PRESQUE ISLE – The Maine Community College System board on Wednesday officially authorized Northern Maine Community College to implement a program that will help pump employees into one of the fastest growing health care occupations in the state.

Trustees unanimously approved a one-year medical coding certificate program at NMCC during a brief afternoon meeting at the Presque Isle college.

The program will be added to the community college system’s academic inventory in January.

Medical coding professionals examine medical documentation provided by physicians and other health care professionals and translate the information into standardized numerical codes. The coding system is universally recognized and is used by third-party payers, such as insurance companies, to justify services provided and to pave the way for reimbursement. The coded data also has several other uses.

The college has offered a popular stand-alone medical coding class since 2004, but has never offered a certificate program.

Officials at NMCC said earlier this year that members of Aroostook County’s health care community had voiced a need for the certificate program.

The new program will prepare students to take the coding certification examination, which would make them eligible to become certified professional coders who will be prepared to work in a number of health care settings, insurance companies, government agencies and other firms.

Alan Punches, NMCC’s vice president and academic dean, said in the spring that the medical coding program was created in “direct response to the needs of area health care providers.”

“We recognize not only the great need for allied health professionals in this region, but also the great demand for support personnel, including medical coders,” he explained at the time.

Trustee Cynthia Phinney noted Tuesday that it was “exciting to have another program coming on board to assist with a growing need.”