Dear Georgia Chapter Members:
As I write this message, change is occurring. Summer is nearly over, children are back in school, and football season is about to begin. I can almost feel the crisp air of autumn, and see the leaves begin to turn into the glorious reds and golds that color the beautiful Georgia landscapes.
As a Chapter, we are off to a terrific start! Our summer institute in Hilton Head was very well attended with 325 people registered. As of August 31, we have held 16 PFS workshops and by November 31, another 20 workshops will have been offered. Susan Singleton and Tammy Bryant deserve special recognition for their hard work in putting together these workshops. Our planning for the Fall institute to be held in Savannah, November 7-9, is nearly complete. As of now, we plan to offer 27 educational sessions. We are bringing back casino night and will host a reception for our new members. In addition, representatives from EDS have agreed to staff a help desk to assist all interested providers with their problem claims, confidentially of course.
We are also making good progress toward hosting the Dixie Institute in Atlanta, February 17-20, 2002. Don’t forget to mark these dates on your calendar. Anyone needing additional information about the meeting should contact Bill Eikost at NCO Financial Systems, Inc. Bill is serving as chairman of the Dixie Institute Committee. An ongoing project that I want to mention is the improvement of the Chapter’s website. For the first time ever, we were able to offer on-line registration and payment (in connection with our Hilton Head meeting) and will continue this service for our Savannah meeting. Soon, we plan to have a sample CPAR examination added to the website to assist candidates in preparing for the test. Please visit our website often. I welcome feedback from each of you on the website or any other topic.
See you in Savannah!
Sincerely,
Eddie Phillips
President, 2001-2002
Colquitt Regional Medical Center has served the residents of Colquitt County and S outhwest Georgia since 1939. During its 61 years of ser vice, CRMC has made a positive impact in the communities it ser ves through the collaborative efforts of its employees, physicians, trustees and volunteers.
As a not-for-profit health care system, CRMC strives to provide affordable health care to patients. Ser vices include cardiology, outpatient surgery, outpatient dialysis, 24-hour emergency ser vices, gastroenterology, home health care and private duty ser vices, hospice, intensive care and cardiac care, laboratory ser vices, urgent care clinic, neurodiagnostics and sleep disorder center, adult day care, nursery and neonatal intensive care, obstetrics and gynecology, medical oncology, orthopedics, pathology, pediatrics, pharmacy, pr imary care clinic, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation ser vices, respiratory care and women’s health ser vices. CRMC’s Wound Care Clinic enables patients with nonhealing wounds to find relief close to home where their car e can be monitored and supervised by their own physicians. A diabetes support group and clinic provides patients with diabetes classroom training, nutrition counseling and medical support.
To make it easier for people to make wise health care decisions, House Calls, a popular live radio show on 100,000-watt WMTM-FM 93.9, addresses health topics and gives listeners the opportunity to call in with their questions from the comfort of their own home or office. T he program airs ever y T hursday at 12:20 p.m. and can be heard throughout South Georgia and North Florida.
L ast year CRMC updated its Internet web site, www.colquittregional.com, to include more information about hospital ser vices, our medical s taff, the Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation and the surrounding community. Also included were several links to respected health information Web sites to make it easier to research health topics.
CRMC’s Home Care and Private Duty Ser vices have continued to provide quality health care ser vices in homes, nursing homes and retirement facilities. A non-emergency transportation ser vice was expanded to include scheduled trips to outlying communities to provide easier access to the hospital, doctor’s offices and other health care destinations. T he hospital’s adult day care program for persons with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or other effects of aging has continued to grow, and Pathways, an older adult behavioral health ser vices program, recently celebrated its second-year anniversar y of helping adults 55 and older cope with change, build self-esteem and enhance their quality of life.
CRMC also reaches out to corporations and schools, performing on-site exams and screenings via local health fairs. T hrough a corporate health program, CRMC promotes and sets up pulmonary function tests, chest x-rays, hearing tests, hepatitis and flu vaccinations, back safety classes and classes covering CPR, first aid and blood-borne pathogens.
L ast year , Corporate H ealth worked with the Colquitt County Board of Education to establish a school nurse program to promote the quality of health care and health awareness to school-age children.
CRMC believes education is essential in preventive health care. Educational ser vices are available to teach people in the community to perform CPR, guide expectant couples through prenatal training, manage their diabetes, and learn about a variety of medical topics, from how to quit smoking to recognizing signs of heart disease and other ailments.
Nursing staff
In the wake of the nursing shortage throughout the nation, Colquitt Colquitt Regional Medical Center CRMC to challenges of new millennium Regional has fared better than most facilities in the state. In Georgia, the vacancy rate is 13 percent. In the Southwest District, it’s 9 percent. With 154 nurses on staff, CRMC is fortunate to be only 6 percent short of its goal.
Colquitt Regional is taking a proactive approach to these challenges, fostering an interest in nursing by working with Colquitt County H igh School and institutions of higher learning, employing nursing students parttime, and offering practical experience to student volunteers who are exploring a career in nursing. Students from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton and Valdosta State University take clinical instruction at CRMC, which is another good way to attract new recruits. Other area technical colleges also affiliate with CRMC. T he hospital also offer tuition-reimbursement scholarships for current employees looking to further their health care careers and to students wishing to enter the health care field.
What nurses learn in school sometimes does not carry over into real life situations. So new Colquitt Regional nurses can expect to be assigned to a seasoned nurse for months of one-toone expanded orientation, alleviating many frustrations in the learning process.
To ensure that the best care is avai lable to our patients, CRMC requires nurses to become certified in their specialty areas.
Improvements in services and technology
Computers have replaced hand-written patient progress notes to minimize the chance of misinterpretation and facilitate monitoring patient care. Entries can be made at terminals at the nursing stations. Portable handheld units are also used.
L ast year CRMC acquired new equipment to keep up with advances in medical care and the needs of patients. One of the most significant improvements is the addition of a new $102,000 ambulance, which doubles as a mobile intensive care unit for transporting patients to tertiary care facilities when necessar y. Other recent improvements included the purchase of a new CO2 laser for the S urgery Department and two new digital ultrasound and cardiac imaging units. Both units include innovative technology for hemodynamic evaluations.
Colquitt Regional is one of the few hospitals in South Georgia to have an open MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) unit. T he unit was recently upgraded to perform renal artery imaging to better evaluate blood flow through the renal arteries to the kidneys. T his advancement is useful in making a diagnosis in patients with high blood pressure.
Construction and renovation projects
CRMC is growing and it shows. T his past year , more than $1.5 million worth of improvements were made that directly affect patient care. More than $500,000 was spent on creating additional private rooms and renovating existing rooms. In response to demand, CRMC constructed a new latex-free room for patients allergic to latex. Demand also indicated the need for additional breast screening capacity, and a new mammography machine, along with renovation in CRMC’s Women’s Diagnostic Imaging Center, was completed in April.
To better ser ve patients and improve efficiency, CRMC consolidated the offices of admissions and registration. Other recent improvements included expanding and renovating the pharmacy and constructing a new 12,500 square foot warehouse and offices for the Materials Management Department.
Looking to the future
When patients entrust Colquitt Regional Medical Center with their health care, they can be assured that clinical and support staff will work hard to earn their confidence. T he hospital constantly assesses its performance and seeks ways to improve.
T he planning process includes an in-depth analysis of hospital ser vices, trends in care, availability of manpower, reimbursement issues and future health care needs. Community leaders, physicians, trustees, the senior management team and department heads periodically meet to exchange ideas and make sure that Colquitt Regional Medical Center is prepared to meet the growing health care needs of the community in the new millennium.
HFMA recognizes that there is an important link between the educational community and our profession. Particularly in an era when shortages of qualified staff are a growing concern, it's important to nurture the next generation of healthcare finance professionals. Recent interviews with faculty and students have revealed several opportunities to elevate the profession of healthcare financial management, a few of which are highlighted below.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
T he easiest way to be sure that eligible high-school and college students consider a career in healthcare finance is to participate in as many local career days and job fairs as you can. Participation in a career day involves distributing handouts and answering individuals' questions as they stroll through an exhibit area. (When doing career days, be sure to let students know that HFMA's website offers some great resources for the dreaded "careers" paper, a common high-school assignment!) Job fairs tend to be more focused on recruitment, with employers gathered to meet and collect applications from potential candidates.
Many teachers welcome opportunities to have professionals give students a first-hand perspective of various jobs. T his could involve a classroom visit or a tour of your facility's business office. I f you decide to organize a tour, schedule plenty of time for questions and answers, ideally with several members of your staff. And of course, take appropriate precautions to protect patients' confidentiality during the tour. HFMA also gets frequent requests for H FMA-certified members to ser ve as adjunct faculty for college healthcare programs.
CLASSROOM VOLUNTEERS
An effective way to build relationships with the educational community can be through classroom coaching. Educators are always seeking skilled volunteers to be tutors in math, computer skills, money management, and more.
Joe Abel, H FMA's director of professional development, described an experience he had several years ago with school partnerships, through the Society of Actuaries. Society members started out in the classrooms as volunteer math tutors. "As teachers got to know us more, and learned about what actuaries do," Joe commented, "we were asked to do projects more related to our particular expertise. T he students developed not only mathematics skills, but financial management skills and an appreciation of the profession's unique contributions to society as well."
SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS
L ike any other professional group, teachers need recognition and continuing education. T he business community is increasingly supplying those needs. In a 2000 report, the National Association for Partners in Education reported that "about half of partnering districts collaborated on activities that support staff recognition," up from 10 percent in 1990. Partnerships also were a source of workshops, training, continuing education, internships, and fellowship training. Healthcare finance professionals can provide impor tant information to teachers to help keep curriculums in step with the current business environment.
HOW TO START
To find out what opportunities are currently available, or what the schools in your area need most, call the placement offices at colleges and universities, or the dean's office of university programs in health administration, public health, or the business school. Another avenue is to contact your H FMA chapter, the Chamber of Commerce, and other business groups to learn about existing school partnerships.
H ealth-care providers continue to face numerous challenges including continued uncertainty regarding Medicaid reimbursements, slow payments by insurers, a growing number of uninsured and an acute nursing and allied health professional shortage. Seeking help regarding these challenges will be the number one priority when the General Assembly reconvenes in Januar y 2002.
However , the key to accomplishing this will be the successful launch a comprehensive advocacy and legislative strategy for the upcoming session. T he following is an over view of the 2002 legislative session and some of the most important issues facing hospitals. T he GaH FMA ProAction Committee will work in conjunction with the Georgia H ospital Association’ s (GH A) government affairs team to accomplish the following objectives:
* Ensure full compensation through fair and adequate government payment for care delivered to Medicaid patients and recognition of the cost incurred by hospitals in treating the uninsured.
* Develop and maintain strong and committed workforce.
* Strengthen laws and regulation to improve payment to hospitals and tort liability reform.
Because Georgia’s hospitals are essential to the health and well being of the citizens of the state and are an integral component of the economic viability of each community, maximizing financial payment will again be a key focus for Georgia hospitals during the upcoming legislative session.
Reimbursement
Next year’ s advocacy and legislative efforts will primarily focus on Medicaid payments and the cost of uncompensated care. I t’s significant that hospitals in FY01 are being paid only 3.5% more by Medicaid that in FY96 and currently, Medicaid only pays 90 cents on the dollar for the cost of outpatient care.
During the next legislative session hospitals will be asking the Governor and the legislature to increase inpatient Medicaid rates by utilizing the latest cost report and to include the full DRI inflation factor. Additionally, we will be advocating that hospitals be paid at 100 percent of their outpatient costs.
More than 1.3 million Georgians are currently uninsured at an annual cost to hospitals of $700 million. A lack of insurance coverage creates major burdens on the health-care delivery system in Georgia. Without additional financial support for uncompensated care, the availability of basic health ser vices will be compromised through the possible reduction of ser vices.
L obbying and advocacy efforts will focus on paying hospitals in excess of Medicaid rates in recognition of the high uncompensated care costs for ser vices provided to the uninsured and to pay hospitals that have incurred bad debt costs due to indigent and charity care costs.
Work Force Shortages
T he shortage of nurses and allied health professional in hospitals across Georgia has reached crisis proportions and is in some cases threatening the availability of ser vices. Statewide the nursing vacancy rate is approximately 13 percent. T his represents about 2,700 full-time equivalents ( FT E s) . T he metro Atlanta area is reporting a 19 percent nursing vacancy rate. Other allied health professionals such as radiological and medical technologists, respiratory therapists and pharmacists also are in short supply with more than 1,200 openings across Georgia.
Advocacy efforts were successful in increasing the FY02 budget by more than $200,000 for 76 additional nurse students through the Nurse Ser vice Cancelable Loan Scholarship program. However , more assistance is needed if we are to make an impact on this growing work force shortage.
Advocacy efforts will seek legislation in 2002 that will increase nursing and allied health scholarships, as well as the number of nurse and allied health faculty at the state’ s higher educational facilities. In addition, legislation will be pursued to improve data collection and analysis to identify work force shortage areas across the state .
Prompt Pay and Tort L iability Reform
Adequate payment remains a critical issue facing hospitals. T hrough our advocacy and lobbying efforts, we will continue to fight for s trengthening laws and regulations to improve payments to providers and to limit tort liability.
Hospitals, already squeezed by inadequate payments by the government, also are seeing a rapid increase in the delay of payments by private payers, endangering hospitals overall financial stability. Despite Georgia law that requires health plans to pay claims within 15 days, the actual average length of time to pay is now at 69 days. Many health plans have been using pending payments classifications to skirt the law by requesting additional unspecified information from providers in an effort hold up validating claims.
Another issue facing providers, medical malpractice coverage costs are becoming more and more difficult to contain and hospitals are finding it exceeding difficult to secure affordable liability coverage. Now, with significantly higher malpractice awards and settlements, insurers are raising rates at alarming pace. R enewal rates for medical malpractice insurance is dramatically increasingin Georgia with the average jumping as much as 200 percent annually.
Among the priorities for the 2002 General Assembly will be to advocate for the timely payment by insurers and to limit tort liability on hospitals, as well as to make liability insurance affordable and accessible to Georgia’s healthcare providers.
2002 Grass Roots and Advocacy Efforts
Many of these goals are achievable, however we can only be successful if we work together to support these efforts. T his can be accomplished by telling our stories to state lawmakers. T hey need to hear from us, as experts in health-care financing, about the financial stress our facilities are under. We need to communicate to our representatives about how under-funding, no funding and slow payments from insurers and Medicaid affects the ser vices we provide to our patients and to the community as a whole.
We need to explain to lawmakers how the workforce shortages affect our employees and the level of care we are able to provide to our patients and communities we ser ve. We also need to emphasize how burdensome rules and regulations are drowning our staff in paper work, forcing the state’ s health-care providers to spend more time pushing paper rather than treating patients.
Georgia’s hospitals make a significant contribution to the state’ s economy totaling more than $26 billion annually through employment, revenues and expenditures. Because, hospitals play such a vital role in the well being of our communities, it is critical that our institutions be maintained and improved upon.
T he complexity and constantly evolving nature of health care demands establishing and maintaining relationships with our elected leaders through advocacy and outreach. Effective advocacy takes time and commitment. Our success on these legislative issues is directly attributed to the level of local hospital grass roots activities. We need your support if we are to make a positive difference for our patients and their families. You know what is at stake.
By Tim Pollard, FHFMA, FACHE, MBA,
Chief Financial Officer
Saint Joseph’s Health System
Georgia Chapter
HFMA Board Member ProAction Committee
At the 2001 Summer Institute, the first rural roundtable was held. T he roundtable was initiated to facilitate discussion on topics of special interest to rural hospitals.
T his meeting was attended by hospital CFOs, business office managers and consultants and moderated by L inda Corley, Manager Consulting Ser vices, with Advanced Receivables Strategy .
From the beginning of the presentation, it was apparent that the underlying issue that affects most rural hospitals is the lack of specialized employees. Many times the employees in a rural hospital setting per form many varied functions, which does not allow them to grow in their primary job or sta y abreast of changes in the industry.
T his presentation included discussion on the following issues: establishing charges for ser vices, discounting charges to physicians, specialty room charges, staffing and training, resources for rural hospitals and denial management .
Establishing charges for services
T he facilities represented felt that formal guidance on establishing charges for ser vices is needed. Typically, many rural hospitals charge less than what is an appropriate charge.
Below are items to be considered when evaluating charges:
Discounting services to physicians
Many facilities loose laboratory procedures from physician’s clinics to free standing laboratories. Typically, the free standing laboratories offer lower pricing than a hospital based lab. Hospitals should consider contracting a discounted rate directly with the physician. T he physician would then be invoiced for all lab procedures sent to the hospital. T he hospital would apply a discounted rate as contracted. T he physician would in turn invoice the patient.
Specialty room charges
Periodically, hospitals must equip a room with specialized equipment per a physician’s orders. It was suggested that hospitals use a charge for specialized room charges when a patient requires specialized equipment and nurse monitor ing.
Staffing and training
The following areas were discussed to improve staff education and effectiveness.
Denial Management
Many facilities spend numerous hours on researching denied claims. By implementing the following procedures, a hospital may be able to reduce denials.
In light of recent tragic events taking place in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, many things that seemed important before September 11, 2001 are no longer a part of our daily consciousness. As HFMA members we are accustomed to working together, forming teams, exhibiting leadership in times of crisis, and giving back to our communities. Many are asking now, "What can I do to help?" The following is a list, in no particular order, of opportunities that you, your employees, and fellow HFMA members can actively become involved in which can and will make a difference in the lives of others.
Hug your children, grandchildren, parents and grandparents. Disasters are upsetting to ever yone involved. Children, older people, and/ or people with disabilities are especially at risk. For a child, his or her view of the world as a safe and predictable place is temporarily lost. Children become afraid that the event will happen again and that they or their family will be injured or killed. Give the gift of selfless love and reassurance to others.
As HMFA leaders, support your staff. For the millions of people around the world connected to tragedy only by media coverage, it can mean the loss of a measure of security and safety. Many healthcare workers and hospital employees are worried and distracted right now. Talk about what happened. Listen to and accept your employee's feelings. Give honest, simple, brief answers to their questions. Create opportunities for employees to talk with each other about what happened and how they are feeling. E ven if you feel the world is an unsafe place, you can reassure others by saying, "T he event is over. Now we will do ever ything possible to stay safe, and together we can help get things back to normal."
Notice when employees have questions and want to talk. Be especially concerned and supportive; your leadership is needed this time.
Give the gift of life. Give blood. Consider having your hospital or company sponsor a blood drive. This is an easy and fulfilling way to know you are helping to save lives. To find out where you can donate visit the American R ed Cross website at www.givelife.org or call 1-800-GIVE-L IFE (448-3543) . T he American R ed Cross Blood Ser vices, Southern Region is headquartered in Atlanta. T he region provides ser vices in 102 counties in Georgia and in areas of South Carolina and North F lorida. S outhern Region provides blood products to approximately 140 hospitals and healthcare facilities.
T he region maintains donor centers and recruitment offices in Athens, Gainesville, Rome, metro Atlanta, Macon, Columbus, Albany, Valdosta, Savannah,! Brunswick, Jacksonville, Florida, and Daytona Beach, Florida. Each weekday 1,200 people must donate blood in the Southern Region to meet the needs of the patients ser ved. Most healthy people age 17 and older that weigh at least 110 pounds can give blood. Blood donors are eligible to give blood ever y 56 days. For specific information in our region of the United States, Georgia Chapter FMA members and others interested in donating blood or platelets can visit www.redcrossatlanta.org.
Food and clothing donations can be dropped off at United Way offices throughout Georgia. For the address of the United Way office nearest you, please dial 211 in Metro Atlanta, 706-571-2265 in Columbus, 912-651-7730 in Savannah, and 912-745-4732 in Macon. Monetary donations may be made to the United Way's emergency aid fund. Wr ite to "National Response Fund", c/o United Way of America, 701 N. Fair fax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 or send your check to: "September 11th Fund", c/ o United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, 100 Edgewood Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30303. For more information visit their national website at www.unitedway.org and locate your local chapter office in Georgia.
Give your time or make a donation to T he Salvation Army. T heir programs and ser vices are greatly enhanced by the millions of individuals who volunteer their time and talents each year . Volunteers ( like H FMA members) come from all walks of life and support the Army in almost all of its activities. For details, call 404-873-3101 in Atlanta or contact the volunteer coordinator at T he Salvation Army office nearest you. Visit their website at www.salvationarmy.org for information on volunteering in Georgia.
At the end of our lives we will not remember how much money we made, how many television shows we watched, or how many things we purchased at the mall. What will come back to us in a brilliant and blinding light is the quality of the relationships we formed with those we touched and loved: our families, our spouses, our children, our friends, our co-workers. Go ahead; make a difference in the world...right now!
Joe Hall
Co-Chair - Public Relations TEAM
Director - Patient Accounts & Admissions
Wesley Woods Hospital of Emory University
Effective June 1, 2001, HFMA has added a new category for obtaining Founders Points. An H FMA member can ear n one ( 1) point for ever y ten ( 10) questions they reply to in the H FMA Knowledge Network Discussion area of the H FMA web site (www.hfma.org.) .
T o enter the discussion ar ea, go to http:/ / bor is.netonline. com:8080/ ~hfma/ login . You are required to have a “Members Only” log-on. For convenience, you can set up your discussion board profile to use the same ID and Passwor d as you use for the rest o the HFMA site.
According to H FMA, this new way to obtain Founders Points in an effort to recognize and support the important role that peer-to-peer networking plays in the development of the healthcare finance profession. We all know how much we ask each other questions over the phone, through e-mail and at our institutes. Now, if you use the discussion boards on H FMA’ s web site, you can also ear n points for answering questions. You can also post your questions and get answers to your own questions. You only score points for answering questions on the discussion board.
H ow to track the points. E ach member is responsible for pr inting out your replies and sending them with a cover letter to the Founders Chair ( Rick Childs or Pete H ogan) . Please wait until you have ten ( 10) replies. Sending them in groups of ten ( 10) will ensur e you get the Founders Point. Remember ten ( 10) replies equals one ( 1) Founders Point. T he Founders Chair will track the points and submit to National with the yearly submission of Chapter tracked points.
What constitutes an eligible response? According to National you must follow these simple steps:
* T he reply must me pr ovide insight or practical information that helps another member( s) resole a question. T his could be a couple of paragraphs of your experience or simply a reference to a CMS ( formally HCFA) manual page reference or even sharing a job description.
* T he response must be posted to the Web site discussion area so that all members can learn from the exchange.
* T he reply must comply with copyright laws. T ypically, gover nmental information is in the public domain and may be copied or pasted in a discussion board message. Must other documentation from magazines, newsletters, training manuals and the like are all copyright protected and cannot be copied or listed on a discussion board.
Questions about the new Founders point categor y or the Knowledge Network discussion area can be addressed to L aura Noble, Manager , H FMA Knowledge Network, at lnoble@hfma.org or 1-800-252-HFMA, ext. 607.
By Richard L. Childs, FHFMA
Database Chairman
Director - Patient Financial Services
Piedmont Hospital
T he CPAR committee met on August 1st to finalize the manuals and prepared them to go to participants. Now that manuals have been passed out and coaching sessions are underway , test time is around the corner. On September 10th the CPAR coaching sessions began at Kennestone Hospital and continued until September the 24th at HCA Coliseum in Macon. Also effective as of September 10th, there are now practice quizzes on the Georgia HFMA website. At this time there are 5 Chapter quizzes on line, Registration and Dismissal, Business Office/ Collections, Blue Cross, State Merit, and Managed Care. Just click on each of the questions per quiz and give the answers you think are correct per the CPAR manual. T hen simply double click on the box labeled Grade Practice Test. I t will then grade your answers and give you your score. Visit the website at www.GeorgiaH FMA.org to test your knowledge before you take the exam.
| Test Locations | Date | Time |
| Atlanta | ||
| Kennestone H ospital Auditorium | October 2nd | 1:00pm to 4:00pm |
| Atlanta | ||
| Northside H ospital | October 8th | 9:00am to 12:00pm |
| Northside H ospital | October 8th | 1:00pm to 4:00pm |
| Athens | ||
| Athens Regional Medical Center Physician Imaging Center Auditorium | October 12th | 9:00am to 12:00pm |
| Columbus | ||
| T he Medical Center | October 15th | 9:00am to 12:00pm |
| T he Medical Center | October 15th | 1:00pm to 4:00pm |
| Valdosta | ||
| T he H oliday Inn | October 15th | 9:00am to 12:00pm |
| Atlanta | ||
| Southern Regional H ospital | October 16th | 9:00am to 12:00pm |
| Macon | ||
| H CA Coliseum | October 22nd | 9:00am to 12:00pm |
| H CA Coliseum | October 22nd | 1:00pm to 4:00pm |
Please check the HFMA website for the latest CPAR information updates. Good L uck and we will see ever yone at graduation!
Bridget Sykes
Emory Healthcare
HIPAA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
HIPAA is certainly not a new buzz - word in the healthcare industry, however , as time passes, HIPAA is quickly becoming a more important term; one demanding immediate attention and a significant budget. I f your organization has not begun plans for the implementation of the H IPAA regulations, now is the time to start planning. T his article reviews the components of the Act and how your organization can begin to prepare for these new regulations today.
T he H ealth Care Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (H IPAA) was enacted by Congress on August 21, 1996, as Public L aw 104-191. T his Act which will be phased in over several years, affects health care providers including but not limited to health plans, employers, public health authorities, physician offices, life insurers, clearinghouses, billing agencies, information system vendors, ser vice organizations and universities. T he Act covers three main areas:
1) Insurance Portability: T he primary purpose of this law was to provide continuity of healthcare coverage by placing limitations on pre-existing condition exclusions and prohibiting discr imination against individuals based on the status of their health. In essence, people moving from one health plan to another cannot be denied coverage under pre-existing conditions.
2) F raud Enforcement ( Accountability) : T his portion of the act increases the means by which the law will be enforced for non-compliance of the Act.
3) Administration Simplification: T he third part of the act, administration simplification, is the section that will affect hospitals in several areas. T he implementation will be costly for healthcare providers. Administrative simplification focuses on three primary areas: ( a) standardizing electronic formats for certain transactions, ( b) ensuring the privacy of certain patient information, and ( c) ensuring the security of electronic health information and electronic signatures.
T he final rule for healthcare electronic transactions and code sets was printed October 16, 2000 ( effective Oct. 2002) and was the first of several anticipated rules to cover the administrative simplification aspects of HIPAA. E lectronic transaction standards will require assessment of the information technology systems to ensure sof tware and hardware can adapt to H I PAA standards. Entities covered by HIPAA will be required to utilize uniform, defined data to ensure the electronic transaction standards will work. Failure to utilize uniform, defined data will result in a compliance issue.
T he Medical Code sets defined in the standard for one or more of the transaction sets include:
* International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification ( ICD-9-CM)
* National Drug Codes (NDC)
* Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT-2)
* H ealth Care Financing Administration Common Procedure Coding Systems (H CPCS)
* Current P rocedural Terminology, Fourth Edition ( CPT-4) .
E ffective with this regulation, H CPCS “local codes” ( level I I I codes) will no longer be recognized. I t is undetermined how these items will be reported in the future.
Waiting for the outcome of thefinal privacy/ security s tandards isover. T he H IPAA Privacy rule, alsocovered under the AdministrativeSimplification section of the regulation, became effective April 14, 2001. T he deadline for the implementationof the H IPAA Privacyrule is April 14, 2003, two years from the effective date of this rule.Small health plans-those with annual revenue of less than $5 million - are allowed an additional12 months to comply with the regulations. H IPAA privacy rules preempt state laws except where the state laws are more stringent.
Compliance with the privacy requirements will be difficult for all covered entities (CE ’s) . I nitially, the privacy regulations were to cover individually identifiable health information, also known as protected health information ( PH I ) , only in the electronic format. T he final rule has been extended to cover all healthcare information to include oral, paper, or electronic format. CE ’s including healthcare providers, health plans, employers, public health authorities, clearinghouses, billing agencies, information systems vendors, ser vice organizations and universities are affected by this rule. T hese rules are ver y specific when discussing certain aspects of privacy and security.
Section 164.530( a) of the final privacy rule outlines the basic requirement for a privacy official stating, “A covered entity must designate a privacy official who is responsible for the development and implementation of the privacy policies and procedures of the entity. ” Appointing the privacy officer early in the process will provide this person the opportunity to assist with building the compliance program to meet all H IPAA regulations. In addition, a covered entity must designate a contact person to receive and document complaints about privacy and provide information contained in the CE ’s notice of privacy practices. Information should include how covered health care providers and health plans use and disclose protected health information and the individual’s rights with respect to that information.
The Privacy Officer will need authority and a direct report to upper management to assure each task is accomplished timely. Initial responsibilities of the Privacy Officer should include, at least, the following:
1) Development and implementation of privacy policies and procedures
a) I f patient information is disclosed, ensure an authorization is signed and dated by the patient. T he authorization form must comply with the H IPAA regulations. T he proposed rule provided a sample authorization, however this sample authorization was omitted from the final rule.
b) I f a depar tment and/ or individual has the authority to releas e PH I , ensure written policies and procedures are in compliance with standards and are readily access ible to the staff.
2) J ob-specific training of the entire workforce will be necessary. Section 164.103 of the Act defines “workforce” as employees, volunteers, trainees, and other persons under the direct control of a covered entity, including persons providing labor on an unpaid basis . E xisting “work force” must be trained by the date the regulations become applicable ( April 2003) . For new “work force”, training must occur within “a reasonable period after the person joins the work force” per section 164.530( b) ( 2) .
a) E xpand orientation programs for new hires - remember to include volunteers and ministers in the training.
b) Assure job specific standards describe the involvement in using, handling or disclosing protected health information and hold the managers/ super visors accountable for enforcing the standards .
c) Policies and procedures ( P&Ps) and the penalties for non-compliance of these P&Ps must be clearly outlined and addressed during the initial orientation programs and reiterated on an ongoing basis .
d) Documentation of all training must be available for review.
e) As privacy policies and procedures are amended, there must be a mechanism in place to assure retraining occurs for the required “work-force”.
T he role of the Privacy Officer is a crucial position under H IPAA. T he Privacy Officer, along with other involved individuals throughout the organization, should begin H I PAA assessments and implementation plan development immediately. Start by reviewing the policies and procedures currently in place and amending them to comply with the H IPAA regulations. Involve legal counsel to ensure the terms identified in your policies and procedures are consistent with those stated in the H IPAA regulations. S tudy the plan, prioritize the organization’s needs, and concentrate on the essentials. An action plan to prepare your facility for H I PAA standards/ regulations may include the following:
1) Assign responsibility for HIPAA compliance to someone at a senior administrative level. Management support is required to assure compliance with the H IPAA regulations.
2) Appoint a P rivacy Officer to oversee risk assessment activities leading to development and implementation of the facility’s compliance plan. T he risk assessment may take several months to complete depending on the organization’s size and complexity.
3) Assemble a multi-disciplinary task force including but not limited to senior management, information technology, legal representation, clinical department representatives, and a health information management representative.
4) Utilize the task force to identify and document the types of PH I your organization currently collects and the various locations where the information is collected. T hen, identify where the information is disclosed and who discloses the information. E valuate potential risks. Disclosure of PH I often occurs in multiple areas within a facility, i.e., the health information management department, radiology, lab, marketing, physician office practices owned by the hospital, oncology units, SNF units, etc.
5) Assess the information systems capability and security. Compare the systems in place to the HIPAA mandates. Identify gaps. Contact vendors to discuss how and/ or when they plan to become H IPAA compliant. E valuate new information security technologies.
6) Review all business partners or “business associates” contracts for compliance with regulations. A business associate is considered anyone to whom you disclose protected health information. Business associate ser vices may include legal, accounting, consulting, financial ser vices, administrative accreditation and data segregation.
7) Evaluate all privacy, confidentiality, and security policies and procedures throughout the organization and identify any variances from the H I PAA regulations.
8) Develop an action plan with timetables and deadlines to assure compliance implementation efforts are completed within 24 months following the effective date of the regulation.
Final regulations covering the security of electronic health information and electronic signatures will be released in the near future. T hese regulations will ensure that data integrity, authorization, data storage and transmission features, audit trails, and disaster prevention/ recovery measures are in place for each covered entity. Security regulations may be the most costly for covered entities to implement.
Compliance with the H IPAA regulations is expected within 24 months from the effective date of the final rule. T he penalties for non-compliance range from $25,000 for multiple violations of the same standard in a calendar year up to $250,000 and/ or imprisonment up to 10 years for knowing misuse of individually identifiable health information. T he Director of the H ealth and H uman Ser vices Office for Civil Rights will administer the privacy regulation and ensure its compliance.
I once read, “T he future behaves differently than it used to. It comes at us faster now, and affects us more power fully than before.” T his is so true in healthcare. We must practice the strategy of learning in motion. Successful implementation f compliance measures which meets the H IPAA regulations will come to those who plan ahead. Complete your risk assessments, identify gaps, train your staff, investigate technology requirements and evaluate disclosure policies and procedures. Because portions of the HIPAA regulations are being phased in over an extended period of time, we can be assured the future will afford us the opportunity to continue the practice of learning in motion over the next three years.
Author:
Deanie Auton, MHA, RHIA, is a Senior
Consultant with Crisp Hughes Evans
L.L.P. healthcare consulting group.
HFMA Certification Leads to Promotion!
For those of you who weren’t able to be there, I have to tell you that this year’ s ANI in San Antonio was terrific, try to plan for ANI in Seattle next June. But for me the best part of ANI is getting to see old friends. T his year I got a chance to chat with one of those old friends, perhaps you know him, Paul Cheng, FHFMA. Somehow it seems like I have known Paul all my life, but it has only been 20 years or so. Anyhow he had a wonder ful bit of news to share with me. He is now Executive Director of Atlantis H ealth P lan in New York. I t seems that he was originally hired as Finance Director, and then about 30 days later, when they needed an Executive Director, they offered him the job. When he told me the stor y he said “I told them I was basically a F inance person, but they said, ‘you are certified, you can do the job.’”
I have to say I can imagine ver y little that Paul can’t do, and there isn’t a whole lot I would advise him not to try, but it is nice to hear that his H FMA certification was instrumental in getting him his promotion. Paul is certified in Patient Financial Ser vices, and Managed Care, in addition to being a Fellow in H FMA.
What makes this a particularly interesting occurrence is that Paul was told exactly what it was that made them promote him. He was a Fellow in HFMA. So often you get a job and never completely know why, and if you ask, you are told something about “overall packages” or “you fit the position.” In this case there was one factor that made the difference, his H FMA certification.
My conversation with Paul only confirmed what our last sur vey told us, seventy-two percent of employers say that they are more likely to hire a job applicant for a financial position in healthcare if she/ he is certified by HFMA. More than two-thirds ( 69%) of search firms say the fact that a job applicant is certified by H FMA increases the likelihood they will be placed.
Perhaps the most important part of this stor y is that you need to be prepared to meet and greet opportunity when it comes, and certification is one way to do that. To learn more about H FMA’ s certification program, go to our website at www.hfma.org, and push the button labeled “Certification” for your future.
For additional information on H FMA certification, contact Bernadette Clark at ( 800) 252-4362, ext. 311, or bclark@hfma, or Pepper Zenger at ext. 308, or pzenger@hfma.org .
The Georgia Chapter Healthcare Financial Management Association: Annual Report 2000-2001
T he Georgia Chapter of the H ealthcare Financial Management Association is proud to acknowledge the significant contributions of its members and their leaders through this annual report of activities for the year 2000-2001. T he Chapter received the following awar ds for this year ’s work:
T he Charles F. Mehler Gold Awar d of E xcellence for Education
T he Silver Awar d of E xcellence for Cer tification
T he H elen M. Yerger Special Recognition Awar ds as follows:
Collaboration: Accounts Receivabl e
T ask Force
Member Ser vice: Founders
Database Reconfiguration
Education: Medicaid E ducation Expansion
CFO: Rural Financial Education Initiative
We approached this year with strength, dedication and determination, as set forth in our Mission, Values and Purpose. Our incentives wer e straightforwar d, our goals, objectives and strategies clear. T he Georgia Chapter has a strong history of ser vice to its members, continuing the “old” but successful ways would have been the easy choice. As local theme the Georgia Chapter adopted “Smile and Enjoy the Ride”. For our members that elected to stay in H ealth Care through these tough times, we wanted to spread the message of good cheer and our commitment to helping each participant through networking and education opportunities.
T he Georgia Chapter provided 35 occasions of meetings. T here were 2,951 registrants at these functions, resulting in 25,874 hours of education provided to members and non-members. Registrant hours
per member were 20.70. That qualified the Georgia Chapter for the Gold Awar d of E xcellence for Education. Of those 2,951 registrants, 70% wer e non-H FMA members. Our education goals included the following and wer e met based on our educational offerings:
* Provided at least 32 occasions for educational opportunities
* Assur ed the educational sessions offered CPE’s for CPA’s and FHFMA cer tification
* Provided educational sessions on legislative advocacy
* Enhanced education of CPAR graduates
* Strived to provide sessions with case studies rather than theory based classes
All four issues of T he Georgia Scr oll, our quarterly newsletter , provided interesting, insightful articles that appealed to urban, rural, profit and non-profit facilities and their professionals. We continued our H elpline and H otline, both telephone links to members and non-members, promoting education, compliance, CPAR cer tification and membership. Well over 1,000 calls wer e made to the H otline alone in this fiscal year. Our membership director y and pictorial history provides the information our members need to know about H FMA, on a national and local level. T he Georgia Chapter decided to conduct a major initiative to upgrade the web site. We identified a full-time web master ( partner with vendor) and accomplished the following: easy on-line registration for education sessions, credit card payments, enabled mass e-mail notification, current topic updates and corporate sponsor recognition.
Other new projects or ser vices worthy of notation because of how they ser ved our members include our advances with membership ser vices. We developed a peer mentor program and established written guidelines for future chapter leaders to follow. New members are partnered with active leadership and members to help show them the ropes. T his program has already been carried over to the 2001-2002 year . We also created a new local founders database. T his will help better manage locally our member founders points and have it updated instantly. T his should help retain members by giving an interactive reward tracking system. Our membership still decreased 1% from last year , but we feel the above mentioned programs have helped lay a strong groundwork for future membership growth and retention.
Financially, the Georgia Chapter increased our equity by $18,000 or 11.7%. Our margin was 6% as compared to a target 3%. T his is the second consecutive year of a positive bottom line trend. T his reverses the prior years where the Chapter struggled to maintain positive bottom lines. Although our revenues were below those of the previous yea r, we had a positive bottom line by controlling our variable cost and eliminated non-value added activity expense. Corporate sponsorships were right on target at $76,000 and this program continues to be strong as we add new HFMA partners each year .
T he H ealthcare financial professionals in the state of Georgia know the value that H FMA can provide. T he healthcare professionals that belong to the organization, the employers we support, the sponsors we embrace and the consumers in the healthcare market, know the benefits of participation. T he Georgia Chapter has worked hard to achieve our goals and objectives and those set forth by the Davis Chapter Management System, and we exceeded nearly ever y one of them.
I I . Ser vices to Members
A. Education, Programs, and Events
T he most significant accomplishment of the Georgia Chapter in 2000-2001 was the number of education hours delivered to members and non-members. C ombining institutes, workshops, seminars, forums, teleconferences, and Certified Patient Accounts Representative (CPAR) coaching and exams, the Georgia Chapter provided 35 educational events. Total educational hours were 25,874 and were the most hours of all chapters in the national organization. T here were 2,951 registrants at these functions, of which 879 were members and 2,072 were non-members. Registrant hours per member were 20.70. T his amount of hours will award the Georgia Chapter with another “Charles F. Mehler Gold Award” of excellence for education.
Of these educational events, many were co-sponsored with other organizations. T hese groups included:
1. T he Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee Chapters of H FMA
2. T he Georgia Society of CPA’s
3. T he Georgia H ospital Association
4. T he Georgia Society of Health Care Attorneys
5. T he Association of Healthcare Internal Auditors
6. T he Medical Association of Georgia
7. T he H ealthcare Compliance Association
8. Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of Georgia ( the Medicare Fiscal Intermediary)
9. Georgia Access Management Association
10. Department of Community H ealth
We continue to meet our goal of delivering well-timed, strategically located educational opportunities which address practical, critical, and timely issues. Our goal of offering 32 education opportunities was exceeded by 9.3%. Our most popular event continues to be our four Institutes. T his is due to the concurrent session offering and the networking opportunities. Of the 26,000 registrant hours offered, 18,000 or 69% were related to the institutes. T hey continue to be our big program winner.
T he Georgia Chapter also picked up 8,000 hours in smaller workshop venues. Due to time constraints of Health Care professionals, the format continues to be popular and are growing. T he workshop or Forum are low cost and more technically oriented toward specific topics.
T he third most popular topic and part of the above 8,000 hours is our CPAR program. T his program continues to generate huge interest due to the challenges in the revenue cycle. T he Georgia Chapter formed a “Strategic CPAR ” planning committee to help ensure the CPAR program stays strong in the years to come.
B. Publications
T he Georgia Chapter continues to publish our newslette r, T he Georgia Scroll, four times each year . T his year we celebrated the Chapter 45 years of history. T he fall 2000 issue recapped our history year by year . T he article was written by the Chapter H istorian and past President, Jim Piper. T he Georgia Chapter is fortunate to have past leaders committed to the chapter’s future success. A new member was highlighted in each issue, encouraging members to really get to know their fellow professionals. T here was information about certification and sample study questions for the exams were made available. Press releases from the National office were reproduced here. As always, upcoming educational sessions were promoted in an effort to increase attendance at all of our programs. B oard members were highlighted is several issues to ensure members were familiar with the leadership. Our corporate sponsors were recognized in each publication.
All Scrolls had timely educational topics that are read by the membership. T he Scroll was successful in selling $6,000 worth of advertising space. T his helped offset the cost of printing and distribution.
T he Georgia H otline is a telephone communication system that provides recorded information to members and non-members, and gives them the ability to leave messages or directs the caller to specific individuals for further questions. T he H otline, developed in conjunction with the Georgia H ospital Association, has five different mailboxes, and is updated on a bi-weekly basis. T he mailboxes contain data on CPAR, institutes, workshops, and membership. It remains a critical form of communication with CPAR candidates, as the H otline CPAR mailbox received 300 calls in this fiscal year alone.
T he Georgia Chapter has a comprehensive membership directory. Detailed information is provided in this handbook, which includes sections on the National office, Chapter Administration, Chapter Bylaws, Membership Achievement and our Membership Roster , both alphabetically and by employer. We use the handbook to explain the Founders Award System, reinforce the merits of certification, summarize the history of the Georgia Chapter, ser ve as a photo album of the past year ’s activities, communicate our chapter’s achievements and describe our “T EAMS” and their goals and objectives. T he Membership Directory is an important tool for recognition of the achievement of our members. We highlight past presidents, Founders Awards Recipients, Chairpersons of Councils and Committees, members that have attained certification, recipients of National awards, participants in National Office activities, and recipients of all of the awards specific to our own Chapter.
We realize one of the most important communication tools for the Georgia Chapter is to expand our web site. One of this year ’s strongest initiatives was to partner with a vendor in providing a web master . T his would require a retooling of the original web site and create a new environment encompassing the below characteristics:
* Education opportunities updated timely
* On-line registrations and credit card payments
* I ndustry related announcements
* Mass E-mailing capabilities
* Central repository for membership information ( including Founder’s points)
* Corporate sponsorship links
* Member sur veys
We achieved at peak this year an average of 608 visitors per week. T he Georgia Chapter has started a new era in web usage.
C. Ser vices
T he Georgia Chapter in 2000-2001 strived to provide opportunities of professional development of our members.
One of our major goals is to provide members information on the Founder’s Award series. T his goal encourages members to meet necessary requirements to attain awards. In 2000-2001, the Georgia Chapter did an entire retooling of the Founder’s database. T he previous database was cumbersome and did not link well to the national database. Our membership sur vey further indicated to the chapter, that members were not happy with the database. T he result was a huge success. Even of greater importance, the database programming was completed by a new member. T he below outlines the new features of the database:
* Single source database
* Flexible reporting for members and national
* Accumulate points by categor y
* Web site access for members
Another new ser vice that wa s implemented was our “Rural Financial Management Development Plan”. T his program was aimed at small, critical access hospitals in Georgia by partnering with GH A and “Draffin and Tucker”. T here was an identified need for rural hospital financial management education in the state. A sur vey and interview were completed with 23 CFOs and CEOs confirming this need. T he following topic and attendance documents the success of the program:
| Topic | Attendance |
| General Accounting | 50 |
| Rehab PPS | 72 |
| Chargemaster | 107 |
| APC Coding | 110 |
| Medicaid, Indigent Trust Fund | 400 |
Most attendees, 85% rated the programs excellent. T he Georgia Chapter is proud of this accomplishment.
T he tradition of awarding a $1,500 scholarship for continuing education in a collegiate program was continued. Potential candidates were solicited through Chapter publications.
We also recognized our members for other accomplishments during the year including: Most Valuable Member, Most Valuable New Member, Chairperson Awards, Best Scroll Article and the President’s Award. T he Georgia Chapter feels it is important to recognize our members and their accomplishments.
I I I . Strategic Quality Management
T he leaders of the Georgia Chapter began this chapter year with the belief that members get more from an organization to which they give. Our goal was to provide and promote opportunities for involvement in chapter leadership roles and activities. We had 229 individuals involved in our T EAMS of Councils and Committees, representing 18% of our total membership. E ach T EAM developed a list of deliverables, and progress toward these strategic objectives was monitored to assure that their attainment was a challenging and fulfilling achievement of that T EAM. T he high level of involvement helped to spread the workload, and the dynamic work groups made the experience that much more beneficial. C ommittee chairs mentored an individual to progress into the leadership role in the successive year , reducing the learning curve of each committee and encouraging committees to undertake longterm projects.
Critical to the success of our education of members was our commitment to provide continuous monitoring, evaluation, and improvement. T he benchmarking and survey committee worked hard to evaluate and tabulate each educational session provided. Attendees are asked to fill out a sur vey at the end of all education sessions. T he results are used to ensure our education products meet our customer needs. We further send out an annual sur vey to our members to rate our overall education products. We summarized below the education evaluations:
Programming 74% ver y satisfie d
Topics 80% ver y satisfie d
Speakers 84% ver y satisfied
L ocation 86% ver y satisfied
All of these initiatives are critical. But the Georgia Chapter and its leaders have long believed that the success of this group and the key to strategic quality management is the recognition of our members for their significant contributions and their outr ight commitment to H FMA. Our professional environment is constantly changing. Rules are revised, statutes are imposed, the economy is in a state of flux, our jobs themselves are often threatened and healthcare is always under fire. Our membership tallies fluctuate, our people change jobs, our Chapter leaders come and go, but the one thing that our members and potential members count on, is our consistent quality and commitment to ourselves and our peers. Our subtheme, “Smile and Enjoy the Ride” was reinforced at ever y opportunity, with constant contact among leaders through email and frequent telephone conversations, and with constant reminders of upcoming events using fax and website technology. T hrough networking activities that encouraged interaction and introductions with old members and new, we worked to make people belong, and these are the strategies that we use for quality management. Our members are loyal to the Georgia Chapter and H FMA. T hey have learned that you get even more than you give through your membership, and our retention rates attest to the fact that people want to be a part of something great. We realize that sustained excellence comes with ver y hard work, and the sharing of the work is the key to getting it done. We also recognized the death of a member by other member commitments. Sponsoring a “H abitat for H umanity” day with the town he lived in. Our Chapter is committed to its members and their concerns. As long as we are able to successfully communicate these goals for our chapter and its members, and recognize the individuals that work together to make it happen, we achieve quality. I t takes strategic quality management to make a group this large achieve sustained excellence, and we plan to never let it stop.
I V. Growth
T he Georgia Chapter exceeded its expectations in nearly ever y measurable aspect. F inancial viability is our greatest concern. Chapter leaders were dedicated to improve our overall financial performance, and the results of those efforts are summarized below:
| 2001 | 2000 | 1999 |
| Revenue | ||
| $321,000 | $360,429 | $328,539 |
| Expenses | ||
| $302,000 | $326,245 | $366,069 |
| Margin | ||
| $19,000 | $34,184 | <$37,530> |
| Margin % | ||
| 6% | 9% | -11% |
Please note that the 2001 year end numbers are preliminary as of the date of this writing, and are subject to financial audit in July. T he increase in margin is attributed to several initiatives undertaken. T he Corporate Sponsor Program had an increase in financial participation to $76,000. In the face of continuing mergers and acquisitions, this increase is important. I t was attained without raising the sponsorship levels by categor y ( bronze, silver and gold) .
We exceeded our budgeted net income by 96% coming in at positive $19,000. T his was achieved by reducing our cost based on volumes by $63,000 or 18%.
Our membership totals have decreased, but the net decrease is less than that experienced on the National level. Membership is now at 1237 or a 1% decrease from the prior year . T his is still below Nationals average decrease of 2%.
Georgia Chapter members do participate. Education hours have been summarized in the section entitled Ser vices to Members and exceeded 25,000 this year . T here were 229 T EAMS positions filled by our members, representing 18% of the Georgia Chapter membership, exceeding our goal of participation by 11%. Of our total membership, 108 of our current members have achieved certification, representing 8.8% of the total. T his is an increase of 5 members from the previous year . We are developing leaders, enhancing professional development, increasing our new members, improving our bottom line and increasing our net assets.
We are proud of the Georgia Chapter of H FMA. We work hard for each other and ourselves and we try not to take our success for granted. T he professionals in this organization and their leaders are dedicated to H FMA and the growth and experience it affords all of us. We have a long and standing tradition of excellence, and sustaining those levels of excellence is important to us all. We close another outstanding year with the knowledge that we have done what we set out to do, and done it well. We are ready for what comes next, and we are already off and running toward another challenging year .
Georgia Chapter Annual Report
Chapter Chatter...
Congratulations and thank you to Lee Evins for serving as a judge for this year’s National HFMA Yerger Award.
Elizabeth Chaistain Turk has joined Pershing Yoakley & Associates (PY&A), a Knoxville,Tennessee-based management consulting and accounting firm, as a staff member in the Consulting Department of the firm’s Atlanta office.
Congratulations to Tom Morris, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Michelle Lee,DDS/Medical Staffing Resources, on their new home purchases.
Joanne Waters has been promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer of HMA.
Eddie Phillips has joined HMA as Vice President of Compliance and Strategic Services.
New GA Members
H ello GA Chapter Members,
On behalf of the Membership Recr ui tment/ Retention Committee we would like to thank all of the sponsors that have helped to increase the Georgia H FMA Chapter membership. Attached is a list of the new Georgia chapter members. Many are new members to HFMA and many have transfer red their membership to join our Georgia Chapter. Please take a moment to view the lists. Our team hopes that you will print and add to your directory for a quick reference. Also, if you recognize a familiar name, please contact our new members and welcome them to our Georgia Chapter and encourage them to attend our institutes.
| Samantha Allen | Smith H ospital | Jane Atkinson | South Georgia Medical Center |
| Melanie Ayash | Northside H ospital | Michael P. Bates | American Appraisal Associates |
| H olly Bestry | Per-Se Technologies | Sher r y P. Bilder | H ealthcare Management Ser vices |
| Donna Boatwright | Accounts Recover y I nternational, Inc | E rin L. Bonck, MH A | Emory Parkway Medical Center |
| Nancy Brown | Effingham Hospital | Angela G. Church | Uptown Family Clinic |
| Nicky L . Christopher | BC/ BS of Georgia | Cindy Clark | T he Specialty Hospital |
| Patty S. Cummings | DeK alb Medical Center | Carol Danielson | Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta |
| Phillip L . Dorsey | Southeast Reimbursement Group | Kathy Far ve | Per -Se Technologies |
| H . E lliott | Gatehouse MedQuest Associates, Inc. | Rober t Gar tland | Per -Se Technologies |
| Roy L . Grenade | Henry Medical Center | L aura A. Grier | McDuffie County H ospital |
| Carla M. Harp | St. Mary’s Healthcare System | Jodie R. Harris, Jr. | Atlanta Memorial H ospital |
| Mitchell H arris | Morehouse Medical Associates | L aura B. Hosford | Wellstar |
| Olivia I sentol | Per -Se Technologies | Deltra L . Johnson | Emory H ealthcare/ Crawford L ong H ospital |
| T aryn M. Kuelpman | Arthur Andersen | T ywanda L evine | R idgeview Institute |
| Mike K. Mann | Cardiovascular Medicine | Vernon E . Mann | T he P rofit Recover y Group |
| Beth Manza | DeK alb Medical Center | Catherine Meredith | Per -Se Technologies |
| Richard Mobley | Per -Se Technologies | Christy Mor row | Allen, Pritchett and Bassett, L LP |
| Mike P. Nester | McKesson | Betty J . Nolton | Emory H ealthcare / Crawford L ong H ospital |
| Rober t L . Per ez | Physiotherapy Associates | Chanel Per r y | Ridgeview Institute |
| S helley Predmore | Per-Se Technologies | Karen Rider | Summit Medical Se r vices |
| Jonathon D. R oberts | Saint Mary’s Healthcare System | Antionette Scaringi | PricewaterhouseCooper s L LP |
| Jacqueline A. Scott | Ridgeview Institute | Maureen Sloane | Northside H ospital |
| L aurie Tacik | NDC H ealth | Mar y Tackbar y | Chamberlin Edmonds & Assoc. |
| Travis B. Tapper | H ospice of H ouston County Inc. | Jeanette T homas /TD> | Student |
| Randal L. T hornton | Consultant | L iddy West | Per -Se Technologies |
| Scott C. Wi throw | Wi throw McQuade & Olsen | Suzanne Wojtowicz /TD> | DeKalb Medical Center |
| E lizabeth P. Wolfson | T he Magnolia Achool | Mar y A. Yost | St. Joseph/ Candler H ealth System |