Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Washington, CPB, CBCS.
Hi Shelby, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Since my teenage years, I knew I wanted to work in healthcare. I wanted to be a Registered Nurse to be exact. As I got a little older, I decided I did not want to pursue a career in nursing, but that I wanted to work on the administrative side of the healthcare field.
I enrolled at Savannah Technical College and studied Medical Billing and Coding there. I graduated in 2013 but had no plan after that. At the time, I was working as a part-time teller at a retail bank. One day, I went in to see one of my doctors and asked the assistant in the room with me if they were hiring. I walked out of that appointment that day not thinking much about the position. The assistant from the doctor’s exam room turned out to be the doctor’s wife and she wanted me to come in for an interview!
I came in for an interview and started there as a front desk receptionist. It was a privately-owned practice so there were so many areas for me to cross-train in and grow. I worked as a front desk receptionist, medical assistant, and surgery scheduler, and later when into the billing department. That’s where I found my passion! I obtained my Certified Professional Biller credential in 2014.
While working for the same office, I was transferred to a newer department they had opened and started doing billing for that department. After working there for a few years, I felt it was time for me to grow and learn how to bill for more specialties. By 2020, I had worked in ENT, Physical Therapy, Mental Health, Chiropractic, Home Health, and Internal Medicine. It was in 2020 that I decided it was time to start my own business doing medical billing for providers.
Since starting my business, I have obtained medical billing services contracts, teaching contracts, and subcontracting jobs. I’ve learned how much I enjoy medical billing and how profitable it can be working within the field. In 2021, I launched my online course, teaching others the skill of medical billing. It is a skill that is easy to learn and comes with lots of opportunities.
My goal is to start hosting in-person workshops teaching students medical billing and assist them with locating entry-level jobs within the field. I want to be able to reach and assist as many as I can!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road.
When I first started out, I had a hard time finding providers to obtain contracts with. I knew I was capable of doing the work, I just didn’t know how to let providers know that I’m out here and ready to work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about S. Washington Consulting?
S. Washington Consulting provides medical billing, credentialing, and medical practice start-up services. I work to ensure providers are paid for the services they provide to patients.
I also assist clinicians with obtaining contracts with insurance companies (credentialing) so that they are able to see a wider range of patients. Not only do I provide these services, but I also teach others the skills that have taken me this far. Medical billing is a very profitable field and it is in high demand.
As long as healthcare providers are providing services for patients, there will always be a need for medical billers.
I make my courses affordable because I want to help those who are needing/want to learn about medical billing some don’t have the time or finances to go into a classroom setting so I want to make it more accessible to those who want to do something that can take them far.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I’d say I’ve been fortunate to meet and network with some amazing people.
I’ve worked with providers across the US and taught students in my own courses in Georgia, Washington D.C., California, Ohio, South Carolina, Kansas, and Arkansas. I am truly blessed and thankful.
I’ve been able to assist three of my students with finding jobs within the medical billing field after my completed my course. I helped them by teaching them about medical billing, how to search for jobs, and gave them tips for their interviews. I performed mock interviews with two of my students are they received call backs after their first interview. I’ve been able to network with a lot of people including students and healthcare providers. My network has grown in many ways and it extends into various cities and states
Contact Info:
- Website: www.swashingtonconsulting.com
- Instagram: @swashingtonconsulting
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/swashingtonconsulting
