This is a REAL Story of a Medical Billing Student Pursuing her Dream Enjoying what She Does Best
 The path to success always starts with the right attitude,
education and training. We want to inspire you by not only speaking about the medical billing and coding
career but also by giving examples of real people who succeeded. Yes, it can be done!!! Read how Ann did
it...
Student Name: Ann Grinnell
Business Name: Velocity Medical Billing Services, LLC
Location: Winnetka, CA
Do You Like What You Do?
Well, I do and I love to tell
people about my business and my passion! Two years ago I decided to leave my job of 23 years at a major corporation
and start my own business. I loved what I did but driving two to four
thousand miles every month was getting very old. My husband and I rarely got to spend time together because, not
only was my job extremely time consuming, his was too. He also worked for the same corporation and his hours
were long (24-36 hours at a time) for days on end. I wanted to do something that would give us more time for
each other and for our daughter and her growing family.
The Initial Search
So began the search for what to do.
It had to be something that I could do from home --- I had been "on the road" for too many years. After
investigating quite a number of opportunities, Dane and I decided the Medical Billing was the right choice. I
decided on an LLC and Velocity Medical Billing Services, LLC was born! I had looked into many
different courses but had no trouble deciding that Medical Billing Course.com was the one for me.
Successful Medical Billing Graduation
I graduated in May 2004 with a Special Honors Award for the course and a Special Merit Award for their
"Understanding HIPAA" course. I have never looked back and I thank Tammy Harlan and her course for my success.
Coupled with Duane Johnson at Synergy MIS and his marketing skills and Tim Rapauch's technical expertise, I was set
to go. I signed my first client within my first month in business and a second client one month
after that.
  First
Signs of Things Going Well
I have had several other events that have prevented me from
marketing as much as I would have liked. Kim, our daughter, had her second baby (Emily) and we babysat quite a
bit for Anthony (her first baby) while our daughter worked. She was finally forced to take maternity leave
early due to complications with the pregnancy. Emily is fine, however, and Anthony adores his little sister.
Kim is now expecting her third baby in October. Even in the midst of all of this, I do have four
clients and I'm sure I'll be signing a fifth within the next couple of weeks.
Encouragement Along the Way
I have been blessed to meet
so many new people since I took the Medical Billing Course. Networking is so very important
and rewarding. As wonderful as the course is -- you can't learn everything that you will need to know even if
you make a high grade. Tammy told me over and over again that I would need to learn things as I grew and that I
should welcome this and not be afraid. How right she was! I learn something new every day and I
love to share what I learn with others. That's another part of networking -- if you don't have an
answer, someone else you've met is sure to have it. With rare exception, I've found that other medical
billers are very willing to help each other. No one can have all of the answers, but we can help each other.
The Key to Success
For anyone who reads this who is new
to billing, my advice is "Never Give Up!" Occasionally we have not-so-good-days, but most of them
are absolutely wonderful! Don't let the bad ones get you down. Recognize them for what they are, learn
from them, and keep going. Read as much as you can on marketing and billing and network with other billers. Just
keep at it and be sure to keep track of what works for you. What might work as a successful
approach for someone in a small town may not work for someone in a metropolitan area.
Ann Grinnell
ann@velocitymbs.com
Velocity Medical Billing Services, LLC
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