My Last Semester!

This is my last semester at Marion Technical College. There’s a little time left in this semester and as I reflect on the past few years of school, I’m amazed about how much and what I have learned. When I try to decide which one of the classes I’ve taken, it’s difficult. I’ve learned so much with each one. Calculating statistics in healthcare was one of the most interesting classes, because even though I can’t stand math, how these statistics that drives healthcare decisions was so interesting.

I also felt very lucky to be able to take the first class on ICD-10-CM that was offered at Marion. ICD-10-CM is so interesting and it was very helpful to have the background of ICD-9 and see the changes. Even though I’m still struggling with ICD-10-PCS, it’s really neat how they decided to do the tables so the detail can be shown.

I have thoroughly enjoyed going back to school, but I’m ready to be done! 

Transcripts

I’ve worked very hard while attending Marion Technical College and North Central State College. I have maintained a 4.0 GPA through my work and I have been on the Dean’s List numerous times!

Unofficial Transcript

 

Marion Technical College Office of the Registrar

1467 Mount Vernon Ave Marion, OH 43302

 

Name: Rachel E L
Program/Degree/Curriculum:	Degree Awarded:	Date Granted:
Credit/Assoc of Applied Sci/Health Information Technologies	No Degree Awarded Yet
Honors:	Cumulative GPA: 4.00

2012 Other credit types

North Central State College

Course	Title	Sub Type	Grade	Credits	Quality Points
ENG1090A	English Comp I	Lecture	A	2.67	0.00
ENG1100A	English Comp II	Lecture	A	1.33	0.00
ENG1160A	Oral Communications	Lecture	A	2.67	0.00
MGT1400A	Intro to Management	Lecture	A	2.67	0.00
MLT2630A	Mdcl Law and Ethics	Lecture	A	0.67	0.00
MTH1110B	Beginning Algebra	Lecture	A	2.67	0.00
OIS1240A	Computer Applctns I	Lecture	A	2.67	0.00
OIS1260A	PowerPoint	Lecture	A	1.33	0.00
OIS1360A	Access Advanced	Lecture	A	1.33	0.00
SCI1060A	Basic Anat. and Phys	Lecture	A	4.00	0.00

 

 

	Attempted Credit	Earned Credits	Total Credits	GPACredits	Transfer Credits	Quality Points	GPA
Term:	0.00	22.01	22.01	0.00	22.01	0.00	0.00
Overall:	0.00	22.01	22.01	0.00	22.01	0.00	0.00

 

2012 Spring

Marion Technical College

Course	Title	Sub Type	Grade	Credits	Quality Points
HIT1200A	Hlth Record Mgt I	Lecture	A	1.33	5.32
MLT2620A	Medical Professnlism	Lecture	A	0.67	2.68
MSC1030A	Medical Terminology	Lecture	A	2.67	10.68
MSC1110A	Human Diseases	Lecture	A	3.34	13.36

 

 

Awards

Deans List

 

	Attempted Credit	Earned Credits	Total Credits	GPACredits	Transfer Credits	Quality Points	GPA
Term:	8.01	8.01	8.01	8.01	0.00	32.04	4.00
Overall:	8.01	30.02	30.02	8.01	22.01	32.04	4.00

 

2012 Summer

Marion Technical College

Course	Title	Sub Type	Grade	Credits	Quality Points
ENG1140A	Business Communctn	Lecture	A	2.67	10.68

 

 

	Attempted Credit	Earned Credits	Total Credits	GPACredits	Transfer Credits	Quality Points	GPA
Term:	2.67	2.67	2.67	2.67	0.00	10.68	4.00
Overall:	10.68	32.69	32.69	10.68	22.01	42.72	4.00

 

2012 Fall

Marion Technical College

Course	Title	Sub Type	Grade	Credits	Quality Points
HIT1300	Clncl Class Systems	Lecture	A	7.00	28.00
HIT2000	HIT Legal Issues	Lecture	A	2.00	8.00
HIT2100	Health Record Mgt II	Lecture	A	4.00	16.00
HIT2200	Health Info Tech Sys	Lecture	A	4.00	16.00

 

 

Awards

Deans List

 

	Attempted Credit	Earned Credits	Total Credits	GPACredits	Transfer Credits	Quality Points	GPA
Term:	17.00	17.00	17.00	17.00	0.00	68.00	4.00
Overall:	27.68	49.69	49.69	27.68	22.01	110.72	4.00

 

2013 Other credit types

Gulf Coast Cmty College

Course	Title	Sub Type	Grade	Credits	Quality Points
BIO1100	General Biology	Lecture	A	4.00	0.00
PSY2100	Human Growth Develop	Lecture	B	3.00	0.00

 

Ohio State Univ Columbus

Course	Title	Sub Type	Grade	Credits	Quality Points
ASC1020	Skills for Success	Lecture	B	1.00	0.00
PSY1100	General Psychology	Lecture	B	3.00	0.00

 

 

	Attempted Credit	Earned Credits	Total Credits	GPACredits	Transfer Credits	Quality Points	GPA
Term:	0.00	11.00	11.00	0.00	11.00	0.00	0.00
Overall:	27.68	60.69	60.69	27.68	33.01	110.72	4.00

 

2013 Spring

Marion Technical College

Course	Title	Sub Type	Grade	Credits	Quality Points
HIT1400	Healthcare Reimburse	Lecture	A	2.00	8.00
HIT1500	Adv Clncl Class Syst	Lecture	A	3.00	12.00
HIT1900	HIT Professnl Prac I	Lecture	A	1.00	4.00
HIT2300	HIT Stat Analysis	Lecture	A	2.00	8.00
HIT2400	HIT Quality Assmnt	Lecture	A	2.00	8.00
SOC1200	Sociology	Lecture	A	3.00	12.00

 

 

Awards

Deans List

 

	Attempted Credit	Earned Credits	Total Credits	GPACredits	Transfer Credits	Quality Points	GPA
Term:	13.00	13.00	13.00	13.00	0.00	52.00	4.00
Overall:	40.68	73.69	73.69	40.68	33.01	162.72	4.00

 

 

---

End of Transcript

 

 

My resume

I’m very proud of my accomplishments and my hard work. I’ve worked hard for this degree and I’m very proud of myself!

Rachel E L.

 

Objective:

Seeking employment as a Medical Biller / Coder.

 

Highlights of Qualification:

Hard working, dedicated, and a fast learner. Trustworthy and knowledgeable with regulations and guidelines pertaining to patient confidentiality and HIPAA. Entry level coding experience with ICD-9-CM and CPT (currently scheduled for an ICD-10 course). Understands medical terminology. Experienced with general office duties, procedures, and equipment; including fax machines, copiers, scanners, etc. Proficient in using computers and Microsoft software.

 

Experience:

 

REGISTRATION REPRESENTATIVE, HOSPITAL

August 2013-Current

Collects patient demographic information for new accounts. Verifies patient accounts. Checks insurance availability for patients. Registers patients for emergency department visits, outpatient accounts, outpatient tests, obstetrics, and outpatient surgeries. Collects patient copays. Contacts on-call physicians when necessary. Obtains patient consents for treatments.

 

SITE MANAGER, STORAGE CENTER

April 2009 – March 2011  Mansfield, OH

Managed account at $21,000. Collected rent, late fees, and miscellaneous charges on a daily basis. Managed property with 356 rental units. Assisted in Zumba planning and accounts.

 

HEAD OF CIRCULATION, LIBRARY SYSTEM

March 2007 – January 2009  Biloxi, MS

Knowledge of general office duties, procedures, and equipment. Used knowledge of computers, e-mail, internet, and document imaging to assist with patron requests. Skilled in use of internal automated systems to retrieve information about local and county library collections. Reviewed, updated and solved patron record discrepancies.

 

SUPPLY MANAGEMENT APPRENTICE, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE RESERVES

May 2005 – October 2008 

Analyzed reports, reported discrepancies and recommended corrective actions to improve operation. Performed operations in storage, inspection, inventory, identification and receipt of property. Established and maintained effective working relationships with other agencies and customers.

 

ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN, DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

April 2005 – February 2007 

 Led quality assurance and maintenance inspections insuring compliance with Air Force and FAA standards. Managed funds as a government purchase card holder for two work centers. Provided technical guidance, training, and assistance to other technicians and conducted on-the-job (OJT) training.

 

RADAR MAINTENANCE JOURNEYMAN, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

April 2001 – April 2005 

Night shift leader for two years. Supervised training, fixing equipment, and additional duties for subordinates. Managed vital records and files including personal training records, historical records and inventories. Edited, submitted and prepared official memorandums for records, files and personnel.

 

Education:

Marion Technical College

Degree: Associate of Health Information Technology expected December 2013

Applicable Completed Courses: Health Records Management I & II, Medical Law and Ethics, Computer Applications (Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, and Access), Medical Professionalism, Medical Terminology, Business Communications, Healthcare Reimbursement, Clinical Classification Systems and Advanced Clinical Classification Systems, Health Information Technology Legal Issues, and others.

My Cover Letter

This is my cover letter.

 

Rachel E. L.

 

30 April 2013

 

Dear Sir or Ma’am:

 

I am applying for the position of Medical Biller and Coder that is advertised on Career Builder.

 

As you can see by my resume, I have years of experience in office/clerical work and I am a fast learner. I am compassionate, hardworking, trustworthy and an excellent fit for your team. I am currently a student at Marion Technical College seeking a degree in Health Information Technology and I have entry level coding experience from my classes. I am an energetic hard working individual and I would be a great addition to your team.

 

Please contact me at (419) to arrange an interview. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

Very Respectfully,

 

Rachel E. Lohr

Week 14 – Paper vs EHRs

So which is safer? Which one can protect the information from unauthorized disclosure? Neither is 100% full proof. I would really like to say that electronic records would be easier to protect from unauthorized disclosure or access, but I’m not so sure that that’s the case.

Consider this, paper records are most likely stored in a section with other records. Say Nurse McNurse needs to check a record. She goes in there and remembers that her best friend, named Friend, told her she came in last week, but acted weird about telling her why and changed the subject really quick.

OH MY GOSH Nurse McNurse cannot take the suspense and takes a peek into Friend’s record after she grabbed the other one she needed. No big deal, right? No one saw her do it because she was alone in there and she put it back where it belongs, so it’s okay, right? NO. NOPE. NADA.

Now, think about it with an EHR. Nurse McNurse searches for the record she needs and makes the necessary additions or whatever she needs to. She is involved in this patient care and has every right to update the record. Well, Nurse McNurse has a few minutes and no one is around so…she searches for Friend. She accesses the visit, but only for a minute to see why Friend had an appointment. OH MY GOSH Friend has had explosive diarrhea for a few weeks and they want to run some tests.

Nurse McNurse feels awful for Friend, and texts her saying “I hope you feel better! Diarrhea is no fun!” No big deal, right? WRONG. MASSIVE PROBLEM.

Now, what if Nurse McNurse didn’t text Friend, but told Someone Else…who told Talkative Friend. Talkative Friend doesn’t know where the information about Friend came from, but spreads a bad rumor around that Friend has colon cancer and is dying next week.

I know my scenario is long, but do you see where this is going?

METADATA. With metadata, who accessed the record is STORED. Now Nurse McNurse is in big trouble.

BUT, there is another problem. If that information never got back to Friend that Nurse McNurse knew about her diarrhea and rumors weren’t spread…how would anyone know the record was accessed unless they were specifically looking for it. They probably wouldn’t, and that’s a problem.

Check out this article: Informatics: Electronic Health Records: A Boon or Privacy Nightmare?

Thede, L., (March 30, 2010) “Informatics: Electronic Health Records: A Boon or Privacy Nightmare?” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 15 No. 2.

She references medical records that were bought by a teacher for scrap paper for her students. It boggles my mind…

Here’s the link to the story: Medical Records Sold to Teacher as Scrap Paper

Week 13 – Isabel

This week in HRM II our discussion board was really interesting! We had to visit the site about Isabel and report what we found.

http://www.isabelhealthcare.com/home/default

I love how far technology has come in out lifetime. It amazes me every day. This is an app that physicians can use to help with diagnosis. It helps to diagnosis patients with a checklist and does it so much faster than other clinical decision support systems. Here is my discussion post. Again, any mistakes made in this are mine alone!

Isabel is a clinical decision support system. With entering information about the patient, they are given a list of possible diagnoses and causative drugs. It is intended to help reduce diagnoses errors. Something interesting I found was that it takes very little time to enter in information, free text, which can be extremely helpful in an emergency situation. Other clinical decision support systems, like Iliad and QMR took 20-40 minutes to input the information for a result. By entering in the free text, or natural language, Isabel can search for it. I also think it’s interesting how Isabel can interface with some of the larger EHRs and they are working on interfacing it with other products. With interfacing, it pulls information in certain fields to search for diagnoses.

I also found it interesting about why Isabel was developed. You can read about it here as I’m not sure I should copy and paste from their site.

http://www.isabelhealthcare.com/home/faq/faq

WEEK 12 – Implementing EHRs

Last week in Health Information Technology Systems we watched some videos on YouTube about implementing EHR systems and answered discussion questions. The video that really stood out to me is called: “How Life Should Be After You’ve Implemented Electronic Medical Records.”

It’s so interesting to watch because there was NO PAPER. No paper for them to sign, no paper charts, NOTHING. I think the only paper was some information the office printed out for the mother to take with her.

A feature I really liked was where the mother goes online to schedule an appointment for her son. She’s able to book an appointment slot, without having to call the office. Then she receives an automated call confirming the appointment. This is awesome to me. How many times have you woken up really sick and needed to go to the doctor, then had to call in sick, telling the boss you were going to see your doctor. By the time the doctors’ office opens, and you’re calling, but you can’t get through. By the time you do get through, they have no appointments left that day. It’s frustrating, to say the least!

Here is the video!

Week 11 – Required Reporting

This week in HIT Legal Issues, our discussion board topic was about mandatory reporting and researching Ohio laws about it. I thought this was really interesting  because of the Meningitis outbreak from the steroid shots that occurred recently. So in light of that, I decided to look at mandatory reporting for communicable diseases.

Ohio has the Infectious Disease Control Manual which lays out the specifics. I found the reporting time criteria interesting and which classes certain diseases fall under. Here is my post:

Spend time researching Ohio state laws regarding mandated reporting.  Share your results here.

I looked at what communicable diseases are under mandatory reporting in Ohio because there is so much information. The Infectious Disease Control Manual (IDCM) is based on Ohio Administrative Code and Ohio Revised Code 3703-3-01 through 3701-3-31.

The manual explains who is required to report, what diseases are required to be reported, all the information that also needs to be reported, and the time frame that each one should be reported in.

Mandatory reporters include health care providers (physician, hospital, etc), laboratory technicians, and anyone that even suspects that someone has a disease that is communicable. (So if you suspect someone of having rabies, and they haven’t received health care (or maybe if they decided to treat it at home or something), you are required to report it, which I think is interesting.

The communicable diseases are listed in an alphabetical list and they are also listed in a sectioned format. The sectioned format is based on the required reporting time. For Class A diseases, it must be reported immediately. Items in the Class A list include: rabies, anthrax, smallpox and plague. Class B (1) diseases must be reported by the end of the next business day. Some items included in the Class B (1) list are: malaria, tetanus, Legionnaires’ disease, and salmonellosis. Class B (2) diseases must be reported by the end of the business week. A few items in Class B (2) list include: herpes, Lyme disease, trichinosis, and leprosy. Class C diseases must be reported by the end of the next business day. Class C pertains to any outbreak, unusual incidence, or epidemic. Outbreaks that include waterborne or institutional must be reported.

AIDS, ARC, and HIV cases must also be reported, but is listed separately in another section. It gives more specific guidelines as to what levels must be at for reporting and it defines each one.

Check out the manual at:

Ohio Infectious Disease Control Manual

Week 10 – Virtual Lab

This week in HRM II our assignment was really interesting and I enjoyed it!

We had to use Virtual Lab to create a patient chart. The virtual lab is Power Chart through AHIMA. The other virtual lab assignment we did was searching MRNs to find specific patients and certain information located in the chart. That was really interesting because I had never seen anything like that before and it was really neat to learn the set up.

So this assignment wasn’t to search for a patient, but to create a new one. We were given some information to specifically put in, but other information was our choice to put in. It was amazing to me to realize how much information needs to be entered for each patient. I guess I didn’t realize it! When you think about it, all those forms you fill out just for your information is entered. Then the clinical side is entered when appropriate.

I liked the drop down boxes to help enter information and some sections would not let you continue until you satisfied all of the information that needed to be inputted. I think that’s a fantastic feature so that pertinent information is not missing.

We had to submit a screen shot of our new patient entered into the virtual lab, and here is mine!

Week 9 – Clinical Trials

This week for our discussion board we were to look up a clinical trial and report back to the class what we found.

I thought this was an interesting assignment and I decided to search for diabetic clinical trials since this disease affects my family.

I found one that addresses macular edema in diabetics. Here is my short synopsis:

I searched for clinical trials for people with diabetes. One that I thought was interesting is a trial that is currently recruiting people. The trial concerns macular edema in diabetics. The researchers want to know if one of two drugs works best. Researchers think that lowering VEGF levels will help reduce leaking blood vessels. The body naturally makes the chemical and the drugs ranibizumab and bevacizumab help lower the levels in the body.

The requirements for the trial are kind of interesting. People really cannot have any other issues with their eyes so that they can judge whether the injections are specifically working for the macular edema. I also think that these two drugs must have serious side effects and are not good for females that could possibly get pregnant while getting the injections. It even mentions that males should either refrain from sex or use double protection too (the study lists the acceptable contraceptions). And to not try to conceive until at least four weeks after the study.

http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/cgi/wais/bold032001.pl?A_12-EI-0134.html@diabetes

Another clinical trial that a classmate found was really interesting. It was about Juvenile Arthritis and trying vibration therapy. I thought that study was really neat for the reason of trying an alternative treatment to medicine. Arthritis is not curable, and if there is a way to help prevent some joint degeneration in children, maybe we can try to improve their quality of life. Here is the link to the study she posted.

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT00836394?cond=%22Arthritis%2C+Juvenile+Rheumatoid%22&rank=19