The professional experiences of the AHA Central Office staff are diverse representing large urban teaching hospitals, Peer Review Organizations, national hospital systems, and more. The staff is expert in ICD-9-CM, HCPCS and CPT-4 coding. Combined they have over 125 years experience working in the coding field.

They are credentialed in Health Information Management, Health Information Technology, and/or Coding. Professional expertise include lecturing, presenting and authoring articles pertinent to the coding industry as well as membership and elected offices in health information management associations.

Nelly Leon-Chisen, RHIA
Director, Coding and Classification & Executive Editor for AHA Coding Clinic for ICD-9-CM and AHA Coding Clinic for HCPCS

Patricia D. Jones, RHIT
Staff Specialist

Denene Harper, RHIA
Senior Staff Specialist

Benjamin Oden, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P
Senior Staff Specialist & Managing Editor of AHA Coding Clinic for HCPCS

Anita Rapier, RHIT, CCS
Senior Staff Specialist & Managing Editor of AHA Coding Clinic for ICD-9-CM

Cherrsse Ruffin, RHIT
Staff Specialist

Kathy White, RHIA
Staff Specialist

Gretchen Young-Charles, RHIA
Staff Specialist

Halima Zayyad-Matarieh, RHIA
Staff Specialist