As the only board certification of its kind, the CMPE credential is recognized as the professional standard in medical practice management. In this ongoing series, we share the stories of healthcare professionals who found personal and organizational value in achieving ACMPE board certification.
Patrick Lim, CMPE, CPC, CEMC, works as revenue integrity manager with Stanford Health Care, a major healthcare provider in Northern California’s Silicon Valley. Lim recently attained ACMPE board certification and said he feels it will definitely help his career.
“I’ve taken coding [certifications] and all sorts of coding education, but I felt like the world is bigger than that,” he said. “I felt like I needed to explore and get out of my comfort zone. I don’t know the operational side, HR or operational governance, which was very exciting to learn. I guess when something sparks your interest, you kind of dive in and soak it up like a sponge.
"I just kept telling myself, ‘I think this will be good for you, it’ll be worth your time commitment, and it’ll help you grow.’ Plus, I would have a broader knowledge on different areas, and I can spread my wings and go onto other areas if I needed to,” Lim added.
Lim admitted he was slightly skeptical of the value of board certification, but after learning more about its value and its recognition — as well as MGMA itself — he became more interested.
“I first got exposed to [board certification] by one of my coworkers,” Lim said. “Once I went on the website and started researching what MGMA is, I felt like it fit what I want to do. I want to understand more of the operations side of practices management. Getting to know how to run a practice physician office, the HR laws, how to do spaghetti diagram workflows within the clinic. It’s also great recognition and respected by providers. I knew it would be a good thing for me and my career.”
Lim said the process of earning ACMPE certification was also manageable, as he spent about six hours a week studying after hours with his director and several coworkers. In addition to quizzes and practice exams, Lim said the most valuable tool was an ACMPE study guide and workbook, which helped him better master the material.
Lim reiterated that ACMPE certification is probably most appropriate to healthcare professionals who have been in the industry for a few years but would like more tools to advance their careers.
“Five years ago, I just wasn’t in the state of mind nor did I have the experience or the knowledge of seeing that I could have a leadership role,” he said. “This has really put the pieces together for me and made me feel more comfortable and confident, to a point that I felt like I know what I’m talking about. MGMA really put it in perspective with the right terminology and explaining how things connect, as well.”
Patrick Lim, CMPE, CPC, CEMC, works as revenue integrity manager with Stanford Health Care, a major healthcare provider in Northern California’s Silicon Valley. Lim recently attained ACMPE board certification and said he feels it will definitely help his career.
“I’ve taken coding [certifications] and all sorts of coding education, but I felt like the world is bigger than that,” he said. “I felt like I needed to explore and get out of my comfort zone. I don’t know the operational side, HR or operational governance, which was very exciting to learn. I guess when something sparks your interest, you kind of dive in and soak it up like a sponge.
"I just kept telling myself, ‘I think this will be good for you, it’ll be worth your time commitment, and it’ll help you grow.’ Plus, I would have a broader knowledge on different areas, and I can spread my wings and go onto other areas if I needed to,” Lim added.
Lim admitted he was slightly skeptical of the value of board certification, but after learning more about its value and its recognition — as well as MGMA itself — he became more interested.
“I first got exposed to [board certification] by one of my coworkers,” Lim said. “Once I went on the website and started researching what MGMA is, I felt like it fit what I want to do. I want to understand more of the operations side of practices management. Getting to know how to run a practice physician office, the HR laws, how to do spaghetti diagram workflows within the clinic. It’s also great recognition and respected by providers. I knew it would be a good thing for me and my career.”
Lim said the process of earning ACMPE certification was also manageable, as he spent about six hours a week studying after hours with his director and several coworkers. In addition to quizzes and practice exams, Lim said the most valuable tool was an ACMPE study guide and workbook, which helped him better master the material.
Lim reiterated that ACMPE certification is probably most appropriate to healthcare professionals who have been in the industry for a few years but would like more tools to advance their careers.
“Five years ago, I just wasn’t in the state of mind nor did I have the experience or the knowledge of seeing that I could have a leadership role,” he said. “This has really put the pieces together for me and made me feel more comfortable and confident, to a point that I felt like I know what I’m talking about. MGMA really put it in perspective with the right terminology and explaining how things connect, as well.”
Additional resources
- "How do you deal with a 'mid-career crisis?'" (MGMA Podcast)
- "Are practice investments to address physician burnout justified?" (MGMA Connection magazine)
- "Keys to reducing and eliminating physician burnout" (MGMA Connection magazine)
- "Surviving Harvey: Disaster preparation issues for medical practices hit by hurricanes" (MGMA Connection magazine)
- "Mentoring Millennials for future leadership in healthcare" (MGMA Connection magazine)
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