Coding Specialist - Hospital Services

Gundersen Health System; Des Moines (IA); Hybrid; USD 41,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Health insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Emplify Health is seeking a detail‑oriented Coding Specialist to support outpatient hospital coding, ensuring ICD‑10‑CM, CPT, and HCPCS accuracy. You will review medical records, assign codes, apply modifiers, and issue provider queries as needed.

Full‑time, 40 hours/week with a starting wage of $22.90/hour. Remote eligible; first day on‑site in La Crosse, WI. Must reside in WI, IA, or MN. Benefits include 401(k) with matching, health insurance, PTO, and tuition reimbursement.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• 6 months coding experience or RHIA/RHIT candidate within 3 months of program completion.
• Must obtain RHIA or RHIT within 12 months (if applicable).
• For CPC/CCA applicants: CCS, COC, or CIC required.
• Medical Coding, HIT, or HIA program completion desired.
• 3–4 years hospital coding experience is a plus.
• Experience with EHRs, encoders, outpatient guidelines, CMS observation rules, APC optimization.

Responsibilities

• Review outpatient hospital records and assign correct ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS codes
• Follow official coding guidelines and ethical standards (AHIMA, AAPC)
• Validate documentation and issue provider queries when needed
• Abstract required data for reporting and compliance
• Participate in coding quality reviews
• Maintain certification and stay updated on coding guidelines

Skills

Attention to detail

Compliance knowledge

Ethical standards

Education

RHIA/RHIT

CCS/COC/CIC

CPC/CCA

High School diploma

Tools

EHRs

Encoders

CMS rules

Job description

Love + medicine is who we are, it's what we do, it's why people want to work here.

We’re not just filling positions, we’re building careers. At Emplify Health, we care for our teams, while they care for their communities. Whether you are just starting out or looking for a change, Emplify Health supports you now and into the future. Join us and find out how a little empathy changes everything.

We are seeking a detail‑oriented Coding Specialist to support accurate outpatient hospital coding and ensure compliance with ICD‑10‑CM, CPT, and HCPCS guidelines. In this role, you will review medical record documentation, assign appropriate codes, apply modifiers, and use standard query processes to clarify clinical information. Your work directly supports correct billing, reporting, and quality data.

What’s Available:

• Full‑time, 40 hours/week
• Starting wage of $22.90 + more for experience!
• Monday–Friday, day shift
• Remote eligible, first day on‑site in La Crosse, WI

(Must reside in WI, IA, and MN)

Department: Hospital Coding Services

(Specializing in ER and Observation Coding)

Why You’ll Love It Here:

• Top‑notch benefits: 401(k) with matching, paid time off, competitive health insurance, wellness programs to keep you and your family healthy, tuition reimbursement, and more
• Career Growth/CDC - Growth opportunities and access to Emplify Health’s Career Development Center to help you navigate your career

What You’ll Do:

• Review outpatient hospital records and assign correct ICD‑10‑CM, CPT, and HCPCS codes
• Follow official coding guidelines and ethical standards (AHIMA, AAPC)
• Validate documentation and issue provider queries when needed
• Abstract required data for reporting and compliance
• Participate in coding quality reviews
• Maintain certification and stay updated on coding guidelines

What You Need:

• High School diploma or equivalent required
• 6 months coding experience OR RHIA/RHIT candidate within 3 months of program completion required
• Must obtain within 12 months (if applicable): RHIA or RHIT

or

• for CPC/CCA applicants: CCS, COC, or CIC required
• Medical Coding, HIT, or HIA program completion desired!
• 3–4 years hospital coding experience is a plus!
• Experience with EHRs, encoders, outpatient guidelines, CMS observation rules, APC optimization

Emplify Health, a partnership of Bellin Health and Gundersen Health System, is a leading not‑for‑profit, patient‑centered healthcare network based in Green Bay and La Crosse, Wisconsin. With 11 hospitals and over 100 clinics, we serve 67 cities across Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of our patients and communities.

We inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning and innovating. This is our purpose. Together with our values — belonging, respect, excellence, accountability, teamwork and humility — our pillars set our foundation and our future.

Equal Opportunity Employer