Program: 68030

Coders are vital members of the Health Information Management (HIM) occupational cluster. Upon successful completion of the certificate program, the student will have the skills to assess health care documentation and determine the appropriate  classification of code assignment and sequencing in accordance with the Coding Clinic Guidelines. The codes are used for statistics, research, and reimbursement of services rendered. This program includes courses recommended by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Student courses will include Fundamental Applications of HIM, Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminology, specific courses on assigning International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9-CM), and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, as well as a component of Clinical Practicum. Students may contact the Program Director for program or schedule advisement at 863-669-2897.

Program Hours

Most courses will be offered Monday through Friday; the core HIM courses are primarily during the evening hours.

Work Sites

Coders are employed by various health care organizations such as hospitals, physicians’ offices, clinics, governmental facilities, and insurance companies. Experienced coders can work as independent contract coders.

Potential Salaries

Credentialed coders’ salaries are influenced by the type of setting and the experience and difficulty of the work. Entry-level pay for coders averages approximately $15.00 per hour in Florida. Experienced coders who receive incentive pay and/or do contract work earn salaries starting at approximately $40,000.

Certification Exam

Graduates passing the AHIMA certification examination(s) are designated Certified Coding Specialists (CCS and/or CCSP).

Admission Criteria

The following criteria are required prior to admission to the Medical Coding Specialist Program:

1. Prospective students must gain acceptance to Polk State College (PSC) as credit seeking students, with all required admission documents received by the Registrar’s Office.
2. At the time of application and admission to the HIM Program, students must have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher and a grade of C or higher in all prerequisite courses.
3. Students must complete the following program prerequisite courses by the August start date:
   
   
   HSC 1531 Medical Terminology
    
   
   BSC 1084C Basic Anatomy and Physiology
    
   
   CGS 1061C Introduction to Computers and Information Systems
    
    
4. Students must have completed any required college preparatory courses.

• Students must place above REA 002  and ENC 0010  course levels on the College Placement Test (CPT) in reading and writing (or complete these courses) prior to taking HSC 1531  (Medical Terminology).
• Students must place above REA 002  , ENC 0010  and MAT 0012  course levels on the College Placement Test (CPT) in reading, writing, and math (or complete these courses) prior to taking BSC 1084C  (Basic Anatomy & Physiology).

5. An application packet for admission to the Health Information Management (HIM) Program must be submitted to the Program Director by the application deadline of June 30 for the August class. Applications may be obtained online via the PSC website or from the Admissions Office at either campus only during the application period of June 1-June 30.
6. A pre-admission consultation with the HIM Program Director or attendance at an HIM Program information session is necessary.

Additional Requirements

Additional requirements that must be completed after the selection process has been finalized, and prior to enrolling in any program courses, include:

1. Comprehensive physical examination
2. Immunizations
3. Drug screening
4. National background screening

The Department of Health Information Management provides information regarding the completion of these additional requirements with the acceptance letter and during program orientation. Applicants with specific conviction histories or positive drug screenings may ultimately not be accepted in the Medical Coding Specialist Certificate Program. Specific conviction histories or positive drug screenings occurring after full admission and matriculation in the program will be addressed by department policy, and may include dismissal from the program.