Assignment title: Information
You are in the midst of preparing the departmental budget for the year. The next portion
of the budget is the coding staff development budget. You currently have five coders in
your department.
In a word document prepare the following:
1. A staff development plan for the coding staff for the coming year.
2. A budget for staff development.
First step of this assignment is to assess the needs of your staff:
What resources will go for staying current with the new code changes, rules and
guidelines?
What continuing education will keep staff current on the latest procedures and
techniques done within your facility that may impact coding?
What resources will go training based on the feedback from the last peer-to- peer audit
and also the last external audit.
What professional development do your coders need or want in the areas of topics like
HIM, electronic health records, general computer skills, or supervisory or interpersonal
skills.
Develop a prioritized list of what training is needed for your coding staff. Look at the
training opportunities that may be available at low cost or no cost. D. Also consider the
amount of time the coders will be away from their production responsibilities while
attending these training events. Will your accounts receivable be impacted if all the
coders are out at a two-day conference? Will you have to replace their productivity with
temporary staff?
Prior-year
Expenditures
Budget vs. Actual
Coding Area
Item Budget
Supplies $1,200 $1,000
Travel $2,000 $2,500
Conference Fees $1,000 $1,200
Membership Dues $750 $600
Amount
Amount
Spent
Subscriptions $350 $325
Equipment $5,000 $3,000
Analyze which area/areas have variances and their proposals for correcting this in the
future.
Along with each variance calculation, prepare a brief report justifying why there may be
a variance.