Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Codesmart(TM) Group's CODESMART(TM) UNIVERSITY Clinician ICD-10 Courses Receive Approval for Continuing Education


Codesmart(TM) University Setting Industry Standards for ICD-10 Accreditation

NEW YORK, May 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Independence Corp, with its subsidiary, The Codesmart™ Group, Inc. (OTCQB:FICF) (collectively, "Codesmart™"), a newly publicly traded ICD-10 education and solutions group that offers CODESMART™ UNIVERSITY, its on-line training solution and customizable training solutions, announces today that its CODESMART™ UNIVERSITY programs of study are now eligible for Continuing Education Units ("CEU") for existing coders, as certified by the two major certification bodies for medical coding, the Association of Professional Coders ("APPC") and the American Health Information Management Association ("AHIMA").
"With the two best recognized licensing organizations offering CEU credit, which medical coder members are required to obtain on a yearly basis in order to maintain their certifications, this is an acknowledgement that CODESMART™ UNIVERSITY may be considered the "Gold Standard" of ICD-10 education," said Ira Shapiro, Chairman and CEO of Codesmart™. "Our methodology is integrated and flexible and it allows for any kind of adult learner to succeed in learning this information in any of our programs of study whether they are physicians, nurses, medical coders, or a new student looking to embark on a career in medical coding."
ICD-10, or the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases is a World Health Organization-approved designation of the aspects of disease treatment that include categories of diseases and treatment modalities for them, broken down into more than 141,000 designations. The previous ICD had only 17,000 codes, diagnoses and procedures. The United States is among the last countries in the world to adopt these standards, but the Department of Health and Human Services has mandated that all medical practices, hospitals and other medical record keeping organization be trained and ICD-10 compliant by October 1, 2014. This is essential as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services will also be adopting the ICD-10 standard and will require proper medical coding in order to provide reimbursement.
AAPC was founded in 1988 to provide education and professional certification to physician-based medical coders and to elevate the standards of medical coding by providing student training, certification, ongoing education, networking, and job opportunities. Since then, AAPC has expanded beyond coding to include training and credentials in documentation and coding audits, regulatory compliance, and physician practice management. Currently, AAPC has a membership base of 121,000 worldwide, of which more than 90,000 are certified.
AAPC credentialed coders have proven mastery of all code sets, evaluation and management principles, and documentation guidelines. CPC's and other AAPC credentialed coders represent the best in outpatient coding.
Celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, the AHIMA represents more than 67,000 educated health information management professionals in the United States and around the world. AHIMA is committed to promoting and advocating for high quality research, best practices and effective standards in health information and to actively contributing to the development and advancement of health information professionals worldwide. AHIMA's enduring goal is quality healthcare through quality information.
About First Independence Corp. and The Codesmart Group, Inc.
First Independence Corp, with its subsidiary, The Codesmart™ Group, Inc. (OTCQB:FICF) is a premier national subject matter expert for ICD-10 education and compliance in the United States. Its product, CODESMART™ UNIVERSITY is an on-line program of study for existing coders, new coders, clinicians, and healthcare roles of all types. Created by a combination of a leading panel of ICD-10 subject matter experts and a major four-year accredited University, which contributed the nation's top course designers and a platform that already provides interactive education to more than 60,000 students per year in degree programs. The ICD-10 training also includes live professors who work with and guide students through the programs of study in ICD-10.
CODESMART™ UNIVERSITY is endorsed by over 60 colleges and Universities nationwide for their quality of education. The CODESMART™ Group, Inc. also provides solutions for ICD-10 transitions, outsource coding, coding audits, critical documentation improvement and the revenue cycle continuum. To learn more about CODESMART™ UNIVERSITY's proprietary programs, visit www.codesmartuniversity.org.
CONTACT: Company Contact:
         Ira Shapiro
         CEO and Chairman
         First Independence Corp.The Codesmart Group, Inc.ishapiro@codesmartgroup.com
         646-526-7867

         Investor Contact:
         David Brionesdbriones@briofinancial.com
         908-370-5102


Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/codesmarttm-groups-codesmarttm-university-clinician-icd-10-courses-receive-approval-for-continuing-education-units-by-top-two-medical-coding-associations-20130514-00463#ixzz2TKQwaj8X

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