Today we’d like to introduce you to Torie Thibodeaux.
Torie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Well, I always wanted to start my own business, but I never dreamed that it would be in Healthcare or Education.
I started out taking Healthcare courses in High School, and in my mind, this was potentially going to be my long-term career. During this time, I was much more focused on the Clinical aspects of Healthcare, and I barely realized that a business side existed. I began working in Healthcare in the year 2000 to help comfort and care for people, and I was great at what I did. I had the pleasure of working alongside (Urological Technical Specialist / Medical Assistant) some of the best Physicians, Nurses, and Staff in an Academic Facility’s clinic setting. The education, hands-on experience, and great mentoring helped to mold me into a medical professional.
In 2005, I was still working in Healthcare when Hurricane Katrina, devastated my hometown of New Orleans, La, and displaced thousands of residents, including myself. During the time after Hurricane Katrina, I was separated from most of my immediate family, and I relocated with my daughter to Dallas, TX for work. I then transitioned into the Patient Accounting side of Healthcare working Collections, Denials & Refunds for facilities. Imagine, at the time a twenty-four year old single mother of a 4-year-old daughter that was beginning to show signs of a chronic medical condition, just after going through a horrific devastation. To make do with my situation, I decided that I was going to attempt to start my own business in Online Retail, an area that I knew absolutely nothing about at the time. I envisioned using my own start-up business as a subsidized income instead of working my usual 9-to-5.
Consequently, I had so many other responsibilities on my list that my business venture failed, and I felt like a failure to my daughter, as well as to my family. I can remember throughout this time in my life, being unsure of how I could possibly recover.
I decided to pick up the pieces and keep moving forward with Healthcare, because it was the only thing I was confident in during this time. I moved back to my hometown where I began working for a health insurance company. This is where I truly discovered the importance of Medical Codes; I always had prior knowledge of medical coding, but I never understood its importance. I wanted to know more about this coding process, so I began researching Medical Coding schools and found The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). The AAPC is also whom I obtained my formal Medical Coding training and certifications with through an online system. I became a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) through the AAPC in 2010, and I passed my certification exam on the first Attempt! During this time, I also met my fiancé’, who is now my husband. We decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia for better opportunities in our careers, and to raise our family. Looking back down my path, I recognize the countless blessings. Since becoming certified, I have held a multitude of titles such as: Production Coder (Multi-Specialty), Auditor, HCC Physician Educator, Provider Solutions Specialist, and Claims Edit Specialist to name a few. I have also worked for major companies in the Industry, and more recently as an Independent Contractor.
After over 5 years of being actively certified and working consistently with some triumphs as well as difficulties in the Medical Coding field (especially with all of the political interventions involved these days), I unexpectedly received an invitation for an opportunity to become an Education partner through the AAPC upon qualification. I began taking courses immediately to become a Certified Professional Coding Instructor (CPC-I), in which I also passed my certification examination on the first attempt in 2016. This is when I decided that I did not want to teach for a University, but rather carve out my very own niche in Healthcare by opening my own Online Medical Coding School.
In my career, I specialized in Claim Coding Denials, and felt my experiences would really put me in a great position to assist students with some of the most common coding mistakes. I felt as though I could design a program that could help keep students on track so that they may gain a thorough knowledge of the coding guidelines and conventions, as well as focus on those gray areas of the Medical Coding guidelines. I created Master Medical Coding, LLC in August 2016, and I am proud to say that it is growing at a steady pace in the online post-secondary education industry.
With my educational and employment background in Healthcare and following the road map provided by my Business partners, the State of Georgia and The Federal Government I was able to create my very own business structure. I have a strong Faith in God, and I allow him to guide my footsteps. I must admit that there were many times I wanted to give up starting a business again, and I repeatedly asked myself “Why are you doing this, why are you putting yourself through all of this again?” The process of getting my show on the road was definitely an eventful process, but there were also many Angels placed on my path that always motivated me to keep pushing forward. I cannot stop thinking about how to progressively better Master Medical Coding in order to help others the way that bringing this into fruition has helped me. Master Medical Coding LLC was designed for those people who wish to expand their education in Healthcare and gain a career with a certain work life balance, which is optional for many Medical Coders. The field of medical coding is a rapidly growing area of employment as ever-changing health care laws increase the need for this type of professional.
I am the owner and Instructor of my own online business Master Medical Coding, LLC., Licensed & Bonded
My website, www.mastermedicalcoding.com is where I offer both an Instructor Interaction as well as a Self-Study AAPC Approved curriculum in Medical Coding. I also offer additional Self-Study online courses in Medical Terminology, Human Anatomy and more. Since launching online in 2017, I am most proud to see the dedication, passion and growth of my current students, and I look forward to them completing their course and certification. From applying to attending to getting certified, I’m here every step of the way.
Convenient 100% Online and truly affordable tuition bundle packages; so students can focus on Education and Certification, and not worry about additional fees during certification preparation.
- We teach students how to recognize the pertinent information quickly and effectively.
- Smaller class sizes (Instructor Interaction) 5 minimum students & 15 maximum students per Session.
- Very interactive instructor with years of industry knowledge.
- Test taking techniques to assist students with passing the certification exam.
- Assistance with Apprenticeship & Job Placement
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Best: Networking opportunities, Family culture, & Business opportunities.
Least: Traveling/Commuting, No fresh seafood restaurants.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mastermedicalcoding.com
- Phone: 678-489-6150
- Email: info@mastermedicalcoding.com
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
