I know I haven't been posting much lately and I do
apologize. I mean, I know ya'll were worried about me, right? Right? I
thought so.
Anyway, I've been pretty busy and stressed lately, which is
pretty unusual for me. (The being busy, not the stressing.)
I've decided to "go back to school" for one thing.
I put that in quotes because I'm not really going anywhere; it's all
online. I specifically chose this because I work 8 hours a day and I don't know
how other people do it, but I just can't possibly fit 40 hours a week at work
and 30 hours a week at school and still have any semblance of a life. When you
add possible additional commutes to the mix, I don't even think it's
scientifically possible. Anyway, so I decided to become a coder. (I know, I'm
cute. Like I can go to school at this day and age and say I'll become
anything). They fit my personality to a T, except for all the numbers bit. I'm
horrible with numbers. (But at least it's not math!). But, I get to sit in a
cubicle all by myself and work alone and do my thing with no patient
interaction and then go home. Perfect.
Thanks to how Franciscan and how the classes work, I get to
pay 100% out of pocket, too. And I don't mean a student loan. Nope, don't even
get that. For one thing, Franciscan will only pay for your schooling if you 1.
Do classes that Franciscan can use you for. AKA, nurse, doctor, physical
therapist. (Apparently, CODERS don't count.) and 2. You get a college degree.
Coders don't get college degrees. They get a certification. So immediately, I'm
out for any kind of tuition reimbursement from Franciscan. Secondly, banks (or
the Government) won't give me a student loan because AHIMA is not a college,
per se. They are the accreditors of the HIM (health info management) field, and
they just happen to offer online courses through their website. Through my
research, they were really the only ones that offered a completely self-paced
course that you could buy one class at a time and complete at your leisure. In
other words, for people like me.
I've also been busy busting my hump at work these last
couple of weeks thanks to the implementation of the EPIC electronic medical
record (EMR). I'm sure many of you heard me bitching about it on my facebook
page.
This was me last week.
In addition to going to school and learning a whole new system and
workflow, I've been desperately grasping at straws trying to keep my current
job. I work in Medical Records. We're implementing EMR. Which means I'm
basically no longer needed. Franciscan is trying to phase out all of the clinic
med recs people, and consolidate them into one cohesive unit, in one room. I
want to stay with Saffari, and both him and our ARNP are trying to fight to
keep me, because they know I'm needed and they know I want to stay. But it's
not guaranteed. So, in the meantime, I have to reach out to make sure that I
still have stable employment. They're offering jobs in 2 phases. Phase one ( a
couple of weeks ago) was for 14 ROI positions (release of information) which I
applied for and failed to get. Phase 2 will be for (I think) 22 HIM positions
in central medical records, which should be coming out any day now. Be aware
that there are more than 60 HIM people out in the field who will be clamoring
for all 36 positions. This is what I'm up against. It won't be easy, despite my
experience. A new, recent development gives me renewed hope that I might be
able to stay in Saffari's office, though. If Stephanie, one of our current PARs
(patient access rep. I know, a lot of freaking acronyms, huh??) becomes a
full-time referral coordinator for our office (which we desperately need) that
will leave an opening for a PAR that I can fill. But, we shall see. I can't put
out too much hope though, lest I be greatly disappointed.
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