As 2012 winds to a close, we look back on all our efforts to achieve. Whether it be in earning a certified nursing assistant certificate, becoming a medical office assistant or landing a first job as a medical billing and coding professional, the year and its achievements are soon to be written into the history books. Tomorrow, we turn our attention to the goals for achievement in a brand new year. 2013 is going to be an excellent year to pursue a career in healthcare. Resolve to act on your plan to become a CNA, a medical billing and coding pro or medical office assistant. Have a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year from all of us here at the Allen School Blog.
This time of year, the New Year fast upon us, I often turn my thoughts to the struggles and challenges facing all of us, but particularly those facing my fellow man in other parts of the world. Not to diminish the very real and daunting hardships we face here in the USA, but conditions are indeed far worse for many in other parts of this world.
That is why I was so heartened by the story shown in this video below. It is of impoverished children in Paraguay, South America, who live in a landfill, and yet, cobble together musical instruments and form an orchestra to play Mozart and other classics. Go ahead and watch the video, then come back and read below for how it relates to studying to earn a certified nursing assistant credential. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
So here’s the connection to you if you’re goal is to take medical assistant training and improve your employment possibilities. Or maybe you’re already enrolled at Allen School studying our Certified Medical Assistant course. The point is, that it may be an enormous hardship to find the time and the money to make this effort. It may seem like you just cannot meet the challenge. You may worry about your ability to sustain your way through to the end. But consider these children, living in a landfill, building their violins and cellos out of trash and recyclables. No matter what your current financial or living situation looks like, you’ve already surpassed their standard of living by a very wide margin. Yet, these kids do not let their circumstances dictate the suspension of their dreams. They aspire to be classical musicians and they make it happen through sheer force of will (and the assistance of some very caring, music-loving people). The point is, you can overcome what obstacles may lie between you and a better job, and a better life as a certified nursing assistant with a future. Remember the words of Oscar Wilde, “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars”.Article updated December 12, 2023
The folks over at The Profitable Practice – a website produced by SoftwareAdvice.com and dedicated to helping doctors and other medical practitioners build and maintain successful practices – recently published a very good article entitled, “Avoiding Coding That Leads to Audits: A Q&A With Betsy Nicoletti”. Betsy Nicoletti is the author and co-founder of www.codapedia.com which is an excellent resource for the medical billing and coding professional; chock full of experienced viewpoints and best practices relevant to the medical billing and coding office.
In her Q&A article, Betsy shares some of the shortcuts and other improper actions undertaken by some doctors’ offices in medical coding that can raise red flags for the compliance auditors whose job it is to review the transactions from doctors’ offices in search of fraudulent or even inadvertent cases of improper billing and coding. The piece – a must read for those already in or about to enter the field of medical billing and coding – explains the nature of the errors, why they often occur and the consequences of allowing them to go uncorrected. This is great reading for the coding professional who truly wants to be at the very top of his or her game!
To all our students of medical billing and coding, certified nursing assistant training and medical office assistant training, the Allen School Blog wishes you a happy, healthy, safe and peaceful Christmas, Channukah, Kwanzaa. Solstice or whatever holiday you may be celebrating this season. Peace on Earth and good will to all mankind!
This video by Farnoosh Torabi of Yahoo! Finance chronicles the leading, high-paying jobs that do not require the budget-busting costs associated with a 4 year college program. Finding good paying careers that require a shorter commitment of time and money invested in studies can be difficult, but not if you’re looking at medical billing and coding as an option. In fact, medical billing manager is one of the jobs mentioned in the article attached to this video (read it here). But the video does explain why jobs in every aspect of the healthcare field are in great supply today. It is not news to anyone that the wave of retiring baby boomers is fueling a surge in healthcare hiring that will last for at least 20 years. Yet many may not be aware that the cost of entry into a career as a medical billing specialist is inexpensive compared to many other programs where post-graduation employment may be far more difficult to come by. So have a look at the above video and consider studying medical billing and coding for a career among those projected to be solid earners for decades to come.
From everyone at the Allen School Blog, we’d like to offer our deepest and most sincere condolences to all the families of those left behind in the wake of the senseless and unconscionable tragedy that took place in Newtown on Friday. There is nothing that anyone can say to undo what evil has wrought in this community and in our broader American community. At this time, please know that our thoughts, prayers and hearts are with you in this darkest hour.
You’re studying to be a certified nurse assistant, so you’re already the kind of person that, by nature, is driven to help people in need. And you’re studying to earn your CNA certification with Allen School, an organization with deep roots in the New York metropolitan area. This is an area also known for denizens who go out of their way to help each other in times of need. Never has this been more apparent (at least not since the tragedy of 9/11) than during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Thousands of certified nursing assistants, doctors, nurses, firemen, police and first responders continue to work overtime helping those most impacted by the brutal storm and the devastation it left in its wake. Hundreds of thousands more regular, ordinary New Yorkers have also spent countless man-hours helping folks demolish and rebuild damaged houses, collect and distribute food and clothing and all other manner of efforts in support of recovery.
Last night, the musical and performing arts community came together at Madison Square Garden to put on a benefit concert billed (as the date would imply) as the 12/12/12 relief concert. This outpouring of love and support for the people of the NY metro area on the part of our favorite musicians, comedians and actors was humbling. From local boys turned global stars like Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, to British rockers The Rolling Stones, Clapton, the Who and Roger Waters, the event was truly the boost New Yorkers needed to continue to slog through difficult recovery. Dig this awesome slide show of shots from the event. Did you see any of it on the Tee Vee? Or were any of our CNA training students perchance in the audience at the Garden? Share your reviews of this event in the comments!
As we reported here a few days ago, the holiday season is not necessarily a time when hiring slackens. In fact, it is often one of the more active times of years for those seeking work. So this is why you shouldn’t be at all surprised if you get a phone call from a harried hiring manager who has maybe called a few other candidates for interviews but been turned down because those candidates are busy with holiday preparations. They may ask, “Can you come in tomorrow?” Don’t panic! You can be prepared for this scenario if you prepared according to the following suggestions culled from this article by life coach, Amanda Abella.
Whether the open position is for a medical office assistant, a certified nursing assistant or medical billing and coding specialist, here are 5 steps you can take to be ready to answer the last minute job interview call.
1)Always Have Your Resume Ready
2) Have a Spare Outfit Ready to Go
3) Know What You Applied For (and With Whom)
4) Research, Research, Research
5) Get Your Dates Straight
You can read more detailed explanations of each step at the link provided earlier.
Whether you’re seeking a new job in the field of medical office assistant, certified nursing assistant (CNA) or any career in any industry, the Holiday season is a remarkably good time to be looking for a job. This may seem a bit counter-intuitive as many expect hiring to slow down this time of year as hiring managers, HR people and business in general (excepting retail) is interrupted by holiday vacations and other distractions. Yet, the opposite is actually the truth. Many hiring managers report that the volume of applicants slows dramatically during this time of year as applicants are otherwise occupied with holiday activities. Moreover, many applicants “take these few weeks off” wrongly assuming that hiring slows or stops too in December. That means that right now and for the coming weeks, the odds of landing a job as a medical office assistant or certified nursing assistant are at their best for the year. (Of course with an Allen School CNA certificate or medical office assistant certificate, your odds are already better at finding a good job.) But you don’t have to take my word for it. Listen to what they say on this topic at notable outlets such as:
US News and World ReportLifehacker.comBusinessNewsDaily.com
It’s time to be virtually buried under advertisements and manufacturer’s claims from technology companies all angling for your technology spend. Truth is though, when is a good time to purchase a new laptop, tablet, or other computer device? So many stores and manufacturers are offering discounts, knowing folks are most likely to purchase.
So if you’re a student of medical billing and coding with Allen School online, and you’re tired of your older – and perhaps ailing – computer, you may be considering purchasing a replacement. Or perhaps you have a spouse, parent, or child studying medical billing and coding online and you’re thinking of a new computer. In any case, it can be daunting with so many choices (unlike the decision to study medical billing and coding online at the Allen School, which is a no-brainer when compared to the other programs out there!)
To make the decision-making process easier, we are offering the following link to a site we have used to choose technology products in the past. It has never let us down. It’s called “Top Ten Reviews” and here’s the link directly to their reviews of the top ten laptops. In addition, here is a link to a great video about what to look for when considering a new laptop for 2024. Consider this our gift to Allen School blog readers. You’re welcome and happy technology shopping.
Article updated January 9, 2024
As 2012 winds to a close, we look back on all our efforts to achieve. Whether it be in earning a certified nursing assistant certificate, becoming a medical office assistant or landing a first job as a medical billing and coding professional, the year and its achievements are soon to be written into the history books. Tomorrow, we turn our attention to the goals for achievement in a brand new year. 2013 is going to be an excellent year to pursue a career in healthcare. Resolve to act on your plan to become a CNA, a medical billing and coding pro or medical office assistant. Have a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year from all of us here at the Allen School Blog. 
It’s time to be virtually buried under advertisements and manufacturer’s claims from technology companies all angling for your technology spend. Truth is though, when is a good time to purchase a new laptop, tablet, or other computer device? So many stores and manufacturers are offering discounts, knowing folks are most likely to purchase.
So if you’re a student of medical billing and coding with Allen School online, and you’re tired of your older – and perhaps ailing – computer, you may be considering purchasing a replacement. Or perhaps you have a spouse, parent, or child studying medical billing and coding online and you’re thinking of a new computer. In any case, it can be daunting with so many choices (unlike the decision to study medical billing and coding online at the Allen School, which is a no-brainer when compared to the other programs out there!)
To make the decision-making process easier, we are offering the following link to a site we have used to choose technology products in the past. It has never let us down. It’s called “Top Ten Reviews” and