TUPELO, Miss.—Sandra Atkinson of North Mississippi Medical Center’s Hospitalist Services recently attained Certified Risk Adjustment Coder (CRC) status with the American Academy of Professional Coders.

The certification further prepared Atkinson to review and assign accurate medical codes for diagnoses performed by physicians and other qualified health care providers in the hospital. Passing the rigorous exam affirms her ability to understand medical coding guidelines and regulations, as well as the audit process for risk adjustment models.

A Mantachie resident, Atkinson joined North Mississippi Health Services in September 1991 as a reimbursement clerk at IMA-Tupelo. She also worked as a medical records clerk, medical records coordinator and medical records/transcription supervisor there. In 2010 she transferred to North Mississippi Medical Clinics’ Coding and Reimbursement Department as a coder and later became a coding specialist. She joined the NMMC Hospitalist program in August 2016 as revenue cycle manager.

Atkinson holds an associate degree from Itawamba Community College with additional training in medical coding. She is also a Certified Professional Coder, Certified Professional Biller and Certified Professional Medical Auditor.

“This impressive accomplishment is the culmination of much hard work,” said Ferriss Brown, senior director of NMMC’s Inpatient Physician Practice Program. “We are very proud of Sandra for achieving this certification and look forward to benefitting from her expertise in coding and documentation.”

Hospitalists or hospital medicine providers limit their practice to the hospital setting. Hospitalists are experienced and skilled in managing the unique medical needs of hospitalized patients. They care for the patients’ needs and are available to meet with families as needed. These providers work closely with the patient's primary care physicians to keep them up to date on the patient's condition and treatment. When patients are ready to leave the hospital, hospitalists inform their physicians about any changes in medication, follow-up care and other needs.