Innovative program wins award

The Indiana Council for Continuing Education awarded one of IU Division of Continuing Studies' programs with "Course of the Year" on Friday in Indianapolis. \nICCE gave the Hospital Coding Certificate Program the award. The program provides courses to adults in the community. The division's courses help adults upgrade their own professional skills and gain new career opportunities. The Hospital Coding Certificate Program is an innovative program that correlates with the Bloomington Hospital. \n"The Bloomington Hospital contacted us because it was in great need of coders," said Jim Pershing, assistant director of continuing studies. "We got together with IU-Purdue University Indianapolis to find instructors to teach evening classes to hospital personnel who want to upgrade their skills and to unemployed people who want new jobs."\nPershing also worked with the Indiana Workforce Development Department in the region called WorkOne, which arranges for the unemployed to start new careers as hospital coders.\nThe coding program teaches students to translate medical terms into numerical values. Coders work with government regulations, such as Medicare and Medicaid, which help people receive and pay for medical services. Coders constantly need retraining because regulations change every year. \nStudents take five, four to six-week classes to receive their certificates in coding. These classes include Introduction to Health Information Management, Anatomy and Physiology and Introduction to Medical Terminology.\nHealth care data administrator Felisa Tennant, who currently teaches Introduction to Health Information Management, helped create the program. \n"Jim Pershing called me and asked if I wanted to teach because I am a certified coding specialist," she said. "It's rewarding because it's fun to watch the students learn." \nStudents in the program receive a certificate in hospital coding. Because coding is in high demand, an IU certificate not only documents that potential employees went through the program, but it also gives students a leg up on competition.\nThe ICCE is a professional organization that pulls together professionals involved with continuing education from most colleges in Indiana. Every year, the group gives away three awards: Continuing Education Student of the Year, Continuing Education Faculty Member of the Year and Course of the Year. Last year, ICCE awarded Faculty Member of the Year to IU English and comparative literature professor Albert Wertheim. \nRon White, the director of IU Continuing Studies, said ICCE looks for innovative programs with new ideas such as partnering with other organizations when awarding Course of the Year.\nThe Division of Continuing Studies also creates partnerships with employers in order to keep its employees current with the latest knowledge and technology in a field. The department offers several credit and non-credit programs to adults. The division creates links with the community by providing classes at convenient locations, such as the Bloomington Hospital, Medical Arts Building.\nWhite said it is important for adults to keep up with advancing technology.\n"People have to keep on learning; the world is changing rapidly and so is technology," White said. "We must keep our skills current"