Optivation’s 2011 schedule kicks off Jan. 11

BEMIDJI, Minn. (Jan. 3, 2011) — Bemidji State University’s Optivation venture kicks off its 2011 training and seminar schedule with a pair of events on or beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 11.

Jan. 11-18: Presentation Skills
Beginning Jan. 11, Optivation presents a one-week online course on making successful presentations. Participants in the course, taught by Sudhir Kamath, will learn some common pitfalls faced by presenters and some strategies for overcoming them. Participants will learn how to plan and develop a successful presentation; learn how to involve the audience in the presentation; learn strategies for effective use of PowerPoint and other visual aides; and enjoy the experience of giving a presentation.

This course carries a fee of $75; download a registration form at:
http://www.optivation.org/DOC/PresentationSkills_011111.doc

Jan. 11: Medical Coding Course Series: ICD-10
Medical coding and billing staffs need to code correctly in order to bill effectively. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has mandated the replacement of the existing code set being used by medical coders and billers in the United States, effective Oct. 1, 2013. The new code set will expand the number of codes used from around 17,000 to more than 141,000, and expand each individual code from five alphanumeric characters to seven. Optivation’s training courses on the ICD-10 coding system will provide highlights of the changes to the system and requirements to be certified under the new system. This introductory course will also outline the reasons why providers need to begin preparing for this change in coding systems now.

The course will be presented by Laura Smith, a remibursement specialist with more than 13 years of experience in the medical field and founder and president of the Bemidji local chapter of the American Academy of Professional Coders.

The course will be held from 6-8 p.m. in Conference Room B at Northwest Technical College, located at 905 Grant Ave. SE in Bemidji. This course carries a fee of $40 and awards two Continuing Education Units; download a registration form at:
http://www.optivation.org/workshops/DOC/Medical_Coding_Series_Reg_011711.doc

For more information on these courses or other training and informational opportunities available through Optivation, contact Optivation at (218) 755-4900, toll free at (888) 738-3224, or optivation@bemidjistate.edu.

About Optivation
Optivation is an off-campus venture operated jointly by Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College designed to increase collaboration between the University, the college, and the business and technology sectors of the northwest Minnesota region. Staffed by veteran business and entrepreneurial professionals, Optivation delivers targeted training and education systems to help organizations succeed in a changing world. Through its affiliations with the University and the technical college, Optivation is able to tap into an unparalleled network of people and technology across the state of Minnesota.

For more information, visit Optivation at http://www.optivation.org.