This past week had some happy moments, but also many sad ones. Two people quit where I work, one was a nice guy, but I didn't know him really well. He left to go back to school, to earn another Master's degree. The other was a friend, and we worked together as a team, as there was just the two of us in our department. She left to work for a naturopath, and it fits her beliefs as she practices reiki. While I am happy for her, and this new opportunity, I miss having her to talk to throughout the workday.
I also strongly suspect that they are not going to fill her position. I know they expect me to train another Coder to help me audit the providers and code the general surgery procedures. While helping all the rest of the staff, the physicians, and management with their coding questions, I am supposed to complete audits, train new physicians, APRNs and physician assistants on coding and documentation, and get all the codes reviewed and billed for the general surgeons. Additionally, I am to schedule and oversee the chart reviews being conducted by insurance companies for risk adjustment. And now, I have to train this other girl, and hope she catches on quickly. But I'm trying to look at the positive, the responsibility falling on me does give me a small measure of job security. And upper management did pay for the training class I wanted to take on Saturdays, which I hope will help me earn my CPMA certification. (Certified professional medical auditor).
I am also studying to take the test for the CGIC, certified gastrointestinal Coder. If I am successful at earning my CPMA and CGIC, I should be getting a good raise, as I am already a CPC. If not, I can pretty much have my pick of coding jobs in my area, or I can start doing coding/auditing from home. I haven't told my employers I am taking these two exams, they are each almost six hours long. I didn't want to have to tell anyone if I failed, so I paid for the exams myself. I just decided I needed to do something to change my life.
While I like my day job, I am so tired of teaching at night. Working one full time job, and one part time job is exhausting, and I've been doing it for over nine years now. CPMAs earn about five thousand more a year than my current salary, and a specialty credential like the CGIC should add another thousand, so I hope to pass the exams and make some positive changes. If I can quit teaching at night, maybe I will finally go back to college and finish my batchelor degree.
