Remote Classroom Testimonial - HCIM
Hello, my name is Brett Presta-Valachovic and I am a graduate of New Horizon's HCIM program. It has been a long but rewarding trip to this point and I'd like to share some of my experiences with you.
In the spring of 2007, I was unemployed and looking for a career change. I did some research and found an interesting career option called Medical Billing and Coding. It seemed to be up my alley but I was not sure where to get the training or how I would be able to afford it. This is where a little luck stepped in.
My wife, Chris, was taking classes at New Horizons and she mentioned my predicament to her instructor. Her instructor mentioned New Horizons offered courses in Medical Billing and Coding through their HCIM program. Soon thereafter, I was speaking to George Sly and I was on my way. New Horizons helped me apply for a student loan and I was taking my HCIM classes within the next month.
I had never taken an accelerated or a Remote classroom before: I did not know what to expect. I was in for an exciting experience. There was so much to learn: Anatomy, Insurance Billing, Coding, and Medical Office Procedures, to name a few. All of it was new to me and as interesting as the exploration of a new country.
The classes were fast and in-depth; however, they were paced well and the instructors were wonderful. Even though I was in Ohio and the instruction was delivered remotely from Nebraska, I felt like I was sitting in class among the other students; I was just the guy wearing the headset.
New Horizons made sure I had all the textbooks and access to the web sites for each class. They even recorded their class lectures so I could refer back to them as needed. This was extremely helpful, since the work schedule of my new job suddenly changed and I was unable to attend some of the classes.
There were some technical glitches, as there always are with a new program, but New Horizons addressed each issue in turn and I was able to continue my classes at the New Horizons site and at home without any interruption.
I was challenged many times during the program and there were times when I felt a little overwhelmed. However, the New Horizons staff was very supportive of me and always managed to help me restore my confidence.
When the days came for me to take my certification exams, I was nervous but knew I was well prepared. When I passed my both of my exams, my instructors were just as happy as I was. I'd recommend the HCIM program to anyone.
Brett Presta-Valachovic
CMAA, CBCS, CPC-A
Remote students will be able to hear the instructor's lecture and see the instructor's presentation, and demonstrations, as well as perform labs by remotely controlling the in-classroom student computer. The instructor has the ability to take control of the student’s in-classroom computer if assistance is needed to assist them with any lab work.