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Our President’s Message Next Meeting Date:
November 1, 2011
Location:
Lutheran General Hospital
Program:
“What is a Compliance Plan and Do
you Really Need One?”
Erin Whaley, JD
Page 1
The Greater Chicagoland Chapter of
PAHCOM
Volume 3, Issue 9 OCTOBER, 2011
RSVP WWW.GCPAHCOM.COM
Dear Pahcom Friends and Colleagues:
This has been such an incredible
month, both personally and profes-
sionally. Personally, my husband has
finally sent his first book off to the
publisher. It is titled, “Diets and
Other Unnatural Acts” and is about
how to “LiveWellthy,” focusing on a
lifestyle that rejects diets, instead
teaching us how to make small posi-
tive changes toward health in many
areas of our life. Hopefully, it will be
out by December. Changing hats, at
the office, we finished our 90-day
Meaningful Use period and attested to
successful completion of Stage 1 re-
quirements. We’ll see if the govern-
ment comes through!
Now, you might think that would be a
great month. However, because I am
a member of Greater Chicagoland
PAHCOM it just gets better and bet-
ter. Please hang on for the ride. Octo-
ber’s Vendor’s Fair was a great suc-
cess and we want to thank all of the
vendors who participated. It was a lot
of fun to be able to spend the evening
chatting with each of them in a lei-
surely and informal setting to learn
more about their businesses and prod-
ucts. Ike Schreibman, JD, a third
party collection specialist, and Holly
Faris, from Availity, provided a deli-
cious dinner and dessert and we thank
you very much. Thank you all for
your continued support through the
years.
We began our Armed Services Collec-
tion Drive which will continue
through our November meeting.
Please check our chapter website for
the list of acceptable donations. Our
servicemen and women give so much
to all of us. Please support us in what-
ever way you can to add to our collec-
tion. Karen Spellman is coordinating
the drive (847-846-2130). Please call
her with any questions.
On October 18-20, 2011, a group of us
represented our chapter at the National
Conference in Clearwater, FL. If you
haven’t heard the news, GCPAHCOM
won Chapter of the Year for 2011. I
want to congratulate each of you
and thank each you for the work
you did that earned us this award.
Each point we accrued toward our
total represented the positive action
of one of our members. This is
what a team can accomplish.
The sessions were very educational;
and, as in any conference, some
were better than others. There was
a session on ERISA and claim deni-
als that many of us found extremely
informative. I have an old product
from the speaker that I will be up-
dating in order to use his forms and
approach. I certainly hope his ap-
proach helps my bottom line.
Another presenter talked on com-
munication and made the point that
conversation had two parts: feel-
ings and content. She also spent a
lot of the session talking about atti-
tude. She wanted us to think about
the attitude we projected when we
walked into the office on Monday
morning. Was it positive or nega-
tive? She wanted us to understand
that our staff responded to our ex-
ample. Do your own self-
evaluation. What do you think your
staff sees?
Another speaker talked about influ-
ence and impact. He said that, ra-
ther than worrying about how
something is going to affect “me,”
we should be the secret word is
winner concerning ourselves with
the effect on the other person. We
should be concerned about the val-
ue of the product or service to oth-
ers. In a medical practice, patients
want the reassurance of the office.
We need to connect with people. If
you want to influence people, “ask”
questions and show interest.
The last session I’ll comment on
was the one on responding to a
Payer Audit. It was a good session,
but there was one great take-away:
Never perform a statistically signifi-
cant audit on your own practice
Jeff Cumbee PLATINUM Ph: 630-375-6800
David Heller H Group Benefits, Inc. Ph: 847-564-1640
Mike Hattie POS Professional Office Services Ph: 800-707-5310
Michael Thoney Professional Facility Care Ph: 888-241-4665
Jeri Stenhouse InHealth Ph: 800-477-7374
Jayme Matchinski Hinshaw & Culbertson Law Ph: 312-704-3574
Sponsors:
because you will be bound by repay-
ment rules. I thought this was great
advice.
The conference ended on Thursday,
October 20 with a short session led by
Karen Blanchette, who is the Execu-
tive Director of PAHCOM. She
shared some initiatives and certifica-
tions that are in the works for PAH-
COM members that are very exciting.
Currently, they are working with
some educational institutions that
would give credits for our CMM to-
ward a Bachelor’s Degree. The se-
cond initiative is that the CMM PAH-
COM Accreditation would work in
conjunction with an Associate Degree
Program of an affiliated educational
program.
In addition to these initiatives, PAH-
COM is working with outside entities
to offer two new certifications that are
very much in line with today’s medi-
cal office’s needs: Health Infor-
mation Technology and Claim Man-
agement ERISA & PPACA.
The conference itself was held at the
lovely Hilton Clearwater, right on the
beautiful white sand beach. Our hotel
rooms were right upstairs from the
meeting rooms, making trips back and
forth very convenient and fast. Res-
taurants, shopping, and transportation
were right outside the hotel, putting
the geographically challenged very
much at home in a very short time.
Yes, that would be me! As this
year’s site worked out very well and
having our conference there again
next year will dramatically reduce
costs and logistical planning time,
thus allowing National to be able to
pursue the above Initiations and
CHAPTER OF THE YEAR 2011
Dan Frasier Associated Band 847-239-3775
Tami Gilbert Spectrum Training 312-213-7008
Advocate Lutheran General 847-723-7025
Page 2
Greater Chicagoland Chapter of PAHCOM
Connect with us online we have groups setup on both sites. If you have questions let us know. Keep
connected and sharing your experiences online. We are always looking for ways to expand our internet
reach. Hope to see you online!
We are Online
Greater Chicagoland Chapter PAHCOM
Date: October 4, 2011 (Abbreviated Meeting)
Minutes
Board and Chairpersons Present: Renee Segal, CMM, President, Violet Elieff, CMM, Vice-President, Janice
Goodyear, CMM, Membership, Karen Spellman, CMM, Membership, Jo Dick, CMM, CENTCS, Kelly Dietrich,
CMM, Sponsor Chair, Lizz Dietrich, CMM, Communications Coordinator, and Roxie Esposito, CMM, Secretary.
Members: Jody Berman, Cindy Penar, CMM, Danielle Schroeder, CMM, Laura Bohler, CMM, Cindy Penkala,
CMM, Donna Weinstock, Nancy Frait, CMM, Polly Walgren, CMM, and Jennifer Brown. In addition, we have a
new member in attendance: Guilia Alexandro.
Sponsors: None.
Minutes:
Old Business: None.
New Business: 2012 Board Nominations:
President: Renee Segal, CMM
Vice-President: Violet Elieff, CMM
Treasurer: Roberta Malloy, CMM was nominated but was unable to run and declined. Jo Dick, CMM, CENTCS,
was nominated and accepted the nomination.
Secretary: Danielle Schroeder, CMM
Membership: Karen Spellman, CMM/Janice Goodyear, CMM.
Renee Segal, CMM, stated that nominations to do not have to be seconded, and more than one person can run for
each board position. An email will be sent to the membership to vote.
Attending National Conference are Renee Segal, CMM, Violet Elieff, CMM, Jody Berman, Kelly Dietrich, CMM,
Cindy Penkala, CMM, Janice Goodyear, CMM, Lizz Dietrich, CMM, and Danielle Schroeder, CMM, Sue Zumwalt,
CMM. The Chapter agreed to buy raffle tickets at National Conference as a donation to National Scholarship Fund.
Jody Berman made a motion, and Violett Elieff, CMM, seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting ad-
journed at 8:47pm.
Respectfully submitted:
Roxie Esposito,CMM
Secretary
HOLIDAY
DINNER
DECEMBER
6, 2011
OFFICER
IN-
STALLATION
NOV. 1, 2011
DATES
TO
REMEMBER
Wear your PAHCOM pin(s) 1
(no matter how many you wear)
The following will be awarded after the event
and only awarded once per year:
Your guest becomes a member
(manager or sponsor) 2
Serve as an officer 5
Chair a committee 4
Serve on a committee 3
Participate in a chapter
sponsored activity 2
Attend National conference 4
"Each of us alone is one; to-
gether we are the Professional
Association of Health Care Office
Management."
Richard Blanchette
Founder
CONFERENCE CON-
TEST GUIDELINES
On to the year 2012 Contest!
This year you will be able to
earn a raffle ticket for the list
below as you have in the past,
the difference is this year you
will be filling out your own tick-
ets. You will need to remember
to complete your tickets month-
ly.
The raffle tickets will be availa-
ble at the registration desk and
you will put your name on the
ticket and place it in the “Drum”.
Please be sure to review the list
so that you are ready to start the
race for 2011 this August. The
drawing will be held at the June,
2012 meeting – so good luck to
everyone!
Attend a meeting 1
RSVP on time 1
Bring a guest (manager) 1
Bring a guest
(potential sponsor) 1
Submit an article for the
Newsletter 1
Spiral bound-easy reading books-National Press Publications, Inc. Communication & Leadership Series:
Techniques of Successful Delegation – by Carla Brown Assertiveness: Get What You Want Without Being Pushy – by Carla Brown How to Manage Conflict – by Carla Brown Getting Things Done – by Kristine C. Brewer Team Building – by Charles Mallory The Supervisor’s Handbook – by Mark R. Truitt Techniques to Improving Your Writing Skills – by Robert L. Iles Lifestyle Series:
Balancing Career & Family: Overcoming the Superwoman Syndrome– by Marian Thomas The Stress Management Handbook – by Kristine C. Brewer Powerful Leadership Skills for Women – by Dr. Patricia Murdock Mil-ler Dynamic Communication Shills for Women – by Carla Brown Self-Esteem: The Power to Be Your Best – by Mark Towers Your Perfect Right A Guide to Assertive Living – by Robert E. Alberti, Ph.D & Michael L. Emmons, PhD. Time Power – by Charles Hobbs How To Collect At Time of Service – Video training for healthcare professionals How To Speak Up, Set Limits and Say No* - by Maria Arapakis
[*Without Losing Your Job or Your Friends] audio cassette program
TREASURER’S REPORT
AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
By MEMBERS Page 3
Pronto Connections Ph: 312-649-3621
Bert Rosenberg Clifton Gunderson Ph: 630-573-8600
Karla Weisberg Transworld Systems, Inc. Ph: 847-709-0001
Piyush Kedia EMP Claim Solutions Inc. Ph: 312-842-7822
Joe Balice Cunningham Group
Isaac Schreibman Attorney at Law
Holly Ferris Availity
Sponsors(Cont.):
Greater Chicagoland Chapter of PAHCOM
Road to Conference
Library
2011 Calendar
November 1 Installation of 2012 Officers December 6 Holiday Dinner
Page 4
PRESIDENTS LETTER CONT….
Certifications, we will be returning to the Hilton in Clearwater for our conference October 16-18, 2012. I know
many of you like to travel to different places (so do I) and I hope that this will be in future plans as the economy
allows. However, I hope we will look at priorities and weigh the importance of conference destination vs. PAH-
COM Programs. I hope the Programs come out on top. They do for me.
On November 1, 2011, our speaker will be Erin Whaley, JD, and her presentation will be, “What is a Compliance
Plan and Do you Really Need One?” Our dinner will be hosted by Dan Frasier from Associated Bank. We will
have our Annual Installation Ceremony and officially present our Chapter of the Year Banner. Our speaker will be
flying in from Richmond, VA and we have a lot to celebrate. We need and want to congratulate each other, hug
each other, and give some high fives.
Chicagoland, it’s been a great year. Thank you. You are truly “CHAPTER OF THE YEAR 2011.”
Respectfully,
Renee Segal, CCM, CPC
President, GCPAHCOM
********************************************************************************************
We have a new CMM.
Sue Zumwalt, our chapter member from California, took the CMM exam at con-
ference and is now a new CMM.
Congratulations Sue Zumwalt, CMM
******************************************************************
Human Resource
A New Liability Concern for Your Practice: Textual-Sexual Harassment
Text messages, unlike graffiti, cannot be permanently erased from a wall. Even when text messages are deleted,
they still can be retrieved.
Employers should also be aware that lawsuits and court cases involving texting and harassing behaviors are in-
creasing.
We recommend that you treat textual harassment like any other harassment. In other words, you should do the fol-
lowing:
have a policy in place;
keep it updated;
regularly remind employees to review it; and
ensure that employees understand the consequences for not following it.
Generally speaking, textual harassment is when someone sends inappropriate or offensive messages via electronic
devices over a cellular network.
Apparently, as evidenced by recent court cases, some people will do and say things in text messages that they
might not consider doing or saying in face-to-face situations. Examples includtexting lewd photos and messages
asking for sexual favors.
Greater Chicagoland Chapter of PAHCOM
2011 Chapter Officers President:
Renee Segal, CMM Ph: 847-540-8020
renee@gcpahcom.com
Vice President:
Violet Elieff, CMM Ph: 312-642-9858
violet@gcpahcom.com
Parliamentarian:
Elizabeth Dietrich Ph: 847-677-1170
lizz@gcpahcom.com
Secretary:
Roxie Esposito, CMM Ph: 847-698-1487
roxie@gcpahcom.com
Treasurer:
Roberta Malloy Ph:
Roberta@gcpahcom.com
Membership:
Karen Spellman, CMM Ph: 847-985-0881
Karen@gcpahcom.com
Janice Goodyear, CMM Ph: 773-775-0811
Janice@gcpahcom.com
!!!! We are Online !!!! Pay your yearly membership dues
or sponsorship online via PayPal
@ www.gcpahcom.com
Greater Chicagoland Chapter of PAHCOM
Page 5
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Communications: Sponsor Coordinator: Historian:
Elizabeth Dietrich Kelly Dietrich, CMM Jo Dick, CMM, CENTS
Ph: 847-677-1170 Ph: 312-464-5491 Ph:
lizz@gcpahcom.com Kelly@gcpahcom.com Jo@gcpahcom.com
******************************************************************************************
RSVP BY MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2011
DINNER WILL BE PROVIDED BY
Dan Frasier from Associated Bank
Greater Chicagoland Chapter of PAHCOM
Fellow PAHCOM Members and Sponsors:
At our August meeting it was discussed and agreed to initiate an additional service project for our chapter. We are going to gather items that will be sent to the troops overseas. Also in this newsletter is a listing of the approved items that can be sent overseas to the troops. We are asking for you to look over the list and assist us in providing items to our soldiers. I will be collecting items at our Members Only meet-ing in September and also at the October Vendor Fair/Meeting. We will also send out an e-mail blast to all Members and Sponsors with the list of items as a reminder. It was approved for the chapter to bear the cost of shipping the items and I have tak-en on the task of organizing this project, but welcome anyone who wants to assist. If any of you have a family member or friend that is serving overseas and wants to provide me with their name so that we can send it to a specific soldier or troop please feel free to e-mail me with the information. This is just a small way that we wish to thank the soldiers' that are serving and pro-tecting our country. Thank you all for your cooperation, assistance and donations. Please fee free to call me if you have any questions. Karen A. Spellman, CMM PLEASE BRING YOUR DONATIONS G & G Medical Billing TO THE NOVEMBER MEETING 1100 Nerge Road, Suite 200 Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 Phone: 847-985-0881 Fax: 847-985-0882 Cell: 312-968-8443
Greater Chicagoland Chapter of
Page 6
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR CHAPTER MEMBERS
**************************************************************
Medicare The Latest on the ACO Final Rule
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has sent a Shared Savings/ Accountable Care Organizations final
rule to the Office of Management and Budget for review. OMB review is one of the last steps before publication of
a rule in the Federal Register.
The rule would establish the Medicare Shared Savings Program authorized in the health reform law. Under Shared
Savings, provider organizations are encouraged to form accountable care organizations to tightly coordinate the
care of chronically ill patients across the continuum of care, and to share in the savings that may result.
Industry concerns raised during the comment period on the proposed rule included:
The proposed set of 65 measures would be too burdensome for newly formed accountable care organ-
ization and should be cut in half;
The threshold for providers to share in savings, at least 2 percent above the benchmark, has been dif-
ficult to achieve in earlier pilot programs;
A final rule should include an option allowing ACOs to receive shared savings without the downside
risk;
Giving patients enrolled in an ACO the ability to restrict access to their health information could com-
promise an ACO's ability to improve individual health;
The definition of eligible physicians should expand to include pathologists and laboratory profes-
sionals; and
Requiring 50 percent of participating primary care physicians to demonstrate meaningful use of elec-
tronic health records by their second year could reduce interest in the program and should be cut to 25
percent.
PAHCOM
CHAPTER OF
THE YEAR
2011
Page 9
Greater Chicagoland Chapter of PAHCOM
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