The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the evolution of technology in the medical field.
Garden City, NY (PRWEB) January 10, 2018
The National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) honors Julie Simmons as a 2017-2018 inductee into its VIP Woman of the Year Circle. She is recognized with this prestigious distinction for leadership in healthcare administration. NAPW is the nation’s leading networking organization exclusively for professional women, boasting more than 850,000 members, a thriving eChapter and over 200 operating Local Chapters.
“I’m pleased to welcome Julie into this exceptional group of professional women,” said NAPW President Star Jones.
Always interested in healthcare, Julie Simmons thought she would someday become a nurse. However, her life’s path steered her in a slightly different direction. “I started in the healthcare field beginning in registration at an acute care hospital and was able to transfer to medical records where I was introduced to medical coding, which I found to be my passion,” she said. Ms. Simmons went on to obtain her CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and also earned her Associate’s degree in Health Sciences from Kaplan University. “This allowed me to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), also through AHIMA,” she said.
In the medical coding field for more than 20 years, Ms. Simmons is a Clinical Document Specialist at Cartersville Medical Center in Cartersville, GA, where she has been for five years. Using her multitasking skills, expansive knowledge of industry software systems and applications, and her ability to educate others, she expertly manages key responsibilities.
“I review medical charts concurrently before the patient is discharged and ensure the documentation supports medical necessity, and is complete and accurate,” she explained. “If the chart has any discrepancies it is my responsibility to query the physician for clarification and also provide education when deemed appropriate.” Ms. Simmons also works closely with quality and risk management to identify any hospital-acquired conditions or complications that could impact a patient’s care or revenue for the facility. Once a patient has been discharged, she reviews the coding from vendors and validates the DRG for accurate payment.
Although industry guidelines and innovations are constantly changing, Ms. Simmons knows the importance of staying on top of the latest developments and furthers her education through professional development. “The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the evolution of technology in the medical field,” she said. “Recently, coding converted from ICD-9 to the ICD- 10 coding system.” Her future goals are to continue to obtain industry certifications, including CDIP (Certified Documentation Improvement Practitioner) through AHIMA. “I currently have my CCDS (Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist) thru ACDIS and since I audit charts, I also want to obtain my CPMA (Certified Professional Medical Auditor).
Awards & Accomplishments:
A.A.S., Kaplan University, Health Sciences; member of the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Association
About NAPW
NAPW’s mission is to provide an exclusive, highly advanced networking forum to successful women executives, professionals and entrepreneurs where they can aspire, connect and achieve. Through innovative resources, unique tools and progressive benefits, professional women interact, exchange ideas, advance their knowledge and empower each other.
