Program adviser Laurie Vilord, left, and Osborne, and professor Marsha Estabrook-Adams are presented with an award of excellence by Maryellen Osborne of Mass General Brigham, center.
Graduates and staff of the program mark its 10th year.
Ann Marie Perry says graduating from the program was a positive and life-altering experience.
Many have found the career path to be rewarding and accessible, as Berkshire County residents can work for top medical institutions remotely.
Ann Marie Perry said her life since her 2015 graduation has seen a constant upward and positive trajectory, being transformed both professionally and personally. She now works as a data quality specialist for Massachusetts General Brigham Hospital in Boston.
"Had you asked me 10 years ago whether that would have ever been in the realm of what I thought was possible for myself, I assure you, the answer would have been a resounding 'no,'" Perry said.
"Berkshire Community College and this distinguished HIM program made what seemed like the impossible possible and for that, I'm forever grateful."
Staff members, students, and graduates gathered at BCC's Connector area on Thursday to mark one decade of the program and honor those who paved the way for it. Last year, Medical Coding earned a national Professional Certificate Approval Program accreditation.
College President Ellen Kennedy said they convened in a "joyful celebration" of the program and the opportunities it has provided to students and their families as well as medical practices.
Aimed to provide a seamless transition to employment, it is an educational partnership between Berkshire Health Systems, the college's Division of Workforce Development and Community Education, and the Division of Science and Business.
Kennedy saw the real-life implications of the program when she observed two students recognizing each other from it at the dentist's office.
"They raved about the program, how strong the program was and they had tried it somewhere else and it hadn't worked and they were just so impressed and I'm sitting there like losing my mind. I didn't dare tell them who I was but I was very excited to hear that," she explained.
"I thought, 'Well, this is a winner,' and I think we're celebrating all of our alumni, we're celebrating all of our students in here, we're celebrating the current administration and leadership and faculty who are here."
She added that they were particularly celebrating professor Marsha Estabrook-Adams, medical coding and HIM program adviser Laurie Vilord, and Bill Mulholland, former vice president of workforce development and community outreach, who were instrumental in creating the program.
Maryellen Osborne, enterprise director of Mass General Brigham, presented Estabrook-Adams and Vilord with an HIM Team Excellence Award from the Massachusetts Health Information Management Association. The two were nominated by Perry, chair of the HIM advisory committee, and the award was originally presented in June.
Over the last two years, they underwent the effort in securing the PCAP designation for the certificate program. Their commitment to the college and training the next generation of HIM professionals was emphasized by the speakers.
Up until her recent retirement, Vilord worked for the Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albany, N.Y. She explained that most coders work remotely, as she did, and is one of the great blessings of the career.
"I graduated in the first cohort 10 years ago and so I'm celebrating along with all of you tonight because this is my celebration, too," she said.
Mulholland said the college was able to find grants to develop the curriculum and put the program together.
"From my experience, it was the most complete significant collaboration that I had ever been involved in with the college," he said.
"… It was everybody at the table immersed in coming out with the best possible program for our students."
Vice President of Academic Affairs Laurie Gordy said the program has upped its game even more with online courses, as "that's a real testament to their dedication to continual improvement and to making this more accessible to people around the world, actually."
She recalled speaking to a health-care professional who was interested in medical coding, as the MassReconnect program allows free education at community colleges for those who meet the criteria.
"And she's like, 'In fact, it's online. I'm able to do this program that I would not have been able to do in the past with my family and my full-time job,' and so again, I think BCC's mission is about having accessible education and about providing opportunities for everyone to learn and improve their — transform their lives, I'll say," Gordy said.
"And so this program has really a key demonstration of that by continually improving and leading to better outcomes for graduates, because now it's accredited, that it gives more credibility to your degree, as well as by putting it online, makes it more accessible to people wherever they might be and to balance better in their life situation."
Perry said that, because she needed to work full time while attending school, the program was attainable and provided the perfect environment and support system needed for achievement.
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