bree aaham spring 2009 · resume mistakes 11 revenue cycle check-up fall conference registration 12...
TRANSCRIPT
Feeling a little stressed?
Don’t feel like the Lone
Ranger. Everyone is feeling
the pressure. Multitasking is
now the norm not the ex-
ception. Horror stories of
people losing their jobs and
homes are in the media
every day. We as healthcare
professionals should be
counting our blessings that our industry is grow-
ing not regressing. We are very fortunate to be
employed by an industry that is bursting at the
seams. Sure, consolidations sometimes require
us to move to a new location or take a new po-
sition but that‘s a small price to pay for being in
a growing profession with a steady income,
benefits and health insurance. Recently I was
traveling along the I95 corridor and noticed two
brand new hospitals under construction. Several
healthcare facilities in North Carolina are con-
structing multi story heart and cancer centers.
What a great sign of growth for the healthcare
industry and job security for us.
Speaking of growth have you checked out the
new and improved chapter website? Go to
www.aahamcarolina.org. You will be impressed.
Looking for a job? Need to locate a fellow chap-
ter member or ask for feedback on a subject or
problem you are dealing with at your facility?
It’s all there. You can search for educational
opportunities and even register and pay on- line
for conferences and seminars. There’s even a
section to record your feedback and recommen-
dations on how you think the website can bet-
ter serve you. A lot of time and effort has gone
into building this helpful tool. Please use it often
and record your suggestions.
National and Chapter Elections for 2010/2011
officers are fast approaching. We are honored
to have two of our own on the ballot for Na-
tional positions. Laurie Shoaf is running for a
second term as National AAHAM President and
Lori Sickelbaugh has been nominated for Na-
tional Secretary. We wish both Laurie and Lori
the best of luck and want them to know we are
very proud of them for their contributions to
AAHAM. On a local level will you accept a posi-
tion of leadership in the Carolina Chapter or do
you know a chapter member who is ready to
lead us to the next level? Your ideas and sugges-
tions or style of leadership may just be what is
needed. Please consider this opportunity of
leadership if asked. The rewards of personal
satisfaction and taking a leadership role in the
growth of the chapter truly outweigh the re-
sponsibilities of the office.
I hope you attended the AAHAM Spring Confer-
ence at the Grove Park Inn in May. If you missed
it you missed a good one. The event was well
attended and provided participants many hours
of quality education. The Education Committee
took your suggestions and orchestrated a fact
filled, fun retreat that had something for every-
one. A highlight of the event was Thursday
nights “Thursday Night Fever”. Participants
donned afros, tie died shirts, bell bottomed
pants and high heeled boots to dance the night
away at the “60’s” party with Sid The Surf. Every-
one truly had a great time.
Our next AAHAM opportunity for education is
November 4th. The Carolina and Virginia chap-
ters are offering a joint one-day seminar “New
Perspectives On Revenue Cycle Training And
Performance Standards” at the Koury Conven-
tion Center in Greensboro. We are very excited
to partner with the Virginia Chapter and look
forward to future joint activities with our
neighboring state. Topics for the seminar include
“Business Office Boot Camp” and “Productivity
Standards”. Please mark November 4th now on
your calendars for the conference.
I hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Steve Duncan,
President, Carolina Chapter AAHAM
President’s Message INS IDE TH IS
I S SUE :
AAHAM
Board
2
2009 Corporate
Partners
3
2009 Annual
Conference
5
Certification
Calendar
6
Member
Spotlight
8
CPAM
Certification
9
Time Manage-
ment Tips
10
Events &
New Members
4
Top Five
Resume
Mistakes
11
Revenue
Cycle
Check-up
Fall
Conference
Registration
12
13-
17
B E COM E A M EM B E R
T OD A Y !
CAROLINA COMMUNICATOR
F A L L 2 0 0 9
Certification
Quotes
7
Chairman of the Board Lori Sickelbaugh, CPAM
President Steve Duncan
First Vice President John Cook
Treasurer Amy Hooker
Secretary/Publications Chairman Bree Stokes
Certification Chairman Kevin Young, CPAM
Corporate Partner Chairman Debbie Gray
Membership Chairman Wanda Welch
Education Chairman Charlynne Lynch
Historian Qwanda Fisher-Jones
Legislative Chairman Glenn Martin, CPAM
Constitution & Bylaws Chairman Susan Phelps, MBA/MHA, CPAM
Carolina AAHAM Executive
Board and Committee Chairs
P A G E 2
Chapter Excellence Chairman Theresa Johnson, CPAM
P A G E 3
Thanks to all of our
2009 Corporate
Partners for their
support of Carolina
AAHAM.
2009 Corporate Partners
Contact Debbie Gray
for more information of
how to become a
Corporate
Partner
(252) 522-7676 or
C A R O L I N A C O M M U N I C A T O R
Company Name Website Address Contact Person
AccessOne
Medcard, Inc.
www.AccessOneMedcard.com
Tony Mary
704-301-7278
ACRYNESS www.ACRYNESS.com John Cook
704-799-3550
Collection Com-
panies of Amer-
ica
www.cca-us.com Denise Martin
800-886-9177 x14311
CMD
Outsourcing
Solutions,
www.CMDIGI.com David Cooper
888-817-7575 ext 254
FirstPoint Collec-
tion Resources,
Inc./ Mosaic Out-
source Solutions
www.firstpointresources.com
Steve Duncan & Steve Ford
800-678-4580
Ingram & Asso-
ciates
www.ingram1.com Eric Currie
615-778-3778
Jon Barry &
Associates,
Inc
www.jbarry.com Brylan Gann
800-264-0384
Outsource Re-
ceivable Ser-
vices, Inc.
www.outsourcereceivableservi
ces.com
Van Cates
om
336-978-8426
PMAB,LLC /
Med RX
www.pmab.com Ruthie Waters
704-779-0827
ParrishShaw &
Co.
www.parrishshaw.com
Julie Shaw/Brent Parrish
800-872-1818 x116
Professional
Recovery
Consultants
www.prorecovery.com Geoff Miller
919-489-7791
Upcoming
Events
P A G E 4
October 14-16, 2009—2009 Annual Na-
tional Institute
Location:
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
Scottsdale, AZ
November 4, 2009—AAHAM Carolina
Chapter Winter Conference
Location:
Koury Convention Center
Greensboro, NC
Join the Carolina Chapter of AAHAM today!
Contact Wanda Welch at
(336) 716-3154 for
Membership Information.
Jeanette Adams, Carolinas Healthcare Systems 6/10/2009
Debbie Carthen, Duke University Health System 6/15/2009
Reid Davis, Carolinas Healthcare System 1/27/2009
Michael Excell, Duke University Health System 1/30/2009
Rhonda Fields, Carolinas Healthcare System 6/10/2009
Ketki Green, Duke University Health System 2/10/2009
Donna Lewis, Carolina Healthcare System 1/27/2009
Donald Mitchell, Consultant/Iterim Revenue Cycle 1/7/2009
Mariya Narodny, Carolinas Healthcare System 6/10/2009
Deborah Salley, Carolina Healthcare System 1/27/2009
Alvin Shavers, American Redcross 2/27/2009
Pamella Simpson, Carolinas Healthcare System 6/10/2009
Welcome to our NEW MEMBERS
Carolina AAHAM
P A G E 5
C A R O L I N A C O M M U N I C A T O R
Transition into Today’s Healthcare Environment
2009 Annual Conference
AAHAM Carolina Chapter
Once again, the annual gathering of revenue cycle profession-als took place in Asheville at the Grove Park Inn for the AAHAM Carolina Chapter Annual Conference. Always perfect weather during May, we always enjoy the opportunity to join together. We were afforded many opportunities for networking, relevant education, relaxation, and a little disco. As customary, we started the event with the President’s Re-ception. Attendees had the opportunity to spend time with col-leagues, peers, friends, and Corporate Sponsors. Following the reception, many had the opportunity to try some of the well known restaurants in the Asheville area. We started the morning early on Thursday. Our goal was to provide as much education to our attendees that would be possi-ble in our time together. The Chapter provided sessions for such critical issues as Red Flag compliance, RAC audit documentation requirements, banking and healthcare, Medicare bad debt regula-tions, and the changing face of revenue cycle and where the fu-ture is heading. Attendees also had the opportunity to attend sessions related to productivity and quality. Another aspect of our time together included sessions on giving and receiving feed-back, followed by keys to effective leadership in our diverse work-force. We once again had the opportunity to receive timely up-dates from the North Carolina Hospital Association. Following our banquet, we were taken back to the 70’s with a dance party and disco. The platform shoes (I still have a pair) and bell bottoms transformed the evening. If you want to see what I
am talking about go to www.sidthesurf.com and view the pictures from our event. The Chapter recognized Lori Sickelbaugh, Past President and current Chapter Chairperson of the Board for receiving her CPAM certification. Debbie Gray and Charlynne Lynch were recognized for their tireless contributions to our Chap-ter by being presented the Chapter and President’s awards. I received a lot of positive comments from attendees shar-ing how much they enjoy the opportunity to attend educa-tional events specific to their needs. If I had to say what im-pressed me the most that would be simple. It is the opportu-nity to learn and spend time together. We look forward to seeing you in 2010.
John Cook First Vice-President
Carolina AAHAM
Ask about being
certified today!!
September 21-26, 2009
Fall CPAM/CCAM exams held
November 9-20, 2009
CPAT/CCAT/CCT exams held
December 1, 2009
Registration Deadline
for February 2010
CPAT/CCAT/CCT exams
P A G E 6
C A R O L I N A C O M M U N I C A T O R
2009 AAHAM Certification Calendar
CPAT
1) Accepting credit card payments is a hospital requirement under HIPAA.
True or False
2) Insurance company A follows the birthday rule. A child’s parents both
carry the child on their employer health plan. The Mother was born on March
1, 1964 and the father was born on January 1, 1984. Mother’s insurance is
primary because she was born first. True or False
3) Bill type 131 is:
A) Inpatient Claim
B) Skilled nursing facility claim
C) Hospital outpatient single encounter claim
D) Part B only claim
CPAM:
List the advantages and disadvantages of Pre-registration.
List the 5 elements of the Patient Bill of Rights.
Describe the four types of consents to treat a patient.
MSP Questionaire:
When must it be completed?
What does it ask? Why?
How long do you have to keep it?
Thinking about becoming Certified?
Here are a few sample CPAT questions. Let’s see how you do.
Answers: 1) False 2) False 3) C
If you are interested in taking the exam or attending a study session, or if you would just like more information, please contact Kevin Young, CPAM, at (336) 277-1208 or [email protected].
In 2004, the University of Pennsylvania Health System began a voluntary CPAT/CCAT certification program
to support staff level persons- working as part of the revenue cycle. UPHS will pay for any candi-date to
take the test up to three times. The program is very popular with staff, who recognize the investment that
UPHS is making in their personal development. The Patient Accounting Department now offers a Certifi-
cation Payment reward for passing the exam, paid out annually for three years on the individual’s certifi-
cation anniversary.
- University of Pennsylvania
As an employer, I encourage my entire staff to develop themselves profes-sionally through certification. I want
to be sure that they understand the basics of patient accounting and they are rewarded financially for do-
ing so. I am also aware that at least two facilities in my area provide "certification bonuses" for their staff
members. We stress the benefits of hiring certified employees at all of our Educational Sessions.
-Bruce Scheller, CPAM Executive Vice-President Apple Financial Management Services
As a "front-end" person, my association with AAHAM has been invaluable. It has helped me to train & edu-
cate my staff regarding the importance of the front-end work. It has also served to bridge the gap between
Registration and Patient Account staff.
- Betty Bopst, CPAM,
Director Of Admissions,
Mercy Medical Center
AAHAM Certification was important to me as an accomplishment when I worked in the hospital environment.
My certification then became more important and an element of credibility as I began working outside that
environment in sales relating to Healthcare Finance.
-Mary White
AAHAM is my lifeline and has been my unlimited resource conduit for 24+ years. The networking and educa-
tional opportunities offered by AAHAM made it possible for me to conquer one patient accounting chal-
lenge after another in order to be the best that I can be. If you have a patient accounting issue/problem,
one of your AAHAM peers has the answer!
- Betty Burch, CPAM,
Director Marketing Development,
My employer considers the CPAM exam to be the best indication of knowledge in our field. Passing this test
was a promise I made to myself and my Corporate Director when I was promoted to my current position. It
was very gratifying to prove to myself that I could pass this difficult exam, and that my years of experience
and hard work were evident to all by the CPAM designation after my name!
- Victoria Di Tomaso, CPAM
System Director,
Central Business Office
Lee Memorial Health Systems
As an employer, I encourage my entire staff to develop themselves professionally through certification.
Our Patient Accounting Department offers a Certification Payment reward for passing the CPAT exam, paid
out annually for three years on the individual’s certification anniversary.
My certification became more important and an element of credibility as I began working in sales relating to
healthcare finance.
P A G E 7 Certification Quotes
P A G E 8
C A R O L I N A
C O M M U N I C A T O R
Carolina AAHAM Member Spotlight
Name: Wanda Welch
Title: Director, Patient Financial Services
Hospital name: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Hospital location & website: Winston-Salem, NC /
www.wfubmc.edu
College(s) attended: High Point University & Pfeiffer University
for Business and Healthcare Administration
Current member of AAHAM: Yes, Carolina Chapter
About Your Hospital:
What is new and exciting at your hospital? We have been working for over a year now to integrate our busi-
ness office with physicians employed by our medical center.
While this is a big project and consumes endless hours, it will
provide great opportunities for efficiencies and economies of
scale. Also, our patients will be much more satisfied with our
streamlined processes.
What is it like to work for your hospital? It is very fast paced and challenging – in a positive way. Work-
ing for a teaching facility provides access to wonderful cutting
edge procedures and opportunities for our patients and employ-
ees.
What are some of your department or organizational goals this
year? From a departmental perspective, we have several large IT ini-
tiatives going on related to a new contract management tool and
pricing transparency. In terms of the organization, there has
been a big focus on our long term strategic planning and integra-
tion of the hospital and professional revenue cycles.
About Your Career:
What are some of your personal priorities for your hospital this
year? Integration of the business office (as discussed in answer #1) is
our top priority. And, we are always looking to improve proc-
esses, increase up-front collections and efficiencies within the
revenue cycle.
What is your business philosophy? To be fair and honest. If you can consistently behave in that
fashion, you will be a winner in the long run.
What is the best way to keep a competitive edge? Continuing education is one key way. Also, I try to stay current
with a variety of publications so I know what is happening in the
market.
How do you measure success? By meeting and exceeding the revenue cycle goals and objec-
tives. I measure my own personal success by how positive and
motivated my team members are within their work environment.
While we are trying to integrate our processes within our medi-
cal center, it’s not just about cohabitating within our depart-
ments. We should never lose focus of the people issues, both
internally and externally. It’s important for everyone to feel
ownership of our goals and to feel good about our successes and
opportunities.
What are your biggest accomplishments in the last 24 months? Becoming a PFS Director.
What has been your toughest business decision?
Changing employers in 2007. I really loved working at
High Point Regional Health System and it was a difficult
decision to leave. However, I am happy with how things
worked out where I am currently.
What has been your biggest business lesson learned? Be consistent in your decision. I learned a valuable lesson
from Bob Duncan while at High Point – when you make
exceptions to the rules, it usually comes back to bite you.
What is your career advice? Always keep your integrity!
What do you like least about your job? Due to the amount of meetings on my calendar, I do not get
enough face time with my team members. And, I really
miss that in my new role.
What do you like most about your job? When I do have time to meet with employees, I love the
many great ideas they bring to the organization.
When you were a kid, you thought your career would be a country music star.
More About You:
What is your pet peeve? When someone fails to have personal accountability.
What are you greatest passions in life? Professionally – I really love working with the entire reve-
nue cycle team and watching many of them achieve signifi-
cant accomplishments. On a personal note, I really get a
charge out of somehow making a difference to others. Lit-
tle things that we do make a difference that sometimes we
are not even aware of.
What is your favorite quote?
“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you
will get.”
What is your favorite book? Any book written by James Patterson.
What is your favorite movie? Pretty Woman
What is your favorite way to spend your free time? Reading political conspiracies.
If you could meet anyone, who would it be? Condoleezza Rice
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it
be? I would love to be more organized!
About AAHAM:
What do you like most about AAHAM? The networking opportunities. I enjoy meeting new people
and learning about great ideas that we can implement at our
facility.
What is your favorite AAHAM event or memory? The 2007 Carolinas AAHAM event at the Grove Park Inn
(Asheville). And, I am pleased to hear that we will be there
again this year.
What can AAHAM do to make itself better? Continue to offer affordable educational sessions
(especially given the current state of affairs).
Written by: Brian Shannon
P A G E 9
C A R O L I N A C O M M U N I C A T O R
Janice Briggs, Collections Supervisor
Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, Spruce Pine, NC
Tammy Morton, CPAM Senior Manager, Operations Improvement
Duke University Health System PRMO, Durham, NC
Lori Sickelbaugh, CPAM Patient Business Services Director
Lexington Memorial Hospital, Lexington, NC
Congratulations on Your Recent CPAM Certification!
Carolina AAHAM
Needs Volunteers
AAHAM needs support and involvement from its members.
No matter how much or how little time you can contribute, your colleagues will appreciate your
efforts. If you are not involved, there is no time like NOW to get involved. It is often said, the
more time you contribute to an organization, the more you gain from your membership.
Getting involved in the Carolina Chapter of AAHAM is as simple as contacting Steve Duncan or
Wanda Welch and letting them know of your interest.
P A G E 1 0
February 9-2, 2009
Any hard-working employee will tell you that their
average work day can be described as somewhere be-
tween busy and crazy busy! With the creation of cell
phones and Blackberry’s, our lives are filled with de-
vices that are meant to make communication easier.
However, many of us have let these devices, combined
with poor time management skills, ruin what would
otherwise be a productive day. Here are some tips that
you can use immediately to help you become more
organized and less stressed out.
Schedule your work day the night before.Schedule your work day the night before.Schedule your work day the night before.Schedule your work day the night before.
This suggestion may be the least difficult to imple-
ment, but will provide the quickest return on your in-
vestment. Take ten minutes during the night to review
what your following day’s schedule looks like. This
review typically sets your mind at ease about what is
coming up and often reminds you of a task that you
wanted to do in order to prepare for something on your
schedule. Also, write down your most important ob-
jectives for the following day. A “to-do” list only
helps if you prioritize your time and activities. How-
ever, people rarely rank what is most important on the
list. When you arrive into work the next day, you are
then ready to begin working on what is most relevant,
instead of thinking about what you to need to work on.
Use business hours wisely.Use business hours wisely.Use business hours wisely.Use business hours wisely.
Most business partners you work with are likely open
between the hours of 9AM-5PM. Given that, try not to
fill up that time with non-essential activities. Plan your
weekly internal meetings at 7:00 or 7:30AM. If you
are not the boss, ask your boss to make the change
based on your self-interest in having as many hours as
possible available to you. I bet you will find him/her
pleasantly surprised by your request. Another tip, if
you travel in the car a lot, plan phone appointments at
that time instead of while in the office. If you move
one 15 minute phone call from your office line to your
cell phone daily, you just opened up over one hour of
extra business time per work week.
Make clear distinctions between work and personal Make clear distinctions between work and personal Make clear distinctions between work and personal Make clear distinctions between work and personal discussions.discussions.discussions.discussions.
My family and friends often make light of the fact that
they never can reach me during the work day. That is
NOT an accident. I love them all, but 99% of their
communication is not urgent. Accordingly, I do not
answer personal telephone calls during the day. Also,
ALL personal emails come to a separate personal ac-
count, never my work account. In fact, I never give out
my business email account to friends or family. Addi-
tionally, turn off the text function on your cell phone
and Instant Messenger through AOL. I know
some of you will think this is crazy, but have
you ever added up how many minutes (hours?)
you waste answering people’s meaningless
messages to you? Business and personal com-
munication need to be separated. Trust me,
your friends and family will quickly get the
message and stop bugging you during the work
day.
Change your email patterns.Change your email patterns.Change your email patterns.Change your email patterns.
I have changed my email setting so that new
emails arrive in my Inbox every fifteen min-
utes. This way, there is less of a chance that I
will be interrupted while I am finishing another
email, on the phone or completing another item
off of my “to-do” list. It is not necessary to
drop everything to immediately read and re-
spond to every email that comes into your In-
box. Email is not intended for instant commu-
nication. However, the more you respond in-
stantly, the more often people expect you to do
so. When I have several important projects on
my desk, I will simply close out my email ac-
count all together. It is ok to respond when it is
more convenient for you. In fact, I would ar-
gue that it makes more sense to respond later in
the day, when you are not distracted with other
things on your mind. The same is true for an-
swering the phone. Feel free to let a few mes-
sages accumulate. You can easily call them
back later that day or the next morning. As
long as business calls are returned with 24
hours, you are fine. Again, do all of this on
your schedule, not someone else’s.
Just say no! Be selfish with your time.Just say no! Be selfish with your time.Just say no! Be selfish with your time.Just say no! Be selfish with your time.
This is the hardest one for people to get com-
fortable with, but it is ok to tell people that you
cannot do something right then. When some-
one requests some information right now, po-
litely explain that you are in the middle of
something else and ask them what times, before
or after business hours, can you meet with them
to address their needs? This rule applies to
both personal and professional relationships, as
they both can be a drain on your productivity.
These tips will help you organize and prioritize
your time better. They may even help you earn
more money, and reduce your stress level. By
controlling your activities, you will no doubt
experience a much greater sense of fulfillment.
C A R O L I N A C O M M U N I C A T O R
By: Brian Shannon
Brian Shannon is a President of EJB World
Trade, an international
company specializing in sales, leadership and
productivity. He has
worked with hundreds of healthcare providers
over the years sharing
ideas and information on opportunities related to
the entire revenue cycle.
Mr. Shannon is also currently partnered with
a variety of best of breed
companies who provide services to hospitals –
including The Kramer
Group, Smartsource and CSI Financial. Brian
resides in Charlotte, NC
with his wife and two
children.
If you would like to learn more about him,
please visit his website
at www.brianshannon.net.
Time Management Tips for Busy People
P A G E 1 1
Over the years as a recruiter and career coach, I’ve seen
the consequences of poorly written resumes, resulting in
the frustration of a long and fruitless job search. Most
resume problems can be traced to these top five resume
mistakes.
#1 No resume focus.
The most effective resumes leave no doubt as to the
job seeker’s career objective. A one-size-fits-all resume
gives the impression that the job seeker is uncertain of
his career goal. An employer once told me that if a
candidate is interested in two completely different
positions, he must not be very good at either. If you
have more than one career objective, you need more
than one resume.
#2 Lack of marketing strategy.
Job seekers rarely see their search for what it is—a
sales campaign. Think of your resume as marketing
material designed to create a powerful first impres-
sion and win a multitude of job interviews. Translate
your career history into an effective marketing piece
by selling toward the reader’s buying motives: solving
problems, saving time, cutting costs or increasing
profits.
#3 No accomplishment statements.
95% of all resumes lack accomplishment statements.
Accomplishment allow employers to visualize your
contribution to their company. Quantifiable accom-
plishments motivate employers to call you before their
competition discovers you. These statements can dol-
larize your worth and increase your bargaining
power.
#4 Lack of resume keywords.
These days, resumes are screened by both humans
and computers. A resume lacking in keywords runs
the risk of being read by neither. An average screen-
ing of a resume is 15 seconds or less, so more attention
is paid to resumes using the same words found in the
job description. Candidate-tracking software retrieves
resumes by keywords. A keyword-focused resume
will put you front and center.
#5 Incorrect resume format.
Basically, there are three resume formats: chronologi-
cal, functional and hybrid.
Chronological: The chronological is best known and
easiest to write, a time line style resume. This format
works well if your objective is to remain in the same
industry or occupation.
Functional: The functional resume places transferable
skills and accomplishments at the beginning of your
resume. However, a poorly crafted functional resume
can be confusing, causing the reader to believe the can-
didate has something to hide.
Hybrid: The hybrid resume combines the best features of
other resumes. It showcases skills and accomplish-
ments while maintaining ease of reading. This is the
best format for job seekers of all levels. The Hybrid re-
sume is well worth the additional time and effort to
craft.
Once your resume is designed to avoid the top five re-
sume mistakes, you will be well on your way to winning
interviews and reaching your career objective.
Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach helping job seekers
compete in the toughest job markets. Her clients gain top per-
forming skills in resume writing, interview preparation and
salary negotiation. Learn more career tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com
Avoid These Top Five Resume Mistakes!
By: Deborah Walker, CCMC
P A G E 1 2
Revenue Cycle Check-Up By: John Cook
A critical part of our health and well being is the annual visit to our physician for our physical. Usually we dread it; however, it can
prove to be the most important activity we do every year. Equally important is to take time and give our revenue cycle a check-up,
sometimes followed by a tune-up. Following are some critical questions that I feel need to be addressed on an annual basis.
• What critical information are we still missing at Registration?
• Do we take time to update our insurance master in our software system, providing the most current information?
• What is most critical? Quality or Quantity?
• Are we providing ongoing training opportunities for all personnel on changes and new issues as they occur?
• Do we have an established and approved process for collection at the time of service?
• Are we targeting certain areas to focus our attention when collecting at the time of service? (i.e. co-pays)
• Due to the economy and the inability in many cases to re-hire certain positions do we take advantage of the opportunity to
cross train?
• Are we taking full advantage of what our current software package has to offer? (i.e. work files)
• Is our facility taking advantage of online options for patients?
• Do we have dedicated staff members assigned to insurance follow-up?
• Are we taking full advantage of in-house collectors and financial counselors?
• Are we basing outsourcing decisions on desired outcomes or lack of resources to manage the process?
• Are we looking for resources that will actually provide solutions?
• How do we measure our results from outsourcing partnerships that we may have entered into?
How do we measure your results from in-house efforts?
Answering these questions honestly will give you an idea where your attention and effort will need to be placed in the next year.
Time is scarce and priorities must be established.
Establish the vision and define the task
John Cook current serves as First Vice President of AAHAM Carolina Chapter. He is Director of Sales and Marketing for
Acryness, previously serving as PFS Director for twenty two years. He may be reached at [email protected].
Wednesday
November 4, 2009
Sheraton Greensboro
Hotel at Four Seasons
Koury Convention Center
9:00 am — 4:00 pm
Registration beginning at
8:00 am
Hotel Accommodations
Sheraton Greensboro
$125 (conference site)
(336)292-9161
Hampton Inn Four
Seasons
$89
(336)854-8600
Carolina and Virginia
Chapters
New Perspective on Revenue Cycle
Training and Performance
Standards
Hot Topics
Registration Boot Camp
Revenue Cycle Checklist
Productivity Model
Denials Management
REGISTRATION
AVAILABLE
ONLINE
Www.aahamcarolina.org
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Conference Agenda 8:00 am — 9:00 am Registration and Networking
Continental Breakfast
9:00 am — 9:15 am Welcome/Introduction
9:15 am — 10:30 am Registration Boot Camp
Marla Robinson Registration Boot Camp: Blue Ridge Regional Hospital implemented a Registration Boot Camp for their registra-
tion personnel that provided four days of intense training in all aspects of Revenue Cycle. Some of their successes
included a reduction in A/R days, an increase in clean claims, and an increase in staff morale and production. Marla
Robinson, the creator of this program, will share the details of this successful program and how it could be imple-
mented in your organization.
Marla Robinson is the Access Manager for Blue Ridge Regional in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. She has been with
Blue Ridge for eight years and is currently working toward her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration.
10:30 am — 11:00 am Break with Sponsors
11:00 am —- 12:00 pm Revenue Cycle Tune Up
John Cook
Revenue Cycle Check List: For the overall health of the Revenue Cycle an annual check-up is necessary. A check list
of critical areas will be reviewed in depth including registration issues, collections, insurance follow-up, vendor pro-
ductivity, and defining new task.
John Cook is the First Vice President of Carolina AAHAM and serves as Director of Marketing and Sales for
Acryness. John graduated from Appalachian State University with a BSBA and has 30 years experience in health-care.
12:00 pm — 1:00 pm Lunch with Sponsors
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Conference Agenda
1:00 pm — 2:30 pm Productivity and Quality Model What does it mean to your AR?
Glenn Martin, CPAM
Duke University Health System
You measure AR days, bad debt expense, cost to collect, registration error rate, etc.., but have you questioned
how effective and efficient your teams are working? During this session you will learn how to set up your pro-
ductivity standards for different payors. How do you measure your team’s productivity? What happens if some-
one doesn’t meet their productivity? Also, how important is quality of work performed to you? How do you
measure quality of work performed? How often and how many do you sample? We will also learn what does
OER have to do with the two (productivity and quality).
We will review the tools that are used to help measure Productivity and Quality. And, don’t forget about OER.
In these times of running a lean and efficient operation these two components cannot be left out of your Key
AR Metrics.
Glenn Martin has worked in the Healthcare profession for over 20 years and served in positions of Director of
Patient Financial Services, VP of Finance and currently Manager of Patient Revenue with Duke Health System.
Glenn graduated from East Carolina University and attended Wingate University Master's Program. Glenn
also enjoys working with the AAHAM Certification Program and conducts Study Sessions for those individu-
als at-tempting to obtain their CPAM. He is a long time member of AAHAM with the Carolina and Virginia
Chapter.
2:30 pm — 2:45 pm Break with Sponsors
2:45 pm — 4:00 pm Denials Management
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CORPORATE SPONSORS Carolina Chapter
Acryness
AccessOne MedCard Inc.
CCA an EOS Company
CMD Outsourcing Solutions, Inc
FirstPoint Collections Resources Inc./Mosaic Revenue Solutions
HRA (The Outsource Group)
Ingram & Associates
Jon Barry and Associates, Inc
ParrishShaw & Company
PMAB,LLC/MedRX
Professional Recovery Consultants
Outsource Receivable Services, Inc.
Virginia Chapter Platinum Sponsors
ChamberlinEdmonds CCA InterPro Medical Solutions
Gold Sponsors
Advanced Patient Advocacy Credit Control Corp. MOSAIC
Quadax The SSI Group Inc. DB Technology
Silver Sponsors
DECO EMDEON NHI National Reimbursement Group
Supporters
Best Practices HFRI Ingram & Associates Intek MedAssist
Receivables Management RSI Enterprises The Focused Group
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New Perspective on Revenue Cycle Training and
Performance Standards
REGISTRATION
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons
Koury Convention Center
Register online at www.aahamcarolina.org
Please print (need completed registration for each attendee including board members and speakers)
Organization_______________________________________________________
Mailing Address____________________________________________________
City____________________________ State______ Zip____________________
Attendee Name___________________________ Title___________________
Member Number______________ (check all that apply) CPAT__ CPAM__ Other_____
Telephone__________________ E-mail ______________________________
Attendee Name___________________________ Title___________________
Member Number______________ (check all that apply) CPAT__ CPAM__ Other_____
Telephone__________________ E-mail ______________________________
Attendee Name___________________________ Title___________________
Member Number______________ (check all that apply) CPAT__ CPAM__ Other_____
Telephone__________________ E-mail ______________________________
Please fax or mail the registration to
the attention of
John Cook
Fax: 704-799-3552
MAIL: 128 Talbert Road
Suite J
Mooresville, NC 28117
Make checks
payable to
AAHAM
Carolina Chapter
Registration: Member $89 ___ Non-Member $114
_____
Three or more from the same organization $75
Number Attending___
Total Registration Fee: $__________
Credit Card #:___________________________
Name on Card:__________________________
Expiration Date:_________________________
Amount to Charge: $______________ _______
For additional information contact John Cook at
704-799-3550, [email protected]
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