April Revenue Cycle Management Update: Ladan Rykiel
Efficient revenue cycle management plays a key role in creating a unified brand experience and increasing patient satisfaction. With the upcoming developments in coding and reimbursement, the RCM Committee is hosting coding classes to ensure CAO staff are up-to-date on the latest trends and requirements.
On March 17th, we welcomed around 40 staff members to the all-day “Mastering Orthopaedic CPT Coding in 2016” training with Karen Zupko & Associates. Karen launched her own firm after directing the American Medical Association’s department of practice management for six years, and we have had a great experience working with her and her team. Attendees said the training was both valuable and informative, and we were glad so many were able to participate.
We have also partnered with the AAPC, the largest medical coding training and certification association, to sponsor a certification class for 18 eligible staff. The series of trainings kicked off on April 6, and will continue for five weeks.
While the class has only met twice so far, it has already generated positive feedback from CAO staff. Pamela Dickoff, a bookkeeper with the Orthopaedic Specialists of Metropolitan Washington division, said, “I’ve been doing this for 24 years, and yet this class has been really motivating and enlightening for me. It gives me a fresh take on coding and my work in the office.”
Barbara Semsker, the division’s administrator, noted the values the ability to offer convenient opportunities for continuing education. “It’s huge to invest in employees, and CAO made it very attractive and very easy – which is super,” she said. “The employees don’t have to travel anywhere or pay for a hotel to take a course out of state. I’d like to see CAO continue to offer education classes like this to keep everyone up-to-date, learning and motivated.”
Finally, as an ongoing initiative, the RCM Committee has also continued to review various practice management and EMR systems. We are now developing a final list of vendors to be reviewed and considered by the EMR Committee.