by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA Over the past year, I welcomed several new Coders into our Medical Center’s HIM department. The last few hired were brand new graduates from a local coding training program. As new (really new!) coders, I thought that they might have some good insights into landing that first Coding job, […]
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA Over the years I’ve learned a thing or two about being a good employee, and being a not-so-good one. I’ve spent my fair share of time as the office rock star but would be lying if I didn’t also report that I’ve spent time as an employee the boss […]
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA As an educator in both community college and university settings, I had the great privilege of being around students as they prepared to enter the workforce. Some were just emerging from college as fresh-faced new graduates while others were finding a new lease on life with a change in […]
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA Growing up, we learn to be grateful for any gift that someone gives us; no matter what it is. Most children have at some point had to say “thank you” for funny-colored sweaters from grandmothers, unusual gifts from Uncles and gifts we believe that we outgrew years before from neighbors […]
read more »It’s as if the world gives a shout-out to all of us – not just the kids going back to school – that it’s a good time for a return to getting serious about what we know now, and what we need to learn in the coming year….
read more »Our coding careers can sometimes travel a similar path. We researched and chose the right path in terms of our education and credentials. We faithfully keep up with our continuing education and participate in …
read more »Over the years I have encountered two distinct groups of people at work: those who believe the responsibility for their career lies with their employer (or manager) and those who believe that the responsibility is theirs. Guess which group …
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA One of the major benefits of becoming a Medical Coder is the opportunity to work from home. Remote employment offers a multitude of benefits, including lower costs for professional clothing, reduced vehicle costs, and avoiding the stress of morning and afternoon rush hour commutes. There are also benefits to […]
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Lifelong learning is touted as a requirement for career longevity by many education experts. I agree that we should always strive to learn and grow, but I also think that while learning, we need to keep our eyes open for …
read more »You studied hard, graduated and sat for your credentials. You landed that awesome job and settled into your routine as a new coder, then became just one of the coders and are well on your way to becoming an experienced coder. You’ve reached the goals you set for yourself, have a great job and are making good money – so where is …
read more »In our careers it can be easy to fall into any number of ruts. We may fall short in pursuing new learning, get caught up in office gossip, quit working toward that credential/degree, or simply not push ourselves to the levels that we know we are capable of …
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by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA
Lately I’ve noticed social media outlets pronouncing doom and gloom for workers everywhere with predictions of the rise of robots and AI (artificial intelligence) taking over everything we do. Most of the time I … Read more
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA
My father loved his job. He enjoyed his work, was proud of his skills and abilities and took great pride in the contributions he made every day. When he retired it was not to get away from the ball and chain of his job, but to move on into that period in his life where he could spend more time on things that he chose. Read more
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by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA
You’ve done it! You’ve studied, sacrificed time and sleep, and hung in there. You’re a graduate and a newly-credentialed Coder – congratulations! Now it’s time for the next step: job hunting, interviewing and hopefully, beginning that new job! Read more
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA
Winter is finally here! For those of us who like the change of seasons, this is a statement of triumph after a dubious entrance into the season last month. Just as we were celebrating, an Arctic blast blew through Pittsburgh and made some of us question why we were so anxious for Winter to arrive. Read more
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA
Happy New Year! We’re well into the first month of this new year and what a different year this is – at least for the HIM profession! This year there’s no ICD-10 implementation hanging over our heads; no major projects to conquer and no deadlines to meet. On the personal side of things, many of us marked 2015 with an achievement such as earning a degree, completing a training certificate, or achieving a credential or trainer designation.
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA
This time of year we think about being grateful for all the wonderful things in our lives. Families, friends, jobs, careers, colleagues, and of course the wonderful food and festive activities that pepper our calendars around this time.
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA
It’s finally November. I say “finally” because like many of you, I was unsure what the month of October would bring to the HIM world in the aftermath of the ICD-10 implementation.
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA
Last month I found myself driving into town along a route I once traveled on a regular basis, and was reminded of a lesson I had learned.
read more »by Rebecca Harmon, MPM, RHIA, CCA
No one enjoys negative experiences, but we all know people who hold on to certain negative incidents like treasured possessions. Whether we have lived through something negative at work, in our career, in a relationship, or even in traffic, the best response is to let go and move on!
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