BCC Offers Free Exam Prep Class for Certified Professional Coders

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College invites students who have completed the Medical Coding Technical Skills Certificate program to register for a free, non-credit course called Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Exam Prep.  
 
The course, offered both in-person and remotely, will be held on four consecutive Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:30 pm on June 9, 16, 23 and 30. 
 
To register, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/him.  
 
The comprehensive review course is designed for students preparing to take the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) credential exam to become a Certified Professional Coder.  It covers the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) manuals, medical terminology, anatomy, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) coding manual and guidelines.  
 
Students will learn new test strategies and build test-taking skills. After each class, students will be provided with timed assignments that will assess knowledge, accuracy and speed. The final assignment will be a short test that replicates the CPC exam. 
 
"Certification is a professional's official recognition of achievement, expertise and judgment. It is a mark of excellence requiring continued learning and skill development to maintain," said Laurie Vilord, Adjunct Faculty – Medical Coding. "These are just a few reasons why employers seek AAPC certified professionals." 
 
About the Medical Coding Program 
Medical coding is the assignment of letters and numbers to specific medical and diagnostic phrases. These codes enable the healthcare industry to collect, process, and send information more effectively. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical coding is among the 20 fastest-growing occupations, with a national anticipated growth of 18.2 percent by year 2028. 
 
Medical coders may become inpatient or outpatient coders, auditors, clinical documentation specialists, insurance evaluators, case reviewers, teachers or compliance officers. 
 
At BCC, the Medical Coding Department is designed to meet the needs of students at different stages of their careers, whether just starting out, returning to school for a second career, studying part-time at night to enhance a full-time job during the day or looking for promotion in the field.  The stackable credits towards a certificate or a degree represent different phases of expertise in this emerging career path. 
 
For more information, contact Laurie Vilord at lvilord@berkshirecc.edu
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

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