NCCT Newsletter - May 2009

NCCT is continually refining and creating professional development products for all certified allied health professionals. We are committed to your success. Acquiring new skills and pursing additional knowledge in your career field has always been the hallmark of a true professional. Read, learn, and most importantly, enjoy your profession more. Your new knowledge will not only increase your competence and importance to your team, but will also increase your own self-assurance in your ability and work.

This mini course was designed to help healthcare professionals understand coding in an OB/GYN office. The scope of this course is on Primary Care, General Medicine, Family Medicine, and Residency Programs.

Specialty Coding is advanced coding with emphasis on a particular specialty. Advanced coding by specialty ensures more accurate reporting for medical services rendered by a medical specialist. This advanced coding and reporting ensures a higher reimbursement and fewer denials by payer. Additionally, a specialty coder can assist the medical practitioner and the Accounts Receivables Office in obtaining higher payment for specialty services rendered.

Upon completing any of the specialty courses you will receive a Specialty Certificate and a sticker from NCCT signifying that you have successfully completed the appropriate course. This sticker should be placed in your NCCT Professional Development Log Book. You will also receive five clock hours of continuing education credit for completing the course and it will be placed on your NCCT Continuing Education Transcript.

To purchase this specialty course for only for only $29.95 - click here

For more information about specialty courses - click here

Crossword Puzzle

Every month the Success newsletter will now have a crossword puzzle. Why puzzles? Puzzles have been shown to promote your thinking skills-plus-they're just plain fun!

For this months puzzle "Ectomy Otomy Itis" - Click Here

For the key to "Ectomy Otomy Itis" - Click Here

Fun Fact

If a Lobster loses an eye, it will grow another one.

Another Must See Film: James Scurlock's "Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders."

www.MaxedOutBuzz.com

This show helps to explain how millions of American's are under a mountain of debt. It helps to explain why more American's are filing for bankruptcy than divorce today. It helps to explain why the American dream is so very difficult to achieve for so many. It is a film that will make you upset and possibly even mad. It is a film everyone needs to watch.

You can look for James Scurlock's "Maxed Out" on the Showtime movie channels or on the internet.

Success touched on the idea of keeping your credit healthy back in January of 2008 as well. Just as a reminder you can view all the previous months' newsletters in the archive section of www.myprofessionalcenter.com.

Word Search Puzzle

Since the Crossword Puzzles have been a big hit, beginning this month we will also start featuring a Word Find in each edition of Success. The object of the game is to find and mark all of the words hidden in the grid. Words may appear horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

For this months puzzle - "Pharmacology" - click here

For the key to "Pharmacology" - click here

My Professional Center

The "About Me" Page, the More Personal Side of MPC

For those of you who don't know, My Professional Center (MPC) is a niche networking website for the allied health field. The site is free for anyone with a current NCCT or MMCI certification, authorized school officials, and employers. In the Success newsletter we usually focus on the member/student section of MPC because the vast majority of the newsletters recipients fit into this category. Keep that in mind when you read these articles, but also know this is not the only section of the website. Each of the three "pieces of MPC" have very different content and features but they all work together.

Most of My Professional Center focuses on your professional career, certification information and records, etc. The "About Me" page is the exception. The "About Me" page is similar to social networking sites such as Facebook or My Space. On this page you can list your interests, activities, favorite movies and music, marital status, and much more. There is also a 'more about me' section that will enable you to tell other users anything you would like about yourself. You may upload photos and display them on your page as well. Only other student/member users are able to view this page. Employer and School users do not have access to your "About Me Page".

Want to meet someone else? Whether you're interested in building professional contacts and networking, just looking for a friend with common interests, or looking for a special someone you can find them all through the "Member Search" page on MPC. You can search all MPC users based on any combination of a large list of fields including name, location, age, sex, marital status, children, career field, interests, activities, and more. From your search results you can view members "About Me' pages who have marked their profile public and view all public photos they have uploaded as well.

Already have an MPC account? Click here to login

Want to get started? Click here to register for your free account

Recent Jobs Posted On MPC

Job Field	Location
Medical Receptionist	Cherry Hill, NJ
Paralegal	Cherry Hill, NJ
Legal Secretary	Cherry Hill, NJ
Medical File Clerk	Cherry Hill, NJ
Medical Billing Coding	Cherry Hill, NJ
Medical Office Assistant	Cherry Hill, NJ
Medical Assistant	Cherry Hill, NJ
Dental Assistant	Cherry Hill, NJ
Medical Assistant	Gaithersburg, MD
Medical Assistant	Houston, TX
Surgery Technician	Laredo, TX
Pharmacy Technician	Laredo, TX
Technologist in Surgery	Las Vegas, NV
Certified Surgical Technologist	Los Angeles, CA
Certified Surgical Technologist	Mansfield, TX
Medical Assistant	Orlando, FL
Surgery Technician (3 jobs)	Phoenix, AZ
Medical Assistant	Portsmouth, VA
Medical Assistant	San Francisco, CA

Upcoming Webinar - May 21, 2009 - 1PM CST

We Need Blood Cultures, STAT!

Presented by: Lucia Johnson, M.A. Ed, MT(ASCP)SBB

Director, Continuing Education at NCCT

Description: The webinar will discuss:

The purpose of blood culture collection
Specimen collection including site preparation and use of safe needle devices
Specimen processing and analysis, and
The importance of minimizing pre-analytical errors.

Webinars are available for one hour of CE credit for $5.50 or can be completed from previously purchased hours. If you are a school/organization and would like to use this webinar in a group setting for class and/or training you may do so for $75.

For more information or to register for this webinar click here

Book It - Reading is Outrageous

Reading is for everyone, but if you start reading to your children when they're young, it will pay huge dividends for their entire life. A fun website to help you get started is Book It. That web address is www.bookitprogram.com.

The only way to get better at reading is to do it! Turn your child into a confident, independent reader by making reading a priority at your home. The teacher will love you and your child will love reading! Have fun with your child, read together.

If your children and you missed America's Biggest Bedtime Story, you can still catch it on the Book It website. John Lithgow reads his newest book, I Got Two Dogs.

"There are only two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties or you alter yourself meeting them." - Phyllis Bottome

A Good Reminder for Everyone

Archie Dunham, the former chairman of Conoco and the Phillips Oil company was always scribbling QTH, STS, and STA on top of his notepad during important meetings. The letters served as a reminder to him to be "Quick to hear, Slow to Speak, and Slow to Anger."

His advice to others: "Learn to be a good listener, gather information from many sources, don't react too quickly to what you hear, and above all else, don't become angry. Anger impairs your ability to make good decisions. It also contributes to a poor attitude and can keep you from enjoying the many opportunities that life has to offer.

Applied Phlebotomy Video Training Series
Arterial Blood Gas Collection

The Center for Phlebotomy Education has just released Part 5 of the Applied Phlebotomy Video Series training DVDs titled "Arterial Blood Gas Collection." Over a year in the making, the DVD is highly researched and authoritatively scripted to demonstrate proper technique according to the prevailing standard of care, and was subjected to the scrutiny of a rigorous peer review process to ensure accuracy.

Features include:

Detailed step-by-step instructions for collecting blood gases by arterial puncture, arterial line draw, and capillary puncture;
Highly researched to be consistent with the AARC
Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute's arterial blood gas collection standard (H11);
Written, directed, edited and published by the world's foremost authority on blood specimen collection procedures;
Graphic animation detailing the anatomy of the wrist, hematoma formation, nerve injury, and the acceptable sites for arterial fingerstick punctures;
Each copy shipped with CE questions for trainers/users to measure comprehension;
Running time: 29 minutes.

For more information, visit www.phlebotomy.com/Videos.html or call the Center toll free at 866-657-9857.

Have You Given Up On Your New Year's Resolutions Yet?

Most of us set resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking, or get more exercise. While these are worthwhile goals, often our New Year's Resolutions only focus on what we feel are "bad" things or "bad" habits. That just might be why fewer than ten percent of people who make New Year's resolutions actually achieve them.

Here's a different approach to those resolutions. It is a perfect time to let go of old hurts and past expectations. There are many ways to start fresh, regroup and re-center; clearing your mind and relaxing in order to cope with frustration both large and small.

One way to do this is to make a standing appointment on the calendar with You, whether daily or weekly. When you become too focused on your job or family, you lose sight of your own needs. Taking time to smell the flowers, reading a good book or listening to music can help you refocus. Something as simple as a candle, a cup of tea, or a moment in nature can help you relax at the end of a hard day. Don't let this personal time get lost in your shuffle. By making this appointment with You, your mind and spirit can be refreshed each day leaving you happier, healthier, and more relaxed.

You might even find those "bad" habits are easier to accept or change.