Firstsource offering a Healthcare Academy

A local health insurance claims processing firm recently announced a new training opportunity that company officials said will add some experienced people to its workforce.

The Healthcare Academy, a new opportunity available through Firstsource Solutions USA LLC, will enable participants to learn skills needed to become health care claims examiners or data-entry specialists.

Michael Wright, director of the company's Fort Scott service center, 4500 Campbell Dr., said the first class will begin on or before Sept. 9.

The company's ultimate goal through the academy is to expand its labor pool and cultivate employees it needs.

"Our standards are very high and the Healthcare Academy was created to allow non-claims examiners a chance to break into a great field," Firstsource Manager of Service Excellence Marnie Zimmerman said in a news release.

Many applicants are expected to benefit from the academy, which has been used in some of Firstsource's other claims processing offices to further the education staff on certain claim types or laws.

Wright said he expects to open a whole new window of opportunity to the job market in Fort Scott by educating people in the areas he needs expertise in.

"This is new," he said. "We've tried it in some of our other offices, but it was developed in Fort Scott. We hope to bring people in who don't have experience and give them experience ... and increase the pool of knowledge in our area. Hopefully some opportunities (will) open up for people who have never had that (experience)."

Wright said the training academy is an intensive, three-week "boot camp style" training for basic health insurance claims concepts. Trainees do not necessarily need experience in the industry; they need strong computer skills, the ability to absorb information quickly and efficiently and to endure a fast-paced learning environment.

What makes this approach different from other companies is that successful participants will be paid hourly and move on to working real claims on one of the Firstsource accounts, the release said.

The academy is available to current employees and anyone who needs the experience.

It will be presented in a classroom setting and involve a combination of a live trainer and computer-based instruction, Wright said.

Wright said he expects to have a new class in the academy once each quarter; however, it could be more frequent if "our clients require more examiners sooner."

Anyone who wants more information on the program can visit with Firstsource representatives at the job fair hosted by the city of Fort Scott and the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16, in the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.

Wright said the company is hiring and looking for claims processing and data-entry employees. The academy becomes available to applicants who pass the company's assessment process and become employees.

Firstsource is an outsourcing company that handles business from insurance companies, including insurance claims processing, data-entry and customer service, Wright said.

Wright said employees must possess good typing skills, must have a high learning ability, be adaptive to change and focused. Also helpful would be a knowledge of medical terminology and other aspects of medical claims processing.

"A general knowledge would help, but these can be taught," he said.