Obtaining a CPC, CCA, or CBCS certification implies that an individual has met competencies in the field of medical billing and coding. Certification is invaluable to the student's career goals. Students have an opportunity to make confident, informed decisions about the national certification they prefer.
The Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam is offered by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). It is the gold standard entry-level coding certification for physician, or professional fee, coders.
The Certified Coding Associate (CCA) is offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). It is an entry-level medical coding certification across all settings--physician practices and inpatient hospital.
The Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) is offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) and is currently an entry-level medical billing certification for physician practices. In the summer of 2021, the exam will transition to an entry-level billing and coding certification, with the inclusion of ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS Level II testing.
Department of Linguistics
Linguistics 323-3
Morphology
Course Chair: Dr. Richard C. DeArmond
Office: CC 9214
Office Hours: W: 11:30 - 12:30, 1:30 - 2:20, 2:30 - 3:30
Phone 604-268-7194
Fax 604-291-5659
e-mail : dearmond@sfu.ca
Language Lab: AQ 3020, 291-4698
L323 Site
My Home Page:
Linguistics Home Page
Language Lab Home Page
Prerequisites: L221 and L222, or L310
Strongly Recommended Prerequisites: English199 (University Writing)
Directory: Course Description | Texts | Contents | Lecture Notes | Definitions | Exercises | Cgram | Schedule | Model of Grammar | Grading | Marks | Exams | Forum | Timetable
Texts
Required Text:
Understanding Morphology ISBN 0-333-54114-8/6
By Martin Haspelmath
Understanding Language Series
New York: Oxford University Press
Morphology:
By Francis Katamba
The MacMillan Press, Ltd
Organization: Classes will consist of lectures, demonstrations, student presentations, and discussions.
Course Goals: This course will introduce you to some of the major structural and functional categories of morphemes and words. You will use these categories to analyze complex words as well as to assess cross-linguistic variation and claims for theoretical constructs.
Word Structure
Morpheme Types: affix, base, root, stem
Word-based morphology
Discovery Procedures
How Morphemes are Formed
Grammatical Functions
Inflection
Derivation
Word Formation
The Lexicon
Productivity
Reduplication
Lexical Morphology
Compounds
The course will be divided into two parts. The first will cover the basic terms and definitions and cover discovery procedures. The second part will cover theoretical aspects of morphology in reference to grammar building and syntax.
Final grades will be based on weekly exercises = 20% of the final grade. There will be weekly exercises taken from the book and distributed by the instructor. There will be 1 midterm examination = 35% of the final grade, and a final examination. = 45% of the final grade).
The following represents the typical range of grades. The grades are subject to a grading curve adjustment:
A 90 - 100 B 80 - 89 C 70 - 79 D 60 - 69 F 00 - 59
1. Students are expected to attend all classes. Students are expected to arrive on time so that classes may begin promptly and so that they will not disrupt the class. Announcements will be made at the beginning and end of classes regarding the assigned readings and the expectations for assignments and exams.
2. A standard of academic English expression appropriate to upper-level university courses is required in all work. Clarity and effectiveness will be considered in the evaluation of assignments. Further specification is provided below.
3. Students are expected to have read all assigned readings before class. Because many students will be learning about a new field of study in this class, students may have to read chapters/articles multiple times. Students are expected to bring the assigned textbook(s) and copies of readings to all class sessions. Students are expected to come to classes prepared to discuss the new material: for example, to ask questions about the content and to evaluate the claims made or implied.
4. Students are expected to turn in all assignments on time. LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED without prior permission from the instructor.
5. All excercises must be stapled together if there is more than one page; otherwise, 10% will be deduced.
6. Students will be responsible for all materials covered in the assigned readings and lectures. The lectures will indicate the specific subjects that will appear on assignments and examinations. Lecture notes and webpage notes will provide only a skeletal treatment of these topics: Assignments and examinations will require students to refer to the more complete presentation of relevant information in the readings.
7. Students will be respectful of other students and the instructor. In particular, students will not talk while the instructor or another student is talking.
8. If students wish to contest the grading of an assignment, the following regulations apply. Assignments written in pencil or any erasable medium will not be re-assessed. Students must explain, in writing, why they believe that their own academic honesty and student assignment was not graded correctly. Be aware that original assignments are photocopied and kept on file. As a result, students who have dishonestly changed their answers have received failing grades and permanent reports of academic dishonesty.
9. Academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of integrity and thus impedes learning. More specifically, academic dishonesty is a form of misconduct that is subject to disciplinary action and includes the following: cheating, fabrication, fraud, facilitating academic dishonesty, and plagiarism. For more information oct, please visit the following web sites:
http://www.sfu.ca/policies/teaching/index.htm
>For an informal evaluation of this WWW site and L323, click on evaluation
Directory: Course Description | Texts | Contents | Lecture Notes | Definitions | Exercises | Cgram | Schedule | Model of Grammar | Grading | Marks | Exams | Forum
Obtaining a CPC, CCA, or CBCS certification implies that an individual has met competencies in the field of medical billing and coding. Certification is invaluable to the student's career goals. Students have an opportunity to make confident, informed decisions about the national certification they prefer.
The Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam is offered by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). It is the gold standard entry-level coding certification for physician, or professional fee, coders.
The Certified Coding Associate (CCA) is offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). It is an entry-level medical coding certification across all settings--physician practices and inpatient hospital.
The Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) is offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) and is currently an entry-level medical billing certification for physician practices. In the summer of 2021, the exam will transition to an entry-level billing and coding certification, with the inclusion of ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS Level II testing.
The city of Burlington, Vermont has issued a dire new report detailing a substantial increase this year in overdose responses by emergency responders.
The report from the city’s BTVstat Data team found that between January and July this year the Burlington Police Department responded to 265 overdoses, surpassing all of 2022’s total. The report notes that from 2015 to 2017 there were six overdose responses per month. The average monthly response in 2023 is 39 and it’s anticipated to reach a total of 500 by the end of the year.
Substance Use Policy Analyst Scott Pavek works in the city’s Community and Economic Development Office. He says the data, based on overdose incident calls to the Burlington Fire or Police Departments, has been increasing during and since the pandemic.
“We’re experiencing increased non-fatal overdoses in Burlington. That’s one of many consequences of an ever increasingly dangerous illicit drug supply. Maybe ten years ago people had a lot more confidence in what substances and what potency of substance they might be acquiring off the street. And nowadays we’re seeing novel psychoactive substances, increased adulteration of non-opioids with opioids, of course the removal of heroin from the illicit drug market almost entirely to be replaced by fentanyl. Just individual incidents of drug use are more health impacting than they were before.”
The Howard Center is the designated preferred provider of substance use services in Chittenden County, where Burlington is located. Executive Director Bob Bick says the city’s numbers raise concern, but lack critical context.
“The increase is initially disturbing when we just look at it from a perspective of pure numbers. But it might be that we’re doing a better job of having individuals who are experiencing an overdose seek the help and support of whether it’s the police department or an emergency medical technicians. So that could be an indication of an improvement in our system’s response. The other thing that we don’t know is what the baseline number of individuals who are currently actively using are. On the face of it the numbers are concerning. There’s no question about it.”
Pavek is among the city officials who say harm reduction efforts must be redoubled and the overdose crisis must again become the state’s primary public health priority.
“We certainly have enough evidence here in Vermont, in my opinion, to have statewide support, legislative support, the Governor’s support for things like overdose prevention sites, safe supply and drug checking programs. I certainly don’t think these trends are going to reverse themselves absent these sort of more comprehensive interventions.”
Bick adds that there is a need across the spectrum of mental health and substance use to prioritize and sufficiently fund the services.
“Frankly right now what’s been happening is the responsibility for that prioritization has fallen on treatment providers and programs that are inadequately funded to meet the demands that they’re expected to meet. Until there’s a true commitment to adequately fund the services, I don’t think you’re going to see a change in the environment.”
The city of Burlington has created an Assistant Director of Crisis, Advocacy, and Intervention who will soon be hired to help coordinate outreach and management of opioid crisis efforts.
