Clinical Coding Associate: CS
Certificate of Specialization | 24 credit hours minimum
Area of Interest: Health Professions
Program Description:
Clinical Coding Associate (CCA), Certificate of Specialization, teaches beginning coding competencies across all settings, including hospital and physician practices. Becoming a CCA certified coder positions graduates with the skills and knowledge to successfully apply codes to diagnoses and procedures. This program is strengthened by a solid foundation of the study of human anatomy, medical terminology and language, human diseases, pharmacology, and computer concepts.
Locations. This program is offered at Forest Park by taking a mixture of face-to-face and online courses.
Related Programs. The Health Information Management Department offers an associate and a certificate in the following areas:
Clinical Coding, Certificate of Proficiency
Health Information Management, Associate in Applied Science
Cost of Attendance. For more information on cost of attendance visit MoSCORES.
Program Career and Salary Information. Pursuant to Missouri HB 1606 (2018), information regarding the number of credit hours, program length, employment rate, wage data, and graduates employed in careers related to their program of study at St. Louis Community College can be found at the following URL: https://scorecard.mo.gov/scorecard/. Search using School / Program “St. Louis Community College” and choose the degree or credential type of interest.
The following limitations to the data apply: Information provided is based on the most recent cohorts available. Typically, most recent cohorts for wage and completion data are six years prior to the current academic year. Time to complete a program of study varies depending on the number of credit hours students earn per semester.
Interested in this program? Start the enrollment process by visiting the Apply to STLCC page.
At the completion of the program, students are expected to:
- apply biomedical knowledge to the process of code assignment using the basic principles and conventions of clinical classification systems to analyze clinical data for the purposes of coding and reimbursement.\\n
- validate assignment of diagnostic and procedure codes in accordance with official guidelines, regulatory requirements, and clinical documentation improvement processes.
- resolve coding challenges individually and collectively in a changing healthcare environment.
- examine patient health information as it relates to privacy and security using the federal law Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
- explain the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Code of Ethics and Standards of Ethical Coding.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Program Requirements | ||
| BIO 215 | Human Body Systems | 5 |
| HIM 101 | Medical Terminology and Language | 3 |
| HIM 102 | Electronic Health Management | 2 |
| HIM 103 | Human Diseases and Pharmacology | 3 |
| HIM 104 | Health Information and Delivery Systems | 3 |
| HIM 106 | International Classification of Diseases Coding I | 3 |
| HIM 107 | Current Procedural Terminology Coding I | 3 |
| HIM 210 | Professional Practice Experience | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours | 24 | |
Academic Plan
PLEASE NOTE: If you originally enrolled at STLCC prior to Fall 2024, you may need to view an archived catalog for your correct program requirements. Please speak with an advisor or the program coordinator for more information.
| First Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | Milestones/Notes | |
| BIO 215 | Human Body Systems | 5 | Reading Proficiency | |
| HIM 101 | Medical Terminology and Language | 3 | Reading Proficiency | |
| HIM 102 | Electronic Health Management | 2 | Reading Proficiency | |
| HIM 103 | Human Diseases and Pharmacology | 3 | Concurrent or prior enrollment in BIO 215 and HIM 102 with minimum grades of "C", and Reading Proficiency | |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |||
| Spring | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | Milestones/Notes | |
| HIM 106 | International Classification of Diseases Coding I | 3 | BIO 215, HIM 101, HIM 102, and HIM 103 with minimum grades of "C"; and Reading Proficiency | |
| HIM 107 | Current Procedural Terminology Coding I | 3 | BIO 215, HIM 101, HIM 102, and HIM 103 with minimum grades of "C"; and Reading Proficiency | |
| HIM 104 | Health Information and Delivery Systems | 3 | BIO 215, HIM 101, HIM 102, and HIM 103 with minimum grades of "C" and Reading Proficiency | |
| HIM 210 | Professional Practice Experience | 2 | Department approval and Reading Proficiency | |
| Credit Hours | 11 | |||
| Total Credit Hours | 24 | |||
*Click on the hyperlinked course number to view additional information about the course.
**Students completing a course that has been assigned a MOTR number may transfer that course to any public institution in Missouri. Those who complete CORE 42 requirements will have that verification on their transcript.
*** It is your responsibility to verify that the courses listed above will transfer to the four-year institution of your choice. Maximize your transfer credits/classes by meeting with an academic advisor.