Multi-Agency Initiative Provides Mentoring and Meaningful Employment for Neurodiverse Workforce in Medical Coding

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today, Pena4, Rockland Jewish Family Service, Jawonio Inc., the State of New York's Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and Westchester Medical Center are eager to provide an update on a recent collaboration program that is nearly four years in the making.

These organizations are proud to announce the graduation of these neurodiverse individuals into the role of interns, employed through Westchester Medical Center with support from Jawonio Inc.

The multi-agency initiative, which began in the fall of 2018 with the CEO of Rockland Jewish Family Service (RJFS) Maria Dowling, is to create career pathways and meaningful employment for neurodiverse individuals in the medical coding and billing vertical.

Working together, this consortium developed an intensive, 15-month medical billing and coding curriculum aimed at preparing students to take the National Healthcare Association and AHIMA Certification Exams — a pair of nationally recognized, comprehensive tests designed to test the preparedness of medical coders. As a result, the students passed the National Healthcare Association (NHA) Certified Billing & Coding Specialist Certification and all who sat for the AHIMA certification passed as well.

"It's been incredible to watch these outstanding individuals grow from eager students to qualified and trained interns throughout the length of the program. We're so excited for their continued development as they move forward towards permanent meaningful employment." - Maria Dowling

This impact on the lives of the individuals that participated in this program cannot be understated. Each of the organizations that worked to produce the result of this initiative are eager to see a similar program succeed and impact even more neurodiverse peoples or individuals on the autism spectrum.

Joe Gurrieri, President & Chief Operations Officer of Pena4 says, "We are proud to have contributed towards creating meaningful employment in medical coding for the interns. These individuals dedicated their time, working extremely hard to gain the knowledge and skills in medical coding. They are the true pioneers of this program and have paved the way to not only a skilled job but a respectable, nationwide career for neurodiverse individuals. Pena4 looks forward to continuing this initiative by replicating it with another new cohort in the very near future and many more after that."

Pena4's Central Learning platform was crucial in choosing students with the highest likelihood to succeed in this program. The system offers an objective resource to measure true coder accuracy without the time, prep, cost and management inconvenience associated with manual coding audits.

As a Vocational Rehabilitation Services partner, Jawonio hired the individuals on payroll funded by the state of New York. Jawonio has created space within their organization for the interns to work on campus, easing the way for employment coaching support and encouraging a team atmosphere for the interns.

In the medical billing and coding industry, some working experience or internships are expected prior to fully entering the job market, which is why current internship roles through Westchester Medical Center are so crucial to students' continued success. Not only are they learning skills needed for success in the healthcare and coding industry, they are also gaining the necessary experience and confidence to excel as permanent employees.

Once the interns are ready to enter permanent employment, both Jawonio and Westchester Medical Center will continue to support them through career stabilization and beyond as needed.

The success of this program provides a case study for the next steps of this initiative, which is to replicate it among other student groups and with more healthcare organizations within the New York area.

About Pena4
Pena4 is a virtual staffing company with one primary goal: to develop collaborative, outsourced workforce solutions that bridge the gap between people and technology. Pena4 is dedicated to creating customized, remote revenue cycle management and virtual staffing strategies that increase clients' financial and operational health.

About Rockland Jewish Family Service
Rockland Jewish Family Service provides compassionate, professional human services to help people overcome challenges and live their lives to the fullest. The programs and services Rockland Jewish provides include family-based clinical counseling services, social skills, older adult services, kosher food pantry access, Holocaust survivor support & Jewish community outreach.

About Jawonio Inc.
Jawonio Inc. has been serving people across a full range of disabilities in pre-employment and supported employment services since 1986. During that time, Jawonio has facilitated over 5,500 job hires for people with disabilities in a myriad of industries with an overall average job retention rate of seven years.

About Westchester Medical Center
Westchester Medical Center is a 415-bed academic hospital serving as a lifeline for more than 2.4 million people in the Hudson Valley. Westchester Medical Center's mission includes providing the highest quality care for all residents of the Hudson Valley, regardless of their ability to pay, providing a network that ensures access to a coordinated continuum of care for its community.

Media Contact

Sara Vargo, Orange Pegs, +1 9788211038, [email protected]

SOURCE Pena4