Kai Alberson began taking classes online in February 2023 and will complete her Medical Billing and Coding program this December. But Kai hit the competitive job market before she graduated. In other words, she did her homework in more ways than one; in researching the field in preparation for her job hunt, she saw how many coding jobs were available. Kai met with her Career Services Advisor, Amy Creed, and in three and a half weeks she had a job as a “care team specialist” at Giving Home Healthcare in Las Vegas. Amy commented, “I wish all my students were this responsive and focused!” Kai is responsible for case management of patients, certifications and re-certifications, and being a patient advocate. In the meantime, she is finishing her program and when that medical billing job opens up, Kai will be ready.
Tell me about working with Amy, your Career Services Advisor.
We met at a Career Services Seminar. It’s a three-day event where they go over professionalism, resumes, and interviewing. The whole team was great, very supportive. First, I had to revise my resume because it wasn’t geared toward medical billing. Amy and I started talking on a daily basis, as soon as I was out looking for work. I was updating her on interviews, which I was getting rather quickly. I applied for twenty jobs, and then five to ten jobs a day for six or seven days. The callbacks came pretty soon after that.
You two were a great team!
Yes, she was so diligent about doing her part of the job and I was doing my part to get a job, you know, completing stuff in a timely manner. When I am pursuing employment I try to respond within 24 hours. I am dedicated to working in healthcare and always passionate about it. Anybody with background in customer service can do a front desk job and it’s the gateway to get into the practice. Starting in admin is the route because you can spread the energy.
That’s very smart. How do you manage now working and taking the Medical Billing and Coding courses?
Taking classes at the same time you’re working really helps you learn time management! I think I was self-motivated because of the way it is structured; all assignments are given on Monday so you can plan out the week on your own. You have an educator but everything is your responsibility. I have a family and I’m involved with missionary work with my church, but I could fit it all in.
Tell me a little about yourself.
I’m thirty-three years old and I have a daughter who is ten years old. My parents were both in the Air Force at Robins AFB in Georgia when I was born. My mother left the Air Force after I was born, but as a child we still moved a lot because my Dad was still working there. Growing up I lived in Texas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Germany. We moved from Germany to Las Vegas when I was almost ten years old. My parents are still here and visit us a lot. I’m an army veteran myself. I was in the army for one term from 2011 to 2014, mostly in Germany and then I moved to El Paso, TX and served my last year there when I was pregnant with my daughter. I was a healthcare specialist in the military; I worked in patient care with soldiers and under doctors doing screening and diagnosis and then in the pediatric department after my daughter was born.
Where do you think you have gotten your focus and your drive?
My faith in God. That’s where I get my strength to care for my daughter and my family. I am so blessed with my family and being able to be the independent woman I need to be.
Is there anything in particular you would like to say to a prospective student? Some advice from your experience?
I love this quote: “In their hearts, humans plan their course. But the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NIV (New International Version). The best advice I can give is that you can’t give up. Don’t give up. I connect with my faith every day, every morning, and every night. It gives me discipline. This is how I truly feel. When I have problems, I just remember that and come back.
