Ruthie Meyers, 61, knew exactly what she wanted when she enrolled in KRA’s Adult Worker Program (AWP) in the Waccamaw Region of South Carolina on May 5, 2010…certification in Medical Records Coding (MRC). She had solid experience in Medical Billing Coding, but an MRC Certificate would expand her opportunities for employment. Certification would also expand her paycheck, as the average salary for bill coding is $35K, compared to the average of $45K for records coding. After her KRA Career Agent determined that Meyers met all WIA (Workforce Investment Act) requirements for AWP participation, she was processed for an Individual Training Account (ITA), which meant that the WIA program would pay for her training. With an approved ITA, Meyers applied to, and was accepted by, Horry Georgetown Tech, starting the program on August 23, 2010, and graduating on June 16, 2011.
After Meyers passed her certification examination, and while job-hunting, she accepted a 160-hour Work Experience Contract (WEC) as an HR Assistant at a Lighthouse Care Center, a mental health treatment facility for adolescents, adults and seniors. When the 4-week WEC expired, determined to keep working, Meyers accepted a position with a local Doctor’s office as a Patient Services Representative. However, the part-time job was not meeting her career or salary goals. Since Meyers was not finding an MRC job in the immediate vicinity, she decided to relocate, if that’s what it took to work in her chosen field. Employing various job-search techniques, which are taught in KRA job-readiness classes, she began applying for positions in South Carolina and other states as well. Then one day it happened: Meyers received a call from Coventry Health Care in St. Louis, MO, offering her a fulltime job as a Concurrent Reviewer Representative, a position that would allow her to use her billing and records coding knowlege and skills, and more. She accepted the position, moved to St. Louis, and began work on February 12. 2011. On February 8, 2012, during the 12-month and final follow-up call, Ms. Meyers informed the KRA Career Agent that she was still employed by Coventry, and that “she credited her success to the dedicated staff at KRA.”
Dr. Boone’s 20+ years’ experience in the industry is extensive and her expertise in private-, public-, and non-profit sector workforce-services organizations is unparalleled, particularly in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan area.
