Coding and Reimbursement Conferences
Expert Speakers

Elin Baklid-Kunz, MBA, CPC, CCS, is Director of Physician Services for Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, FL. Kunz has 15 years of healthcare experience, including seven years in finance and four years in compliance. She is a workshop presenter for the American Academy of Professional Coders and a freelance author for HCPro, Inc. writing e-learning courses for JustCoding.com. She is also an adjunct professor at Seminole Community College where she teaches courses pertaining to healthcare reimbursement and serves on the advisory committee for the health information management program.

Cristina Bentin, CCS-P, CPC-H, CMA, is the president of Coding Compliance Management, LLC, a healthcare consulting company specializing in the markets of ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) with emphasis on coding support, reimbursement audits, and training. Ms. Bentin is nationally recognized as a leading freestanding ASC coding educator, speaker, and writer with over 20 years of hands-on experience in ASC multi-specialty surgical coding. Ms. Bentin is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) Certified Professional Coder Hospital based, a member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Certified Coding Specialist – Physician based, a member of the National Association of Health Professionals and a member of the North American Spine Society (NASS).

Prior to establishing Coding Compliance Management, LLC, Cristina was CFO of a surgical hospital participating in its start-up and development. She was also formerly the Director of Education for a medical consulting firm in which she was responsible for educational ASC coding conferences and audit processes. In addition, Cristina has had extensive experience as the education and training manager for a national healthcare corporation, and was directly involved in the continued education of its 200 + ASC facilities and coders nationwide ensuring OIG, Medicare and state requirements were met.

Cristina's coding lectures include groups such as Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, Ambulatory Surgery Foundation, The Coding Institute, The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), The Louisiana Health Information Management Association, The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), Becker’s ASC, Wisconsin State ASC Association, and the Florida State ASC Association. She frequently contributes trade articles to Outpatient Surgery Magazine and Becker’s ASC Review.

Suzan Berman-Hvizdash, CPC, CPC-EDS, CPC-EMS, is responsible for teaching 200+ staff/faculty on the intricacies and importance of compliance with current documentation requirements, as the Physician Educator for the Department of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She is also actively involved as the Senior Auditor and Advisory Board Member for the Coding and Reimbursement Network (CRN), serves as a Technical Consulting Writer for Ingenix Publishing and is also an Advisory Board Member for General Surgery Coding Alert and Part B Insider, Eli Publishing as well as a National Advisory Board Member of the American Academy of Professional Coders. Mrs. Hvizdash has been the technical consultant for the AAPC for an Evaluation and Management e-learning module as well as the co-author of the CPC-EMS Study Guide. She continues to be a guest lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh speaking to undergraduate HIM students on E/M documentation.

Sheri Bernard, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P
Ms. Bernard is senior director of content development at Ingenix, where she has worked for 13 years. She is the current secretary of the Academy National Advisory Board, and has served on the board for six years. She is a frequent contributor to the ACADEMY CODING EDGE.

John F. Bishop, PA-C, CPC, MS, CWS is a Certified Professional Coder through the AAPC and has been an active Surgical Physician Assistant for the past 34 years. He has been the President and CEO of Bishop & Associates, Inc, a surgical, medical and Coding/Reimbursement consulting company for 8 years. He has become proficient in Plastic, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Trauma, Burns, Wound Management, Orthopedics, General Surgery, and the Emergency Department. John has also developed and published several Coding, Billing and Reimbursement manuals for Burns, Trauma, Wound Management and Plastic Surgery. Plus, he has contracted with several Universities and private, large multi-specialty groups as the Consultant Educator on Coding and Reimbursement. He has also been an active Wound Care consultant to several large Wound Care global companies, as well as, a certified Wound Specialist. Mr. Bishop is the past Director of Coding at the MedVance Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida and is very involved in teaching many Coding and Reimbursement seminars for Surgeon and Physician groups nationwide. Currently, John is also an Adjunct Instructor at Florida Metropolitan University in Tampa, Florida. John is a national presenter for AAPC, PAHCS, The Coding Institute and many other national groups. John delivers an enjoyable, down to earth, real-life discussion on multi-specialties mixed with current case studies for your best results.

Judith Blaszczyk, RN, CPC, ACS-PM
Judith Blaszczyk, RN, CPC, ACS-PM has 18 years of experience as a registered nurse working in an acute care hospital setting. This background provides invaluable insight into the clinical aspects of medical coding and documentation as well as experience interacting with physicians and other clinicians.

In addition to her clinical background, Mrs. Blaszczyk has 20 years of experience in medical coding and billing with a specialization in anesthesia and pain management. She received her CPC from the American Association of Professional Coders in 1999 and her Advanced Coding Specialist-Pain Management Certification from the Board of Medical Specialty Coding in 2006. For 18 years she was part of the management team for a large anesthesia and pain management billing company. This allowed her to work with practices of various sizes, scope of practice and geographical location. This experience has prepared her to meet the needs of the wide variety of practices.

One of her passions is assisting providers and coders in understanding and remaining current on the constantly changing coding and billing regulations. She provides onsite education to clinicians and coding and billing staff as well as speaking at seminars and conferences. As a member of the BMSC National Pain Management Advisory Board she has further opportunity to impact the future of the coding and billing industry.

Currently she is a compliance auditor for Auditing for Compliance and Education, Inc, and is excited to have the opportunity to use her knowledge and experience to assist in helping providers to meet their compliance and business goals.

Joel Bradley, MD, ACS-FP, Premier Medical Group
Dr. Bradley, a practicing pediatrician and chief of medical staff, Gateway Health Systems, is a nationally known presenter on pediatric coding and reimbursement. Dr. Bradley is a member of the prestigious CPT Editorial Panel of the AMA. He is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is a National Advisory Board member for the Board of Advanced Medical Coding (BAMC).

Stacie Buck, RHIA, CCS-P, LHRM
Ms Buck has served in several different roles during her 14-year career in health information management including as a medical records coordinator, medical coder, a revenue analyst, an internal auditor, corporate compliance officer, and consultant. Stacie is on the editorial advisory board for the HCPro newsletters, she is the author of the recently released Radiology Technologist’s Coding Compliance Handbook and is a Contributing Editor for The Radiology Manager’s Handbook: Tools & Best Practices for Business Success. Stacie also is an audioconference presenter for HCPro, the Coding Institute and AHIMA. Stacie is an adjunct instructor and advisory board member for the health information management program at Indian River Community College in Florida and she serves in the AHIMA Mentoring program. She serves on the AHIMA Physician Practice Council and is President-Elect of the Florida Health Information Management Association. Recently Stacie was the recipient of several awards including the 2005 AHIMA Rising Star Award, FHIMA Outstanding Professional Award & FHIMA Literary Award.

Marcella Bucknam, CPC, CCS-P, CPC-H, CCS, CPC-P, COC-OBGYN, CPC-CARDIO, has been working in health information management for 18 years including 5 years as a coding instructor for a health care college. She is an approved coding instructor and has helped hundreds of coders become certified. Bucknam is currently the manager of charge capture for a major university practice plan.

Quinten A. Buechner, M.S., M.Div., ACS-FP/GI/PEDS, CPC, CCP, CMSCS, has been involved in medical practice management, coding, reimbursement and policy analysis for government and Commercial payors for over 25 years. He has been a member of the AAPC National Board, a Billing Director for a four county Mental Health Agency, and is a National Consultant and Speaker. He has worked at and with small Medical practices, multi-specialty practices, Medical Colleges and teaching institutions and large multi-campus Medical Groups. He is a nationally known seminar speaker and often quoted in the trade press.

Barbara Cobuzzi MBA, CPC, CENTC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CHCC, is President of CRN Healthcare Solutions in Tinton Falls, NJ. She holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from New York University. She holds certifications from the AAPC as a CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P and a CPC-I. She also holds a specialty certification in Otolaryngology (CENTC). Ms Cobuzzi is a past member of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) National Advisory Board as well as their Executive Board. She has also earned her Certification as a Healthcare Compliance Consultant from Healthcare Compliance Resources (CHCC). She is frequently quoted by leading industry newsletters. Barbara is a speaker for The Coding Institute, AAPC, MGMA, Ingenix, Association of Otolaryngology Administrators, Various State Otolaryngology Societies, the American Academy of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgeons among other organizations. Ms Cobuzzi is a senior auditor and coder for The Coding Network. Barbara Cobuzzi is also the Consulting Editor of Otolaryngology Coding Alert, Medical Office Billing and Part B Insider, as well as on many of the Editorial Advisory Boards of other coding publications.

Glade B. Curtis, MD, MPH, FACOG , CPC
Dr Curtis is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist. He has over 20 years experience in obstetrics, gynecology, and infertility. He is the author of sixteen books relating to pregnancy, which have sold over five million copies worldwide. He is currently involved in a variety of projects regarding female healthcare and pregnancy. He is a member of the Academy National Physician Board.

Tami DeLuca, CPC-I, CCS-P is a Senior Consultant with Pershing Yoakley & Associates located in Atlanta, Georgia. Tami has worked in the healthcare industry for over 20 years. She has provided education and training support on coding, billing and compliance issues and is an approved Professional Medical Coding Curriculum instructor. Her expertise includes documentation reviews with follow-up provider and staff educational feedback. She has successfully implemented and managed the PQRI program within physician practices. Tami presents nationally on topics which include the PQRI program, E/M and procedural documentation and coding services. She is past president of the Richmond Association of Coders, past chair of the 2005 Virginia State Coders’ Conference and is an active member of the American Academy of Professional Coders.

Kelly Dennis, MBA, ACS-AN, CANPC, CHCA, CPC, CPC-I has over twenty-seven years experience in anesthesia billing and has been speaking about anesthesia issues on a national basis for the past seven years. She has a firm commitment to education and dedicates time to speak at various meetings and teleconferences throughout the year – believing that learning is a life-long quest.

Kelly is an active member, past Legislative Liaison and past President of Florida Anesthesia Administrators’ Association, and an active member and past President of the Medical Group Management Association’s Anesthesia Administrators Assembly. She has owned her own consulting company, Perfect Office Solutions, Inc., since November, 2001.

DAVID B. DUNN, MD, FACS CIRCC, CPC-H, CCC, CCS, RCC David Dunn, MD, Vice President-ZHealth, oversees physician coding and manages ZHealth operations. He also participates as a regular instructor for ZHealth educational programs. He recently coauthored the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Coding Reference in Dr. Z's Medical Coding Series and is a contributor to the Interventional Radiology Coding Reference as well as the Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiovascular Coding Reference.

A graduate of Texas A&M University, he completed his M.D. at the University of Texas in San Antonio, his surgical residency at Scott & White in Temple, Texas, and his vascular surgery fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Dunn spent over ten years as an active vascular surgeon in private practice, which included endovascular procedures. A diplomat of the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Dunn is also certified in Vascular Surgery. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery. Dr. Dunn also has the CIRCC, CPC-H, CCC, CCS, and RCC coding certifications. He joined his longtime colleague, Dr. Z, at ZHealth in 2002

Quita Edwards CPC, CCS-P, has 29 years experience in the medical field. She is a graduate of the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Radiologic Technology and maintained a Registered Technologist in Radiography (RT (R)) status with the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) prior to retiring. For the last 19 years, she has been employed with Forsyth Street Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Center. Currently, she is the Coding and Reimbursement Specialist for the practice and is responsible for surgical coding, internal auditing and review, reimbursement analysis, and in-service education. Professionally, Mrs. Edwards maintains a CPC certification, holds a professional membership with the AAPC, is an AAPC licensed, Professional Medical Coding Curriculum (PMCC) Instructor, and maintains a membership with The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Philip Eskew Jr., MD, FACOG
Dr. Eskew is medical director, women and infant services at St. Vincent Hospital. He served on the CPT editorial panel and is a member of the ACPT Advisory Committee representing ACOG. While on the editorial panel, he served as the chair for the Task Force to develop and implement E/M codes.

Mary I. Falbo, MBA, CPC
Ms. Falbo is owner of Millennium Healthcare Consulting, providing billing, coding, auditing, education and compliance solutions to healthcare providers. Ms. Falbo is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, American Academy of Professional Coders and AHIMA. She conducts numerous coding and profitability seminars for law firms, pharmaceutical firms, professional healthcare societies, hospital health systems and accounting firms.

Michael A. Ferragamo, Jr., MD, FACS received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University in New York City, his medical degree from State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, and after two years of general surgical training at The Brooklyn Hospital, completed his three years of urological training at the Kings County Hospital Medical center, Brooklyn, New York, under the late Keith R. Waterhouse MD. Dr. Ferragamo served two years in the United States Navy during the Vietnam conflict as Lieutenant Commander in the medical corps and as assistant chief of urology at the St. Albans Naval Hospital, Queens, New York. Dr. Ferragamo is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Urology at the State University of New York, University Hospital and School of Medicine at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York. He is also the Senior Urologist with Urocare Associates of New York, a six person private urological practice for which he oversees coding and reimbursement issues. Dr. Ferragamo is a consultant for the Physicians Reimbursement Systems, Denver, Colorado, the America Association of Professional Coders as well as a coding consultant for a number of private practices, medical institutions, clinics, and hospitals including The Lahey Clinic, The Mayo Clinic, Urology Department, Jacksonville, Florida, Arizona Health Science Center, Tucson, Arizona, Section of Urology, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, and the Brookdale Medical Center Campus, Concord Hospital Center for Urological care, McKay Urology, Charlotte, North Carolina, New York University, Department of Urology, New York City, New York, and University Urology at Stony Brook, New York. Dr. Ferragamo has given seminars on urological coding and reimbursement at several regional sections of the AUA and at the AUA. He has presented numerous national teleconferences for The Coding Institute of Naples, Florida, Eli-Research of North Carolina, and for Decision Health, Baltimore, Maryland. He has published papers on urology coding and reimbursement in the Journal of Endourology and Contemporary Urology and is consulting Editor for Urology Coding Alert, a monthly newsletter devoted to proper urology coding and reimbursements. Dr. Ferragamo is the former chief of urology at the Hempstead Medical Center and the Franklin Medical Center in Long Island, New York and is an honorary attending in the Departments of Urology of Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York, and Mercy Hospital in Rockville Center, New York

Debra Ferenc, BS, CPC, CPC-H, CMC
Ms.Ferenc is the Senior Consultant/Educator with Medical Recovery & Consulting Experts, Inc. She has over 25 years of experience in health care administration in progressive leadership positions in hospital based and private practices and auditing. Ferenc has dual coding certifications and has an extensive background in all aspects of health insurance billing and coding. She is the founder and past President of the Clearwater Gulf to Bay Local Chapter of the AAPC.

Terry Fletcher BS, CPC, CCS-P, CCS, CMSCS, CMC
Terry Fletcher BS, CPC, CCS-P, CCS, CMSCS, CMC, CPC-CS, joins us as a 20-year veteran of coding and insurance successes. She is a past member of the National Advisory Board and is the immediate past President and founding member of a Southern California Chapter of the AAPC. Terry is on the Editorial Advisory Board of several national coding publications for The Coding Institute and their Co-List-Serve Moderator for Cardiology. She is the President / CEO of Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc and a McVey Seminar Leader, teaching over 100 speciality coding seminars every year. Coming in with a rich background in surgical as well as medical specialties, Terry is up-to-date with "real-life" insurance experiences from her California based billing company and on-site consulting work. Terry holds a bachelor's degree in economics and multiple certifications in coding; CPC, CCS-P, CCS, CMSCS, CMC, CPC-CS.

Susan E. Garrison, CHC, CHCA, PCS, FCS, CCS-P, CPAR, CPC, CPC-H, is the executive vice president of both Med Law Advisors and the healthcare consulting division of Magnus Confidential, Inc. (Med Law Advisors' parent company). As a consultant to hundreds of healthcare providers, legal teams, accountants and related organizations, she assists clients in all facets of documentation, coding, billing, compliance and litigation needs. She is a nationally acclaimed and highly sought speaker, having presented hundreds of educational sessions for professional organizations (AAPC, HFMA, AHIMA, MGMA), teaching university health systems, healthcare providers of all sizes, and payers. Mrs. Garrison's areas of expertise include documentation, coding, billing, compliance, litigation, revenue enhancement, revenue cycle operations and professional communications.

Joan Gilhooly, MBA, CPC, CHCC, is president and consultant with Medical Business Resources LLC, has 25+ years experience in health care. Since 1992, she’s instructed physicians and coders in E/M coding, auditing and other coding and reimbursement. She’s also the technical editor for Primary Care Coder’s Pink Sheet and facilitator for the MGMA on-line course “Assessing and Improving Your Billing Office.” She is involved in health care fraud litigation.

Jennifer Godreau BA, CPC, specializes in medical coding policy for pediatrics, otolaryngology including allergy and audiology, family/internal medicine and pulmonology. Jen is currently an executive editor for The Coding Institute where she has written Pediatric Coding Alert and Otolaryngology Coding Alert for seven years, as well as several other coding publications. While researching articles, she consults with physician advisors and policy makers in the American academies of Audiology, Family Practice, Otolaryngology, Pediatrics, and the associations for Allergy and Speech-language and Hearing. Over the years, Godreau has written more than 1,800 pages on correct coding, documentation and reimbursement. She is also in demand as a national speaker and a coding educator.

Annette Grady, CPC-Ortho, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-I, CPC-P, CCS-P, PCS, FCS, brings 25 years of Healthcare Coding/Reimbursement Experience. During this time, she was a director of reimbursement for a 10-physician orthopedic group and ASC center. She is proficient in CPT, ICD-9-CM and HCPCS coding for physicians and ASC, as well as E/M documentation and compliance reviews. She is currently an officer and member of the AAPC National Advisory Board and Chairperson for the NASS, Administrative Task Force.

Catherine Gray, RHIT, CCS, CPC-I, Cardio, GI, has over 15 years experience as a consultant, coder and auditor at several of the nation's academic medical centers, government medical centers and multi-specialty physician practices.  She has provided evaluation and management, procedural and diagnostic coding education for physicians and their coding staff.  She is currently a medical billing auditor at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan.

Stacy Gregory, RCC, CPC
Ms Gregory is an accomplished radiology coder, consultant, and charge capture specialist with a sincere passion for coding and compliance. In her 7 years of experience with radiology coding and billing, Ms. Gregory has served as a billing manager, medical coder, coding manager, educator, revenue support specialist, and consultant. She is an active member of various radiology coding discussion groups, and has been featured in several nationally recognized coding publications. Ms. Gregory is an advisor on HCPro's Radiology Administrators' Compliance & Reimbursement Insider and a frequent presenter for various audio seminars and conferences relating to topics in her field.
Ms. Gregory is the sole proprietor and senior consultant for Gregory Medical Consulting Services, based in Tacoma, WA. She is a member of numerous professional organizations, and actively participates in continuing education opportunities for all areas of her field.

Deborah Grider, CPC-EMS, CPC-H, CPC-P, CCS-P, is the Vice President of Strategic Development for the American Academy of Professional Coders. Grider is a Certified Professional Coder, Certified Professional Coder-Hospital, Certified Professional Coder-Payer, and an E/M Specialist with the American Academy of Professional Coders. She is a Certified Coding Specialist with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and a member of the Peer Review Editorial Board for Contexo Media. Grider has been in healthcare for 30 years and speaks nationally across the country in relation to compliance, coding, and reimbursement.

Grider is the author of many coding publications for the American Medical Association. She is the author of Principles of ICD-9-CM Coding in its third edition, Coding with Modifiers in its second edition, Medical Record Chart Auditor in its second edition. She is also writing the ICD-10-CM Implementation Guide, which will be released in 2009. In addition to authoring books for AMA, she is the author of the Certified Professional Coder-Hospital, study guide, independent study module 6 and 7 and the Professional Medical Coding Curriculum-Hospital for the American Academy of Professional Coders.

Jillian Harrington, MHA, CPC-I, CCS-P, MHP, serves as President & CEO of ComplyCode, and has more than 16 years of experience in the health care profession, and is the former compliance officer of a large academic medical center. She has extensive background in both the professional and technical components of CPT/HCPCS and ICD-9-CM coding. She teaches CPT coding and is an approved instructor of the Professional Medical Coding Curriculum, awarded by the American Academy of Professional Coders. She has spoken frequently on health care compliance and health information management issues at regional and national professional conferences. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and a former member of their National Advisory Board, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA), and is an associate of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Lori E. Hendrix, CPC, CPC-H
Lori E. Hendrix, CPC, CPC-H, is a senior coding support specialist with Coding Strategies, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia. Her areas of expertise include medical coding, auditing, and education with a specific emphasis in emergency medicine, internal medicine/family practice, diagnostic radiology and diagnosis coding for all specialties.

Donelle Holle, RN, is a pediatric nurse with over 28 years of coding and billing experience for pediatric services. As a director of coding and reimbursement for the Dept. of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan, she oversaw the entire billing process for physicians including appealing denials from the insurance companies. Ms. Holle has presented in seminars on pediatric coding throughout the US and was a speaker at the National Conference for the AAP as well as other national conferences.

Phil Hurd, MHA, CCP, CPC, is a Director with Navigant Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: NCI) which is a spe-cialized independent consulting firm providing professional services to assist clients in identifying practical solutions to the challenges of uncertainty, risk and distress. Mr. Hurd has over twenty years experience in provider healthcare and offers a breadth of experience including day&8208;to&8208;day operations; multi&8208;hospital system development; billing office management for large and medium sized practices, hospital and physician organizations; budgeting and financial management; strategic planning, product line development and revenue cycle. Mr. Hurd is frequently retained to assist clients in reimbursement and coding compliance matters and has conducted numerous assessments and audits concerning coding and billing compliance in litigation matters. Mr. Hurd earned his Master's degree from Duke University and is a Certified Compliance Professional and Certified Professional Coder.

Victoria S. Jackson
Mrs. Jackson has over 30 years of experience in medical group administration, 26 of those years in pediatrics. She is currently the owner and executive director of JCM, INC. (Jackson Consulting and Management, INC.) She is a member of the Primary Care Assembly of the Medical Group Management Association. She has served as board member of the Primary Care Assembly and past president of the Pediatric Care Assembly. Mrs. Jackson is also co-editor of The Coding Institute’s Pediatric Coding Alert as well as advisor to many of their coding publications. She is a nationally respected billing, coding and practice management consultant.

David V. Janeway, MD
Dr. Janeway is a practicing orthopedic surgeon at Orthopaedic Specialists of the Carolinas, a large orthopaedic practice in Winston Salem, NC. He is the director of outpatient orthopedic surgery at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston Salem.

Betty A. Johnson, CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CIC, is a 19-year veteran healthcare consultant in physician coding, billing, and education. She is the president and CEO of CPC Solutions, Inc. and serves on the National Advisory Board of the American Academy of Professional Coders as the Member Relations Officer – East. Mrs. Johnson is an acclaimed Academy workshop leader; presenting coding and billing related topics across the country. She is also a featured writer for the Academy’s Coding Edge magazine.

Richard Lander, MD, FAAP
Dr. Lander is in private group pediatric practice. He serves as clinical assistant professor of pediatrics for the UMDNJ and is also a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He also serves on the national committee of child health financing. He was the RVU chair and is now the program chair of the section of administrative practice and management, National Academy of Pediatrics. He has served as consultant to multiple AAP task forces on reimbursement and is the co-founder of resources in Physician Management Services, a consulting company.

Terry Leone, CPC^®, CPC-P^®, CIC is a specialist in radiology coding, interventional coding and consulting. His career spans over 30 years with experience in various aspects of management, billing, and coding. Since 1996, Terry has been the principal owner and president of Catamount Associates, LLC — a physician billing company. He is the founder and past president of the Western New York Chapter at Buffalo. He is a certified instructor at Bryant & Stratton College, Rochester, New York teaching the Professional Medical Coding Curriculum (PMCC). He is the President-Elect of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).

Maxine F. Lewis, BA, CMM, CPC, CCS-P
Mrs. Lewis is owner of Medical Reimbursement Management, a consulting firm for medical practices. Her company specializes in instruction for proper coding and its relationship to payment. Thirty-five years of her career is in practical experience. Mrs. Lewis has written workbooks and seminars in addition to an audio reference library for physicians’ practices. The topics range from workbooks for Cardiology Coding, Radiology, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Pulmonology, Ob-Gyn, CPT® and ICD-9 Coding, Medicare, Compliance to Billing Essentials, Fee Determinations, and Management.

Robin Linker, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CCS-P, MCS-P, CHC
Ms. Linker is cofounder of the Rocky Mountain Healthcare Institute and CEO of Robin Linker & Associates, a nationally known health care consulting firm. With over 27 years in healthcare, she provides consulting and education in practice management, compliance and correct coding and billing practices. Ms. Linker is the former AAPC National Advisory Board officer for local chapter relations and is an instructor for the Academy teaching the Professional Medical Coding Curriculum.

Jeffrey Linzer Sr., MD, FAAP, FACEP
Dr. Linzer is associate medical director for compliance and business affairs, Emergency Pediatric Group, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. Dr. Linzer is known nationally for his work in billing and coding and for resident education on the business of medicine. He is assistant professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Coding and Nomenclature, American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Committee on Nomenclature and Coding, and the editorial board for ICD-9-CM Coding Clinic.

Joan Logue, BS, MT, ASCP, is a nationally recognized consultant on laboratory management, clinical laboratory regulation, and Medicare reimbursement issues. She has worked with major hospital and national reference laboratory clients throughout the country, and she is a frequent speaker to national professional groups on clinical laboratory management issues. Mrs. Logue is the founder and former executive director of the Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CLMA), a professional society with over 9,000 members. Prior to her position with CLMA, Mrs. Logue served as Director of Administration and Communication for the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). Mrs. Logue also was the Administrator of Laboratory Services for a 200-bed acute care hospital, where she managed all clinical and anatomic laboratory operations.

Maggie M. Mac, CMM, CPC, CMSCS, CCP, ICCE, has served the health care industry for over 20 years.  She currently serves as a Consulting Manager with Pershing Yoakley & Associates in Clearwater, Florida.  Her background as a Medical Practice Administrator and Practice Management Consultant has given her on-the-job experience and realistic insight into problems with insurance, billing and reimbursement issues, as well as, issues in personnel management and compliance.  Maggie is a national speaker delivering information to audiences on topics dealing with medical practice compliance issues, personnel management, human resources, internet resources, coding and reimbursement, chart audits and federal regulations.   She is a frequent contributor to and serves on the Editorial and Consulting Advisory Board to many health management and coding publications nationally.  She has earned numerous awards, recognition and respect for her professional achievements and contributions to the healthcare community across the country.

Margaret Mac, CMM, CPC, CCP
Ms. Mac is a practice administrator and practice management consultant. For over 20 years, she has served the healthcare industry, and consults with physician specialty practices nationwide on compliance, fraud and abuse, office management, collections, practice productivity, human resources, coding, and billing. Ms. Mac is a certified medical manager through the Professional Association of Health Care Office Managers (PAHCOM) and a certified professional coder through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). She is also a certified compliance professional (CCP) with the Healthcare Fraud & Abuse Compliance Institute.

Jackie Miller, RHIA, CPC
Ms. Miller is Senior Consultant of Coding Strategies, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia, She specializes in coding consulting services for cardiology and radiology providers, including physician practices, hospitals, and freestanding facilities. She is credentialed as a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and as a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). In the past, Ms. Miller served as director of regulatory affairs for a large medical billing company and as a health information manager at several acute care hospitals. She is the author of Coding Strategies' "Cardiology Navigator" coding manual and is a frequent contributor to trade publications on coding.

Ron L. Nelson, PA-C
Mr. Nelson is president of Health Services Associates, Inc., and is a recognized expert in the area of reimbursement and physician payment for non-physician practitioners. He has served on multiple National and State commissions and has testified before Congress regarding issues related to payment policy. Nelson is the co-founder and first president of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) and past president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA).

Vicky O’Neil, CPC, CCS-P
Ms. O'Neil is the owner of the Hazlett Group, a consulting firm that provides comprehensive practice management services to physicians. She offers over a decade of experience in dealing with complex issues including reimbursement analysis, auditing, compliance, and operations management. She regularly lectures for both The Coding Institute and the AAPC, and is currently writing a pulmonary function testing manual for coders. She is on the Advisory Board for The Coding Institute’s monthly publication Pulmonology Coding Alert and is a member of the St. Louis Regional Asthma Consortium.

Bea Olsen, CPC, CCAT has been involved in the medical industry for over thirty years.  The last ten years she has worked as a physician and staff educator focusing on coding and compliance documentation for physician billing.  She is also an active member of the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM) and Arizona State Representative for the American College of Coding Specialists (ACMCS).  Bea serves as the AAHAM representative on the Arizona Noridian CAC.  She is a past president of her local chapter of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).  She has been certified for ten years with AAPC and is a certified coding instructor.  Bea has presented at three TAA Symposiums for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.  She is a frequent speaker as well as organizer for local meetings and seminars. Bea founded Integrity Healthcare Consulting in 2002.

Dennis L. Padget, MBA, CPA, FHFMA, is President and founder of DLPadget Enterprises, Inc. in Simpsonville, Kentucky, publisher of Pathology Service Coding Handbook. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Fellow in the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He has an MBA degree from the University of Chicago and a BA degree from the University of Northern Iowa. Mr. Padget is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, the American Pathology Foundation, the American Health Lawyers Association, and the Editorial Advisory Board of Pathology/Lab Coding Alert. He is a frequent speaker at state and national pathology and laboratory professional association meetings and has published several articles on hospital and physician payment, compliance and accounting issues.

Prior to his retirement from active consulting at the end of 2003, Mr. Padget headed Padget & Associates, a pathology and laboratory financial management and compliance advisory firm. During its nearly 23-year existence Padget & Associates served several hundred physician practices, independent laboratories, medical billing agencies, and hospitals in about 40 states. The firm specialized in: healthcare compliance plan development and management; anatomical and clinical pathology CPT charge and ICD9CM diagnosis coding evaluation and update studies; third-party, managed care, and hospital contracting; laboratory and pathology joint venturing and outsourcing; and pathology group integration planning and implementation.

Gregory J. Przybylski, MD
Dr. Przybylski is professor and director of neurosurgery at JFK Medical Center in Edison, NJ. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons’ (AANS), Coding and Reimbursement Committee. He is also on the faculty for AANS’s coding and reimbursement courses, and is council director of socioeconomic affairs for the North American Spine Society and program chair of its coding update courses.

Jan Rasmussen, CPC, ACS-OB, ACS-GI, Owner, Professional Coding Solutions, Holcombe, WI. As a health care consultant, Jan Rasmussen has more than 30 years of experience in physician billing, reimbursement and compliance. In her role as a physician consultant, she has participated in physician coding and documentation reviews including OIG government PATH and Champus audits and has designed and conducted physician coding seminars nationwide. Jan is a well-known educator and lecturer on ObGyn and general surgery.

Marion Salwin, CPC-I, CPC, is the Director of Education & Policy Development at Henry Ford Health System with over 20 years of experience in health care. Previously, Marion managed a Revenue Team of Associates who support a 980 bed hospital, 27 Outpatient Clinics and 3 Emergency Centers in the areas of coding and documentation, compliance, policy development, charge capture processes, chargemaster review and update, training, education and accounts receivable follow-up.  In 1997, through the American Academy of Procedural Coders (AAPC), became a Certified Procedural Coder (CPC) and in 1999 became a Certified PMCC Instructor (AAPC) who has been teaching professional coding for 5 years through her company, Premier Coding Resources, LLC.      Marion has extensive coding and compliance experience, her positions include; William Beaumont Hospital, Corporate Coding Quality Coordinator, Coding Quality Specialist, Clinical Services Supervisor, SelectCare, Claims Adjudication Supervisor, appointment to the William Beaumont Hospital, Corporate Compliance Committee.  Additionally, coauthored an article for the Academic Journal of Emergency Medicine, “Can Compliance Be Achieved”-Evaluation & Management Coding, May 2001.  Graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science Degree.

Joanne Schade-Boyce RDH, MS, CPC, ACS, PCS, has vast experience as a Clinician, Educator, Insurance Director, Business Administrator, Lecturer, and Consultant. Ms. Schade-Boyce has over 30 years of experience in healthcare administration with a Master of Science, its focus on Risk Management, from Old Dominion University. Ms. Schade-Boyce is a nationally renowned speaker, featured editor and lead instructor of educational courses for such groups as Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, Ambulatory Surgery Foundation, DecisionHealth, HCPro, The Board of Medical Specialty Coding, The Coding Institute, The American Healthcare Information Management Association, and ASC Communications, Inc. Joanne’s areas of expertise include surgical coding, compliance monitoring, external coding audits, on- and off-site training of surgical coding and billing, as well as professional coding services. Ms. Schade-Boyce is a member of and attends the annual meetings for the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the American Healthcare Information Management Association (AHIMA), focusing on healthcare coding & compliance trends. Ms. Schade-Boyce is Vice-President of FairCode Associates, L.L.C., a Baltimore Maryland consulting firm, specializing in coding education, ASC and outpatient audits, as well as clinical documentation improvement strategies., Vice-President, FairCode Associates, LL.

Joan K. Slager, CNM, MSN
Ms. Slager is director of nurse-midwifery at Bronson Women's Service in Kalamazoo, MI. She obtained her bachelor's of science in nursing degree from Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, MI., and certificate in nurse-midwifery. Ms. Slager received a master's in science and nursing from Case Western Reserve University. She lectures nationally on various aspects of business including billing and coding. Ms. Slager also does independent consulting for midwifery services. She is the current chair of the Business Section of the American College of Nurse-Midwives' Division of Standards and Practice. Her publications are numerous, and she has been a contributing editor, "Getting Paid: Billing, Coding and Payment for Midwifery Services," 2nd edition, American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Michael Stearns, MD
Doctor Michael Stearns is a board certified neurologist with 15 years experience in clinical and academic medicine, medical informatics, electronic health records and health care coding. He has presented at several national meetings on medical terminology, electronic health records and coding. He was involved with several projects involving computers in medicine at the National Institute of Health and was a key contributor to the development of SNOMED CT. His current position at Greenway Medical Technologies, Inc. includes the design and testing of computer applications that assist health care providers with ICD and CPT coding. He also a voting member of the Health Information Technology Standards Panel, a project sponsored by the federal government to standardize communications between health care enterprises.

Peggy Stilley, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, COBGC, ACS-OB has more than 30 years of experience in multiple specialties including General Practice, General Surgery, Neurology, and OB-Gyn. Prior to moving to Salt Lake City to work for AAPC, Peggy was the clinic manager for University of Oklahoma, OU Physicians - Women’s Healthcare in Tulsa. Peggy earned her CPC®in 2000 and became a certified AAPC instructor in 2008. In addition to being very active in coding and reimbursement issues, Peggy lectured residents regarding correct coding and documentation. Always active in her local chapter, Peggy has served as President and Membership Officer. She is a national speaker and has presented for Coding Institute, Ingenix, and Medical Business Institute as well as at AAPC’s national conferences, workshops and webinars. Peggy started Champion Coding Consultants in 2007 and her auditing experience includes internal audits as a clinic manager and independent auditing as a consultant in Ob-Gyn and Practice Management.

Harry Stuber, MD, FACOG, is a private practice ob-gyn in Tennessee. He is associated with Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Dr. Stuber is certified by the Accreditation Council for gynecologic endoscopy, advanced laparoscopy and advanced operative hysteroscopy.

Richard Harrison Tuck, MD, is affiliated with PrimeCare of Southeastern Ohio and is medical director for Quality Care Partners. He is on the National Committee on Coding and Reimbursement, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and serves as the Academy of Pediatrics representative to the AMA RBRVS Review Update Committee (RUC). Dr. Tuck also serves as consulting editor for Pediatric Coding Alert and contributing author for Coding for Pediatrics, A Manual for Pediatric Documentation and Reimbursement, AAP.

Diana W. Voorhees, M.A., CLS, MT, SH, CLCP, initiated her career in laboratory medicine within the Division of Hematology (Doctors Wintrobe and Cartwright) , Department of Medicine, at the University of Utah. She has also worked with the Division of Hematology at The Ohio State University, the Clinical Chemistry Department at Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City, and the Special Hematology and Hemostasis Laboratory at the University of Utah. She spent 14 years as an Associate Clinical Professor and administrative faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Utah. During her last year and a half in academia, she was recruited as Program Director to design, implement and direct the program in cytotechnology in the Department of Pathology. Ms. Voorhees, upon leaving the University setting, joined Coulter Corporation and provided technical support, customer training, and education primarily in the western United States. She was recruited by a national coding and reimbursement consulting firm, Med-Index/Medicode, where she spent nearly five years developing and marketing the consulting services for hospitals and other facilities, performing consulting engagements, providing seminars for national associations, enhancing product.

Jerrie K. Weith, FHFMA, is the founder and President of Healthcare Management Alternatives, Inc.

Jerrie's professional experience includes physician practice, as well as hospital, financial, and A/R management. With the start-up of a number of successful small businesses, Jerrie knows how to get a new physician practice established, as well as how to manage an on-going concern. She is skilled at project management, contract negotiations, and operational anaysis, as well as revenue cycle projects centering on A/R improvement, cashflow and compliance.

Over the last 20+ years, Jerrie has become a well-respected healthcare professional in the St. Louis area marketplace. As President of HMAI, she brings her knowledge, practical experience, values, and integrity to each client engagement. Jerrie has a bachelor's degree, an MBA and is certified as a Fellow in HFMA. She is active in both MGMA and HFMA, as well as in several not-for-profit community organizations.

Melanie Witt, RN, CPC, MA, CPT-OGS, is a registered nurse with experience in maternal-fetal medicine. She holds a master’s degree in health economics and is the former program manager for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Department of Coding and Nomenclature. Ms Witt was editor of several ACOG publications including CPT Coding in Obstetrics and Gynecology, ICD-9-CM Diagnostic Coding in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Ob-Gyn Coding Manual: Components of Correct Procedural Coding. She is currently providing coding education seminars to individual ob-gyn practices and performs shadow audits for practices that have been targeted by third-party payers for overpayments or fraud and abuse or compliance issues. She is on the Advisory Board and is the technical editor for The Coding Institute’s monthly newsletter Ob-Gyn Coding Alert.

Jill M. Young, CPC, CPC-ED, CPC-IM, has been in the medical field over 20 years. As president of Young Medical Consulting, LLC she has had a diverse background having held or performed all jobs in a medical office, from clinical to transcription to billing. In her role as consultant, her hands on office experience and her detective approach to the problem solving that billing presents, are what she credits with her success. Ms. Young has been selected as a speaker at the National AAPC meeting for the past 4 years for her expertise in Sleep Disorders. She also does educational seminars nationally as a member of the speakers panel for the AAPC and locally for the Michigan State Medical Society. Jill is a member of Medicare’s Provider Communication Advisory Board (PCOM), Michigan Medical Billers’ Association, Michigan Medical Group Management Association (MMGMA) and is currently the Treasurer of the Lansing AAPC Chapter (Capitol Area Coders). She is also a member of the National Advisory Board of the AAPC.

David Zielske, MD, CIRCC, CCS, CPC-Cardio, CPC-H, RCC is the founder and President of ZHealth Publishing.  Dr. Z is responsible for the overall direction of Ingram & Associates' Cardiovascular & Interventional Radiology (CVIR) Coding services group. He has years of experience as an Interventional Radiology practitioner, including thirteen years as a coding reviewer and coding expert. He is Board Certified in Radiology with additional Certification of Added Qualification (CAQ) in Interventional Radiology (ABR). He also has his CIRCC, CCS, RCC and CPC-H certifications. Dr. Z is a member of the Radiological Society of North America, Society of Interventional Radiology, Southeastern Angiographic Society, American Medical Association (AMA), and the Radiology Business Managers Association.

Diana L. Zirul, MPA, RHIA is responsible for the financial and personnel management of the Peninsula ENT clinic in Kenai, Alaska. As a member of the adjunct faculty at the University of Alaska Southeast, she teaches ICD-9-CM and CPT Coding. In addition, she is a consultant on the topics of hospital and clinical reimbursement systems and management systems design. Ms. Zirul is a member of the American Health Information Management Association, as well as the Alaska Health Information Management Association, on which she formerly served as president. She holds a BS in Medical Records Administration from Ferris State College and an MA in Public Administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.Diana has extensive experience in public speaking and is available to talk on the topics of ICD-9-CM and CPT Coding and Clinical Reimbursement Systems.