As a stay at home mom, Joane Hull, selflessly put her daughters and family first. It wasn’t until she became an empty nester that circumstances led her to pursue a career in Medical Billing and Coding. Joane recalls, “An acquaintance of mine was attending the same program, upon her referral and positive feedback I decided to take a leap and do what I had wanted to do for years.”
When deciding what program of study she was interested in, Hull knew she was seeking a role that would allow her the ability to work from home.
“My desire to go into this field was strictly to be able to work from home,” said Hull. “Once I started classes and got into the learning mode, I found I really love coding! It’s a win-win situation for me.”
She credits two instructors for her positive experience while transitioning to a remote learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We could not have asked for better instructors to teach this program,” she said. “Susan Stovall and Kia Castillo are incredible. I was dreading the virtual classes but ended up loving them. Since I want to work from home, this was the perfect opportunity for me to see how I would actually like the environment.”
Hull is a prime example of age is just a number. She admitted, “I never finished high school, and I was not a scholar in my youth.”
She feared her lack of education and age would be a handicap to her college career but she admits she was wrong.
“When I started, I told myself that I would not be content with just passing. I wanted to shoot for the stars, A’s for me. So, with much prayer, the fact that I had awesome instructors, and I loved what I was learning, I was able to succeed in this program. I achieved my goal of getting A’s.”
When asked what advice she would give to current students, Hull reinforced the importance of studying. “Study, study, study! Language of medicine is the foundation and without that foundation being firm, there is no way to be a successful coder.”
As a recent graduate, Hull plans to begin looking for her “perfect” job once she receives her CPC-A certificate. The Medical Billing and Coding: Physician Based (MBC) program prepares students for a successful career in the field of health insurance processing and coding functions.
To learn more about the Medical Billing and Coding program, please visit: https://www.gatewaycc.edu/medical-billing-and-coding.