HIM Coding Specialist
Program Goals & Outcomes
The Coding Specialist Certificate equips students with foundational coding skills for proficiency in both inpatient and outpatient coding systems, as well as reimbursement methodologies. Certificate earners gain the entry-level skills needed for workforce readiness, while also enhancing their qualifications for potential promotions or salary incentives.
Program Hours
The professional courses for Coding Specialist students are offered only during the day, with general education coursework offered during the day or evening. Enrolling in a full-time schedule will require approximately 36 hours per week. If general education and basic health science courses have been completed, the health information classes will require approximately 15-25 hours per week.
Program Length
The program begins in late August of each year. Upon admission into the program, the course of study is one year in length. Coding Specialist (HSHI) courses must be taken in consecutive order. If the application period for the program has passed, students may take the courses listed in part II, below, until the next application and selection period. Also, see part III, section A, number 1.
Certificate Required Courses (32 Hours)
Students must earn a “C” or better in all courses.
- CIT 1093 Microcomputer Applications++
- HSBC 1104 Anatomy & Physiology++
- HSBC 1113 Medical Terminology++
- HSBC 2103 Human Pathology+ ++
- HSHI 1104 Introduction to Health Information+
- HSHI 1233 Ambulatory Coding+
- HSHI 2203 ICD Coding I+
- HSHI 2223 Healthcare Reimbursement & Revenue Cycle Management+
- HSHI 2423 ICD Coding II+
- HSHI 2572 Coding Practicum+
- HSHI 2631 Pharmacology for Health Information+
+Check course description for prerequisites that must be met.
++Courses must be taken no more than 5 years before entering the program.
Suggested Order of Enrollment
Consult with the Health Sciences division advisor each semester to verify that selected courses will fulfill degree requirements. Check the College Catalog and/or class schedule for course offering specifics. The “+” symbol represents a prerequisite for the course. Any course offering is subject to change without notice.
Prior to Fall Semester
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Fall Semester
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All courses of the Coding Specialist Certificate program that are successfully completed with a grade of C or higher will transfer to the two-year Health Information Management Program.
Students who wish to continue their education should explore Baccalaureate programs in Health Information Management and complete the necessary steps to become a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA).
Visit AHIMA for more information about additional certifications.
Certified Coding Specialists (CCS) are experts in classifying medical data from patient records, primarily in hospital settings. They assign numeric codes to diagnoses and procedures using the ICD-10-CM and CPT coding systems. CCS professionals also have knowledge of medical terminology, disease processes, and pharmacology.
Hospitals and medical providers use coded data for insurance reimbursement and reporting to government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Researchers and public health officials also rely on this data for monitoring and intervention analysis. Accurate coding is crucial for revenue and health outcome tracking, making the CCS credential a mark of expertise in data quality and integrity. The certification exam tests advanced coding proficiency, not entry-level skills.
If you have experience coding inpatient or hospital-related outpatient records, obtaining CCS certification is increasingly seen as an industry standard.
The Health Information Management and Coding Specialist application deadline has been extended. Late applications will continue to be accepted as space permits.
Students must apply to the college and submit all transcripts to Admissions. You will not need to attach copies of transcripts with your application. You will need to have a degree audit done if you are using credits from out-of-state. Contact [email protected] or 405-733-7308 to confirm all transcripts are on file, or to ask about having a degree audit done for out-of-state credits to be used for this program.
The application below links to a PDF file. You may complete the application using Acrobat Reader and save or print the completed application.
Students are strongly encouraged to speak with a Health Sciences Advisor every semester to help stay on track and be prepared to apply.
For more information, contact:
Health Science Division Advisor
Nicole Mitscher
(405) 733-7562
[email protected]