare for the ICD-10 transition

Estimated time:

30-35 minutes 10-15 minutes Q &A

1) Introductions

Agenda

2) What is the Coder Apprenticeship Program?

3) Why is it needed?

4) Who is the target audience?

)

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• Birgitta Larson Gamez, MPH

UW Health Coding Education Specialist

Introductions

• Rae Archie, CCS-P

UW Health Coding Education Specialist • Lori Wipperfurth, CPC

UW Medical Foundation Professional Coder Graduate of Coder Apprenticeship Program • Jody McClain, CPC

Director of Coding & Charge Capture, UW Medical Foundation • Mary Sue Benigni

Director of Coding and Clinical Documentation Integrity, UW Hospital & Clinic

1) Introductions

2) What is the Coder Apprenticeship Program?

Agenda

) pp p g

• Create stream of hirable coders • Enterprise approach that covers:

 Facility coding

 Professional Coding

 Both Inpatient and Outpatient

3) Why is it needed?

• ICD-10 & decrease in coder productivity • Attrition of current coders

• Need for new graduates of medical coding programs…with experience.

• Community Relations

4) Who is the target audience? 5) What were the successes?

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Creative approach to creating a stream of

d

ith

i

What is the

Coding Apprenticeship Program?

coders with experience

Provides recent graduates of medical

coding programs with hands-on

experience

C. Dimick; Recession or Not, Coder Shortages Persist - Jul 13, 2009

Who

made up the CAProgram?

What is the

Coding Apprenticeship Program?



12 part time (50% FTE) coding apprentices



2 Coding Ed. Specialists – Facilitators

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Comments from SMEs

“It gave me the new coder perspective and how difficult

it can be to try and grasp the "art" of coding.”

“The teaching! I love to share information with others. It also refreshed my perspective of what it's like to start out as a coder.”

“Talking directly about something that I know a lot about was a good challenge for me.”

What:

Enterprise

approach that covers:

What is the

Coding Apprenticeship Program?



Facility coding



Professional coding



Both Inpatient and Outpatient

When:

5 ½ month Apprenticeship (440 hours)

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Where:

Example of UW Health areas

t d

E

D

t

t (ED)

What is the

Coding Apprenticeship Program?

presented:

Emergency Department (ED)

• Professional • Facility

• Tour of ED at UW Hospital

1) Introductions

2) What is the Coder Apprenticeship Program?

Agenda

) pp p g

• Create stream of hirable coders • Enterprise approach that covers:

 Facility coding  Professional Coding  Both Inpatient and Outpatient

3) Why is it needed?

• ICD-10 & decrease in coder productivity • Attrition of current coders

• Need for new graduates of medical coding programs…with experience.

• Community Relations

4) Who is the target audience? 5) What were the successes?

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• Increase in the volume of codes available for assignment

~17,500 ICD-9-CM codes to 141,449 ICD-10-CM/PCS codes

Why is it needed?

ICD-10 & decrease in coder productivity

 17,500 ICD 9 CM codes to 141,449 ICD 10 CM/PCS codes

• Increase in the number of characters comprising a valid code

Addition of alphabetical characters

• Increase in the specificity of approximately 20 % of diagnosis codes and 99 % of procedure codes • An increase in the number of physician queries • An increase in the number of physician queries

• Complete overhaul of the procedure reporting system • Changes to coding guidelines

15-20% to 60 % 6 month learning curve

Will current coders think about retirement?

Why is it needed?

Attrition of current coders

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Why is it needed?

Need for new graduates of medical coding programs…with experience.

Medical records and health information technicians

Page 28 of 64

Part of

UW Health’s

Mission, Vision &

V l

& St t

i Pl

Why is it needed?

Community Relations

Values & Strategic Plan

Relationship with

Madison College

– Other organizations that have

medical coding degree programs

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1) Introductions

Agenda

) pp p g

4) Who is the target audience?

5) What were the successes?

• Recent graduates of accredited medical

di

Who is the target audience?

coding programs

• Individuals who are looking to advance

their careers

• Individuals who are willing to work with an

Academic Medical Facility

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1) Introductions

Agenda

) pp p g

4) Who is the target audience? 5) What were the successes?

• 5/12 hired as UW Health Medical Coders*

I i d ll A i

What were the successes?

– Interviewed all Apprentices

– Provided “real-life, hands-on” coding experience

• Existing coders had opportunity to share

their knowledge

– UW Health acquired a knowledgeable Coding Edu. Sp.

• UWHC & UWMF worked together

• New opportunity for medical coding

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“I feel that this program has given me "real world" coding experience, something that cannot be taught in school. I

What were the successes?

experience, something that cannot be taught in school. I feel more ready than ever to start my coding career.”

“The program has put everything together for us to see a more realistic view of what actual coders do in their jobs. The hands-on work along with the shadowing