Nurses- Why Choose Risk Adjustment Coding – Karen Thomas, RN, CPC-A, CMT | CCO Review

Through the years CCO has worked with nurses to assist them in getting certifications in medical coding. The reason coding is such an excellent stepping stone in a clinicians career is due to the fact that medical coding is so similar in training. The terminology, procedures, diagnosis and disease process knowledge is already there. Building on that with the guidelines surrounding coding you have a match made in medical heaven. Nurses are sought after for comparable or higher income positions when they have a certification. Here is an example of an RN, Karen Thomas, who with the help of CCO made the choice to get certified and it changed her life.

-Alicia Scott, CPC, CPC-I, CRC

Why Choose Risk Adjustment Coding – Hey there, fellow nurses! My name is Karen Thomas. I became an LVN in 1980 and later RN in 1983. My passion was patient care. Due to our daughter’s diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome at age 3, it became nearly impossible to work a 40-hour per week job with her needing so much hands-on care. I was forced to leave floor nursing and establish a business working from home first as private duty nurse.

From there, my business branched out to transcription and editing. Later I moved into medical billing on a very limited basis for physicians I had worked with as a nurse. I coded here and there; however, mainly my job was still nursing part-time and transcription and editing. Over the years, transcription and editing jobs became fewer and fewer and paid less and less with lots of outsourcing going to other countries.

In 2001, I suffered a back injury which ended my ability to do hands-on patient care altogether. I began looking into coding as another option to provide income for our family. It seemed like the natural progression of things with my background as a clinician knowing medical terminology and disease processes.

I enrolled and studied in preparation to sit for my CPC. Even though the school I studied with provided the basics, I still felt something was missing. Then I discovered CCO. Laureen’s unique teaching method was exactly what I needed. Her “hands-on” teaching had me hooked with the first Blitz video I watched. I finished her program and passed my CPC. I am proud to say that I owe my success to CCO. I am now employed in coding and utilizing my nursing knowledge at the same time. You are not limited to any certain area of coding either. Inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory surgery centers, physician offices, risk adjustment, etc. CCO has programs for all the above and more.

I chose to go into risk adjustment coding because my clinical background affords me the ability to utilize all my knowledge. Not only that, remote coding positions are increasingly available to those who have the need, like me, to work from home. Due to my back condition and where I live in a very rural area, a remote position was just what I needed.

So, any of you who are presently nursing and looking for a change, I would totally encourage you to consider coding as a logical alternative. I am so incredibly happy that I discovered CCO. The opportunities that opened up for me were endless. Wishing you all happy coding!~

The CCO Risk Adjustment Coding Course – Video

Related Risk Adjustment Coding Posts:

• Fifty Shades of HCC’s — Looking Inside the Risk Adjustment “Red Room and How the Dawn of ICD-10 Will Change the Game”
• Risk Adjustment Coding Online Training Video
• HCC Medical Coding Risk Adjustment Coding