The AAPC Podcast

Join us for another episode featuring industry conversations, member spotlights, and insights from the August edition of AAPC The Magazine! This broadcast features host AAPC Alex and co-host Dawn Carter from NAB, along with special guests Melinda Craig, Samantha Ogreenc, and Yuri Nelson. Is Home Health Coding Right for You? Melinda Craig and Samantha Ogreenc from AAPC Services join the conversation to discuss Melinda’s article, “Is Home Health Coding Right for You?”, featured on Page 24 of the August edition of AAPC The Magazine. Member Feature: Yuri Nelson Yuri Nelson joins us for a special member feature highlighting their experience and perspective as featured in the August edition of AAPC The Magazine. Be sure to tune in, share the conversation, and subscribe for more AAPC content, coding insights, and member stories!

What does the future of medical coding look like as artificial intelligence continues to transform healthcare?

In this episode of AAPC Social Hour, Alex talks with AAPC leaders and healthcare professionals about AI, career development, hands-on opportunities for newly certified coders, and the evolving role of coding professionals in healthcare.

In this episode:

AI in healthcare and medical coding: Learn how AI is changing revenue cycle management and why human oversight and coding expertise remain essential.

AI Innovation Exchange: Get a preview of AAPC's one-day AI-focused event on November 12, featuring professionals who are actively using AI in their workflows.

CPCA externship opportunities in Texas: Learn about AAPC's partnership with the Texas Association of Community Health Centers and opportunities for newly certified CPCAs to gain real-world experience.

Career growth for coders: Hear LeAndrea Mack's inspiring journey from medical assistant to medical coder, payment integrity auditor, compliance professional and healthcare data strategist.

Passing the CPC exam: LeAndrea shares what she learned after failing her first attempt and the strategies that helped her succeed.

The importance of networking: Discover how professional connections, continuing education and AAPC programs can help you advance your career.

The future of auditing: Get a preview of LeAndrea's upcoming conference session focused on analyzing claims, documentation and what auditors look for.

Whether you are a new coder, CPCA, experienced coding professional, auditor, CDI professional or healthcare leader, this episode offers practical insights and encouragement for navigating the future of healthcare.

Topics covered: Medical Coding, AI in Healthcare, Revenue Cycle Management, CPCA Careers, Medical Auditing, Payment Integrity, CDI, Career Development, Healthcare Data and AAPC

In this episode of AAPC Social Hour, we kick things off with some conference stories, office updates, and a look ahead to upcoming events before welcoming special guests Angela Thompson and Ensemble Health Partners 

Angela shares her inspiring journey from hotel housekeeping to becoming a certified medical coder and discusses her AAPC Magazine article on negativity bias in medical coding. Learn how social media can influence confidence, why mindset matters when launching a coding career, and practical strategies for overcoming discouragement and building a positive professional network.

Later in the show, the hosts welcome representatives from Ensemble Health Partners to discuss career opportunities, hiring needs, and what they look for in medical coding professionals.

In this episode of #iamaapc, Sandra Roth, CPC, COC, CPB, COSC, shares how curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities led her to a rewarding career in medical coding. Hear her story, the lessons she's learned along the way, and her advice for anyone considering a career in healthcare.

#iamaapc #medicalcoding #medicalcoder #aapc #healthcarecareers #careerjourney

***Recorded June 26, 2026***

Alex is out, so Dave holds it down with Missy Kirshner from the AAPC National Advisory Board and Kristen Reber from the National Office for a walkthrough of what your AAPC membership actually includes.

We have a conversation about AI at work, including how AAPC is rolling out its own Copilot tool and why coders have heard "your job is going away" before (twenty years ago it was EMR).

From there, Kristen does a live tour of the career tools page on aapc.com, covering the resume builder, mock interviewer, career development program, free member webinars, the AAPC Magazine quiz trick you probably didn't know about, and the new email signature generator.

Missy breaks down the Mentor City program and previews the Lead career summit, the final installment in the Grow, Build, Lead career elevation series.

Also covered: chapter officer nominations in August, the Emerging Leaders program (applications open in November), and a whole lot of free CEUs hiding in plain sight.

Career tools: www.aapc.com

#aapc #medicalcoding #medicalbilling #healthcarerevenucycle #cpc #memberbenefits #mentorship #aipodcast #aapcchapters #riskcon

Alex and Dave are back with two incredible members of AAPC's Chapter Advisory Board: Myra Simmons and Renee Baucum. Both share deeply personal stories of resilience, from Myra's journey from living on the streets of DC with her young son to becoming a Director of Coding and adjunct professor, to Renee's path through being a military spouse, single motherhood, and divorce while serving as a chapter president.

Myra and Renee open up about finding their specialties (surgical coding and inpatient CDI), navigating remote work, building community through local chapters, and why mentorship changed everything for them. They also share advice for newly certified coders on getting that first job: get involved, get networking, and let your local chapter be your launchpad.

Plus, get updates on RISKCON (June 23-24, virtual, still time to register), upcoming travel to the Seattle Regional and HealthCon DC, and a peek behind the scenes at AAPC's conference planning. In this episode:

- Myra's journey from homelessness to healthcare leadership
- Renee's path through CDI, local chapters, and the CAB
- Advice for new coders on landing your first job
- RISKCON registration details (member price $695)
- Why local chapters are the heart of AAPC

Register for RISCON: aapc.com

#aapc #medicalcoding #medicalbilling #healthcarerevenucycle #cdi #riskcon #aapcmembers #localchapters #cpc #inpatientcoding

RECORDED MAY 13, 2026

Fresh off HEALTHCON in Dallas, Corella Lumpkins, and Dawn Carter reunite to share their biggest takeaways: the energy of 1,000+ like-minded healthcare professionals to the game-changing breakfast networking session. Then, get the inside scoop on RISKCON (June 23–24, fully virtual!) featuring 16 sessions and 12 CEUs focused on risk adjustment, value-based care, and the shift from retrospective to proactive strategies.

Dawn and Corella break down their sessions, including a legal and regulatory lens on risk adjustment, the past/present/future of risk adjustment, and how to succeed in value-based care without reinventing the wheel. Whether you're a coder, auditor, CDI specialist, compliance professional, or analytics team member — this conference was built for you.

In this episode:

- HealthCon 2026 recap & the "happiness hangover"
- What makes RiskCon different from every other conference
- Session previews from Dawn Carter & Corella Lumpkins
- Future HealthCon locations: DC, San Diego, Chicago & more
- How AI and innovation are reshaping risk adjustment

Register for RiskCon: https://www.aapc.com/events/riskcon/riskcon
Seattle Regional, October 2026: https://www.aapc.com/events/healthcon-regional
HealthCon 2027, Washington, DC: https://www.healthcon.com/

#aapc #riskadjustment #riskcon #healthcon #valuebasedcare #medicalbilling #medicalcoding #healthcarerevenucycle #ceu

RECORDED MAY 27, 2026

Dave is back! After missing last week's Social Hour with a post-HEALTHCON bug (partly thanks to some very active celery juice), he joins Alex from the Oregon coast to catch up and dive into what's coming next on the AAPC conference calendar.

First up, get the details on DOCUCIB, the fully virtual boutique conference happening August 11 and 12. With fourteen sessions across two tracks, plus general sessions and a networking lunch, it's built for CDI professionals and healthcare leaders who want to go deep on documentation improvement, AI and emerging technology, audit defense, compliance, and provider engagement. Early bird pricing is live right now at $595, a $200 discount, so don't wait.

Then, meet Sandra Roth, AAPC's 2025 Officer of the Year and president of the Oklahoma City chapter. Sandra's path to medical coding started with nine years of welding, eight years as a tour guide in Puerto Vallarta, and a Harley ride where she heard a coding advertisement and thought, why not? In just five years, she earned four certifications, traveled to seventeen cities for chapter events, and helped OKC win both Officer of the Year and Chapter of the Year.

AAPC's own Kristen Reber rounds out the episode with a look at what's new for local chapters, including virtual deep dive meetings, the Officer Hub on aapc.com, and the buzzy bee theme powering this year's May Maynia events.

DOCUCON, August 11-12 (virtual, early bird $595): https://www.aapc.com/events/docucon
Seattle Regional + AUDITCON, October 2026: https://www.aapc.com/events/auditcon

#aapc #medicalcoding #medicalbilling #healthcarerevenucycle #cdi #auditcon #aapcchapters #officerof theyear #maymaynia #cpca

From Broadway stages to the business of healthcare, Matty Oaks-Dougherty’s coding journey is anything but ordinary.

In the latest #iamaapc broadcast, Matty joins us to share how he went from professional dancer to medical coder, influencer, AAPC content contributor, and VILT teaching assistant. His story is a great reminder that there’s more than one path into this profession.

We’re also joined by AAPC Director of Education Operations Kris Taylor, who shares why AAPC certified instructors are so important and how members can take the next step toward becoming one.

Watch the episode and get inspired by two voices helping shape the future of medical coding education.

#iamaapc #aapc #medicalcoding #medicalcodingcareer #medicalcoder #healthcarebusiness #revenuecycle #medicalbillingandcoding #aapccertified #medicalcodingeducation

Recorded April 8, 2026

Join us for the latest AAPC Social Hour featuring Katherine Abel as she introduces AAPC’s new Certified Value-Based Administrator (CVBA) credential. Also joining us is Betty Hovey, an AAPC member since 1996. Betty shares her career journey and reflects on how AAPC has evolved over the years. Betty is also featured in the April edition of AAPC The Magazine.

Learn more about the CVBA here: https://www.aapc.com/certifications/certified-value-based-administrator-cvba-certification

#aapc #medicalcoding #valuebasedcare #healthcarecareers #aapcsocialhour