Coded for Dedication and Discipline
For Bertha M., a team lead billing/coding compliance specialist, the compliance department is a second family away from home. “We are a strong department and help one another whether it’s personal or business related.”
What did you want to be as a child and how did you ultimately choose your career/job?
Growing up I wanted to be a stenographer. When I relocated to Texas in my early twenties, I found myself in the banking industry instead. Fifteen years ago, I realized I wanted a more challenging and stable career, and I wanted it to be in health care. That decision led me to go to school for medical coding & billing.
What is a typical workday like for you?
My day usually begins early in the morning. So early in fact, that I begin putting my thoughts together the day before regarding what I need to work on the following day. My day is all about spreadsheets, whether preparing them or reviewing them. These spreadsheets all have to do with provider audits, and because I assist in managing and implementing changes to the compliance audit program, I live in a world of spreadsheets.
What is the biggest challenge of your work?
My biggest challenge is handling the different personalities and workflows of the providers and other department personnel with whom I work. I have to make sure I handle them all in a professional and caring manner while at the same time guaranteeing that audits are being performed on all our providers. No matter what comes up, I am responsible for overseeing that the compliance audit process is completed on a timely basis.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
I love going to church, cooking, reading, watching TV and spending time with the family.
What best practices have you or your department implemented to improve efficiency?
To help improve efficiency in the compliance audit process, we have implemented a pre-bill audit schedule to get a better handle on certain current procedural terminology (CPT) codes, which are known to cause problems with the providers. We have also started sending out notices on a consistent basis to our providers letting them know the specific coding areas where they need improvement. In addition, we are giving the providers more education on coding.
By Lynne Peters • Posted June 4, 2019
