Medical coding, surgical tech graduates pinned
Published or Revised May 17, 2012
Spring 2012 Medical Records Coding graduates were (top photo, from the left): Chelsey Brown, Susan Garrett, Laurie Meadows, Selena Cope, Shawn Jackson, Carol Nelson, Donna Anderson, Carl Baldwin, Megan Childres, Danna Darty, Carneshia Gray and Gary Groh. Not shown are Paula Leverett and Beatrice Williams. Spring 2012 Surgical Technology graduates were (bottom photo, from the left): Christina Wallace, Amy Denison, Megan Burton, Wanda Toon, Jeffrey Campbell, Tammy Sulsar, Ryan Bankston, Rebecca Borden, Theresa Ricks, Ciara Parsons, Sandra West and Christiane Townsend.
Paris Junior College Health Occupations Department held pinning and recognition ceremonies May 10 for graduates of the Medical Records Coding and Surgical Technology programs.
Health Occupations Director Marcia Putnam welcomed everyone and introduced coordinators and faculty, including Medical Records Coding Coordinator Ron Vrba, Surgical Technology Coordinator Norman Gilbert and instructor Ginger Edwards.
Vrba explained the coding program.
"These folks take the physician's diagnosis and turn it into a five-digit code. That code tells you the type of operation or procedure. The Affordable Health Care Act will function based on the data these people produce so they are affecting national policy even as they work behind the scenes."
The graduates will sit for the national Certified Coding Associate examination.
Graduates of the coding program and their hometowns are: Donna Anderson, Salena Cope, Susan Garrett, Carneshia Gray, Gary Groh, Shawn Jackson, and Carol Nelson, all of Paris; Megan Childres, of Avery; Carl Baldwin of Bonham; Beatrice Williams of Canton; Danna Darty and Laurie Meadows of Cumby; Paula Leverett of Greenville; and Chelsey Brown of Point.
Gilbert said Surgical Technology is known as a "stealth care career" because it is widely unknown.
"When you go into the hospital for a surgical procedure, there will be several of the surgical technicians assisting doctors and nurses. They play an integral role in the operating room."
Surgical technicians assure there is a sterile field for patients from entering to leaving surgery. They set up and pass instruments to the surgeons and anticipate what the surgeons will need, and help control patient blood loss.
Graduates of the Surgical Technology program and their hometowns include: Jeffrey Campbell, Ciara Parsons, Tammy Sulsar, Christiane Townsend, all of Paris; Wanda Toon of Cooper; Christina Wallace of Cumby; Megan Burton and Theresa Ricks of Detroit; Jacklyn Moore of Greenville; Rebecca Borden of Pickton; Sandra West of Royse City; Amy Denison of Sulphur Springs, and Ryan Bankston of Sumner.
Following the ceremony, family and friends joined the graduates in a reception.
