BCC Offers Free Exam Prep Class for Certified Professional Coders

08:15AM / Friday, May 27, 2022Print Story | Email Story

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.

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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