Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 2013 Medical Coding Internship Program Program Information and Application Program Information In anticipation of the U.S. transition from the ICD-9 to the ICD-10 coding system in October 2014, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is seeking to increase its team of medical coders. BIDMC will choose 10 Medical Coding graduates or soon to be graduates to participate in a paid internship. We are choosing candidates who, through completion of this program, are most likely to succeed as Medical Coders at BIDMC. The Curriculum BIDMC s Health Information Management (HIM) department has developed a curriculum to teach ICD-10 coding and complex case mixes to graduates or soon to be graduates of local medical coding programs. The curriculum will be taught by BIDMC staff. During this paid internship students will: Participate in comprehensive ICD-10 technical training including a 3-day intensive training curriculum designed by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA); Learn to code complex cases for a large academic medical center; and Practice coding on case studies provided by BIDMC. The Program Internships will start November 4, 2013 and can be done full-time in 3-4 months or part-time in 7-8 months. During the internship students will: Attend an intensive three day ICD-10 technical training session. Be on-site for instruction for 1-2 days per week. Practice coding at home on case studies provided by BIDMC. Participate 40 hours per week if full-time and 20 hours per week if part-time. Participants progress will be evaluated against benchmarks. If, during the program, the instructors find that a participant is not a good fit for the program or ultimately the Medical Coder role, participants may be counseled out of the program. BIDMC hopes to select 10 individuals into the internship. Those most successful in the program will be offered employment as inpatient medical coders at BIDMC. Successful completion of the internship does not guarantee hire into BIDMC but will make participants highly marketable. BIDMC will assist all successful internship completers in their job search. Eligible Applicants BIDMC will choose internship participants from among the applicants it receives. BIDMC will competitively select applicants. In order to be eligible, applicants must: Have graduated from a medical coding program or have completed the core coursework of a medical coding program, including Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminology, and courses in ICD-9 and CPT codes; possess a strong GPA in their coding courses; 1
have strong attention to detail and accuracy; be on-site at BIDMC on November 6 through 8 for a 3 day training; be able to be on-site at BIDMC for one to two days per week and devote 40 hours in total per week for program activity for the full-time program or be on site several hours each week and commit 20 hours a week for the part-time program; have internet access at home to work remotely; be able to commit the time and effort necessary to complete the internship and do the coursework related to the program; have a strong interest in working at BIDMC upon completion of the program; and if hired, be able to work full time (40 hours) at BIDMC as a Medical Coder for at least two years after date of hire. BIDMC Sponsorship BIDMC is offering this opportunity to increase its team of medical coders to prepare for the 2014 ICD-10 transition. BIDMC is: Investing in the training of participants in ICD-10 and coding complex cases; providing a paid internship and parking support; and open to hiring successful graduates of the training into Medical Coding roles. BIDMC Medical Coders BIDMC medical coders are responsible for coding very complex healthcare cases and consistently demonstrate excellent coding skills. The benefits of becoming a BIDMC medical coder include: Becoming part of a high-performing team of coding professionals responsible for coding very complex healthcare cases; working as part of a hospital environment that is based on great people and exceptional patient care; robust orientation and mentoring for new employees; flexible hours; after employees are fully oriented, most work is done from home. Employees can set a schedule that works for them; and competitive pay. Screening Process Qualified applicants will attend a half day assessment session on site at BIDMC. Applicants will be assessed on their anatomy and physiology knowledge, coding skills, research and critical thinking skills and attention to detail. Those applicants who score well on the assessment will then move to the second round of the application process. The second round consists of an essay and an interview. 2
Application Process Round 1 Step 1 Apply on line at www.bidmc.org/careers o Click Current Openings o Look under Featured Job Opportunities and click Medical Coder Intern o Depending on your preference, apply to either the part-time or full-time internship. We will be looking for the 10 most qualified candidates. Whether you choose part-time or full-time will not impact the likelihood of being selected to participate in the program. o After you have applied to the position you will receive an email within 24 hours asking you to take an online survey. The survey is used to help us identify candidates who will thrive in our collaborative, patient focused environment. o The survey should take 15-20 minutes. Take the survey within 3 days of applying online to the Medical Coder Intern position. o The last date to apply is Thursday, August 8. Step 2 Submit Round 1 Application Form o Complete the Round 1 Application. The application is attached below. o Submit Round 1 Application and a copy of your unofficial transcript from your medical coding program to Laurie Fitzpatrick via email at lkfitzpa@bidmc.harvard.edu or fax to 617-632-9393 within 3 days of applying on-line. Step 3 Assessment o The assessment will be offered three times: August 15 at noon, August 19 at 5:00pm and August 21 at 5:00pm. Please email Laurie Fitzpatrick your preferred assessment date at lkfitzpa@bidmc.harvard.edu by August 9. Once you have registered for the assessment, you will be given the location for the assessment. o Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the assessment begins. Plan to spend up to 4 hours taking the assessment. o All Round 1 applicants will receive information on whether assessment scores allow them to proceed to Round 2 by August 23. Round 2 Application Process o Applicants will receive the Round 2 application via email from Laurie Fitzpatrick. o Complete the Round 2 Application. Round 2 consists of a written essay and an interview. o Applicants will be asked to select their top three choices of interview dates and times. o Send essay and interview preferences via e-mail to lkfitzpa@bidmc.harvard.edu by September 3. o We will conduct interviews with applicants between the hours of 9:00 and 4:00pm on September 10 and 12. Interviews will take 20-30 minutes. o Applicants will receive an email notification of the time, date and location of the interview. 3
Final Steps o Internship finalists will receive an email requesting five references: 2 managers, 2 peers and 1 coding program instructor or manager. o Reference request doesn t necessarily equal an offer. o Please submit your references within 24 hours of receiving the request for references. o Internship and practicum offers will be made by September 20. o Applicants must accept or decline the offer by September 30. o The internship begins on Monday, November 4. Additional Questions Contact Laurie Fitzpatrick at 617-632-9410 or lkfitzpa@bidmc.harvard.edu 4
Round I Application BIDMC Medical Coding Bridge Program 2013 Application for Admittance Candidate s Name Medical Coding School Email Address Current Employer, if applicable Hours work per week Work schedule Please attach an unofficial transcript from your medical coding program I have attached an unofficial copy of my transcripts I would like BIDMC to host my coding program practicum I do not need a coding practicum Signature Date Printed Name Submit this application and a copy of your unofficial transcript from your medical coding program to Laurie Fitzpatrick at lkfitzpa@bidmc.harvard.edu within 3 days from submitting your on-line application. If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Fitzpatrick at 632-9410 or via e-mail at lkfitzpa@bidmc.harvard.edu. 5