The average annual wage for a credentialed coder is $43,000, compared to $36,500 for a non-credentialed coder. Certification is still considered optional for many medical coders – although about half of the respondents are required to be certified in their current jobs. In fact, 89% have some type of CPC certification. Their average medical coding salaries also vary based on length of time spent working in the field: $14.73 per hour for starting pay, $19.33 per hour after five years, $21.75 per hour after 10 years, and $23.37 after 15 years.

The type of coding specialty also appears to influence average salary levels – the more specialized the medical services, the more a medical coder may earn. Here are some of the top earners in the field based on their specialty: neuropsychiatry – $62,500, rheumatology – $57,800, nephrology – $50,900, and plastic surgery – $47,200. The survey showed that the larger the organization and scope of medical coding services, the more the coding professional usually earns. For example, a medical coder for a 1-to-5 physician practice earns approximately $39,400, a medical coder for a hospital earns approximately $44,700 and a medical coding consultant earns approximately $73,000. Remember a lot of factors can influence medical coding salaries – from how long the medical coder has worked to their type of medical specialty. However, the AAPC survey shows that medical coders can earn a solid salary at every stage of their career. Even better news? Medical coding salaries increased more than 11% since the 2007 survey – meaning opportunity is on the rise!

Source: http://www.medicalcodingcourses.com/blog/2009/09/curious-about-medical-coding-salaries.html

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David J. Abraham, MD. Dr. Abraham is a physician at the Reading Neck and Spine Center in Wyomissing, Pa. He is a board-certified in orthopedic surgery and a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society and the Pennsylvania Orthopedic Society.

Margaret Acker, RN, MSN, CASC. Ms. Acker is the CEO of the Blake Woods Medical Park Surgical Center in Jackson, Mich., a multi-specialty, physician-owned surgery center. Previously, she served as nursing supervisor/house manager at Foote Hospital and clinical nurse manager for Foote Health System (now Allegiance Health) in Jackson.

Clifford G. Adlerz. Mr. Adlerz is president and COO of Symbion. Before co-founding Symbion, he served as COO of UniPhy, as division vice president of HCA (formerly Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation) and as a regional vice president for HealthTrust.

Damian “Pat” Alagia III, MD, MBA. Dr. Alagia is the president of Bethesda, Md.-based Safe Sedation, a company that provides anesthesia services to patients, physicians and staff performing surgery in a non-hospital setting. With a background in OB/GYN, he received his MBA from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and provides expert advice about business principles as they apply to anesthesia management and to healthcare as a whole.

Lisa A. Austin, RN, CASC. Ms. Austin serves as the Western Region vice president of ASC operations for Pinnacle III. She currently chairs the committee on Emergency Preparedness Plan for ASCs in Colorado and serves on the surgery center advisory board of Med Assets.

David Ayers. Mr. Ayers is the president of the surgical facilities division of Nueterra Healthcare. He has 20 years of experience developing, building and managing ambulatory facilities including surgery, imaging, physical therapy and urgent care centers. Mr. Ayres previously was vice president of a Fortune 500 company that specialized in ambulatory care product lines.

David “Buddy” F. Bacon, Jr., CPA. Mr. Bacon is the CEO of Meridian Surgical Partners, which develops, finances and operates ASCs. He previously served as CEO and CFO for Medifax EDI, a healthcare information technology company based in Nashville, Tenn.

Joseph Banno, MD. Dr. Banno founded the successful Peoria (Ill.) Day Surgery Center and is immediate past chairman of the ASC Association and a current executive committee member. He is a board-certified urologist with the Midwest Urologist Group.

Karen Barrow, RN. Ms. Barrow is the senior vice president of business development at group purchasing organization Amerinet. She joined Amerinet in 2002 as director of the medical and surgical division and played a critical role in developing a new data collection system that allows the Amerinet Clinical Advantage team to qualify facility data collection and analysis, benchmark that data and present the finding to the participating facility. Ms. Barrow has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including experience as a surgical nurse, first assistant and business coordinator for St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo., and was an orthopedic, otolaryngology and radiological equipment sales representative for Dow Corning Wright, Smith & Nephew Richards and Viatronix.

Gregary W. Beasley. Mr. Beasley is the president of the ambulatory surgery division of HCA and previously served as COO and senior development office, Western region, for the division. Prior to coming to HCA, he served as controller and COO at HealthSouth Medical Center (formerly Dallas Specialty Hospital).

Cristina Bentin, CCS-P, CPC-H, CMA. Ms. Bentin is a principal and the founder of Coding Compliance Management, a consulting company specializing in coding support, reimbursement and training for ASCs and specialty hospitals. She is nationally recognized as a leading freestanding ASC coding educator, speaker and writer with more than 19 years of hands-on experience in ASC multi-specialty surgical coding as well as physician office coding.

Curtis H. Bernstein, CPA/ABV, CVA, MBA. Mr. Bernstein is a manager at HealthCare Appraisers. He has extensive experience working closely with ASCs, hospital systems, physician groups and other healthcare providers. Mr. Bernstein specializes in providing valuation services in the areas of business valuation and complex compensation structures including “per-click” leases and under arrangement agreements.

Chris Bishop. Mr. Bishop is a vice president of business development for Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America, where he currently leverages his extensive experience with surgeon partnerships to develop new ASCs. He severed for 14 years in leadership roles in the medical device and surgery center industries and was responsible for developing Smith & Nephew Endoscopy’s surgery center sales team and strategy.

Shannon Blakeley. Mr. Blakeley is vice president of operations for National Surgical Care and works on business development, physician recruitment, financial management, operations and human resources issues. Before joining his current company, he was a vice president at HealthSouth Corp. and created a continuum of care model for HealthSouth’s outpatient services.

Jeff Blankinship. Mr. Blankinship is the CEO and president of Surgical Notes, which provides transcription services to more than 450 surgery centers and 6,500 physicians in 42 states. Under his leadership, Surgical Notes has partnered with several large ASC development and management companies and leading surgeons throughout the United States.

Henry H. Bloom. Mr. Bloom is the founder of The Bloom Organization, a healthcare-consulting firm devoted to providing project-related services to healthcare providers. He has structured and negotiated numerous healthcare transactions including physician practice acquisitions and divestitures, joint venture arrangements between physicians and surgery center companies and syndicated physician-owned surgery centers.

Tim Bogardus. Tim Bogardus is the director of ASCs for Community Health Systems. Before joining CHS, he served as group vice president for Nueterra Healthcare where he was responsible for the operations of seven ASCs and surgical hospitals, and has also served as vice president of operations for a start-up ASC company and as administrator for two de novo ASCs.

Tom Bombardier, MD. Dr. Bombardier is a board-certified ophthalmologist, Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America’s COO and one of its three founding principals. Before founding ASCOA, he established the largest ophthalmic practice in western Massachusetts, two ASCs and a regional referral center. Over the past 15 years, he has been a real estate developer on Cape Cod, Mass.

Regina Boore, RN, BSN, MS. Ms. Boore is the principal/CEO of Progressive Surgical Solutions. She has more than 25 years of clinical, administrative, teaching and consulting experience in ambulatory surgery. Prior to coming to Progressive Surgical Solutions, Ms. Boore worked as a perioperative nurse, OR supervisor and ASC director.

J. Bruce Bright, USMC (Ret.). Lt. Col. Bright is the director of business development for The Sanders Trust, and he serves as the company’s ambassador, building strong client relationships nationally. His military service includes four years as a Marine Infantryman and 24 years as a Marine F/A-18 Fighter Pilot. Lt. Col. Bright holds the prestigious designation of Certified Commercial Investment Member.

Brett Brodnax. Mr. Brodnax is executive vice president and chief development officer at United Surgical Partners International and is one of the ASC industry’s leading development executives. Due to his leadership, efforts and integrity, he has made USPI one of the fastest-growing ambulatory surgical chains, with a portfolio of nearly 100 surgical centers and several surgical hospitals located across the country.

Kathy J. Bryant, JD. Ms. Bryant is the president of the ASC Association and leads the activities of the nation’s largest ASC membership association. She also serves as president of the Ambulatory Surgery Foundation.

Jason B. Cagle. Mr. Cagle is general counsel for United Surgical Partners International. Before joining USPI, he was in the corporate and securities section at Vinson & Elkins in Dallas.

Robert J. Carrera. Mr. Carrera is the president of Pinnacle III. With more than 20 years of healthcare experience, he has spent the last 15 years developing and managing ASCs, physical/occupational rehabilitation centers, diagnostic imaging facilities and occupational medicine clinics nationally. Mr. Carrera has been active legislatively at the state level regarding issues affecting ASCs in Colorado, Minnesota and Utah. He formerly served as the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association’s vice president and was one of its founding members.

John Caruso, MD. Dr. Caruso has more than 16 years of neurological surgery experience. Since completing residencies at the Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine and the University of New Mexico, he has been in private practice with Neurosurgical Specialists in Hagerstown, Md.

Frank J. Chapman, MBA. Mr. Chapman is the COO of Asheville (N.C.) Gastroenterology Associates and is past president of the Medical Group Management Association Gastroenterology Administrators Assembly and currently sits on the MGMA Patient Safety and Quality Committee. He is the first non-physician to hold a seat on the practice management committee of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, which he currently co-chairs. He is also a member of the board of directors of the AAAHC and serves on its governing board.

Susan Charkin. Ms. Charkin is the president of Healthcents, an ASC and physician specialty hospital contracting and consulting group. She has more than 15 years of experience in senior contracting positions with Health Net, Blue Cross of California, Blue Shield of California, Blue Cross Blue Shield of the National Capital Area, Aetna, MaxiCare and the University of California, San Francisco.

Thomas Chirillo. Mr. Chirillo is the president and CEO of Healthcare Business Solutions, a billing, collection and contracting company that focuses on providing services to ASCs and surgeons’ practices. He previously served as senior vice president of corporate development for NovaMed. Mr. Chirillo has spent over 17 years in the healthcare industry with Becton Dickinson, CILCO, Ioptex Research and Guidant Corp.

Rajiv Chopra. Mr. Chopra is the director of strategic planning for The C/N Group. He has prior work experience in the banking and management consulting industries. Before joining the C/N Group, Mr. Chorpa was a principal consultant in the strategic change practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting.

Ravi Chopra. Mr. Chopra is the president and CEO of The C/N Group, which is involved in the development of surgery and imaging centers throughout the country. Under his leadership, the C/N Group has completed healthcare-related projects totaling more than $80 million in capital expenditures.

Monica Cintado-Scokin. Ms. Cintado-Scokin is the senior vice president of development for United Surgical Partners International, and she has been with USPI since 1998. Prior to joining USPI, Ms. Cintado-Scokin provided development and operations support in the international group at HCA.

Joseph Clark. Mr. Clark is the executive vice president and chief development officer of Surgical Care Affiliates and previously held the position of COO. He previously served as president of HealthSouth’s surgery center division and was president and CEO of HealthMark Partners. He is on the board of directors of ASC Association.

James H. Cobb. Mr. Cobb is the founder, president and CEO of Orion Medical Services. With 37 years in management, he has focused the last 25 years in the medical field. Mr. Cobb previously served as CEO for the Pacific Cataract Laser Institute and Pacific Eye Center. He has been a member of the Medical Group Management Association for 20 years as well as a member of the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators.

Daniel Connolly. Mr. Connolly is the vice president of payer relations for Pinnacle III. He performs all aspects of managed care contracting including contract negotiations, renegotiations, analysis, market analysis, implementation and compliance monitoring for ASCs in multiple markets. Mr. Connolly has worked in the healthcare industry for 20 years.

Jim Corum. Mr. Corum is the vice president of operations for HealthMark Partners where he has operational accountability for several ASCs. He is also responsible for center-level growth and marketing strategies with emphasis on physician recruitment. Throughout his tenure in outpatient surgery, Mr. Corum has successfully completed numerous physician syndications including both de novo and turnaround projects.

Bill Cramer. Mr. Cramer co-founded Access MediQuip and serves as vice chairman of the board. He has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including experience developing hospital-based acute and chronic pain programs, and representing a variety of manufacturers in implantable device sales prior to founding Access MediQuip.

H. Dodd Crutcher. Mr. Crutcher is the chief investment officer of RMC MedStone Capital and has primary responsibility for sourcing and closing all asset acquisitions and dispositions for the company. Prior to assuming his role at RMC, he served as president of the Leasing Company where he had direct oversight responsibilities for the leasing and marketing efforts in Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Denver.

Gregory R. Cunniff. Mr. Cunniff is the CFO of National Surgical Care and directs the financial activities of the company, including treasury, budgeting, accounting, information technology, long-range forecasting, risk management and investor relations. He was previously vice president and treasurer of United Medical Corporation and Western CFO for ASCs for HCA Healthcare Corp. He is on the board of directors of the ASC Association.

R. Blake Curd, MD. Dr. Curd is the interim executive director of Surgical Management Professionals, and is an upper-extremity and general orthopedics physician with the Orthopedic Institute in Sioux Falls, S.D. He completed his fellowship training at the Indiana Hand Center, the largest freestanding center dedicated to hand and upper-extremity care, research and education in the world.

Richard DeHart. Mr. DeHart is the co-founder and CEO of Pinnacle III and has more than 18 years of experience in the outpatient healthcare industry. He provides Pinnacle III’s clients with expertise in strategic planning, development and management of ASCs, diagnostic imaging and physical rehabilitation services.

Joyce Deno. Ms. Deno is the COO, Eastern region, for Regent Surgical Health. Before joining Regent, she served as the executive director of Loveland (Colo.) Surgery Center and worked for HealthSouth as a regional director of quality improvement and as an administrator.

Ann S. Deters, MBA, CPA. Ms. Deters is CEO and co-founder of Vantage Technology, which provides cataract outsourcing to hospitals and ASCs throughout the Midwest, South and Southeast. She also started 7D, a consulting and management service company for ASCs.

Stephen F. Dobias, CPA. Mr. Dobias is a principal with Somerset CPAs and a member of Somerset’s Health Care Team. His work focuses on providing services for physician groups and hospital systems. Mr. Dobias initiated the ancillary services group that facilitates the feasibility, organization, funding and setup of operations of ASCs and medical office buildings.

Stephanie Ellis, RN, CPC. Ms. Ellis is the president of Ellis Medical Consulting and has worked with most surgical specialties, assisting ASCs, physician practices, hospitals and outpatient clinics around the country in her consulting work. Prior to starting the company, she worked as the operations manager of a national case management services placement firm and served as a case manager and utilization review nurse.

Christian Ellison. Mr. Ellison is the vice president of business development for Health Inventures. He has formed numerous physician/hospital joint-venture partnerships and been instrumental in building Health Inventures’ business domestically and internationally during his 10 years with the company. Mr. Ellison was previously a senior consultant to the healthcare industry with Arthur Andersen.

Judith English. Ms. English is the vice president of business operations and a partner with Serbin Surgery Center Billing and Surgery Consultants of America. She has more than 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry and has assisted in the development and management of multiple ASCs.

James “Jay” Etheridge, Jr. Mr. Etheridge is the CEO of Implantable Provider Group. With a career in the medical industry, first pharmaceutical and then medical devices, he has a proven track record as a results-oriented senior level operating executive with a keen understanding of the implantable medical device industry.

Peter Fatianow. Mr. Fatianow is the director of mergers and acquisitions for Health Inventures. He began his career on Wall Street at Credit Suisse First Boston in New York in healthcare investment banking and has worked on dozens of domestic and international transactions worth billions of dollars.

John Fitz, MD. Dr. Fitz is the founder of The Surgery Center of Farmington (Mo.), a 10-year-old, multi-specialty surgery center, where he works as a physician. Under his guidance, the center has operated under a very successful rural area surgery center model.

Robin J. Fowler, MD. Dr. Fowler is the medical director of the Interventional Spine and Pain Management Center in Atlanta, Ga., and is also an active staff member at the Newton and Rockdale Medical Centers. He is board-certified by the American Society of Anesthesia and has performed more than 5,000 epidurals and revolutionary pain procedures that have improved the quality of life for thousands of patients.

Richard E. Francis, Jr. Mr. Francis serves as president and CEO of Symbion and has helped transform Symbion into one of the country’s leading ASC management and development firms. Prior to co-founding Symbion, he served as president and CEO of UniPhy and was the senior vice president of development for HealthTrust.

Jon H. Friesen. Mr. Friesen is the president of Foundation Surgery Affiliates. He previously served as the chief financial and strategic planning officer of FSA’s parent company, Foundation HealthCare Affiliates. Mr. Friesen is a graduate of Friends University with a double major in accounting and business administration. He has spent the last 20 years in the healthcare industry where he has served in such progressive management positions as CFO, COO and CEO of various managed healthcare organizations.

Tom N. Galouzis, MD, FACS. Dr. Galouzis is president and CEO of the Nikitis Resource Group. He is also a practicing general surgeon in northwest Indiana and previously served as associate staff in the department of surgery as a clinical instructor of surgery at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

Nap Gary. Mr. Gary is the president, Eastern region, for Regent Surgical Health. He has worked in the healthcare industry for 23 years and previously served as senior vice president and assistant corporate counsel for HealthSouth Mr. Gary currently serves on the board of directors for the ASC Association.

Ann Geier, RN, MS, CNOR, CASC. Ms. Geier is a senior vice president of operations for Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. She has 20 years of experience in all aspects of ASC operations, including perioperative services, and has served as a clinical coordinator, administrator and chief operating officer of a multi-specialty ASC.

David S. George, MD. Dr. George is a board-certified ophthalmologist at the Eye MDs (of George, Strickler and Lazer) and specializes in topical cataract surgery, glaucoma and diabetic eye care. He is a member of the board of directors for the ASC Association and the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society.

Eric Gleichman. Mr. Gleichman is the executive vice president and chief development officer of Foundation Surgery Affiliates. Prior to this role, Mr. Gleichman had served as FSA’s vice president of legal services since joining the company in 2003.  Mr. Gleichman has 17 years of progressively responsible healthcare experience on both the payor and the provider sides, most notably in strategic development, contract negotiations, and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Gleichman possesses a variety of experience in healthcare law, managed care contracting, company startups and healthcare operations.

John J. Goehle. Mr. Goehle is the COO and partner in Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies, which specializes in providing high-level strategic, administrative and financial oversight services to ASCs. A 20-year veteran of the industry and former FASA board member, he is a nationally recognized industry leader, a frequent speaker at conferences and the author of three books on the ASC industry.

Brett Gosney. Mr. Gosney is a founder and CEO of the Animas Surgical Hospital in Durango, Colo., the first physician-owned hospital in Colorado. He is the current president of the Physician Hospitals of America. Mr. Gosney has a diverse background in healthcare spanning more than 25 years.

George Goodwin. Mr. Goodwin is senior vice president and chief development officer for Symbion and handles the acquisitions and mergers of many different providers at the company. Before joining Symbion, he served as president and CEO of American Pathology Resources, a single-specialty physician practice management company.

Russ Greene, RN. Mr. Greene has more than 28 years of experience in surgery, hospital and ASC management and consulting services, including more than three years as COO of U.S. Orthopedics and one year as vice president of operations for National Surgical Hospitals. He is currently the CEO of Physicians’ Surgery Center in Fayetteville, Ark., a specialty hospital which performs spine surgeries, orthopedics, pain management and podiatry.

Mike Griffin, CPA, MBA. Mr. Griffin is CFO for Prexus Health. He has more than 20 years of healthcare experience consisting of auditing hospitals with Peat Marwick to operating as controller and CFO for hospitals. Mr. Griffin has extensive experience in the design and building of numerous healthcare facilities, including hospital operating rooms, angiography suites, laboratories, freestanding medical office buildings, cancer centers and ASCs.

Michael Guarino. Mr. Guarino has been in the surgery center business for more than a decade and currently works at the Orthopedic Surgery Center of Clearwater (Fla.). An accountant by trade (and former IRS employee), he has been successful in working the day-to-day operations of ASCs, along with long-term planning. Mr. Guarino currently serves as president of Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers and as a board member of the ASC Association.

John Hajjar, MD, FACS, MBA. Dr. Hajjar is the chief medical officer and chairman of Surgem and is a urologist. He developed one of the first ASCs in New Jersey at Fair Lawn and has been managing facilities profitably since 1992. Dr. Hajjar also operates one of the largest private practices of urology in the United States.

David Hall. Mr. Hall is chairman at Titan Health, an ASC management company; director of Cogent Healthcare, a hospitalist staffing company; and a board member for the National Pain Foundation. He has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry.

Mark Hall. Mr. Hall is managing partner of Wasatch Healthcare Management, a healthcare management and development company. Mr. Hall has 23 years of experience creating win-win physician empowerment opportunities and ancillary income strategies.

Thomas S. Hall. Mr. Hall is president, CEO and chairman of NovaMed. Previously, he served as president and COO of Matria Healthcare and president and CEO of TSH & Associates, an independent consulting and management services company.

David Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton is the president and CEO of Mnet Financial, based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., and has become a trusted name within healthcare collections for ASCs, imaging centers and outpatient hospitals. Since 1999, he has assisted more than 300 facilities with collections. Prior to coming to Mnet, Mr. Hamilton began his receivable management career with CitiBank.

Holly Hampe. Ms. Hampe is the quality director of Amerinet, a leading group purchasing organization. She has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including hospital administration positions in quality, risk management, patient safety, regulatory affairs and nursing.

Kenneth N. Hancock. Mr. Hancock is the president and chief development officer of Meridian Surgical Partners. He has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry developing ASCs and surgical hospitals, and recruiting and building relationships with physicians. He is the former executive vice president, chief development officer and co-founder of Surgical Alliance Corporation.

Richard Hanley. Mr. Hanley is the president, CEO and founder of Health Inventures. He has held leadership positions in healthcare for the past 20 years and, throughout his career, has been instrumental in creating more than 100 successful outpatient ventures. He is a leading national advocate for ASCs and is a board member for the Ambulatory Surgery Center Foundation.

Andrew Hayek. Mr. Hayek is the president and CEO of Surgical Care Affiliates, which operates more than 130 ASCs and surgical hospitals nationwide. Prior to joining SCA in May 2008, he served as president of VillageHealth, an insurance and care management company owned by DaVita, one of the nation’s leading independent provider of kidney dialysis services.

Allen D. Hecht, MBA. Mr. Hecht is president of Health Resources International, which is engaged in developing ambulatory care programs in new and emerging markets. Previously, he served as executive vice president and COO of the ASC Network, a national surgical center company formed as a result of a merger between SunSurgery and Premier Ambulatory Systems of Pasadena, Calif.

Edward P. Hetrick. Mr. Hetrick is the president of Facility Development & Management and has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Before founding FDM, he was vice president in Healthcare Facilities Management, a firm that specializes in reimbursement consulting for physicians and outpatient hospital accounts, a position which he still holds today.

Jeremy Hogue, JD, MBA. Mr. Hogue is the president, CEO and co-founder of Sovereign Healthcare, a privately-held company based in Orange County, Calif., that partners with physicians for the ownership and management of ASCs. He previously served as vice president of Audax Group and was an associate with Lehman Brothers where he was a member of the firm’s Investment Banking Group in their New York office

Christopher Holden. Mr. Holden is the president, CEO and director of AmSurg. He has more than 21 years of experience in the healthcare industry, most of which he has spent in multi-facility and multi-market healthcare management. Before joining AmSurg, Mr. Holden served as senior vice president and a division president of Triad Hospitals.

Tom Jacobs. Mr. Jacobs is CEO and co-founder of MedHQ, a business office solutions provider for outpatient healthcare businesses. As CEO he has led MedHQ from start-up to a profitable company that operates in 10 states.

Richard K. Jacques. Mr. Jacques is president and CEO of Covenant Surgical Partners and has more than 15 years in the ASC industry, including holding senior management positions with both public and private healthcare companies. He previously served as president and director of Surgical Health Group, a developer and manager of single- and limited-specialty surgery centers.

Marion K. Jenkins, PhD. Dr. Jenkins is the founder and CEO of QSE Technologies. He has held many strategic C-level positions in technology, communications and operations, including COO of NAREX, which provides artificial intelligence-based software for financial service companies; executive vice president and chief technology officer at FirstWorld Communications, a DSL, Internet services, hosting and data center provider; and vice president of sales operations at Qwest Communications.

Beth Ann Johnson, RN. Ms. Johnson joined Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners from LCA Vision where she was vice president of operations responsible for the growth of the ophthalmic surgery center business. Previously, she was with Aetna as a director of provider relations, recruitment and contracting. Ms. Johnson has extensive experience in the development and ongoing management of hospital-owned, minimally-invasive surgery centers.

Douglas V. Johnson, MBA. MR. Johnson is COO of RMC Medstone Capital and serves on the board of directors of Physician Hospitals of America as its immediate past president. He is a seasoned professional and administrator with more than 35 years in the healthcare industry. He has worked in many capacities in the industry and at all levels in both freestanding as well as system institutions. He has held leadership positions in both rural and urban healthcare organizations.

Michael S. Jones. Mr. Jones is the president, COO and one of the original founders of Implantable Provider Group. Prior to IPG, he assembled a team of investors to open outpatient cardiac facilities. This entity operated for more than a decade and led regional sales consulting and business development efforts for a hospital services company and for a division of Hewlett Packard.

Sandra J. Jones, BA, MSM, MBA. Ms. Jones is a principal of Ambulatory Strategies and serves on the board of the ASC Association. She has 30 years of experience in healthcare and has overseen or contributed to the successful establishment and development of more than 75 ASCs nationwide.

Mike Karnes. Mr. Karnes is the CFO and co-founder of Regent Surgical Health. He recently served as chief administrative officer of GTCR-Golder Rauner, one of the nation’s largest and oldest venture capital firms. He also has been CFO for Prime Group Realty Trust and Balcor, a subsidiary of American Express.

I. Naya Kehayes, MPH. Ms. Kehayes is the founder, managing member and CEO of Eveia Health Consulting & Management. She is a nationally recognized expert in reimbursement, managed care and insurance contract negotiations for ASCs and surgical practices. Ms. Kehayes is a former president of the Washington Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and remains an active board member.

R. Matthew Kilton, MBA, MHA. Mr. Kilton is a member and COO of Eveia Health Consulting & Management. His expertise is in ASC and surgical practice managed care contract negotiations and reimbursement analysis. Prior to joining Eveia, he was the CEO of Valley Orthopedic Associates and Valley Orthopedic Surgery Center, a division of Proliance Surgeons in Renton, Wash.

Beverly Kirchner, RN, BSN, CNOR, CASC. Ms. Kirchner is the owner and CEO of Genesee Associates. She served on the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses board of directors, has authored many AORN manuals and leads research in collaboration with the organization on violence in the nursing workplace.

Susan Kizirian, BSN, RN, MBA. Ms. Kizirian is the COO of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America and has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of ASC operations. She most recently worked with the University of Virginia Health System ASC program. Ms. Kizirian has served as an executive director and a consultant for ASC management and development.

Marc E. Koch, MD, MBA. Dr. Koch is the president and CEO of Somnia, where he focuses on furthering the company’s mission of offering high-quality and cost-efficient anesthesia solutions to hospitals, ASCs and office-based facilities nationwide. He co-founded the medical practice Resource Anesthesiology Associates in 1996.

Greg Koonsman, CPA. Mr. Koonsman is a senior partner and founder of VMG Health. He specializes in providing valuation, transaction advisory, feasibility and operational consulting services to the firm’s healthcare clients. Mr. Koonsman has acted as an advisor to more than 150 hospitals, 300 surgery centers, 20 HMOs, 1,500 physician organization transactions and a variety of other healthcare entities in the United States.

Catherine W. Kowalski, RN. Ms. Kowalski is the executive vice president and COO for Meridian Surgical Partners. She has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry and is the former executive vice president of operations and co-founder of Surgical Alliance Corp., a specialty surgical hospital company. Ms. Kowalski is also a registered nurse.

Donald Kramer, MD. With a medical practice spanning more than 25 years, Dr. Kramer has developed several successful ASCs in the Houston market. He founded Northstar Healthcare, which develops and, in conjunction with physician partners, owns and operates significant ASCs in concentrated markets. Dr. Kramer is president and medical director for Northstar.

Michael Kulczycki. Mr. Kulczycki is the executive director of Ambulatory Care Accreditation for the Joint Commission. In this role he directs all activities related to business development for the Ambulatory Care and Office-Based Surgery Accreditation Programs. These two programs now cover more than 1,400 accredited organizations nationwide.

Brent Lambert, MD. Dr. Lambert is the chairman of the board and a founder of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist and responsible for business development at ASCOA. Prior to the founding of ASCOA, Dr. Lambert was the developer and owner of three ASCs, including the first eye ASC in New England. He is on the board of the ASC Associtaion.

Luke Lambert. Mr. Lambert is the CEO of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America and has a background in finance, strategy and operations. Before joining ASCOA as its CFO in 1997, he worked in equity research for Smith Barney and has management consulting experience with Booz, Allen & Hamilton and Ernst & Young.

Peter Laterza, JD, MBA. Mr. Laterza is the chief legal officer for Prexus Health Partners where he is responsible for general supervision of legal and regulatory affairs. He has more than 20 years of progressive experience as a lawyer and business executive, which includes extensive experience advising healthcare clients, including five years service as vice president and general counsel for Omnicare.

John W. Lawrence, Jr. Mr. Lawrence is the senior vice president and general counsel for NovaMed and has served as NovaMed’s Corporate Counsel since 1996. He is responsible for all legal matters relating to NovaMed and its operations, including structuring and negotiating all development transactions. Mr. Lawrence’s background is in general corporate practice with a focus in mergers and acquisitions.

Jeff Leland. Mr. Leland is a managing partner with Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners, which focuses on developing spine, ENT, sleep, radiosurgery and multi-specialty ASCs. He previously served as executive director for Lutheran General Medical Group, a 260-physician, multi-specialty medical group located in Chicago. Mr. Leland was once a senior-level executive with Advocate Health Care in Chicago and was responsible for both business development and Advocate’s 225,000-member health plan.

Douglas B. Lewis, JD. Mr. Lewis is the managing director for Physicians Capital. Using his diverse and in-depth healthcare industry experience, he is responsible for business development. Formerly an HCA hospital administrator and vice president of development, Mr. Lewis has completed more than 30 development projects in the not-for-profit sector.

Mike Lipomi, MSHA. Mr. Lipomi is the president of RMC Medstone Capital and has more than 30 years of experience in hospital and ambulatory facility management. At RMC Medstone, he and a team of experts cover all aspects of healthcare facility development, conversion and management with RM Crowe’s real estate professionals. Prior to joining RMC, Mr. Lipomi was CEO of Stanislaus Surgical Hospital in Modesto, Calif., which he grew from a small surgery center into one of the nations leading specialty hospitals.

Rodney H. Lunn. Mr. Lunn is the principal of the Surgical Health Group. Over the past 17 years, he has developed more than 150 ASCs throughout the United States. He is often considered the original pioneer in taking the concept of ASCs and transforming it into a practical, successful business model in dozens of states.

James J. Lynch, MD, FACS. Dr. Lynch is the president, founder and CEO of SpineNevada based in Reno, Nev., and he also serves as the director, spine service, for Regent Surgical Health. Dr. Lynch is a board-certified neurological surgeon who specializes in complex spine surgery, cervical disorders, degenerative spine, spinal deformities, trauma, tumor infection and minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Lynch treats patients across Nevada and Northern California.

Rob McCarville, MPA. Mr. McCarville is a principle with Medical Consulting Group. He has an extensive portfolio in the field of healthcare facility management, administration and strategy. Before joining the MCG consulting team, Mr. McCarville was responsible for overseeing 16 separate physician practices, building a strong reputation by developing innovative strategies to increase profitability.

Dawn Q. McLane, RN, MSA, CASC, CNOR. Ms. McLane serves as chief development officer for Nikitis Resource Group. She was formerly a vice president for National Surgical Care in Chicago. Ms. McLane has worked in the hospital setting as director of surgical services and as a staff nurse in surgery, ER and OB.

Tom Mallon. Mr. Mallon is a co-founder and CEO of Regent Surgical Health, which specializes in working with physician and hospital partners in the development, management and turnaround of surgery centers and specialty hospitals. Before founding Regent, he served as a founding member and remains a general partner with Gryffindor Capital Partners, a Chicago-based venture-capital fund.

Ajay Mangal, MD, MBA. Dr. Mangal is the founder, CEO and a board member of Prexus Health Partners and is also a board-certified ENT physician. As a hands-on executive at Prexus, Dr. Mangal has been instrumental in developing ASCs and assisting existing centers and hospitals to prosper. He is on staff at Butler County Medical Center, Fort Hamilton, Mercy Fairfield and Cincinnati Children’s Hospitals.

Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD. Dr. Manchikanti is the medical director of the Pain Management Center of Paducah (Ky.) and Ambulatory Surgery Center in Paducah. He is the CEO and chairman of the board of the American Society of Inteventional Pain Physicians. Through his work with various organizations, Dr. Manchikanti has been instrumental in the preservation of interventional pain management through specialty designation, mandatory Carrier Advisory Committee representation, reimbursement and the passage of NASPER.

Roger Manning. Mr. Manning is the founder and president of the Manning Search Group which serves more than 100 national and international banking/financial institutions, construction industry companies, healthcare/medical services organizations and medical equipment/device manufacturers. He has more than 25 years of healthcare operations and sales management experience.

Tyler Marsh. Mr. Marsh is co-owner of Affiliated Credit Services and has specialized in healthcare debt collections for the past 9 years. He leads the business development unit at ACS and has been responsible for expansion into several states including California, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon providing collection services for ASCs, hospital systems and physician groups. Mr. Marsh is active in several surgery center associations and was honored to receive the Circle of Excellence Award for corporate service from the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association earlier this year.

John Martin. Mr. Martin is the CEO of OrthoIndy, the largest private, full-service orthopedic practice in the Midwest and one of the largest in the country. His practice also operates Indiana Orthopedic Hospital and Indiana Orthopedic Surgery Center in Indianapolis.

Sarah Martin, RN, CASC. Ms. Martin is a regional vice president for Meridian Surgical Partners. She has close to 30 years of healthcare experience, focusing in the ambulatory surgery area for the past decade. Prior to joining Meridian, Ms. Martin was the regional director of ASCs for Universal Health Services where she managed both ASCs and specialty hospitals.

Todd J. Mello, ASA, AVA, MBA. Mr. Mello is a principal and co-founder of HealthCare Appraisers and manages the firm’s Colorado office. He has 18 years of healthcare finance and valuation experience. Mr. Mello is an accredited senior appraiser, accredited valuation analyst and holds an MBA in finance and accounting. He is a frequent speaker and author on healthcare valuation topics.

Melody Mena, RN, CNOR. Ms. Mena is director of surgical services for Southern Regional Health System in south metro Atlanta, and Spivey Station Surgery Center in Jonesboro, Ga. She began her career as an x-ray technician, graduated in 1995 as a nurse and went straight to the OR. She then ran medical consulting firms for several years. In 2006, Ms. Mena became director of surgical services for the former Surgery Center at Mt. Zion (now Spivey Station). Her success there led to additional responsibilities as she became director of surgical services for the entire Southern Regional Health System in 2008. Ms. Mena recently oversaw the development of the new Spivey Station location, a state-of-the-art, technologically-advanced facility.

Keith Metz, MD, JD, MSA. Dr. Metz is a practicing clinical anesthesiologist and medical director at Great Lakes Surgical Center in Southfield, Mich. He is on the board of directors for the ASC Association.

Thomas A. Michaud, CPA. Mr. Michaud is the CEO and chairman of the board of Foundation Surgery Affiliates. Before founding FSA, he held the positions of COO and CFO of a regional surgery center management company. Mr. Michaud previously served as a staff accountant for Ernst & Young.

Evelyn S. Miller, CPA. Ms. Miller is the vice president of development for United Surgical Partners International. Before joining USPI, she was executive vice president of Medway Health Systems, overseeing the financial operations of its medical clinics.

T.K. Miller, MD. Dr. Miller is the medical director at Roanoke (Va.) Ambulatory Surgery Center and physician with the Roanoke Orthopedic Center. He has specialty experience in sports medicine, arthroscopy and knee and shoulder reconstruction.

Kristián Mineau. Mr. Mineau is the president of Constitution Surgery Centers, based in Newington, Conn. He has served as administrator at several of the company’s surgery centers, including the Stamford (Conn.) Eye Surgery Center.

Amy Mowles. Ms. Mowles is president and CEO of Mowles Medical Management. She has successfully guided numerous new ventures and established ASCs and physician practices through the complicated maze of regulations, licensing, certification and accreditation processes.

Tom Mulhern, MBA. Mr. Mulhern is the executive director of Limestone Medical Center, a large medical office building complex and ASC in Wilmington, Del. He has been a leader in the development of ambulatory surgical services and as an advocate for the industry.

James E. Mutrie. Mr. Mutrie serves as assistant general counsel and compliance officer for United Surgical Partners International, an owner and operator of more than 165 surgery centers and surgical hospitals in the United States and the United Kingdom. In his position, Mr. Mutrie is responsible for legal, governance and corporate compliance matters at USPI’s facilities. Prior to joining USPI, he was in the corporate and securities section at Vinson & Elkins in Dallas.

Charlie Neal. Charlie Neal is the COO of HealthMark Partners. He was CEO of Alliance Surgery before its merger with HealthMark and was formerly with Symbion where he was president of the multi-specialty group that managed 47 ASCs in 17 states. He also served as the CEO of various hospitals in Georgia and Florida for HCA.

David Odell, CPA. Mr. Odell leads finance and partnership management for MedBridge Development and serves as president. In addition, he is executive vice president and CFO of TynanGroup.

Jon O’Sullivan. Mr. O’Sullivan is a senior principal and founding member of VMG Health where he provides financial valuation, joint-venture development and transaction advisory services exclusively in healthcare. He has performed extensive engagements in facilities including acute care and specialty hospitals, ASCs, imaging centers, cath labs, radiation therapy, dialysis centers and physician organizations.

Scott Palmer. Mr. Palmer is the president and COO of the ambulatory service center division of SourceMedical. He has more than 25 years of experience working with several companies offering services and business solutions for outpatient healthcare facilities.

Michael Pankey, RN, MBA. Mr. Pankey is the administrator of the Ambulatory Surgery Center of Spartanburg (S.C.). Before coming to the ASC of Spartanburg, he served as administrator and clinical resources manager at different locations. Mr. Pankey also served as the president of the South Carolina Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.

Matthew Parra. Mr. Parra is a vice president of acquisitions and development for Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Before joining ASCOA, he served as a senior business development manager at a Fortune 100 company, focusing on document management and imaging solutions.

Richard D. Pence. Mr. Pence is president and COO of National Surgical Care and leads the development and management of the company’s surgical centers. Before co-founding NSC, he served as executive vice president and COO of MAGELLA Healthcare, COO for National Surgery Centers and as controller and vice president for Medical Care International.

Jeffrey E. Péo. Mr. Péo is a vice president of acquisitions and development for Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Before joining ASCOA, he ran a knowledge management and information technology consulting division for a Fortune 100 company.

Thomas J. Pliura, MD, JD. Dr. Pliura is a doctor, lawyer and the founder and manager of several ASCs. Additionally, he is the founder of zChart EMR, an electronic medical records related company.

John Poisson. Mr. Poisson is the executive vice president and strategic partnerships officer of Physicians Endoscopy, the leading company in the development and management of freestanding endoscopic ASCs. Prior to joining PE, he had more than 14 years of experience in the healthcare field, specifically focused on medical service outsourcing.

John Rex-Waller. Mr. Rex-Waller is the chairman, president and CEO of National Surgical Hospitals. He has also served as the CFO of Hawk Medical Supply and previously was the CFO and a co-founder of National Surgery Centers, which was one the largest independent owner and operator of ASCs in the country.

Lisa Rock. Ms. Rock is the president and CEO of National Medical Billing Services, which specializes in freestanding outpatient surgery center coding and billing. She has been in the healthcare field for 23 years.

Jay Rom, MBA, CPA. Mr. Rom is the president of Blue Chip Surgical Partners. Before joining Blue Chip, he served as CEO of a cardiology group in Cincinnati with 15 physicians and was vice president for physician services of the Franciscan Health System, where he was responsible for a 60-physician multi-specialty group.

Kenneth Rosenquest. Mr. Rosenquest is the vice president of operations at Constitution Surgery Centers, based in Newington, Conn. He has served as administrator at several of the company’s surgery centers, including the Greenwich (Conn.) Endoscopy Center.

Dan Saale. Mr. Saale is the executive vice president and CFO of Nueterra Healthcare. He oversees all the financial activities of the company and directs the financial services within each of Nueterra’s physician partnership ventures.

Karen Sablyak. Ms. Sablyak is the CFO and executive vice president of management services at Physicians Endoscopy. She has 10 years of experience in healthcare finance and business operations. Prior to joining PE, Ms. Sablyak worked as a vice president of practice management for Allegheny University Hospitals in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Donna St. Louis. Ms. St. Louis currently serves as a vice president for diagnostics and outpatient services for BayCare Health System and is on the board of the ASC Association. Before joining BayCare, she was a group president for Symbion and responsible for more than 45 ASCs.

Molly Sandvig, JD. Ms. Sandvig is the executive director for the Physician Hospitals of America. In this role she leads the organization’s day-to-day business and operational functions and directs PHA’s membership recruitment, public relations and political advocacy efforts.

D. Jeffrey Sapp. Mr. Sapp is the executive vice president of ASC operations for Surgis. He has 17 years of experience in healthcare, having operated numerous ASC and physician practices. Mr. Sapp was the founder and CEO of Innovative Surgical Solutions which merged with Surginet to form Surgis.

John Schario, MBA. Mr. Schario is CEO of Nueterra Healthcare and brings together the extensive resources that let Nueterra develop, operate and nurture ambulatory care facilities including ASCs and surgical hospitals, and other ambulatory care facilities created through partnerships. Mr. Schario’s managerial background includes the development and operation of surgery centers, imaging facilities and occupational medicine clinics.

John R. Seitz. Mr. Seitz is co-founder, chairman and CEO of Ambulatory Surgical Group and oversees business development, the operational and financial management of all ASCs and central business office services. For more than 25 years, he has focused in the healthcare industry and is widely recognized in the ASC industry as a developer and manager of de novo ASC projects.

Bob Scheller, Jr., CPA, CASC. Mr. Scheller is the COO of the Nikitis Resource Group. In the past 15 years, he has been involved in the development and management of more than 50 surgery centers. He is currently responsible for nationwide development, management and consulting services for NRG.

Caryl Serbin, RN, BSN, LHRM. Ms. Serbin is the president and founder of Surgery Consultants of America and Serbin Surgery Center Billing. She has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, with the last 18 years spent in ambulatory surgery administration and consulting.

David Shapiro, MD, CPHRM, LHRM, CHC. Dr. Shapiro is a partner in Ambulatory Surgery Company, an ASC consulting firm, and is chair of the Ambulatory Surgery Foundation. He is a Florida-based anesthesiologist. Previously, Dr. Shapiro was senior vice president of medical affairs for Surgis, an ASC management company, serving as the corporate medical director for more than 20 facilities.

Jeff Simmons. Mr. Simmons is the president, Western region, of Regent Surgical Health and has more than 20 years in the healthcare industry. He served as vice president of marketing for American Medical International and founded the Immune Suppressed Institute to serve HIV patients. Mr. Simmons also founded and served as executive vice president of IntensiCare, a venture-financed hospitalist company.

Sheldon S. Sones, RPh, FASCP. Mr. Sones is president of Sheldon S. Sones and Associates, a pharmacy and accreditation consulting firm based in Newington, Conn. Established in 1985, the group, serving more than 100 sites in five states, specializes in safe medication management and pharmacy consulting to freestanding and hospital-based ambulatory surgical, endoscopy and renal dialysis centers, with expertise in accreditation success.

Bill Southwick. Mr. Southwick is president and CEO of HealthMark Partners. He is chiefly responsible for ASC turnaround strategies and creative joint-venture structures that have enabled HMP to partner with both physicians and hospitals in developing new or taking over underperforming facilities.

Kenny Spitler. Mr. Spitler serves as senior vice president of development for HealthMark Partners and has more than 20 years in healthcare business development. He is responsible for all aspects of development including acquisitions, de novo projects and physician syndications. He also serves as head of marketing and partners in the role of vendor relations and physician recruiting.

Donald E. Steen. Mr. Steen founded United Surgical Partners International in Feb. 1998 and served as its CEO until April 2004. He continues to serve as chairman of the board of directors and the executive committee.

Debra Saxton Stinchcomb, RN, BSN, CASC. Ms. Stinchcomb is the director of operations preparation and transition management for Health Inventures. She has more than 25 years of healthcare experience, including development, clinical, administrative, operations and sales. The last 15 years have been focused exclusively in the ASC industry with a particular emphasis on multispecialty centers. In that time, she has held positions as an ASC administrator, assistant regional vice president and regional vice president.

Alsie Sydness-Fitzgerald, RN, CASC. Ms. Sydness-Fitzgerald is the chair of the ASC Association and participated in the development of the Certified Administrator Surgery Center credential. She has been involved in the ASC industry since 1976 and has built up outstanding experience in the clinical, business and management aspects of the ASC industry as the director of clinical operations for HCA’s ambulatory surgery division.

Barry Tanner. Mr. Tanner is the president and CEO of Physicians Endoscopy. Before joining PE, he was the co-founder, CFO and COO of Navix Radiology Systems of Miami. Mr. Tanner also served as COO of HealthInfusion, a Miami-based provider of home intravenous therapy services.

Larry Taylor. Mr. Taylor is the president, CEO, founder and developer of Practice Partners in Healthcare. He has 25 years of experience in healthcare delivery, management and physician relations. Prior to founding Practice Partners, he served as president and COO of the largest provider of ASC services in the United States.

Larry Teuber, MD. Dr. Teuber is the founder and physician executive of Black Hills Surgery Center, one of the country’s most successful small surgical hospitals, and is a board-certified neurological surgeon. He is president of Medical Facilities Corp., and the founder and managing partner of The Spine Center in Rapid Falls, S.D.

David Thoene. Mr. Thoene is the vice president of business development for Titan Health. He has 24 years of experience consulting for and developing ASCs along the West Coast. His background and expertise includes the turnkey development of ASCs, hospitals and medical office buildings. He has developed surgery center investments for physicians, academic medical centers and health systems.

John T. Thomas. Mr. Thomas is the executive vice president of medical facilities for Health Care REIT, is an equity real estate investment trust that invests across the full spectrum of senior housing and healthcare real estate. He served as president and chief development officer of Cirrus Health from July 2005-Jan. 2009.

George Tinawi, MD. Dr. Tinawi is the president of Surgery Center Partners and its management subsidiary, Endoscopy Management Services Organization, which he founded with Samuel Marcus, MD. He was a practicing physician in Mountain View, Calif., from 1986-2004. As a practicing physician, Dr. Tinawi developed a clear understanding of the business issues faced by physicians in today’s challenging environment.

John Vick. Mr. Vick is the president and founder of ASCs, Inc., and has participated in more than 200 transactions on behalf of physician-owned ASCs, GI centers, heart centers, surgical hospitals and the associated real estate. He has extensive experience in surgery center development, business planning, operations, valuations, sales, purchases and mergers and acquisitions.

George A. Violin, MD. Dr. Violin is a board-certified ophthalmologist and one of the three founding principals of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He has owned and developed two ASCs and a large, multiple-office ophthalmic practice in eastern Massachusetts.

Christine Washick. Ms. Washick is the director of operations at the Orthopedic & Sports Surgery Center in Appleton, Wis. Ms. Washick was instrumental in a number of initiatives, most notably the center’s extended-stay joint replacement program, and significant case volume growth.

Michael Weaver. Mr. Weaver is a vice present of acquisitions and development at Symbion. He is a nationally recognized speaker on surgery center and physician-owned hospital acquisitions and development, and is a contributor to several national trade publications.

Robert Welti, MD. Dr. Welti is the corporate medical director and COO, Western region, for Regent Surgical Health. He previously served as the medical director and administrator of the Santa Barbara Surgery Center and also was affiliated with Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for 20 years. His experience includes both hospital-based surgery centers and physician-owned surgery centers.

Robert Westergard, CPA. Mr. Westergard is the CFO of Ambulatory Surgery Centers of America. Before joining ASCOA, he worked as the controller for Truman Capital Advisors, a mortgage banking firm specializing in the securitization of sub-prime mortgage loan assets. Mr. Westergard has an additional eight years of finance and accounting experience in the software, chemical and healthcare industries.

William H. Wilcox. Mr. Wilcox serves as the president and CEO of United Surgical Partners International. Before joining USPI, he served as CEO of United Dental Care, president of the Surgery Group of HCA and president and CEO of the ambulatory surgery division of HCA.

David Woodrum. Mr. Woodrum is a co-founder and partner of Woodrum/Ambulatory Systems Development, an ASC management and development company. He provides clients with consultations in the areas of planning, management, finance, loss prevention, marketing, physician group practice management, executive recruitment and Joint Commission compliance. He previously served as executive vice president and COO of the American Hospital Association.

Thomas R. Yerden, MHA. Mr. Yerden is president and CEO of TRY Health Care Solutions. He was the founder and CEO of Aspen Healthcare before selling it to National Surgical Care. He has helped to plan, develop, open and manage more than 75 ASCs in 26 states.

Joe Zasa, JD. Mr. Zasa is the co-founder and managing partner of Woodrum/Ambulatory Systems Development and leads the company’s Dallas office. He specializes in consummating strategic joint ownership arrangements with physicians, hospitals and strategic partners, as well as assisting the firm’s clientele in raising capital to finance their ambulatory care requirements.

Robert Zasa. Mr. Zasa is a co-founder and partner at Woodrum/Ambulatory Systems Development. He is experienced in all phases of business development in multi-service ambulatory care facilities, group practices, ASCs and hospitals, including management, development, expansion, acquisition, ownership structuring and marketing.

J.A. Ziskind, JD, MBA, PhD. Mr. Ziskind is the founder and CEO of Global Surgical Partners, which focuses on developing and managing hospital/physician and physician-owned joint-ventured ASCs. He has been actively involved in Florida’s healthcare industry over the past 35 years, having served as CEO of Cedars Medical Center and as a healthcare lawyer since 1984.

Greg Zoch. Mr. Zoch is a partner with Kaye/Bassman and has been involved with the marketing of healthcare organizations and services, and with the recruitment of healthcare professionals since 1990. His primary focus is on the strategic growth and staffing initiatives of client companies who develop, manage, consult with or own and operate ASCs and specialty hospitals throughout the United States.

Bryan Zowin. Mr. Zowin is the president of Physician Advantage, a healthcare management company based in Peoria, Ill. The company provides management services to a wide range of healthcare specialties including ASCs, anesthesia, orthopedics, urology, ENT, OB/GYN, facial plastic, pain management and primary care.

An important first step is to establish a multi-disciplinary planning team involving all departments, said Dan Rode, vice president of policy and government relations at the American Health Information Management Association in Chicago.

Hospitals and physician practices must move to ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for documentation and billing by Oct. 1, 2013. Hospitals also must implement ICD-10-PCS procedure codes by that date, while clinics will continue to use CPT codes for procedures.

Rode and Sue Bowman, AHIMA’s director of coding policy and compliance offered practical tips for preparing for the transition, including:

* Carefully assess whether medical records documentation is adequate to support the more detailed coding system.
* Ask all your software vendors now about how they plan to accommodate the ICD-10 codes as well as the new version 5010 of the HIPAA codes for claims and related transactions, which accommodate ICD-10.
* Begin investigating the role that computer-assisted coding can play over the long haul. “We’ll see much more sophisticated coding technologies developed,” Bowman predicted. That’s because the current generation of computer-assisted coding systems have been limited by the relative ambiguity and broadness of the inadequate ICD-9 codes, she argued.
* Meet with payers to compare notes on how the coding transition might affect contract terms as well as transactions.
* Develop detailed plans for training staff. “It’s extremely dangerous to think you can wait and don’t have to start training for ICD-10 until 2012,” Rode said.

Although the transition to the ICD-10 codes will be challenging, it will yield many benefits, Bowman contended. In addition to improving quality reporting and easing clinical research, the more precise codes should decrease the need to submit attachments to claims to justify them, she argued. And as more sophisticated auto-coders are developed to carry out the new codes, the coder shortage should be eased. That’s because the technology should enable coders to spend more time on editing codes that are automatically selected rather than chasing them down manually, she added.

In an interview at the HFMA Conference, Keith Eggert, vice president of revenue management at Orlando Health, said the ICD-10 transition will affect 90% of the Florida provider’s information systems-not just core claims systems. So implementing ICD-10 “is like a heart transplant.”  Click here to lear more about Medical Billing and Coding.
Orlando Health already has formed a steering committee to oversee the transition. It’s conducting an inventory to pinpoint the dozens of systems that will have to be modified to use ICD-10, Eggert said.

Expressing similar sentiments, Brent Grimes, corporate director for patient business services at Integris Health, Oklahoma City, Okla., labeled the ICD-10 transition a “monstrous task.” Many legacy systems will require extensive adjustments, including changes in data flow, he noted. Plus, the transition will require broad testing as well as intensive staff education, he added.

Artice Source: http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/ICD-10-38486-1.html

All three medical professions or careers are hot healthcare information fields right now and that will not change. As more and more people need health care, there will be more and more jobs available in this market.

The nice thing about two of these fields is that you can combine them easily. In fact you may want to learn medical coding along with medical billing and be able to offer both to prospective employers or be able to offer both if you work from home or start your own business.

Medical coders and medical billers work in doctor’’s offices and clinics, in hospitals or for dentists. All three fields require a background or knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology and you”ll be using special billing or coding or other software.

Medical coders provide codes to medical inpatient and outpatient procedures and services – billing public and private insurance companies. If you”re a medical coder you”ll read patient charts and assign the right code based on established codes derived from the standard classification manuals.

If you”re a medical biller you”ll be submitting claims to insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. In some cases to the patients on behalf of clients they may have or their employers. If you choose this field you”ll need to be detail-oriented and accurate. Mistakes can cause problems both for patients and employers. Medical billing jobs usually require you to have medical billing training and certification as a Medical Billing Specialist. You”ll also need to know the rules of the HIPAA.

A medical transcriber transcribes medical records. These are usually the doctor’’s notes, progress notes, etc. or those of other health professionals such as dentists. You need to be proficient in typing as you”d be doing a lot of it. Many people work from home as medical transcribers too.

So this is the difference between medical billing, medical coding and transcription. Make sure you get fully informed before you sign up for any training or enroll in schools, take online courses or programs. There are many scams to be aware of. Also there is money available from the government for both online and on-campus training. Make sure to check this out too to save yourself a lot of money.

Having a strong foundation of medical coding knowledge is a good way to build a successful career. A solid education from an accredited medical coding school is the ideal place to start. Going even further and becoming a certified medical coder can set you apart from the competition – it shows potential employers that you are serious about your career.                                                                            

The medical profession is very dependent on its billing department. Doctors need to make sure that there are reliable, accurate, and consistent medical coders to maintain the financial aspects of their practices. A medical coder with an understanding of medical law will be in demand because the codes need to line up with the services that are provided. A professional medical billing department is what holds a medical practice together – and proper coding procedures are essential.  

A medical coder will:

• Have knowledge of the human body and its inner workings
• Know medical law and ethics, diseases, and terminology of medicine
• Review charts and reports from a person’s medical record
• Add the corresponding codes for the services provided
• Provide accurate and reliable coding records

A medical biller, on the other hand, is the second person to receive the medical claims after the medical coder has coded them. The biller files the claim with the insurance company. Medical billers must also research all filed claims to see that they are resolved efficiently. Oftentimes, medical billers contact patients regarding outstanding claims, and set up a payment plan if necessary.

How do you get started? If you’ve decided that you want to venture into the field of medical coding, the first thing to do is research available medical coding programs offered by local colleges or trade schools – online schools are often an ideal choice for flexible and convenient learning. You can also talk to people who are currently employed in the field and get advice and tips on starting a new medical coding career. Medical coding offers a rewarding and exciting career opportunity – with a little work and preparation, you too can become a medical coder.

Medical billing software provides the fastest, most convenient way to get doctors reimbursed. In today’s computerized world, you can submit all of your claims electronically and keep the billing process moving forward — quickly! Gain advantage when you choose a Medical Billing Program that covers electronic medical billing!

The software is designed for doctors, dentists, medical billing services and other healthcare professionals, enabling electronic claims to be sent directly to health insurance companies. You simply enter patient information into the software system and claims are securely transmitted using an existing Internet connection.

Benefits of Electronic Medical Billing

• Paper claim forms are becoming a thing of the past — with the ease and convenience of electronic medical billing. It’s the fastest way to get reimbursed — and stay on top of the medical billing process. Reimbursements are how doctors get paid. You can make the process quicker and easier by using medical billing.
• Easy to use — Medical billing software is designed to be user-friendly. Most programs are Windows-based and provide a straightforward way to enter data, complete claim forms and submit electronic claims.
• All-inclusive — You can work on several things at once. Enter data, print reports, and oversee claims using one software program — navigate through the menus to get your work done, in any number of areas.
• Perform additional tasks — You can complete your office duties too, Medical billing software enables you to perform scheduling tasks through your computer. Set up appointments through a fast and convenient patient scheduling program.
• Easily manage claims — Medical billing software enables you to oversee all of your claims too. You will always know what still needs to be completed, what has not been sent and what reimbursements you are waiting to receive. You are on top of the billing process at every stage!
• Comprehensive — Most software programs store information for almost every type of health insurance. You can easily provide billing services for private commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, worker’s compensation, and much more.
• Convenient forms — All of the forms you need are at your fingertips. For example, you can print HCFA-1500 insurance claim forms. Custom claim forms can also be easily created. Oftentimes, software updates are readily available to help you meet new insurance carrier requirements.

1. Know what being a medical billing specialist entails — As a medical billing specialist, you will bill insurance companies for services that have been performed by doctors — it will be your job to quickly and accurately complete insurance claim forms correctly and manage the overall billing process. You will need to be able to perform basic bookkeeping skills and understand the inner-workings of health insurance.
2. Talk to others in the field — You can talk to some medical billing specialists and get their perspective of what the job is really like. Consider contacting the Medical Association of Billers (MAB) and network with other billers in your area — you might ask about what a typical day involves, the salary range, what they like best about their jobs, etc.
3. Find out about earning expectations — An important factor when choosing a career is learning about salary potential. You can find out how much you can earn as a medical biller by going online — the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides salary information based on geographic location. Learn if this is an ideal long-term career for you and provides the earning expectation that fits with your needs.
4. Education is the key — You need a solid education and foundation of knowledge to become a medical biller. There are different training options available — from standalone medical billing courses to full packages that include medical billing, insurance and reimbursement, software instruction and more. Enrolling in a full package can give you a broad range of knowledge that enables you to step right into your role and handle every facet of medical billing. Online courses enable you to learn from home — keep your current job while you prepare for your medical billing career.
5. Get certified — You can give yourself an advantage in the medical billing field by becoming certified. It shows potential employers that you are serious about your career and gives you extra credentials to stand out. To become certified, you will need to take the Certified Medical Billing Specialist (CMBS) exam — your medical billing course will give you the foundation you need to pass
6. Think about integrating medical coding — Your medical billing career may also involve medical coding tasks. You can give yourself an advantage by combining your medical billing knowledge with medical coding training. This will include a familiarity with medical terminology and medical coding so you can apply the correct codes to the medical services provided — and be in charge of the entire billing process.
7. Find out about career prospects — Do you want to work in a doctor’s office? Or does a hospital setting or clinic suits you? Learn about your career opportunities — medical billers are needed in health care facilities nationwide. Find out which area suits you best.

Set yourself apart with Medical coding and billing certification. In today’s increasingly competitive and specialized job market, it can be beneficial to add “certified medical biller” to your list of credentials. The Certified Medical billing and coding Specialist (CMBS) exam provides a way to grow your income potential while distinguishing yourself in the eyes of employers. 

The government does not require that you become certified, but it is a recommended step for your career. Certification proves that you have an advanced proficiency in Medical billing and coding and gives you an advantage over your non-certified counterparts.

 Requirements to Take theMedical billing and coding Specialist Exam

1. Enroll in an accredited Medical billing and coding program

2. Receive an “A” in the program 

3. Contact the Medical Association of Billers (MAB) to schedule the certification exam approximately 30 days after completion of the Medical billing and coding program

4. Send (1) a check for $199 to pay for the exam and (2) a letter stating your name and address so you can receive your test results 

5. Coordinate a proctor for the Certified Medical billing and coding Specialist (CMBS) examination

6. Study for the certification exam using the guidelines and study information provided from MAB.

7. Take the CMBS exam 

8. If you choose Allied Medical Billing as your education provider, you can take advantage of the “Pass or Don’t Pay” promise. If you don’t pass the certification exam, you don’t have to pay – you have nothing to lose! 

Medical billing and coding education programs may vary, but most consist of the information you will need to know to pass the certification exam; e.g. medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, computers, ethics, and more. Your familiarity with commonly-used medical terms; internal network of a Hospital; ICD-9-CM, CPT and HCPCS codes; and Medical billing and coding forms will help you succeed on the exam. 

Certification provides you with the knowledge and credibility to take your Medical billing and coding career to the next level. Demonstrate your commitment and dedication to your career by adhering to the highest standards possible. Your specialized training will open the door to more jobs and create long-term career potential in the rewarding medical field.

This means high salaries, great job satisfaction and of course incredible job security. So if you are looking for a new career that is always in high demand, you should consider a career in the medical billing field. For doctors, health care clinics and other medical professionals, the right medical biller can mean the difference between timely payment and a rejected claim. Those who know the ins and outs of the medical billing field and have proper medical billing training can help ensure that their employers receive the reimbursements they are due in a timely and efficient manner.

The importance of proper billing in the health care arena means that the job of the medical billing specialist is one of the most critical in the industry. Proper billing helps medical offices, clinics and other health care organizations maintain the cash flow they need to keep their businesses up and running, and that is good for both patients and caregivers. Plus, those who have experience in health care-related fields have the satisfaction that comes with knowing that their skills will always be in high demand.

No matter what the state of the economy people will always need high quality health care, and that is why the health care field is such an attractive place to be. You will be helping patients get the care they need, while ensuring that the professionals who care for those patients receive all the reimbursement they are due. Make the decision to enroll in a medical billing course today.