January/February 2010 • vol 56 • num 4 - HFMA NJFocus 1 focus January/February 2010 •advertisers• focus •features• focus •points• focus •cover• Armds Besler CBIZ

new jersey chapter

January/February 2010 • vol 56 • num 4

• There and Back Again: A Revenue Cycle Consultant’s Offshore Story see page 7

• HealthRecommendations for the New Governor see page 40

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There and Back Again: A Revenue Cycle Consultant’sOffshore Story by David Mills, interviewed by Elizabeth Litten …………………………………………… 7

Wellness Program: Increase Productivity, DecreaseHealth Care Costs by Beth Sweeney, RN, BSN ……………………………………………………………… 11

The Seesaw World of Medicaid Eligible Days Listings by James A. Robertson, Esq. …………………………………………………………… 15

2009-2010 H1N1 by Diane L. Anderson …………………………………………………………………… 16

The Rewards of Membership by Howard Krain & Rosemary Nuzzo ……………………………………………………… 20

The Benefits of HFMA Certification ……………………………………… 22

CEO Spotlight:Joe Coyle, CEO, Southern Ocean County Hospital …………………… 27

Member Spotlight:Mike McKeever …………………………………………………………………… 28

Physicians Can Expect New Rules in the New Year by Barry D. Shapiro, CPA and Anne E. Jorgensen, Esq. …………………………………… 31

My bff just changed jobs (again) by Al Rottkamp ………………………………………………………………………… 36

Hatala Installed as NJHA Board Chair …………………………………… 37

Excerpts from theTransition Memorandum to Governor-Elect Christopher Christiefrom the Sub-Committee on Health ……………………………………… 40

Who’s Who in the Chapter ………… 2

The President’s View by Brian Sherin, MBA, FHFMA ………… 3From the Editor by Elizabeth G. Litten, Esq. …………… 4People Watching ………………… 17 Focus on Ethics ………………… 19Focus on Finance ……………… 21Focus on Industry ……………… 23

mark Your Calendar ……………… 24Who’s Who in NJ Chapter Committees ………… 26Focus on Legislation …………… 30Certification Corner ……………… 35New members …………………… 38meet A New member …………… 38Job Bank summary …………… 39Advertiser Focus ………………… 48

Cover photos courtesyof David Mills


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focus/hfmaWho’s Who in the Chapter 2009-2010Chapter Website …………………………………..www.hfmanj.org

Communications CommitteeThomas shanahan, FHFmA, CPA, director ............................. raritan Bay medical CenterElizabeth G. Litten, Esq., Chair ........................................................... Fox rothschild LLPAl rottkamp, mBA, Vice Chair .............................................................................. Crothallsteve Aaron ....................................................................................ArC Group AssociatesJim Beutel................................................................National Healthcare Payer Networksmark P. dougherty ........................................................................ Johnson Controls, Inc.Laura Hess, FHFmA ............................................................................................ NJHFmArhonda maraziti ............................................................................ Withumsmith + BrownNicole K. martin ....................................................................................... Wolff & samsonWilliam mcCann ...........................................................................................Healthfirst NYdavid A. mills ...................................................................................... deloitte ConsultingHelen Oscislawski, Esq. ..................................................................... Fox rothschild LLPJames A. robertson, Esq. ........................................................................Kalison mcBrideroger d. sarao, CHFP ................................................... New Jersey Hospital Association

NJ HFmA Chapter OfficersPresident, Brian P. sherin, FHFmA ....................................................... Besler ConsultingPresident-Elect, mary T. Taylor, mBA, FHFmA ............... southern Ocean County Hospitalsecretary, John Brault, FHFmA .............................................. somerset medical CenterTreasurer, michael Alwell, FHFmA ............................................. Atlantic Health systems

NJ HFMA Board MembersLindsey s. Colombo, FHFmA ……………………………… raritan Bay medical Centermary m. Cronin, FHFmA ………………………………………… Besler ConsultingTracy davison-diCanto, CHFP …………………………… Princeton Healthcare systemLaurie Grey …………………………………………… Princeton Healthcare systemLisa r. Hartman, mPH ………………………………… Princeton Healthcare systemsean J. Hopkins – Ex-Officio ………………………… New Jersey Hospital AssociationThomas shanahan, FHFmA, CPA ………………………… raritan Bay medical CenterEileen smith – Associate Board member ……………… meridian Healthcare systemJoanne Vaul ……………………………………………………… CBIZ KA ConsultingHeather Weber ………………………………………………………… ParenteBearddavid J. Wiessel ………………………………………………… Ernst & Young, LLPdan Willis – Associate Board member ……………… Children’s specialized Hospital

Caitlin C. Zulla, CHFP ………………………………………………………med Assets

NJ HFMA Advisory CouncilJoseph J. dobosh, Jr., mBA ………………………… Children’s specialized Hospital

Cheryl H. Cohen, FHFmA ……………………………………………Pantheon Capital

dorothy Lindstrom ………………………………………… somerset medical Center

John manzi ……………………………………… Panacea Healthcare solutions, LLC

Advertising Policy/Annual RatesThe Garden state “FOCUs” reaches over 1,000 healthcare professionals in various fields. If you have a product or service you would like the healthcare financial industry to know

about, please take advantage of this great opportunity!Contact Laura Hess at 888-652-4362 to place your ad or receive a copy of the Chapter’s advertising policy. The Publications Committee reserves the right to refuse any ad not consistent

with the overall mission of the Chapter. Inclusion of an ad in this Newsmagazine does not infer endorsement of the product or service by the Healthcare Financial management Association or the Publications Committee. Neither the Healthcare Financial management Association nor the Publications Committee shall be responsible for slight variations in production quality of published advertisements. Effective July 2006 rates for 6 bi-monthly issues are as follows:

Display Full Page Half Page Quarter PageBack Cover – Full Page Color $4,600 NA NAInside Back & Front Covers – Full Page, Color $4,350 NA NAFirst Inside Ad – Full Page, Color $4,250 NA NAFirst Inside Ad – Full Page, Black & White $3,450 NA NAInside Ad – Color $3,450 $2,600 NAInside Ad – Black & White $2,150 $1,450 $875Center spread – 2 Full Pages, Color $5,900 NA NACenter spread – 2 Full Pages, Black & White $3,800 NA NA

Ads should be submitted as print ready (CmYK) PdF files along with hard copy. Payment must accompany the ad. deadline dates are published for the Newsmagazine. Checks must be payable to the New Jersey Chapter - Healthcare Financial management Association.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF MATERIAL Issue Date Submission Deadline January/February december 15 march/ April February 15 may/June April 15 July/August June 15 september/October August 15 November/december October 15

IDENTIFICATION STATEMENTGarden State “FOCUS” (ISSN#1078-7038; USPS #003-208) is published bimonthly by the New Jersey

Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, c/o Elizabeth G. Litten, Esq., Fox Rothschild, LLP, 997 Lenox Drive, Building 3, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648-2311

Periodical postage paid at Trenton, NJ 08650. POSTMASTER: Send address change to Garden State “FOCUS” c/o Laura A. Hess, FHFMA, Chapter Administrator, Healthcare Financial Management Association, NJ Chapter, P.O. Box 6422, Bridgewater, NJ 08807

OBJECTIVEOur objective is to provide members with information regarding Chapter and national activities,

with current and useful news of both national and local significance to healthcare financial profes-sionals and as to serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas and information.

EDITORIAL POLICY Opinions expressed in articles or features are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the New Jersey Chapter of the Healthcare Financial management Association, or the Communications Committee. Questions regarding articles or features should be addressed to the author(s). The Healthcare Financial management Association and Communications Committee assume no responsibility for the accuracy or content of any articles or features published in the Newsmagazine. The Communications Committee reserves the right to accept or reject contributions whether solicited or not. All correspondence is assumed to be a release for publication unless otherwise indi- cated. All article submissions must be typed, double-spaced, and submitted as a microsoft Word document. Please email your submission to:Elizabeth G. Litten, Esq. [email protected]

REPRINT POLICY The New Jersey Chapter of the HFmA will not reprint articles published in Garden state FOCUs Newsmagazine. Individuals wishing to obtain reprint authorization must obtain it directly from the author(s) of the article. The cover of the FOCUs may not be used in the reprint; however, the reprint may note that the article was published in a specific issue. The reprint may not imply endorsement by the HFmA, directly or indirectly.

The President’s View . . .

As we continue on our march towards Spring and warmer days, the volunteers of our Chapter continue to develop and present a wide variety of educational offerings for the membership. These are great opportunities to expand upon your expertise and earn CPE credits. Some of the upcoming events include the following. Mark your calendar and watch the weekly Pulse e-newsletter and our website for more information.

• Personal Finance Sessions: Various dates, February 2010• Medicare Cost Report Preparation: February 18th • Quarterly Meeting, CARE Committee: March 9th

• Managed Care Webinar w/Maria Todd: March 17th• Access to Capital & Financial Risk Management: March 24th

• Free Physician & Ancillary Sessions – 3/16 and 4/27 • ICD 10 Joint Session w/ HIMSS and AHIMA: April 23rd

• NJHFMA Annual Women’s Conference: April 29th

Recently, the Chapter decided to merge the Events & Networking and Membership committees into a single committee, Membership & Networking. This decision was based upon a number of changes that have taken place over the past several years in terms of committee responsibilities. Thanks to the committee Chairs and Co-Chairs, Roe Nuzzo, Matt Glass and Erica Waller, as well as Board Liaison Lindsey Colombo, for facilitating this change and agreeing to collectively guide the merged committee going forward.

The Institute Committee has begun work on the 2010 Institute which is scheduled for October 20-22, 2010 at the Borgata in Atlantic City. Chairs Deb Shapiro and Howard Krain will most certainly build upon the success of the 2009 event and provide a premiere educational and networking experience for the entire membership and a prime opportunity for vendors to showcase their capabilities.

I strongly encourage our members to consider obtaining HFMA certification. It demonstrates your commitment to excellence and professional growth and can be a differentiator in seeking new opportunities. We are sponsoring a certification exam session on March 6th at two locations; Atlantic Health in Morris Plains and ARMDS in Burlington. You will find additional information and details on reimbursement by the Chapter for related expenses on the NJ HFMA website.

Each year our Chapter awards an education scholarship to a member, member’s spouse or member’s dependent based on established criteria. The New Jersey Chapter of HFMA will award at least one scholarship of up to $3,000 in 2010 and I invite you to apply for this year’s NJHFMA Scholarship. Applications are due no later than April 1, 2010. You can find more information on our web site at http://www.hfmanj.org/Scholarship-Information.page .

Finally, as Spring does approach and your thoughts turn to golf, don’t forget our always enjoyable Annual Golf Outing to be held on May 13th at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club. I look forward to seeing you there as well as at other Chapter activities. Thanks for your continued support.

Regards,

Brian P. Sherin, MBA, FHFMA

Brian Sherin


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From The Editor . . .

Elizabeth G. Litten

Dear Readers:

2010 has only begun, but it seems like I have been to India and back in terms of the hours spent studying potential changes to the health care system. National health care reform no longer appears imminent (as it had in early January), but “meaningful use” of health informa-tion technology beckons (or threatens, depending on your perspective) and new HITECH requirements (regarding security and breach notification) are forcing covered entities and business associates to review agreements and internal policies and procedures. Just thinking about the potential implications of national or local health care reform proposals, likely qual-ifications for HIT incentive payments, and new breach notification obligations is enough to make me want to join David on his next trip (and perhaps not come back)!

The 2010 New Jersey landscape is quickly changing, as well. We have a new Governor, new cabinet members, and new Legislative leaders, but we continue to face familiar problems that range from the fiscal health of our State to the medical health of the individuals who live, work, and access services here. One familiar challenge our Communica-tions Committee faces is to communicate with you to share issues, information, perspectives, possible solutions, and sometimes simple entertainment, so that your membership continues to be relevant and worthwhile. Should you have ideas for improve-ment or topics you would like addressed (either in this magazine, our website (www.hfmanj.org), or the Pulse email alerts) please contact me or any of the Communications Committee members.

Regards,

Elizabeth G. LittenEditor


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There and Back Again: A Revenue Cycle Consultant’s Offshore Story

by David Mills, interviewed by Elizabeth Litten

Elizabeth: David, we always enjoy your participation in our Communications Committee meetings, but we know you travel quite a bit. Where do you go?

David: The majority of my travel is related to work, so I don’t always go to touristy spots. For the last twenty years, I have traveled across the United States working with health care providers frequently in inner-city locations.

For the last few years, I have been working with a portion of my company’s revenue cycle team based in Hyderabad, India. Hyderabad is quite literally on the other side of the world. In straight line distance (actually, more of an arc), Hyderabad is about 8,500 miles from New Jersey and roughly the same latitude as Mexico City. As a point of reference, Hyderabad is about 300 miles southeast of Mumbai. In terms of time zones, it is ten and one-half hours ahead of New Jersey. It’s not ten or eleven hours different from Eastern Time, it’s ten and a half hours different. I think the half hour difference is simply there to make it more difficult to do the time conversion, and once you think you’ve got it, Daylight Savings Time kicks in and you have to convert by nine and a half hours! And, while you may have never heard of Hyderabad, the city traces its history back over 400 years with one of the original forts still occupy-ing a hilltop nearby.

Elizabeth: What preconceived ideas did you have, and how were they altered?

David: First of all, let me say that my observations relate not so much to the formal business aspects of outsourced revenue cycle operations, but to being a consultant in an environment very different from New Jersey.

I’m not really sure what my original thoughts were given the amount of time that has gone by. I recall thinking it was going to be very crowded and poor. I expected the infrastruc-ture to be less developed than here and was concerned about general health issues like water-borne diseases and malaria. I was also concerned about language barriers and local customs and culture.

I guess to some degree my ideas were both confirmed and refuted. While it is crowded, most cities of four million people are crowded. The place I notice density of people is more on the roads than anywhere else. There is a lot of traffic with all types of vehicles on the roads. Most of the roads are not as well maintained as in New Jersey and traffic rules are viewed more as suggestions rather than laws. Things like stop signs and traf-fic signals are not as common as I would have expected.

Poverty is a real issue. But many of the people in the cities fall into what I think of as middle-class. The biggest differ-ence is that wealth and poverty frequently exist side-by-side throughout the city; it’s not isolated to certain sections of town. While I still think the overall infrastructure is less de-veloped than it is in cities in New Jersey, it doesn’t really affect me. When I am in the hotel, or a shopping mall, or our office, everything is pretty much the same as here.

As for any health concerns, I am still careful about drinking the water and what I eat, but in over two-dozen trips, I have only gotten sick once and that was only for a couple of days and not to an extent that I had to miss work. So, I guess I am glad that concern was overstated.

English is the language used for political and commercial communication. However, Hindi and Teluga are the most widely spoken primary languages in Hyderabad. There are fif-teen official languages in India and numerous other regional languages and dialects. The most common language across the country is Hindi, which is spoken by 41% of the population. Consequently, many people in India are multi-lingual.

Elizabeth: So, even though English is spoken in the work-place, are there issues in communicating with a workforce in a country with no majority language?

David: Communicating with my colleagues in English is a breeze, as long as I remember they learned British English, not American. Sometimes I need to be careful about word choices and phrases that are common only in the U.S. For example, they refer to “holding back” an employee, whereas continued on page 8

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David Mills


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we would refer to “retaining” an employee. They also use the term “learnt”, which sounds odd to an American, but is actu-ally proper English.

Hyderabad is not necessarily a “melting pot,” but people from all over the country come to work and live there. Since native languages tend to be regional in India, English is typically the only common language for our staff. In that regard, speaking English is convenient. Cultural differences tend to be a greater challenge than language.

Elizabeth: How long does it take you to get there from New Jersey?

David: Travel time between New Jersey and Hyderabad is about one day. On the way over, time zones work against you, so it feels like an even longer trip. A typical trip will depart Newark on Saturday afternoon and arrive in Hyderabad Mon-day morning around 1:00 a.m. local time (around noon here). You get that time back on the return trip, when you leave Hyderabad at 2:00 a.m. local time and arrive in New Jersey at 4:00 p.m. the same day! The group I am involved with works U.S. Eastern Time hours, so I don’t have to worry about con-

vincing my body when I should be sleeping or working, just that it is normal to be headed to work as the sun is setting.

Elizabeth: Are there advantages or disadvantages to being the foreigner when you go to work there?

David: One advantage of being a visitor from another coun-try is that people generally are very understanding of your lack of familiarity with the local norms and customs. Driving in India is one of those customs that, fortunately, I do not have to learn. When I am there, I am always a passenger. Following the practice established in Great Britain, Indian traffic pro-ceeds on the left side of the road. As a passenger, that’s not a problem. As a pedestrian trying to cross the street, it’s another matter entirely. Let’s just say I’m lucky that drivers in India are very attentive of pedestrians’ actions.

You might think I’d be able to relax when I’m a passenger in a car, as opposed to walking. This is not the case. As in most cities, heavy traffic in Hyderabad is normal. The type of traffic on the streets, though, is not. Traffic we expect to be intended for three lanes might have five vehicles of various size and means of locomotion traveling in the same direction.

continued from page 7

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Cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, motorized scooters, and bi-cycles compete with motorized three-wheeled rickshaws (the most prevalent vehicles – their equivalent of yellow taxis in New York City). Add to that pedal-powered and hand pushed carts, people, and the occasional cow, all on the main streets of a city. You might wonder how all of these fit on the street? It helps that the side-view mirrors on cars are all folded in to pre-vent hitting other things on the streets. Vehicles are frequently only inches away from each other. One of the “rules of the road” is that the driver is responsible for avoiding anything in front them, so there’s no need to see what’s behind you. Cut-ting someone off after you pass them is almost expected.

Elizabeth: Do you see the effects of the economic down-turn as you travel through Hyderabad?

David: Even in the face of a global recession, there is new construction everywhere. Office buildings and apartment buildings appear to rise from the ground in tandem. While over 70% of India’s population is still rural, the cities are grow-ing, and with young, well-educated people. The median age in India is 25.3; by comparison, the median age in the U.S. is 36.7 years. If you already think everyone in your office here is younger than you, try working in India – you will feel ten years older.

One of the things that still amazes me about the construc-tion that I see in Hyderabad, in addition to the huge amount of it, is how it is done. Manual labor is much more heavily used in India than here. Even when it comes to breaking up granite slabs to clear a piece of land or spreading gravel for a road bed, a lot of the work is done by people with hand tools. I also do not think there are as many government regulators watching over the safety of construction sites as here in New Jersey. Many of the construction sites use wood poles lashed together for scaffolding or to support floors while concrete dries. I would not want to be the one on scaffolding that is visibly sagging and swaying.

Elizabeth: Aside from being younger, how does the work-force contrast or compare with the workforce in the U.S.?

David: While the culture is different, working with twenty-somethings is remarkably similar to the U.S. Young employees both here and there show an eagerness to progress; impatience with the need to gain experience before advancing; comfort with technology; the desire to maintain work-life balance; and use of cell phones as an additional appendage. There are some differences, though. The younger workers in India seem more motivated to get a good education than they are here. They seem to understand at an earlier age that education is critical to success. Getting into a top college is very competitive. To

some degree, because of the sheer volume of people, the odds are tougher there than here. India’s population is about four times that of the U.S.

Elizabeth: What differences in the Indian health care sys-tem have you observed?

David: Basic healthcare is relatively accessible in India. Pa-tients typically see primary care doctors or registered medical practioners in their villages and can get almost all services and supplies in one place. There’s also a greater melding of allo-pathic and homeopathic medicines in India. Regulations at the primary care level don’t appear to be as strict in India. In general, only hospitals have to be certified by the government, not clinics.

Clinics tend to be multi-specialty and privately owned. Frequently, laboratories, radiology facilities, pharmacies, and medical supplies are all available at the clinic site. Kind of a one-stop shop. There does not appear to be any prohibition to self-referrals. Payment is typically made in cash at the time of service. Health insurance, for those who have it, typically only covers inpatient services. Basic health services and phar-maceuticals are relatively inexpensive by our standards.

Physicians are still held in very high regard in their local community. Becoming a doctor is considered a very desir-able profession. Government run medical schools offer a free education to those who can get in and therefore this is a very competitive process.

Anyone can get free care at a government hospital with a “charity care” type card. People often prefer private hospi-tals, where there are shorter waits and the perception of higher quality care, but people also realize that, for specialty care, the government hospitals are the best choice because they treat ev-ery condition imaginable, and often in greater numbers than any private hospital.

Elizabeth: Thank you for sharing your observations and wonderful photographs, and for entertaining the Commu-nications Committee with your fascinating comments and funny stories.

Focus 10

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Focus 11


continued on page 12

by Beth Sweeney, RN, BSN

Wellness Programs: Increase Productivity, Decrease Health Care Costs

Beth Sweeney“Wellness” has emerged as a corporate catchphrase – but there’s nothing trendy about it. In 2010, companies that take wellness seriously have more opportunities than ever to improve their productivity, reduce their health care costs, and help their employees live healthier lives.

Several independent sources have proclaimed wellness programs – which, loosely defined, are health interven-tions aimed at maintaining or improving health and mini-mizing the effects of disease – as holding significant po-tential to improve an organization’s bottom line.

For example, average health care costs for obese people are more than one-third higher than they are for people with normal weight, costing employers an additional $15.4 billion in expenses related to sick leave and to life and disability insurance. Equally eye-opening findings regarding smoking and other detrimental habits and conditions underscore the tremendous impact wellness programs can have. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show potential savings of $3 to $6 for every $1 invested in wellness programs.

That is why health care insurers have decided to step in and offer wellness programming to their customers – pro-gramming that is increasingly reaping tangible benefits for businesses. Some health insurance carriers offer wellness services that include screenings, educational seminars, and sending registered nurses on-site to customers’ offices to provide a broad spectrum of health education, seminars, screenings, and support. When choosing a health care in-surer, make sure to ask if they offer wellness programs as part of their services.

For all of the emphasis on the personal benefits of well-ness, there is an equal emphasis on the economic com-ponent of strong wellness programs, which are more meaningful than ever to employers confronted with the challenges of maintaining affordable health insurance options for their employees.

A wellness testimonial…

Underwood-Memorial Hospital of Woodbury adopted broad-based wellness practices approximately three years ago, with a goal of making employees healthier, happier and more productive.

“We’ve implemented a wellness program agenda and have achieved terrific results,” says Robert Manestrina, vice president of human resources for Underwood. “We’re now a smoke-free facility, conduct frequent wellness fairs, provide health coaches through our health insurance carrier, adopted a walking club, offer Weight Watchers at Work and offer healthier choices on our cafeteria menu.” Manestrina notes that Underwood has “seen a very real decrease in medical claims, which we believe is directly related to our emphasis on employee wellness.”

A wellness story…

As a part of the Larc School’s Run the Bridge 10K race, a wellness award was presented to the participant in the 2009 run/walk who had the most intriguing personal wellness story.

The winner, John Wilson of Cherry Hill, was a 33-year-old dad who said he exercised infrequently and battled a cholesterol level that exceeded 400. Inspired by a marathon-running friend, John began a similar training regimen and adopted a healthier diet. Three marathons and a 40-pound weight reduction later, John has reduced his cholesterol, reduced his stress, and increased his energy.

12 Focus


Wellness offerings: many options, easy accessThe key to a successful wellness initiative at any company

should include a variety of options that are convenient to the individual. Programs that have seen success in helping em-ployees can include:

• Body composition/Body mass index testing. Body composition or body mass index testing (BMI) is a number

calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. These screenings are many times offered on-site at customer facilities.

• Blood pressure screenings. Free blood pressure screenings are a valuable tool to wellness. These screenings are very helpful when they are conveniently offered on-site at customer facilities.

• Smoking cessation programs. According to the Ameri- can Heart Association, more than four in five smokers say they want to quit. And each year about 1.3 million smokers quit. With good smoking cessation programs, 20 to 40 percent of participants are able to quit smoking and stay off cigarettes for at least one year. Offering on-site programs to employees aid them in their effort to successfully quit.

• Health coaching. Hire a health coach or ask your health care insurer if they can provide one to assist employees in leading a healthy lifestyle. These health coaches can be made available for confidential consultations on topics

A wellness testimonial…

Diane Allen, vice president of human resources for The Hibbert Group, a marketing services company based in Trenton, believes wellness programming has made a great difference in her organization.

“Our health screenings, on-site health coaches and lunch and learn seminars are very well received by our employees,” Allen said. “I know for a fact that a seminar we did on eating and stress management gave many of our employees a real wake-up call. Our employees are taking a more active role in managing their own health, and I’m proud that our organization has facilitated that.”


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including nutrition, exercise, chronic disease, benefits use, and overall wellness support.

Getting startedMany companies want to start wellness programs but don’t

know how or where to start.No two companies will approach wellness the same way, be-

cause every company’s style and needs differ. But, a few guide-lines are applicable for every organization:

Get senior management buy-in. As with any organization-al initiatives, employees need to see that senior management supports wellness programming and sees it as a priority. In particular, the initial announcement should come from the CEO or another senior manager. It’s also terrific if the CEO is front-and-center in getting involved, whether it’s leading the first wellness walk or getting the first health screening.

Ask employees. Conduct an audit of what other compa-nies do, and then ask company employees what programs they would value most.

Form a wellness committee. Create a diverse wellness com-mittee, comprising employees from different departments and levels of the organization, to serve as planners and “cheerlead-ers” for the company’s wellness initiatives.

Rely on health care insurers. Some health care insurers can help companies get started with their programs and offer ad-vice on both content and structure.

Kick off in style. Some companies kick off their health and wellness programs with healthy living “fairs,” offering employ-ees free flu shots, blood pressure checks, cholesterol screen-

ings, body/fat ratio assessments, smoking cessation programs and free mammograms. This can really help companies initi-ate their wellness programs with a flourish.

Start a walking club. Start a walking club. These clubs can meet before, during or after work, take advantage of your of-fice’s surroundings, and make exercise a fun, social event.

Stock healthy snacks. Nutrition is a key component of wellness. What kind of message are you sending with the snacks you stock in your vending machines and in your cafete-rias? By stocking healthy snacks and drinks in the break room, you will encourage healthier choices. Some companies also supply healthy lunches as part of their wellness programs, and bring in nutritionists to teach employees how to eat healthy – which will make them feel better and also make them more productive at work.

Hold on-site exercise classes. If space permits, consider conducting on-site exercise classes during the week or even on weekends. Make the classes trendy and fun: instead of sit ups and pushups, try Tae Bo, Pilates, yoga or belly dancing. You can probably find local instructors happy to offer discounted rates if you can provide a roomful of employees.

Offer incentives. Incentivize your employees to improve their overall health and wellness through healthy practices. For example, have employees earn points from participat-ing in, and completing a variety of programs and tasks; these points can then be converted into time off. You could also offer cash for achieving specific goals, such as losing weight, while still others sponsor employees entering local 5K charity races or even marathons.

Above all: Start small. It’s tempting to launch a dozen new programs all at once, but that can be overwhelming for every-one involved. Choose a few, well-structured programs tailored specifically to the organization, and build from there.

About the AuthorBeth Sweeney, RN, BSN, is Director, Population Health and Wellness at AmeriHealth New Jersey. In her role, she evaluates and develops wellness strategies and initiatives based on indi-vidual employer groups’ needs. Working along with her team of nurse wellness specialists, programs such as on-site health coach-ing, wellness fairs, health and wellness seminar presentations and preventative screenings are implemented to help members achieve their wellness goals. Beth can be reached at [email protected]

A wellness story…

Health coaching and wellness screenings led by a health care insurer’s trained registered nurses educate members on how to make small and big changes that can help im-prove health. Sometimes, the ramifications are huge.

During an on-site blood pressure screening for a south-ern New Jersey employer group, an onsite nurse was alarmed by one employee’s dangerously high blood pres-sure. The member was unaware of any pre-existing his-tory or condition. The nurse instructed the member to go directly the nearest emergency room, where physicians advised him his condition was immediately life-threaten-ing and prescribed hypertension medicine.

Today, the member’s blood pressure is back to normal, and he’s continuing to live a full and rewarding life – which includes ongoing health coaching from the health care insurer’s on-site nurse.

Focus 15


If you feel like you’re on a seesaw when it comes to the submission of Medicaid eligible days listings to the Fiscal Intermediary, it may be because you are.

Earlier in 2009, New Jersey hospitals were notified that the State would no longer determine and submit each hospital’s Medicaid eligible days to the Medicare Fiscal Intermediary, Highmark Medicare Services. A list of Medicaid eligible days is essential because it is required for Highmark to consider the New Jersey Medicaid days in the Disproportionate Share Hospital (“DSH”) and/or the Low Income Payment (“LIP”) calculation.

On November 4, 2009, Highmark notified New Jersey hospitals that it has not final settled the hospitals’ Medicare cost reports beginning with fiscal year end (“FYE”) 2005 due to errors in the Medicaid “eligible days” reports provided by the State. However, the State also informed Highmark that it will no longer correct or produce any other Medicaid “eligible days” reports. As a result, hospitals now have the burden to produce a listing or log of patient days of service for those patients that were eligible for Medicaid, but not entitled to Medicare Part A, for each cost reporting period.

The hospitals were directed to prepare the Medicaid “eligible days” listing for their FYE 2005 cost reporting period by access- ing the State’s eligibility system and verifying Medicaid eligibility, and to submit the verified “eligible days” listing for the FYE 2005 cost report to Highmark no later than December 31, 2009. Highmark also requested that the hospitals maintain a hard copy of the documentation supporting eligibility because Highmark might need to review these listings.

In January 2010, Highmark stated it will begin the process of settling all New Jersey hospitals’ FYE 2005 cost reports. Thereafter, it will begin the process of settling subsequent years’ cost reports. Accordingly, it advised the hospitals to begin producing their “eligible days” listings for FYE 2006 and 2007 as soon as possible, with target dates to make these listings available by July 31, 2010 and December 31, 2010, respectively.

After being notified of this new process, New Jersey hospitals began working diligently with their vendors to generate the eligibility days listings. However, it became abundantly clear that the December 31, 2009 deadline to submit FYE 2005 data did not provide enough time to produce meaningful information. Accordingly, the New Jersey Hospital Association (“NJHA”), along with others in the industry, requested a six (6) month extension, or until June 30, 2010, to submit the FYE 2005 Medicaid eligible days listings, and that the deadlines for the

submission of 2006 and 2007 data be extended accordingly.

In a December 2, 2009 re-sponse, Highmark extended the deadline for submission of the FYE 2005 eligibility listings to June 30, 2010. However, Highmark alerted the hospitals to the fact that the New Jersey Medicaid system stops reporting data for a Medicaid beneficiary five (5) years after they are no longer eligible, e.g., due to death, termination of Medicaid benefits, etc., and therefore, beginning January 1, 2010, it is possible that some of the data will no longer be available and, as more time passes, more data will not be obtainable.

The limited availability of some Medicaid data by virtue of the State’s policy of only maintaining a five (5) year rolling available date range on its Title XIX eligibility database is indeed cause for concern. Specifically, Highmark’s DSH audit policy requires the production of a hard copy of the Title XIX eligible days printout to support the Medicaid eligibility requirement component of the audit sample review process. This policy seemingly conflicts with the State’s Title XIX data retention policy. Further, at the time of Medicaid’s policy pronouncement, no indication was given on when or how often the five-year rolling window would be updated. In particular, at the time a DSH audit is conducted, the hospital will be unable to produce a hard copy printout from the State’s system validating Title XIX eligibility if the record has been either archived or rendered inaccessible.

The industry has raised these issues with the State in an attempt to convince the State that the policy is not only inconsistent with Highmark’s DSH audit policy, but also fails to comply with CMS guidance on the necessity for all State’s Title XIX programs to retain, and thus make accessible, all relevant historical Title XIX eligibility data until all settlement, audit and/or litigation issues have been resolved. At this point, either the data retention issue will be resolved in the near future so that the State is in compliance with CMS guidance and Highmark audit policies, or the hospitals may be left with no alternative but to litigate the legality of the State’s data retention policy.

About the AuthorJim Robertson is the Managing Partner of Kalison, McBride, Jackson & Hetzel, P.C., a 16-attorney boutique health care law firm based in Warren, New Jersey, specializing in hospital reimbursement issues.

James Robertson

by James A. Robertson, Esq.

The Seesaw World of Medicaid Eligible Days Listings


16 Focus

2009-2010 H1N1by Diane L. Anderson

Over the past several years, the primary focus of pandemic planning has centered on avian “bird flu,” a severe disease-causing strain of the influenza virus. Notoriously unpredictable, the notion of a possible flu pandemic has forced governmental agencies and healthcare communities across the nation to prepare for the worst. During the spring of 2009, a novel influenza A virus emerged from the shadows, causing world-wide concern due to a lack of knowledge regarding its origin and potential impact. Over time, it was determined that 2009 H1N1 was a mild disease but shed light on healthcare communities, and state and federal governments that were not properly prepared to handle a pandemic. Some say the spring wave provided an opportunity for communities to prepare for its return in the fall. While this is true, some challenges simply could not be overcome in the course of a few months.

In the New Jersey Hospital Association’s pandemic flu re-source, Planning Today for a Pandemic Tomorrow, the health-care community was charged with planning to continue operations under a number of distinct stressors, including providing care with limited resources. The 2009 H1N1 pandemic has solidified the presence of such issues. Distributors found their supplies of face masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment rationed from manufacturers due to overwhelming demand. In turn, distributors were forced to appropriate supplies to hospitals and other healthcare providers creating challenges to ensure the availability of resources necessary to protect employees and patients.

The second wave brought about a few alarming occurrences, including the threat of an antiviral-resistant strain of the virus. Two groups of patients presented with Tamiflu-resistant novel H1N1 viral infections; one cluster in the United Kingdom and another in the U.S. The CDC also cited a mutation in the novel H1N1 virus found in Norway. This mutation makes it easier for the virus to live deep in lung tissue.

However, there is good news regarding the spread of 2009 H1N1. The Second wave seemed to have peaked in late October with a maximum of 48 states showing widespread activity during a single reporting period. Flu activity levels fell

gradually through November and December, although overall numbers remained high.

Durng the week of January 10-16, 2010, no states reported widespread activity but seven continue to report regional activity, including New Jersey. According to the state’s Influenza Activity Summary, 4.3 percent of all Emergency Department visits were due to influenza-like-illness and 7.8 percent of total ILI ED visits resulted in hospital admissions. Similar to the national picture,

New Jersey’s percentage of ILI visits decreased from the week prior.

The healthcare community faced various challenges in conjunction with H1N1 response. Increased reporting demands placed an extra burden on facilities to provide information regarding ILI data and other stress indicators. Many facilities implemented visitation re- striction policies to limit the spread of disease and minimize exposure. A surge in patients

visiting the ED strained resources and forced some hospitals to consider alternate methods of screening. Most important is the shortage of critical items such as N95 respirators, surgical masks and hand sanitizer. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stated that it would issue citations for improper respiratory protection, unless facilities are able to show a “good faith effort” toward obtaining N95s. This posed a significant issue to facilities experiencing restrictions on deliveries or allotments from vendors on backorder.

Over the course of the spring and fall of 2009, the state implemented various initiatives to plan for subsequent waves of the flu and its potential impact on the healthcare system. From July to September, New Jersey held five pandemic flu summits to discuss issues facing the healthcare continuum and provide updates on response. Communi- cation with the healthcare community and the public was increased through a variety of methods including public

Diane Anderson

The second wave

brought about a few

alarming occurrences,

including the threat of

an antiviral-resistant strain

of the virus.

Focus 17


service announcements, an H1N1 information hotline and bi-weekly conference calls with clinicians to answer questions regarding vaccination, guidance and other status updates.

The state also released a blanket waiver of regulations for alternative screening sites to reduce the burden of surge on the EDs. As a result of the waiver, facilities could im- plement screening sites for ILI outside of traditional EDs to mitigate spread and control the influx of patients. The state also released its stockpile of N95s to acute care facilities in an effort to provide the resources they need to protect staff and maintain compliance with OSHA respiratory protection requirements.

Vaccine quantities have increased with a total of 116.2 million doses shipped nationwide and 2.6 million delivered to New Jersey. As such, and in conjunction with recommendations from the CDC, New Jersey moved beyond vaccinating only the initial target groups to include the general public. Local

health departments and other providers are scheduling clinics in order to reach these additional populations which include seniors and healthy adults. In a recent press release, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Deputy Commissioner Dr. Susan Walsh emphasized the importance of vaccination stating, “Although New Jersy is not experiencing a lot of flu activity at this time, now is when people should be getting their H1N1 flu shot. It is critical to remind residents of the importance of flu vaccination at a time when demand for the vaccine usually drops. Vaccination is the best tool we have to prevent influenza.”

The CDC continues to monitor the virus intently in order to anticipate any changes that would warrant additional response. During a recent press conference, Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, provided a similar response to that of Dr. Walsh. “The illness is down. There’s plenty of vaccine. It’s a key window of opportunity.”

About the AuthorWith over 20 years of emergency preparedness experience, Diane Anderson currently serves as Director of Emergency Preparedness for the New Jersey Hospital Association. Her expertise has provided the organization an opportunity to support the New Jersey healthcare com-munity in planning and response efforts critical to their continued operations in the event of an emergency. She can be reached at [email protected].

The CDC continues to

monitor the virus intently

in order to anticipate

any changes that would

warrant additional response.

Greg Adams, FHFMA, and John Manzi named Sr. VPs ofPanacea Healthcare Solutions

•People Watching•

Panacea Healthcare Solutions named Gregory Adams and John Manzi as Senior Vice Presidents.

Greg Adams has over 34 years of experience in the field of healthcare including 20 years experience as a hospital CFO, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Of-ficer of Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck, New Jersey. Greg is an officer of the National HFMA, currently serving as the Sec-retary/Treasurer. He has served as a member of the National Board of Directors for the Healthcare Financial Management Association from 2002-05 and as President of the New Jersey chapter in 1997-98.

John Manzi has over 30 years experience in the healthcare field, primarily in financial management in both hospital and consulting settings. John served as past president of the New Jersey Chapter of the HFMA in 2004-05.

Panacea Healthcare Solutions, LLC, with offices in Flori-da and New Jersey, provides expert financial and informa-tion technology services and systems to healthcare providers, payers, and software companies. Panacea’s areas of expertise include coding, compliance, finance, reimbursement and rev-enue cycle consulting and systems.

Focus 18

Focus 19


Ask the Ethics Guy®!The Ethics of New Year’s ResolutionsInstead of setting yourself up for failure, why not treat yourself according to the same principles that guide your behavior toward others?

Bruce Weinstein

by Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D.

This is the time of year when we make lists of all of the things we want to change about ourselves. Some of the common ones are:

•Kicking an addiction •Losing weight •Attending religious services more often •Being kinder to people

Let’s face it: We don’t accomplish most of our resolutions because most of the goals we set for ourselves are too ambitious. When we fail to achieve our objectives, we end up feeling bad about ourselves, and we return with a vengeance to the very behaviors we have vowed to stop.

Five basic ethical principles apply to all of our professional and personal relationships. These principles are:

•Do No Harm •Make Things Better •Respect Others •Be Fair •Be Compassionate

What often gets overlooked in discussions about ethics is the duty we have to ourselves. After all, the five ethical principles described above concern not only how we treat other people, but also how we treat ourselves. If it is wrong to talk to a colleague disrespectfully, it is also wrong to talk to ourselves this way. Just as we should not harm others, we should refrain from harming ourselves.

This is where the folly of New Year’s resolutions comes in. By setting the bar too high, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment, and this isn’t being fair to ourselves. This is not to suggest that we ought not strive to improve our conduct and character—after all, this idea is the very foundation of ethics—but rather, that we ought to set goals we’re likely to accomplish.

Accentuate the PositiveIn fact, all New Year’s resolutions can be boiled down to

one simple directive: Be kinder to yourself. Once you commit to treating yourself the way you’d like others to treat you, all of the other goals become a lot easier to achieve. (Of course, some of us treat ourselves much better than we treat others; the challenge in ethics is to find a balance between self-abnegation and self-absorption.)

If losing weight is your goal, why not let yourself off the hook and stop the negative self-talk about your size? You may find it becomes a lot easier to lose the weight and keep it off.

I speak from experience here: In August, I joined a popular weight-loss program, and I’ve been amazed to see the pounds come off, even though I indulge occasionally in what are sometimes labeled “forbidden foods.” The trick, I’ve learned, is not to deprive myself of something I want to eat, but rather to recognize that the slab of carrot cake I want for dessert comes with a price: I’ll have to jog a little bit longer the next day, or do without something else I may desire.

In other words, it’s not through self-denial that I’m able to accomplish the goal of weight loss, but rather by treating myself with kindness. I’m finding that the more weight I lose, the better I feel about myself, and the more I’m able to accomplish the other things I want to do.

In 2010, why don’t we vow to go a little bit easier on ourselves? We may be pleasantly surprised by what happens in our lives as a result.

About the AuthorDr. Bruce Weinstein, The Ethics Guy®, is the author of Is It Still Cheating If I Don’t Get Caught? (Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press, 2009), a book that shows tweens and teens how to make ethical decisions. Order your copy at TheEthicsGuy.com. Ask Dr. Weinstein to sign and personalize it for you, too!

20 Focus


The Rewards of Membership

by Howard Krain & Rosemary Nuzzo

Howard Krain Rosemary Nuzzo

In an effort to continue to provide value to the HFMA community, NJHFMA held the first of three free or enhanced-value educational sessions for members and non-members. The first session, Managed Care Issues, was held at locations in both North and South Jersey to better serve membership. Non-members were also invited to attend; paying one fee for the session that would also provide them membership for the remainder of the year.

The first session at Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, New Jersey on November 17, was very well received. Well attended by both providers and insurers, the presentations prompted much audience participation. Con-versation from that day served as the basis for attracting members for our new Managed Care committee, which will begin in early 2010. Total attendance for the Southern session was 34.

The second session was held at Atlantic Health in Morris Plains, New Jersey on December 8, 2009. Total number of participants for the program was 48. Presentations given by experts in the managed care field included hospital con-tracting, RFP process for employer-sponsored benefits, pricing impact for out-of-network providers, shared risk arrange-ments for providers and payers and integrated delivery net-works. Each presentation prompted lively debate among the participants.

Preceding each educational session was a Board-hosted new member breakfast for members that joined during the 2009 chapter year. Approximately 15 new members and Board attendees participated in the Southern session, while the northern session hosted about 35 attendees. Brian Sher-in, President, NJHFMA, greeted the new members and

explained how our chapter works. He discussed the various committees and was joined by other Board members and Committee Chairs in extolling the value of participation in each of the various committees.

The topic of the next session was Understanding the Revenue Cycle. These sessions were held on January 19th at Virtua Voorhees and February 9th at Atlantic Health. The January 19th session at Virtua Voorhees was also well received with approximately 32 attendees; two thirds of those being from providers. Presentations at this session included patient registration, upfront collections, how to cover the “uninsured,” the chargemaster, CMI-what does it mean?, and understand-ing the impact the RAC will have on denials and medical ne-cessity.

One more free session will be held this Chapter year. This will focus on physician and ancillary topics. The third session will be held in March/April and will again have north and south venues.

About the AuthorsHoward Krain is a healthcare technology and consulting veteran who has held a number of senior leadership roles with leading healthcare firms. Howard is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and he also serves on numerous oth-er civic and professional groups. Howard can be reached at [email protected].

Roe Nuzzo is the Director of Finance, Atlanticare Regional Medical Center. She can be reached at [email protected].

Focus 21



•Focus on Finance•

Answers to your Accounting and Tax Questions

A Hospital CFO’s Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2010

Q.A.

As a hospital CFO, what are the things I should be thinking about and doing, going into 2010?

There is a greater degree of uncertainty in the industry, fueled by concerns over healthcare reform, increased enforcement actions by OIG and RAC auditors, bond covenant defaults, lack of capital for projects and erosion of the bottom line. The following is a list of Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions every hospital CFO should be making in order to move forward on a positive note in 2010: 1. Make all decisions in concert with an eye on the bottom line, remembering the axiom, “With no money, there is no mission!” Don’t contract if it does not make sense, and do make sure you get paid for everything to which the hospital is legitimately entitled. If a line of business does not have a positive contribution margin, you should consider eliminating it. You may note that this resolution is partially recycled from last year’s list, but it is as relevant as ever! 2. Be proactive in understanding change and adapt to it before others use it as a strategic advantage over your hospital! If medical homes are going to be a key driver of managing healthcare costs under reform, do your homework on how to adapt your institution to be a leader of embracing change and to profit from it! 3. Invest in activities that will make a difference in quality at your hospital. Payment reform is rewarding facilities that can do the right things and measure them. Health- care-associated infections and patient-centered out- comes are front and center of both House and Senate initiatives; anyone that fails to address these changes will lose reimbursement. 4. Also, still on the list but no less important this year than last: don’t try to do everything yourself! Most CEOs and CFOs are Type As who are reluctant to ask for help or share their burdens. You would be surprised how much the rank and file will support you if they are engaged as part of the solution. Also, don’t be afraid to ask a trusted advisor (your CPA or go-to consultant) for assistance in tasks or projects that you could not reasonably complete with internal resources. 5. Do invest in compliance activities and make the a strategic initiative and ingrain them in your organ-

izational culture. Com- pliance and internal controls will be a key ally in saving your hospital from embarras- sing press articles and, even worse, monetary recoupments and fines. More than last year, both the Federal and State governments are investing in more resources to bring regulatory audits from the OIG, DSH, RAC and the IRS. 6. “Change starts with me!” Embrace new paradigms and enlist the help of others to move your hospital forward financially. The old top-down dictator approach is a dinosaur that has become extinct. Enlist others, from the janitor to your physician staff, to make changes work. Communicate reasons and be open to inputs from all to ferret out little things that can make a big difference in results. Remember, the clean- ing crew in the OR can have a big impact on surgical infections! Physician input and consensus on supplies and medicines can save you a bundle. Cost saving opportunities are hidden everywhere in your hospital, so let your employees help you find them and don’t be afraid to reward them for their efforts! 7. Keep your friends close and your bankers (including the HCFFA) closer! Letters of credit and financing for new projects that will have long term yields to the organization cannot be accomplished without a source of funds. Lenders will also be looking for you to demonstrate that you are taking positive steps towards improving performance as a condition of lending. This means you should keep your favorite lender(s) in the loop to develop an understanding of your organization and the general rapport necessary to garner a fruitful relationship. 8. Pension funds need to be dealt with! Significant under- funding exists and will have to be addressed; both

Lewis Bivona


22 Focus

unions and regulators are looking at them. Operational efficiencies (like lowering fees) and possible restructur- ing of plans can yield huge results. Also, don’t forget to include these financing requirements in your budget so they don’t get lost when negotiating with payors. 9. De-stress your physicians – they are having a hard time too! A recent ACS survey found that for every 1% increase in stress, surgeons were more likely to have a 10- fold increase in surgical errors. Do what you can to make your physicians’ lives easier, from scheduling to helping them deploy time saving technology, and the rewards will manifest themselves. 10. Don’t just sit back in times of turmoil! There are discussions about healthcare provider taxes at both a state and federal level as governmental units look for new ways to fund initiatives or lagging budgets.

Charity care and Medicaid funding are at unsustain- able levels, and it is quite certain that something will be done. Don’t just count on the NJHA to argue your case for you; get involved and help them to help you. Be proactive with both state and federal representatives so that they can understand the impacts of proposed legislation on your hospital.

Remember that success rarely comes to those who wait; it comes to those that DO! Use these tips wisely to propel your organization forward in 2010!

About the AuthorLewis D. Bivona, JR., CPA, AFE, is a Principal with WithumSmith+Brown, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, based in the firm’s Princeton, NJ, office. He can be reached at 609-520-1188 or [email protected].


The Benefits of HFMA CertificationToday’s job market is dynamic and ever changing. Whether

you are happy in a secure job or in an uncertain situation, there is always the possibility that the phone will ring tomor-row with the job offer you had always dreamed of, but weren’t quite ready to pursue. You may also find that your current employer is branching out into a whole new area of service, be it managed care, or physician practice management. Being certified is one more way of saying that you are the person who can take on new challenges... and succeed!

Whatever may reflect your current situation, you should be prepared professionally. HFMA certification may be the qualification that will give you the needed edge over others. Survey results indicate that certified persons are more likely to be hired than non-certified applicants, and on average, certified employees tend to earn more than non-certified em-ployees.

Activities that contribute to your professional development are eligible toward HFMA certification maintenance require-ments. These activities include, but are not limited to:

Attending education programs offered by HFMA Na-• tional or local chapters

Attending education programs offered other professional • organizations and possibly your employer

Presenting at HFMA chapter meetings or HFMA Na-• tional events

Completing self-study programs •

Reviewing or authorizing professional publications•

The Certification Core and Specialty exams will be offered on Saturday, March 6, 2010 at two locations – Burlington and Morris Plains, NJ. Register now on line or contact Certifica-tion Chair, Maria Facciponti at 973-614-9100, Certification Co-Chair, Jeff Noonan at 201-786-6000, ext 6015 or Mike Alwell at 973-656-6949.

It’s Your Professional Life -- Give Yourself the Competi-tive Edge!

Focus 23



•Focus on Industry•

President Barack Obama and United States Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke named AtlantiCare one of only five winners of the 2009 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) December 7. AtlantiCare includes AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center (ARMC), AtlantiCare Health Services, AtlantiCare Surgery Center, AtlantiCare Health Plans, AtlantiCare Behavioral Health (ABH) and the AtlantiCare Foundation. It is the largest healthcare provider, and the largest non-casino employer, in southeastern New Jersey. More than 5,000 AtlantiCare physicians, staff, trustees and volunteers provide services at more than 60 locations.

The award is traditionally presented by the President of the United States. Representatives of AtlantiCare will attend the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. in 2010.

“This recognition has great meaning for our organization because it affirms our 22-year quest for excellence,” said David P. Tilton, president and chief executive officer (CEO), Atlanti-Care. “That quest has been driven by the extraordinary vision, commitment and hard work of our trustees, our staff, physi-cians, leadership team, volunteers and our community. We be-lieve a commitment to quality and continuous improvement is imperative in the health care field. Part of our responsibility as a recipient of the Baldrige Award is to share our perfor-mance excellence strategies and practices with other organiza-tions. We humbly look forward to serving as mentors and role models for those who wish to join us on our quality journey.”

There were 70 applicants for the 2009 Baldrige Award, 42 of which were in the Health Care category. AtlantiCare was one of only two health care organizations to receive the recognition this year. Eight applicants in the Health Care cat-egory and 15 applicants in all six Baldrige categories received a site visit by Malcolm Baldrige National Quality examiners in 2009. The examiners held comprehensive interviews with nearly 1,000 AtlantiCare physicians, staff, trustees and volun-teers during visits to many AtlantiCare locations.

“The comprehensive Baldrige Award process ensures rec-ognition of only the most outstanding organizations and the people behind them,” said Michael Neustadter, Chairman, AtlantiCare Board of Trustees. “AtlantiCare has maintained a relentless pursuit of excellence.”

AtlantiCare named 2009 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winnerOrganization one of only five in the nation to achieve prestigious honor for 2009

Michael Neustadter, chairman, AtlantiCare Board of Trustees, and David P. Tilton, president and CEO, AtlantiCare, applaud as Joan Brennan, DNP, RN, Vice President, Quality and Performance Excel-lence, AtlantiCare, addresses media and AtlantiCare staff at a press conference AtlantiCare held at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, Atlantic City to announce details about being one of five organizations in the country named 2009 Malcolm Baldrige Award winners.

Baldrige criteria are acknowledgedworldwide as the standard for

performance excellence. Organizationsstriving for excellence measure their

efforts in leadership; strategic planning;customer focus; measurement, analysis andknowledge management; workforce focus;

process management and results.

24 Focus


Congress established the Baldrige National Quality Pro-gram in 1987 to recognize organizations for achievements in quality and business performance and to raise awareness about the importance of quality and performance as a competitive edge. Named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th secretary of Commerce, it is the nation’s highest presidential honor award-ed to organizations for quality and organizational perfor-mance excellence. Each year, the Department of Commerce can recognize up to three organizations in each of the follow-ing categories: education, health care, manufacturing, service, nonprofit and small business. The Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) man-ages the Baldrige National Quality Program in conjunction with the private sector.

Baldrige criteria are acknowledged worldwide as the stan-dard for performance excellence. Organizations striving for excellence measure their efforts in leadership; strategic plan-ning; customer focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management and re-

sults. Baldrige winners demonstrate increased market share, greater customer satisfaction, improved employee relations and enhanced operating performance.

“AtlantiCare is proud to be among the respected organi-zations the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award has recognized, and we congratulate all of the 2009 recipients,” said Joan Brennan, DNP, RN, Vice President of Quality and Performance Excellence, AtlantiCare. “At AtlantiCare, we fre-quently ask, ‘How can I personally contribute to AtlantiCare’s vision of creating healthy communities?’ We will continue our journey of excellence by asking and answering this question as we strive to exceed quality benchmarks in our more than 60 locations.”

For more information about AtlantiCare being named a winner of the 2009 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award please visit, AtlantiCare’s web site at www.atlanticare.org or www.atlanticare.org/about/baldrige.php, or the NIST web site at www.nist.gov.

mark your calendar . . .February 18, 2010 Medicare Cost Report9Am-4Pm SessionNew Jersey Hospital Assoc.

February 16, 17, 22, 23, or 25 Personal Finance Dinner 6-8:30Pm SessionsLocations vary – see web

March 9, 2010 March Quarterly MeetingThe Woodbridge Hilton all dayIselin, NJ

March 17, 2010 Managed Care Webinar w/Maria Todd

March 24, 2010 Access to Capital and New Jersey Hospital Assoc. Financial Risk Management

April 23, 2010 MANDATE 10: New Jersey Hospital A Systematic ApproachAssoc. to Complying with ICD-10 and HIPPA 5010 Standards in the Era of Meaningful Use

April 29, 2010 NJHFMA Annual Women’s Conference

June 8, 2010 June Quarterly MeetingThe Woodbridge Hilton all dayIselin, NJ

PLEASE NOTE: NJ HFMA offers a discount for those members who wish to attend Chapter events and who are currently seeking employment. For more information or to take advantage of this discount contact Laura Hess at [email protected] or 888-652-4362. The policy may be viewed at: http://hfmanj.orbius.com/public.assets/A02-Unemployed-Discount/file_168.pdf


26 Focus


•Who’s Who in NJ Chapter Committees•

2009-2010 Chapter Committees and Scheduled Meeting Dates*NOTE: Committees have use of the NJ HFMA Conference Call line. The call in number is (866) 459-4772.

If the committee uses the conference call line, their respective attendee codes are listed with the meeting date information below.

CHAIRMAN/EMAIL/ CO-CHAIR/EMAIL/ SCHEDULED MEETING LOCATION BOARDCOMMITTEE PHONE PHONE DATES/TIMES LIAISON maria Facciponti Jeff Noonan First Tuesday of the month Lisa HartmanCertification [email protected] [email protected] 9:00 Am Conference Calls [email protected] 973-614-9100 201-786-6015 Attendee Code: 8412570 (609) 430-7789

CARE (Compliance, Audit, darlene mitchell michael mcKeever First Thursday of the month monthly conf. calls Quarterly dave WiesselRisk, & Ethics) [email protected] [email protected] 9:00 Am saul Ewing Office, Princeton [email protected] 908-237-7059 609-893-1200 ext 5201 Attendee Code: 7165283 Please call to confirm 732-516-4520

Elizabeth Litten Al rottkamp First Thursday of each month Fox rothschild offices Tom shanahanCommunications [email protected] [email protected] 9:15 Am 997 Lenox dr Bldg 3 [email protected] 609-896-3600 609-584-6508 Attendee Code: 4172885 Lawrenceville, NJ 732-324-5401

Tracy davison-diCanto steve Bilsky First Friday of each month John Brault Education [email protected] [email protected] 9:00 Am saul Ewing Offices [email protected] 609-620-8471 908-334-7262 Attendee Code: 7719071 in Princeton (908) 203-6211

FACT (Finance, Tony Panico John doll First Wednesday of each month To alternate between in Heather WeberAccounting, Capital [email protected] [email protected] 8:30 Am person and conf. calls; [email protected]& Taxes) 973-898-9494 x430 973-400-3893 Attendee Code: 2916514 locations TBd 215-557-2016

deborah shapiro Howard Krain First Tuesday of each month Conference Calls/ mary TaylorInstitute 2010 [email protected] [email protected] 8:00 Am Woodbridge Hilton [email protected] 201-617-7100 908-377-5020 Attendee Code: 7143739 609-973-3373

Membership & rosemary Nuzzo Erica Waller & matt Glass Third Wednesday of each month Lindsey Colombo & Eileen smithNetworking [email protected] [email protected] 9:00 Am Conference Calls [email protected] & 609-383-2114 [email protected] Attendee Code: 6752870 [email protected] 609-620-8335 & 732-632-5854 732-324-6031 & 732-530-2564

Eileen smith michael Friedberg second Thursday of each month CBIZ KA Consulting offices Caitlin ZullaPatient Access Services [email protected] [email protected] 9:30 Am in East Windsor, NJ [email protected] 732-530-2564 973-429-0044 Attendee Code: 5084608 201-786-6020

Lisa schaaf marilyn Koczan second Friday of each month New Jersey Hospital Laurie GreyPatient Financial Services [email protected] [email protected] 10:00 Am Association [email protected] 800-220-9300, ext. 116 732-897-7126 Attendee Code: 7182515 Board room 609-620-8383

John manzi mike Alwell Brian sherinPolicies & Procedures [email protected] [email protected] As needed N/A [email protected] 732-575-2520 973-656-6949 609-514-1400

Regulatory & dan Willis Tracey roland second Thursday of each month st. Peter’s Univ. Hospital mary CroninReimbursement [email protected] [email protected] 9:00 Am Finance dept., 1st floor conf. room [email protected] 908-301-5458 908-377-5122 Attendee Code: 6104186 950 Hamilton street 732-839-1217

Focus 27


CEO Spotlight:Joe Coyle, CEO, Southern Ocean County Hospital

FOCUS: CFO backgrounds are diverse, please tell us about yours. How did you get started? What is your education and professional background?

JOE: I graduated from Trenton State College (now the College of New Jersey), with a degree in accounting. My career started at the New Jersey Legislature’s Office of the State Auditor and then I became a staff auditor with Ernst & Whinney in 1983. I had a diverse client base including clients in the steel and chemical fields, but healthcare was the most interesting sector I was exposed to.

FOCUS: Did you ever think, all those years ago, that you would be here, doing this today?

JOE: Never. I originally aspired to be a Partner in a CPA firm. After a few years in public accounting I decided that working as an auditor wasn’t as fulfilling as I would have liked. When I moved to the healthcare industry my goal became to become a CFO. Fortunately I had a CEO and mentor who gave me the opportunity to get involved in broader aspects of organizational strategy and leadership. When he moved to a larger organization, I was prepared to move up.

FOCUS: What new skills do you think are needed for rising CFOs?

JOE: Financial accounting skills are no longer enough to be a fully integrated member of a hospital’s leadership team, particularly in the emerging era of health reform. There is a strong need for leaders who understand and appreciate the dynamic of a very complex economic engine. Many of the drivers of revenue are driven not by consumers, but by physicians who are independent business people. Strong ties to physicians are key, but it’s important to understand and respect their business model and seek ways to find common opportunities to success. Also, if you aspire to become the CEO, I think a smaller organization gives you the best opportunity to learn.

FOCUS: What are your hospital’s specifics–are you a single facility or a part of a system? Do you have a religious

affiliation? Please describe your location, demographics and the services offered at your hospital.

JOE: Southern Ocean County Hospital is relatively small by New Jersey standards, with 156 acute and 20 post acute beds. Located along the Jersey Shore, SOCH treats a relatively high number of seniors, with Medicare representing 60% of admissions. As a result, we are highly dependent on the policy decisions made at the Federal level.

SOCH has been an independent facility since 1987 but merged with Meridian Health on December 31, 2009. The merger was a result of an extensive assessment of the community’s future needs and our ability to meet those needs as an independent hospital

FOCUS: Can you tell us about your hospital’s: a) turn-around, b) new building, c) new infrastructure, d) new procedures offered, etc?

JOE: Merger considerations can be an emotional topic to any community and board of trustees, shearing the organization, though the assessment, decision negotiations and due diligence processes were extremely gratifying. While orches- trating the merger we also implemented a bariatric surgery program in 2009, performing more than 200 surgeries to date. An important lesson is not to let big projects like a merger or capital project consume you and prevent you from seizing opportunities for incremental growth along the way.

FOCUS: What types of financing are utilized to meet the hospital’s goals?

JOE: We take advantage of the traditional not-for-profit options, including tax-exempt bonds, commercial leases, operating cash and fundraising. Traditionally our foundation transfers about $1.5 million for capital each year, which makes a big difference. I think more emphasis needs to be placed on the philanthropy.


Joe Coyle

28 Focus


FOCUS: Mike, please provide us with a short bio of your yourself.

MIKE: I was born and raised in Trenton, NJ, where I currently reside with my son, Christopher, who attends the College of New Jersey. I am the product of St. Anthony’s Grammar and High Schools, and a graduate of Rider University.

After completing college I worked in government finance for a year before moving to healthcare, first at St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center as a staff accountant and then at Deborah Heart and Lung Center where I started as the Assistant Con-troller. In 1996 I moved from the Finance Department to establish Physician Practice Management at Deborah, and to facilitate the review that lead to a Voluntary Disclosure and Settlement Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services.

In response to our disclosure the Physician Practice Man-agement section evolved into a Corporate Compliance program, where I assumed the role of Internal Auditor. Looking for new challenges and never far from my roots in accounting I left Deborah in 2005 to assume the role of Director of Finance for Wills Eye Health System. With the departure of Deborah’s Chief Compliance Officer in December 2007, I returned in January 2008 to assume that role. And with the subsequent departure

of the Director of Finance in May 2009, I returned to whence I came, Deborah Finance. And while I realize that it may appear to some that I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, I feel my combined experiences in compliance, audit and finance have given me a diversity of understanding of the operations of healthcare providers that is invaluable as I address the daily challenges of my job.

FOCUS: Please talk about your company and your job duties there.

MIKE: Deborah is a 139 bed tertiary care center that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of heart, lung and vascular disease. The Hospital has never rendered a bill to a patient, accepting payments from insurers and government payers only. Deborah Hospital Foundation supports the Center’s charitable mission.

The Director of Finance is responsible for the daily opera-tions of the payroll, accounts payable and cash management functions for both the Hospital and the Foundation. Monthly financial statements are produced for both entities for internal use as well as reporting to outside agencies

Member Spotlight:Mike McKeever

Mike McKeever

FOCUS: What are your spare time activities?

JOE: I’m an avid Jets fan so Fall is devoted to tailgating and football. I’m also a cyclist and enjoy spending time on the beach in Ocean City, MD.

FOCUS: What are your professional memberships?

JOE: Aside from HFMA and ACHE, I’m currently Treasurer of NJHA and serve on the Regional Policy Board for AHA.

FOCUS: You are just told you have 30 minutes to pack - you are going to a sparsely populated island. What would you bring, besides food, clothes, hygiene products, etc?

JOE: My iPod loaded with every Jimmy Buffet song, a bathing suit and a few cold beverages. And maybe a book. Maybe.

Focus 29


and business partners. The position is also responsible for coordinating the annual independent audits of both the Hospital and Foundation, and the preparation of the IRS Form 990s. These duties are only accomplished with the support of a well trained staff of professionals, who often must wear multiple hats to fulfill our many responsibilities.

FOCUS: Please name a few of the special challenges you face in your position.

MIKE: Maintaining the Hospital’s historic commitment to not bill patients in light of increasing costs coupled with decreasing reimbursement has been a challenge for Deborah. The current state of the economy relative to high unemployment, with the resulting increase in uninsured patients, has made it much more difficult for providers. And uncertainty regarding the impact of any reforms that might be enacted leads to more uncertainty, as we evaluate what effect these changes might have on our delivery system and financial stability

FOCUS: What advice can you give other professionals that are interested in entering your line of work?

MIKE: The healthcare environment is a study in constant change, in both the clinical services delivered as well as the methods we employ to provide and re-ceive reimbursement for these services. As the costs of these services continue to rise we need to constantly improve our operational efficiency. To remain effective in a leadership role requires a commitment to continuous education. My in- volvement with HFMA has been essential in main-taining my knowledge of all aspects of healthcare finance, regulatory compliance and management.

FOCUS: What are your hobbies and outside interests?

MIKE: In my off duty hours I enjoy cooking, reading and bicycling. And al-

though an HFMA member for a number of years, I’ve yet to take up the sport of golf. Maybe one of these days.

FOCUS: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to be interviewed for this edition of Member Spotlight.

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30 Focus

Recent New Jersey Legislation:Assignment of Health Benefits

On Monday, January 11, 2010, both Houses of the New Jersey Legislature approved passage of a bill introduced in ear-ly 2008 requiring health care carriers offering managed care plans to recognize assignments of benefits granted by patients to providers. This bill was the subject of much industry de-bate and discussion, and its final, amended version is viewed as a victory by many providers; however, many plans continue to voice concern about the legislation’s impact on their ability to maintain provider networks.

SYNOPSISRequires managed care plans to pay health care claims

based on assignment of benefits.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT As reported by the Assembly Financial Institutions and In-

surance Committee on January 4, 2010, with amendments.

The actual bill text follows (note that brackets indicate de-letions, while underlines indicate insertions in text).

AN ACT concerning assignment of health benefits under

managed care plans and amending P.L.2001, c.367.

BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 2 of P.L.2001, c.367 (C.26:2S-6.1) is amended to read as follows:

2. a. With respect to a carrier which offers a managed care plan that provides for both in-network and out-of-net-work benefits, in the event that:

(1) a covered person is admitted by an out-of-network health care provider to an in-network health care facility for covered, medically necessary health care services; or

(2) the covered person receives covered, medically neces-sary health care services from an out-of-network health care provider while the covered person is a patient at an in-network health care facility and was admitted to the health care facil-ity by an in-network provider, the carrier shall reimburse the

health care facility for the services provided by the facility at the carrier’s full contracted rate without any penalty for the pa-tient’s selection of an out-of-network provider, in accordance with the in-network policies and in-network copayment, coin-surance or deductible requirements of the managed care plan.

b. The provisions of subsection a. of this section shall apply only if the covered person complies with the preauthorization or review requirements of the health benefits plan regarding the determination of medical necessity to access in-network inpatient benefits, as set forth in writing pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1997, c.192 (C.26:2S-5).

c. With respect to a carrier which offers a managed care plan that provides for both in-network and out-of-network benefits, in the event that the covered person assigns, through an assignment of benefits, his right to receive reimbursement for medically necessary health care services to an out-of-net-work health care provider, the carrier shall remit payment for the reimbursement directly to the health care provider 1in the form of a check payable to the health care provider, or in the alternative, to the health care provider and the covered person as joint payees, with a signature line for each of the payees. Payment shall be made1 in accordance with the provisions of this section and P.L.1999, c.154 (C.17B:30-23 et al.). Any payment made 1only1 to the covered person rather than the health care provider under these circumstances shall be con-sidered unpaid, and unless remitted to the health care pro-vider within the time frames established by P.L.1999, c.154 (C.17B:30-23 et al.), shall be considered overdue and subject to an interest charge as provided in that act.

(cf: P.L.2001, c.367, s.2) 2. This act shall take effect on the 1[90th] 365th1 day

next following enactment and shall apply to any health ben-efits plan in which the carrier has reserved the right to change the premium 1and1 which is 1[delivered, issued, executed or renewed] in effect1 on or after the effective date.

Note: “1” indicates committee amendments

•Focus on Legislation•


Focus 31


Physicians Can Expect New Rules in the New Year

by Barry D. Shapiro, CPA & Anne E. Jorgensen, Esq.

Physicians beware: change is in the air for 2010 on both the national and local fronts, and not so much for the positive. On a national level, federal agencies are attempting to adjust fee schedules that could negatively affect Medicare reimburse-ment. Locally, a greater scrutiny is being placed on the rela-tionships between doctors and vendors.

National LevelThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

announced this fall a 21.2% reimbursement cut in 2010 for physicians participating in Medicare. According to the CMS website, the Medicare law requires CMS to adjust the Medi-care Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) payment rates annually based on an updated formula which includes application of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) that was adopted in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. This formula has yielded nega-tive updates every year since CY 2002, although CMS was able to take administrative steps to avert a reduction in CY 2003, and Congress has taken a series of legislative actions to prevent reductions in CYs 2004-2009.

In response, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI15) sponsored a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reform the Medicare SGR payment system for physicians, and to reinstitute and up-date the Pay-As-You-Go requirement of budget neutrality on new tax and mandatory spending legislation. The Act, titled the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009 (H.R. 3961), also repealed the 21.2% cut in Medicare reimbursement for physi-cian services in 2010.

Prior to the House vote on the Act, 127 national and state medical societies sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif ), urging passage of the bill. Though the Senate voted against a bill this fall that would have frozen physician payments, Pelosi has said that Congress is seeking to pass a permanent fix and she preferred that it be included as part of a healthcare reform package.

The Act passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 243-183 on November 9th, and was sent to the Senate for a vote. Rather than vote on the Act, the Senate passed tempo-rary measures as part of the Defense appropriations bill to delay the implementation of the pay cut until February 28, 2010. By that time, the Con-gressional supporters of the proposed health care reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Reform Act”), expect that the Reform Act will be passed. While the Reform Act remains in debate, physicians are left with the same uncertainty regarding Medicare cuts that they currently undergo year after year. Fur-thermore, physicians must wait to see if the SGR formula is

revised according to their concerns, without addressing their concerns, or not at all.

Leaders of the American Medical Association (AMA) and other major societies have maintained that a per-manent revision to the SGR formula was an essential part of health care reform and that without such a revi-sion they may not continue to back other reform initiatives. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) the AMA cautioned Congress that the “fatally flawed physician reimbursement formula, the Sustainable Growth Rate” must be reformed for the AMA to con-

tinue to support such reforms.Without a viable resolution in sight, physician practices

Barry Shapiro

Anne Jorgensen

NatioNal level

The Centers for Medicare and

Medicaid Services (CMS)

announced this fall a

21.2% pay cut in 2010

for physicians participating

in Medicare.

Focus 32

should be mindful of dropping reimbursement rates with regard to Medicare and with regard to other third party payor contracts, as many of those third party contracts pay physicians based on a certain percentage of the Medicare rate. There-fore, a drop in Medicare rates would necessarily drop third party payor reimbursement rates as well. When renegotiating these third party payor contracts, physician practices should consider using a different base rate from which to determine reimbursement.

Furthermore, should the Reform Act or simi-lar measures that may be passed by Congress fail to address Medicare reimbursement, physi-cians will begin to face new questions includ-ing, “Do I want to con-tinue participating in the Medicare program?” and “Can I afford to con-tinue participating in the Medicare program?”. For many physicians, partici-pation in the Medicare program is necessary due to the demographics of the area or the type of practice established. How-ever, if cuts in Medicare reimbursement are in the future, many physicians may need to consider the viability of a practice which has “opted-out” of the Medicare program.

Local LevelWith many states deciding to restrict relationships between

doctors and vendors, the New Jersey Attorney General recent-ly stated his recommendations on the ways physicians should limit their interactions with drug and device makers. If these recommendations were to be enacted, it is thought that New Jersey would have some of the toughest rules in the U.S. The Wall Street Journal reported that these changes would in-clude:

Banning physicians and their office staff from accepting • food from drug companies, whether in their office, at fa-cilities or in commercial venues like restaurants. Laws in

Vermont and Massachusetts recently went into effect im-posing similar restrictions;Requiring doctors renewing their licenses to disclose • whether they accepted more than $200 worth of pay-ments and/or gifts from industry during the prior two years;Mandating the state to create a public database of physi-• cian disclosures;Restricting the sale of “prescriber-identifiable” prescrip-•

tion data for commercial databases, which refers to the practice of buying prescription data from pharmacies, “crunching the data”, then selling it to drug companies, so they can learn which doctors are prescribing.

Physician practices and the medical asso-ciations which support doctors must pay close attention to these pend-ing policies and regula-tions. They say the only thing that’s constant is change. But changes like these can dramatically – and negatively - affect their bottom line.

About the AuthorsBarry Shapiro, CPA, is a partner in WS+B’s Red Bank, NJ office. He is a licensed CPA in the state of New Jersey and has more than 35 years

of professional experience working with physicians, physician groups and other healthcare organizations. He can be reached at [email protected].

Anne E. Jorgensen is a member of the Health Law Group of Fox Rothschild LLP and is resident in the irm office in Exton, PA. She represents physician practices and provides advice to physicians in employment and other contract negotiations. She can be reached at [email protected]


local level

With many states deciding to

restrict relationships between

doctors and vendors,

the New Jersey Attorney General

recently stated his recommendations

on the ways physicians should

limit their interactions with

drug and device makers. If these

recommendations were to be enacted,

it is thought that New Jersey would

have some of the toughest

rules in the U.S.


Focus 33

Dear Fellow HFMA Members:

Each year the NJ Chapter awards an education scholarship to a member,

be eligible for the scholarship if you meet the following criteria:

• Member, in good standing, of the New Jersey Chapter for the last two years.

• Spouse or dependent of a member, in good standing, of the New Jersey Chapter, for the last two years.

• Enrolled in an accredited college, university, nursing school or other allied

health professional school.

Preference will be given to applicants pursuing degrees in finance, accounting, healthcare administration or a healthcare related field of study. Tuition not paid by an employee or other scholarship will qualify for the HFMA scholarship.

We make our selection based on merit, academic achievement, civic and professional activities, course of study and content of your application and essay. We do not use income in our selection process. To apply, please submit a completed Scholarship Application no later than April 1, 2010. Members of the Board of Directors, Officers and Advisory Council and their spouses or dependents are not eligible for scholarships.

quarterly meeting on June 8, 2010. If you have any questions or wish to receive additional applications, please contact me at 908-301-5455 or [email protected]

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you success in your academic endeavors.

Respectfully submitted,

Joe Dobosh, MBA Chairperson, 2010 Scholarship Committee

will award at least one scholarship of up to $3,000. You, your spouse or dependent may

member’s spouse or member’s dependent based on certain criteria. I am pleased to invite you to apply for this year’s 2010 HFMA Scholarship. The New Jersey Chapter of HFMA

We will announce the recipient(s) of the 2010 NJ HFMA Scholarship at our


34 Focus

NEW JERSEY HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

ASSOCIATION MEMBER’S ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

MEMBER INFORMATION PART 2 – EDUCATION BACKGROUND Members Name _______________________________ Highest Level of Education Attained ________ Member Address ______________________________ School _______________________________ ____________________________________________ _____________________________________ Membership # ________________________________ GPA ______ Degree______ Major __________ #Years in HFMA _________ # Years in NJ Chapter (Proof must be provided documenting Grade Point Average) Member Employer ____________________________ APPLICANT INFORMATION PART 3 – PROFESSIONAL CAREER PART 1 - PERSONAL DATA Employment History (List employment history as Applicant Name ______________________________ Attachment A.) Address _____________________________________ ____________________________________________ PART 4 – COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL Relationship to Member________________ ________ ACTIVITIES College _____________________________________ ____________________________________________ Please describe your civic and professional activities and Course (s) to be taken __________________________ contributions to your community, profession, HFMA or ____________________________________________ other organization. (Please label as Attachment B.) PART 5 - ESSAY Matriculated Student YES ________ NO ___________ Please submit an essay describing your educational and Degree/Program Pursued ________________________ professional goals and how this scholarship will Anticipated Graduation Date _____________________ assist you in achieving such goals. (Please label as Major ____________Annual Tuition ______________ Attachment C.) Amount of Employer Support ____________________ Amount of Other Scholarships Awarded ____________ PART 6 - REFERENCES (Proof must be provided supporting tuition, employer’s Please furnish three formal reference letters reimbursement policy and enrollment in school (Please label as Attachment D.) SIGNATURE _______________ DATE ________ Please return completed package no later than Joe Dobosh, MBA April 1, 2010 to: VP/CFO Children’s Specialized Hospital 150 New Providence Rd Mountainside, NJ 07092-2590


Focus 35

•Certification Corner•

Congratulations to John Brault who recently became an HFMA Fellow!

Certification Exam It’s time to test your knowledge! The Certification Core and

Specialty exams will be offered on Saturday, March 6, 2010 at two locations – Burlington and Morris Plains, NJ. Register now on line or contact Certification Chair, Maria Facciponti at 973-614-9100, Certification Co-Chair, Jeff Noonan at 201-786-6000, ext 6015 or Mike Alwell at 973-656-6949.

Additional Reimbursement OpportunitiesIn an effort to encourage members to become Certified

Healthcare Financial Professionals (CHFP), and ultimately Fellows in HFMA by reducing the financial burden associated with achieving these designations, the NJ Chapter will reimburse the examination and application fees related to successfully obtaining certification in additional specialties beyond achieving the CHFP or FHFMA designation.

Members seeking reimbursement for the fees described above must complete a Certification Rebate Application form. The applicant must submit the signed application, a copy of their confirmation letter from National, and all related receipts, to the Chapter Administrator. The Chapter Administrator will verify accuracy of the paperwork, and forward paperwork on to the Treasurer for processing. Reimbursement will be made to the member, or to the member’s employer, based upon the source of the original payment.

Did You Know -Activities that contribute to your professional development

are eligible toward HFMA certification maintenance requirements. These activities include, but are not limited to: • Attending education programs offered by HFMA National or local chapters • Attending education programs offered other professional organizations and possibly your employer

• Presenting at HFMA chapter meetings or HFMA National events • Completing self-study programs • Reviewing or authorizing professional publications

Test your Knowledge:Which of the following acts forbids discrimination in hiring

and employment based on race, religion, sex, and national origin?

A. Americans with Disabilities Act.

B. Family and Medical Leave Act.

C. Federal Civil Rights Act.

D. Reemployment of Veterans Act.

For the answer and more information about the HFMA certification program go to: www.hfmanj.org/Certification3.page or contact one of the members below.

NJ Chapter Certification Contacts:Maria Facciponti, FHFMA – Committee ChairWork Phone: (973) 614-9100 Email: [email protected]

Jeff Noonan, CHFP – Committee Co-ChairWork Phone: (201) 786-6000 x 6015 Email: [email protected]

Lisa R. Hartman, M.P.H Work Phone (609) 430-7789 Email: [email protected]

Michael Alwell, FHFMAWork Phone: (973) 656-6949Email: [email protected]


36 Focus

In the days of my father, his father worked for the same company for his entire working life. And my father worked for just two companies. My Grandmother didn't have to work; my Mom chose to work. For the record, Mom was a cop. At this point in my career I've lost track; I need to review my resume and hope the hospitals haven't closed or changed their name again.

And so it seems that many of us change jobs on a regular basis. Sometimes it's even our choice. Back in the day, there was black & white TV, AM Radio, APCs and Bourbon. My grandmother still talked about the silent film stars. Today, we have surpassed purchasing vinyl from Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Record stores with down-loading digital music files from Apple and Wal-Mart. People take courses online. We upload and download CMS data. Every year there are less job advertisements in newspapers and more published online. The volume of in-formation available, and the com-plexities we must assimilate, seem to increase exponentially all the time.

We turn to our friends and colleagues to discover the best re-sources, the most valuable certifi-cations and most desirable open positions. HFMA and its chapters are a great resource for discov-ering job opportunities and con-tinuing education.

Last year, HFMA NJ listed 49 job opportunities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Oregon and Vermont. Job titles var-ied across the continuum:

Accountants and ControllersReimbursement Specialists and Finance DirectorsNetwork Contract Specialists and Provider Relations SpecialistsVice President of Billing and Vice President of Compliance

Although the nation experi-enced high unemployment and New Jersey hospitals barely broke even, there was still hiring activity, and the employers published those opportunities with us: in FOCUS, in The Pulse and on our website, www.hfmanj.org.

We start each New Year with hope and ambition. We resolve to spend more time with the family, eat better, lose weight and find a better job. In looking for that new position, you discov-er your Bachelor’s degree is just the entrance ticket; you may need a certification. Below are acronyms from the actual job

opportunities we published. How many do you recognize?

CHFP CPA

CNHA FASB

CCHIT FHFMA

CHAM GAAP

CISA CISSP

PE RAC

CPC FACHE

CIA HIPAA

LIBOR CMM

AM Radio bff

You should recognize at least two of the acronyms; Certi-fied Healthcare Financial Profes-sional (CHFP) and Fellow of the

HFMA (FHFMA). Statistically, employees with degrees and certifications command higher salaries and stronger benefits packages over their careers than those without them.

HFMA NJ offers educational classes, seminars and webi-nars to assist you with your career goals. The Education and Certification Committees feature a Test Your Knowledge question in each issue of FOCUS and on the web site. As Healthcare legislation evolves and we are advised of the scope of ‘meaningful use’, I would expect more people to be certified

Al Rottkamp

My bff just changed jobs (again)

by Al Rottkamp

We start each New Year with hope and ambition. We resolve to

spend more time withthe family, eat better, lose weight and find a better job. In looking

for that new position,you discover your

Bachelor’s degree is just theentrance ticket; you may need

a certification.


Focus 37

in finance and information security. In that case, my bff would hold the CHFP, CPA and CISSP credentials!

One more thing. There are generational differences implied with these acronyms. If you knew the AM Radio acronym, you probably don’t text your bff. You pick up the phone and call.

About the AuthorAl Rottkamp is a member of the HFMA NJ chapter and the Associ-ation for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). He holds an MBA and an MS in Biomedical Engineering. As an employee of Crothall, he is the Director of Technology Manage-ment, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton. He can be reached at [email protected]. (Texting is optional.)

CHFPCertified Healthcare Financial Professional

CPACertified Public Accountant

CNHACertified Nursing Home Administrator

FASBFinancial Accounting StandardsBoard

GAAPGenerally Accepted Accounting Principles

CCHITCertification Commission forHealthcare Information Technology

FHFMAFellow of the Healthcare FinancialManagement Association

CHAMCertified Healthcare Access Manager

CISACertified Information SystemsAuditor

CIACertified Internal Auditor

CISSPCertified InformationSystems Security Professional

PEProfessional Engineer

RACRecovery Audit Contractor

HIPAAHealth Insurance Portabilityand Accountability Act

CPCCertified Professional Coder

FACHEFellow American College ofHealthcare Executives

LIBORLondon Interbank Offered Rate

AM RadioAmplitude Modulation Radio

CMMCertified Medical Manager

bffBest Friend Forever

PRINCETON – Alexander J. Hatala, FACHE, of Mount Laurel, President and CEO of the Lourdes Health System and leader with Catholic Health East New Jersey, was installed Jan. 22 as chairman of the board of the New Jersey Hospital As-sociation. The chairman’s official installation, as well as the appointment of new board members, was held during NJHA’s 91st Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Princeton.

Hatala succeeds outgoing chairman John T. Gribbin, FACHE, of CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold. In taking the reins of the NJHA Board, Hatala recalled New Jersey’s “rich tradition of values-based healthcare,” now rep-resented by religious and lay-hospitals all across the state that are driven by a caring mission, where healthcare services are delivered to all comers, regardless of their ability to pay.

But that legacy, said Hatala, is in jeopardy.“New Jersey hospitals face challenges that are no less daunt-

ing than those faced by our early founders,” said Hatala. “In 2010 we are at a crossroads. We cannot simply add a few zeros to define the cost of solving the problems. The solution is far more complex than just dollars.”

Hatala challenged hospital leaders to fight as one for ad-equate financial reimbursement for the state’s ailing hospitals, but also to lead a transformation that will define healthcare for the future.

The improvement agenda must include expanded health

information technology, the use of data to evaluate healthcare effectiveness and payment reform that emphasizes better care rather than more care, said Hatala.

“The future of healthcare is now being molded and shaped by sincere government officials,” he said. “But they cannot do it alone. They need our help. Together, let us work to ensure that our ideas, vision and expertise become a driving force to the development of that future.”

Under the chairmanship of Hatala, the following officers of the NJHA board also were appointed: Secretary Stephen K. Jones of Kendall Park, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital; Treasurer Joseph P. Coyle of Cedar Run, South-ern Ocean County Hospital; Vice Chairman Audrey Meyers of Ridgewood, Valley Health System; and Chairman-elect Thomas Biga of Fairhaven, Clara Maass Medical Center.

The following healthcare leaders also were appointed as new board members: Gary Horan of Sea Girt, Trinitas Regional Medical Center; Deanna Sperling, MAS, RN, of Lakewood, Or-ganization of Nurse Executives of New Jersey; and Joseph Reich-man, FACS, of Gibbsboro, the Medical Society of New Jersey.

About the AuthorNJHA, based in Princeton, is the statewide advocate for its 108 member hospitals and the patients they serve. Deb Furchak is a proj-ect manager in NJHA’s Communications Department.

Hatala Installed as NJHA Board Chairby Deb Furchak

Acronyms and their meaning.

38 Focus


New MembersKaren Laszlo(973) [email protected]

daniel J. BurnsAON risk servicessenior Vice President(212) [email protected]

Courtney A. Bennett somerset medical CenterProvider reimbursement specialist(908) [email protected]

margaret A. Todd, rN, BsNsomerset medical CenterContract manager(908) [email protected]

Nicole K. martinWolff & samsonAssociate(973) [email protected]

Gwendolyn GrantErnst & YoungAuditor(732) [email protected]

Anthony CallaghanHaywood Energy Investments, LLCdirector Business development(973) [email protected]

magdalene FiguccioCollege of st. ElizabethFaculty(973) [email protected]

darius sabavalaJanus Enterprise International, LLCmanaging Partner(908) [email protected]

mitchell morganHCs - Health Care softwareAccount Executive(800) [email protected]

stephen J. Brady(201) [email protected]

robert Blairridder m & T Banksenior Healthcare relationship manager(201) [email protected]

Pamela Hoon(973) [email protected]

Owen Giryluksouth Jersey Healthcaresr. Financial Analyst(856) [email protected]

deirdre m. Hartmann, CPANisivoccia & Company LLPAccountant(973) [email protected]

Meet A New MemberWho is your employer, and what is your position?

What was your first job as a teen?

What do you like best about your work responsibilities?

A job I would enjoy doing without pay is...

My favorite place is...

I will not eat...

If I’m not at work, you will find me...

Mitchell Morgan

Health Care software, Account Executive

Operating room service Aide at Ocean medical Center

Communicating with hospital employees about the problems they are facing at their facilities

dog walker

The water

Avocados

At home, the hockey rink, or the library

Focus 39


•Focus on...New Jobs in New Jersey•

JOB BANK SUMMARY LISTING

HFMA-NJ’s Publications Committee strives to bring New Jersey Chapter members timely and useful information in a convenient, accessible manner. Thus, this Job Bank Summary listing provides just the key components of each recently-posted position in an easy-to-read format, helping employers reach the most qualified pool of potential candidates, and helping our readers find the best new job opportunities. For more detailed information on any position and the most complete, up-to-date listing, go to HFMA-NJ’s Job Bank Online at www.hfmanj.org.

[Note to employers: please allow five business days for ads to appear on the Web site.]

Job Position and OrganizationDIRECTOR/MANAGER, ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLESERVICES MedAssets Oceanport, NJ

FINANCIAL ANALYST Horizon NJ Health West Trenton, NJ

JR. FINANCIAL ANALYST New Jersey Hospital Association Princeton, NJ

SENIOR INTERNAL AUDITOR Fletcher Allen Health Care Burlington, Vermont

PATIENT ACCOUNTING MANAGER Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center Elizabeth, NJ

Place an Job Bank Ad with Us!

The fee for a Job Box listing is $200.00 per position for a one-time placement in the Garden State FOCUS magazine and a two-month posting on the HFMA-NJ website. Only one position per ad please.

The Job Box listing will be put on the HFMA-NJ web site within 5 days of receipt, and will be put in the next scheduled issue of FOCUS magazine. The magazine lists the job title and the hiring organization, and refers readers back to the web site for more the complete listing.

The deadline for ad placement in FOCUS is typically the 15th day of the month prior to the issue date of Garden State FOCUS, which is published six times per year (January, March, May, July, September and November).

The ad must contain the following information: • Hospital/organization name. • Position (e.g., financial analyst, controller). • Department or position to whom position will report (e.g., Chief Financial Officer). • Brief job description. • Educational/professional experience required (e.g., Bachelors Degree with a minimum three years experience in hospital finance or accounting). • Contact person at hospital/organization with name, address, telephone, fax and e-mail. To post your ad in our job bank, please visit http://www.hfmanj.org/Job-Bank-form.page.


40 Focus

Excerpts from the Transition Memorandum to Governor-Elect Christopher Christie from the Sub-Committee on HealthJanuary 5, 2009

Dear Governor-Elect Christie,Thank you for the honor and responsibility of serving as

Chair of your Transition Team’s sub-committee on Health. In this report you will find our sub-committee’s analysis

of the most critical issues currently facing the New Jersey De-partment of Health & Senior Services (NJDHSS).

Our team focused on the following overarching priorities:• What NJDHSS issues are urgent (pre-inaugural or by Ex-

ecutive Order), and what action is required?• What NJDHSS issues will require decision or action with-

in the first 90-days after inauguration?• Are there prudent budget & structure changes that should

be made at NJDHSS? and• Are there potential cost-savings at NJDHSS to be explored

and implemented?

We have also prepared a supplemental report for the in-coming NJDHSS Commissioner that includes a more detailed briefing of NJDHSS issues, as well as all reports drafted by the sub-committee members.

The members of the Health sub-committee have attended countless meetings and have done significant research to con-tribute to this report. I would like to thank the members of the sub-committee for their time and dedication:

Kevin Barry, MD, Morristown Memorial HospitalStewart Berkowitz, MD, Jersey Shore BrachyotherapyLoretta Brickman, BD Consulting & Public RelationsJudy Burgis, Robert Wood Johnson University Health SystemDr. Alan Carr, Comprehensive Pain ManagementAnnette Catino, QualCare Alliance Networks, Inc.Joseph Clemente, MD, Medical Health CenterRyan Graham, Fairview InsuranceRobert Hariri, MD, PhD, Celgene Cellular TherapeuticsPatricia Kelmar, AARP NJWilliam McDonald, St. Joseph’s Healthcare System

James Orsini, MD, Essex Oncology of North Jersey Gary Puma, Springpoint Senior LivingChristopher Rinn, Emergency Medical ServicesBrent Saunders, Consumer Health CareJohn Sheridan, Cooper HospitalSuzanne Ianni, Hospital Alliance of New Jersey (Volunteer Staff Advisor)Sarah McLallen, New Jersey Association of Health Plans (Volunteer Staff Advisor)

We hope this report helps direct and guide your priorities in health care and for the NJDHSS over the coming months.

Thank you again for this unique honor and opportunity.

Sincerely,David L. Knowlton

* * *

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SENIOR SERVICES (NJDHSS)

MISSION STATEMENTThe stated mission of NJDHSS is to foster accessible and

high-quality health and senior services, to help all people in New Jersey achieve optimal health, dignity and independence, to work to prevent disease, promote and protect wellbeing at all of life stages and to encourage informed choices that enrich quality of life for individuals and communities.

BUDGETNJDHSS FY 2010 Total Budget is $3.6 billion, of which

$1.1 billion is State appropriation, and $2.5 billion is Federal and “other” non-state appropriation. Please note that in the chart below the General Fund is comprised of Direct State Services, Grants-In-Aid, & State Aid.


Focus 41

EMPLOYEESSince 2006 the number of NJDHSS FTE’s has decreased by

17.8% as of 11/6/09 (from 2,146 to current 1,783).

I. INTRODUCTIONThe NJDHSS oversees public

and environmental health issues, and regulates many health care fa-cilities and providers including 73 hospitals, more than 200 ambula-tory surgery centers, and over 350 nursing homes.

New Jersey experiences some of the highest costs in health care in the nation yet New Jersey has lower levels of quality than the dollars in-vested imply.

New Jersey ranks ninth in state health spending per capita and has the highest hospital charg-es in the nation, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the state’s health programs put significant and growing demands on taxpayers.

The hospital industry in New Jersey is in very poor con-

dition as a whole. In the past two years, nine (9) acute care hospitals have closed their doors, and six (6) have filed for bankruptcy, leaving New Jersey with 73 acute care hospitals. The major factors driving this fiscal crisis are (1) New Jersey

requirements exceed federal regula-tions by requiring hospitals to pro-vide necessary medical care to all re-gardless of their ability to pay. New Jersey has approximately 1. 3 mil-lion uninsured of which 300,000 are entitled to some governmental medical benefit but not currently enrolled and 400,000 are “undocu-mented residents.” (2) The low level of payment received by hospitals for care delivered to Medicaid (lowest reimbursement levels in the nation) and Charity Care eligible patients.

(3) The proliferation of ambulatory care and ambulatory sur-gery centers in competition with hospitals without any obli-gation to care for the uninsured or underinsured. As a result, these facilities have siphoned paying patients away from hos-pitals.

The hospital industry inNew Jersey is in very poor condition

as a whole. In the past two years,nine (9) acute care hospitalshave closed their doors, and

six (6) have filed for bankruptcy,leaving New Jersey with73 acute care hospitals.



42 Focus


There has been no adequate plan developed by the State or the hospital industry to address the precarious financial status of hospitals in New Jersey. However, in 2008 a NJ study from the Commission on Rationalizing Health Care Re- sources chaired by the James Madison Professor of Eco- nomics at Princeton University, Uwe Reinhardt, Ph.D. (The Reinhardt Report) cited “gross underpayment from public payers” as the major reason for NJ hospitals’ financial distress. On the one hand, hospitals need to diminish their reliance on state or federal subsidy and focus on creating a stable business model within the mix of health plans and governmental programs they serve. Viability com-pletely tied to additional subsidies like the Health Care Stabilization Fund is not a workable business model. On the other hand, the State needs to work with hospitals to develop mod-els and lay a regulatory groundwork that levels the health care playing field and maintains access. Developing an overall plan will be difficult given the State’s budgetary constraints but failure to do so could have dire con-sequences in the near future, includ-ing more hospital closures leading to significant access concerns and political fallout requiring even further resources.

Our recommendations must be considered in the special context of regulations imposed on health care services which, unlike other areas, have several distinct purposes, including: • Limiting proliferation of duplicative health care resources; • Reducing unnecessary spending that would increase health care costs across the board; and • Ensuring access to care for all New Jerseyans.

For these reasons and because of the close ties to federal funding, any regulation or deregulation at the Department of Health & Senior Services (NJDHSS) must be approached cautiously and thoughtfully to avoid unintended consequences that could negatively impact patient care and actually increase the percentage of state funds required. We believe the follow-ing recommendations have met these conditions.

CHARITY CARECharity Care is a safety net program designed to reimburse

hospitals for care delivered to New Jersey’s 1.3 million un-insured. In 2008, NJ hospitals delivered an estimated $981

million 1in Charity Care, of which the state reimbursed them $605 million. Every Charity Care dollar provided by the state is matched equally by the federal government.

The current reimbursement formula is variable by hospital. Hospitals are placed in “tiers” and “corridors” to determine their level of funding – the tiers place hospitals in groups based on what proportion of a hospital’s total patient care volume is delivered to individuals qualified for charity care. Corridors limit funding in-creases and decreases based on the hospital’s previous year fund-ing instead of their most recent charity care experience.

Charity care allocations are often political and based on data favorable to a politically connected hospital or group of hospitals, rather than to the most recent available data. A 2007 report released by the State Commission on Investigation point-ed out that state budget language in- serted on behalf of those with the most political clout resulted in a situation where “those with increased charity care face a reduction – exactly the re-verse of how the programs is supposed to function.”

Recommendation: It is critical that healthcare “policy,” not “politics” dictates charity care funding distribution. To ensure fairness and to limit gaming the allocation system, Charity Care distribution must be based on the most recent data avail-able.

While we do not recommend cuts to this significantly un-der-funded program, we recognize in these special times, they may be necessary. If they should become necessary, it is even more critical that limited funding be concentrated among hos-pitals with the highest proportion of charity care patients rela-tive to the total care they provide and recognizing a hospital’s overall operating margin without past or anticipated charity care subsidies included.

1 Calculation based upon care actually delivered if reimbursed at the Medicaid rate.

Editor’s Note: For full report, go to http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/reports/Health%20&%20Senior%20Services.pdf

It is critical that healthcare“policy,” not “politics”

dictates charity care fundingdistribution. To ensure fairness

and to limit gaming theallocation system, Charity Caredistribution must be based onthe most recent data available.


Focus 43

WANTED

Associate Board Member

Are you driven, innovative, and committed to promoting the health care financial management field?

The NJ Chapter of HFMA is currently seeking individuals that are interested

in becoming Associate Members of the Board of Directors.

As an Associate Board Member you will bring new vision and energy into HFMA, and in return, receive mentoring by seasoned professionals resulting in invaluable

experience and an in-depth knowledge of the workings of HFMA.

The requirements for application include: * Current Membership in HFMA

* The New Jersey Chapter of HFMA Selected as Your Primary Chapter * Membership in HFMA 5 Years or Less * A Referral from a Senior Administrator

* A Letter Stating Why You Would Like to be an Associate Board Member of the Board of Directors

* Copy of Your Resume * Willingness/Ability to Attend the Majority of the Monthly Board Meetings held at the

Woodbridge Hilton on the Second Tuesday of the Month from 7:30am - 9:00am. * Willingness to Participate in a New Jersey Chapter Committee

There are two Associate Board Member positions on the New Jersey Chapter Board of Directors. Each position has a two year appointment. The Associate

Board Member position is a non-voting position. There is one Associate Board Member position currently vacant.

If interested, please forward the above requested requirements to

Roe Nuzzo [email protected] or Matt Glass [email protected]

No later than March 1, 2010.

44 Focus


Save the Date!

Annual NJ HFMA Golf Outing

May 13, 2010

Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club Far Hills, NJ

Focus 47


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Do you remember to check the NJ HFMA web site?

Be sure to go to hfmanj.org often, and stay on top of all our chapter happenings! This is the first place you will find information on upcoming events as well as

important announcements. So go, and go often! www.hfmanj.org


48 Focus

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Documents

January/February 2010 • vol 56 • num 4 - HFMA NJFocus 1 focus January/February 2010 •advertisers• focus •features• focus •points• focus •cover• Armds Besler CBIZ