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ADAM and AAPC
Announce Dermatology Coding Certification
Specialty
Credential Designed for Coders with Superior Dermatology Expertise
SALT
LAKE CITY - The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC, http://www.aapc.com/),
in conjunction with the Association of Dermatology Administrators &
Managers (ADAM, http://www.ada-m.org/),
announced the release of the new AAPC Certified Professional Coder in
DermatologyTM (CPCDTM) credential. This specialty credential
enables coders with superior knowledge of the dermatology field to receive
certified validation.
A team of
leading dermatology coding professionals within ADAM collaborated with the
AAPC to develop and co-brand the CPCDTM exam.
In a statement
released by the Executive Board of ADAM, they stated that "Dermatology is
one of the fastest growing forms of specialty care and we felt that coders
who excel in the field should receive a formal designation due to the
unique nature of the dermatology field. By partnering with the AAPC, we
were able to make this specialized certification possible."
The CPCDTM exam
includes a broad range of operative/patient notes to test examinees'
preparedness for "real world" coding.
Elements that
the CPCDTM examinee will be tested on include ability to read and abstract
physician office and procedure notes, such as assigning correct ICD-9-CM,
CPT®, HCPCS Level II and modifier codes; evaluation and management coding;
Medicare billing rules and regulations; dermatological surgical
procedures; medical terminology; and anatomy and physiology.
The ADAM
Executive Board also stated that "ADAM strongly believes that this
certification will enable our members and their staff to enhance their
professional skill set and improve practice administration. Dermatology
practices of all sizes will greatly benefit by having their administrators
and coders take the CPCDTM exam."
The AAPC has
developed a CPCDTM practicum that closely resembles the certification exam
in format and difficulty to complement the test and prepare coders to sit
for the exam. The AAPC and ADAM have also developed a review course to
complement the exam. The CPCDTM exam and review course will be available
at the 2010 ADAM Annual Meeting Preconference on March 3, 2010 in Miami,
Fla., as well as at future ADAM educational events.
For more
information about the CPCDTM credential or for details on the AAPC's
special pricing on the CPCDTM practicum and exam, visit the
AAPC Web site.
About AAPC's
Specialty Credentials
In addition to
its core credentials (CPC®, CPC-H® and CPC-P®), the AAPC launched 18
updated, standalone specialty certifications in 2009. These 18
certifications allow health care professionals to demonstrate superior
levels of expertise in selected disciplines. To ensure that the
specialty-specific skills of the certified coders are communicated
correctly, the specialty credentials will no longer contain the "CPC"
acronym. While there are no set prerequisites to take the exams, because
of the complexity of the material on the exam, it is recommended that the
examinee have extensive experience and expertise in the field. Visit http://www.aapc.com/certification/specialty-credentials.aspx for
more information on the AAPC's specialty credentials.
About the
Association of Dermatology Administrators & Managers
The Association
of Dermatology Administrators & Managers (ADAM) is a national organization
comprised of 650 managers, administrators, attorneys, accountants and
physicians in private, group and academic practice. Members are provided
strong business guidance and support through links to information and
leaders who have expertise in dermatology practice issues. ADAM's network
includes specialists in the fields of continuing education, managed care
and financial issues, credit and collection, jurisprudence and ethics, and
coding. ADAM also sponsors its own job bank while enabling members easy
access to others as well. ADAM is a not-for-profit organization which
advocates responsible and progressive business practices in a quality
healthcare environment by providing education, professional recognition,
growth and networking avenues to members. For more information, contact
the Association at 1-866-480-3573 orwww.ada-m.org.
About the
American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC, www.aapc.com)
The AAPC is the
nation’s largest medical
coding training and certification association for medical coders. The
AAPC provides credentials to medical coders in physician offices,
outpatient facilities and payer environments. The certifications the AAPC
offers are Certified Professional Coder (CPC®), Certified Professional
Coder – Hospital (CPC-H®) and Certified Professional Coder – Payer
(CPC-P®), as well as 18 specialty-specific credentials and the Certified
Interventional Radiology Cardiovascular Coder® (CIRCC®) credential. These
credentials represent the gold standard certifications for medical coding.
AAPC provides a wide variety of benefits to its 78,000 members worldwide. |
