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A publication of the March/April/May 2002

HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION Western New York - Chapter 62

President’s Letter …….…….…….…….…….…….…….…….…….……2,3 HFMA Co-hosts Unique Risk Management Conference …..……………………3 Do Something Different …………………………………………………….…3,4 HFMA Comments on Regulatory Reform ………………………………………4 Annual Golf Outing ……………………………………………………………...4 Sponsor Recognition …………………………………………………………….5

“Leading at the Speed of Light”

www.hfmawny.org

Chapter Officers

Lloyd E. Arakelian President Melvin M. Dyster President-elect Ronald Krawiec Secretary Thomas Rybarczyk Treasurer President’s Report John Eichner, for co-chairing the Davis Chapter Lloyd Arakelian CPA FHFMA Management Committee and collecting and maintaining the founder’s points. I also want to It seems like yesterday that I began my year as express my appreciation for his efforts in editing Chapter President. You know what they say - many of the Chapter documents during the year. time flies when you are having fun. I am sitting reminiscing about our Chapter’s accomplishments Mary Ann Miccichi, for serving as the Managed this past year. I think it has been a good year for Care/Payor Committee Chair. the Western New York Chapter whereby some goals have been achieved already and some are Jan M. Hayes, for chairing the Membership still being pursued (still one month to go at the Committee and serving as a Board member. time of this letter). Of course, the success of the Chapter is directly related to the efforts of the Patricia Ann Gammalo, for co-chairing the many volunteers that dedicate their time. Their Membership Committee efforts help the Chapter maintain and improve activities. Knowing that I risk leaving someone or Barbara Losi, Past President and Nominating something out, I want to publicly thank the Committee for her support and willingness to following members for their significant assist me during the past year. contributions over the past year. Debbie Cudzilo, for serving as the Patient Mel Dyster, President-Elect for his hard work Financial Management Committee Chair and as a with the educational programming and support Board member. during the past year Allan Berecz, for co-chairing the Patient Financial Tom Rybarzyk, Treasurer for his efforts with the Management Committee. Sponsorship program and serving as Treasurer. Christopher Kalkhof, For serving as the Jim Juliano, Activities Committee chair for Physician Practice Managers Committee Chair and coordinating the golf outing. Board member. For his contributions and perseverance with the physician credentialing Susan Rudroff, for serving as Admissions project. Managers Committee Chair and Board member. Suzanne Roccisano, for chairing the Post Acute Paul Sweet, for serving as the Chapter historian – Care Committee and serving as a Board member. Paul always seems to know how and why things were done in the past. Also, I want to thank him Maureen Weir, for co-chairing the Post Acute for preparing Chapter newsletters, chairing the Care Committee. Reimbursement Committee, and serving as a Chapter liaison to the WNY Healthcare Chris Gueli, for chairing the Program Committee. Association and HANYS. Robert Bragg, for serving as the Web Site Bob Chiavetta, for co-chairing the Davis Chapter Committee Chair and being a Board member. Management Committee and serving as a Board Also, for the outstanding work with creating our member. Chapter’s new web site, which has helped us

2 streamline operations and communicate with the attacks of September 11th have had a profound membership. impact on the way the health care industry manages risk. This seminar will bring together Bruce Liebel and Larry Nowak, for co-chairing risk management, reinsurance, and health care the Reimbursement Committee and their efforts in perspectives to address the key issues of this new trying to eliminate unnecessary schedules from the reality, including the challenges that health care New York State cost report. organizations face from an increasingly active litigation and regulatory landscape. This is an Michael Sammarco, for serving as a Board important opportunity to examine new information member. and learn new approaches to properly position your organization for the future.” Lynn Churchill, for coordinating educational event mailings and staffing the registration table. For additional information, visit HFMA’s on-line She has always been willing to serve the Chapter conference schedule located at without being a member. http://www.hfma.org/education/conference_and_s eminars.htm. ♦ Janet Mazzio, My Administrative Assistant for helping me throughout the year by coordinating DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT various activities, preparing agendas and preparing John P. Eichner, CPA presentations. My work habits have cost me and my employer … And for all the others that assisted the above time and money. To tackle this problem, I do individuals or who I missed, THANKS A LOT. something different. My course has led to results that are interesting and insightful. It has been Finally, I want to wish the new slate of Officers good financially too. Below are ideas for and Boards Members a most successful year.♦ pathways you can take in your organization. See what you discover. HFMA CO-HOSTS UNIQUE RISK MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE  Perform a routine staff task. By understanding the mechanics of the HFMA and the American Association of Health responsibility, you gain insight. Then ask Plans (AAHP) are hosting a one-day conference why. Your prospective may lead to entitled “Risk, Reinsurance, and Health Care: changes not previously contemplated. September 11th and Beyond.” The event will be  Determine what needs to be done better in held April 29, 2002, in Washington, DC. your organization. Ask if the task is measured. If not, start to measure and The conference will examine the impact of the create accountability. September 11 attacks on risk and reinsurance  Purge dormant accounts payable vendors markets. It also will explore how the healthcare and patient accounts. This will close an industry can address issues and long-term opportunity for fraud. regulatory challenges facing providers and health  Rotate duties over cash handling. Always plans. maintain separation of duties.  Make a list of tasks done without the use of HFMA President and CEO, Richard l. Clarke, automation. Ask why and work towards FHFMA, says, “From rate shifts and capacity to automation of those tasks. changing coverage terms and future risks, the

3  Mine your data. Then sort, slice and dice . Work in partnership with providers to this extracted information to forecast address the confidentiality and security of patient service trends and detect fraud.♦ electronic data and timetables for compliance with law and regulations. . Before the enactment of regulations, develop a cost/benefit analysis of the cost of implementation and compliance. HFMA COMMENTS ON REGULATORY Providers should receive federal funding to REFORM cover the additional costs. Similarly, CMS should have a system to ensure the timely On March 4, 2002, HFMA submitted elimination of obsolete regulations. recommendations to HHS Secretary Tommy . Establish a system to facilitate Thompson on what HFMA members believe are participation of interested parties in the most important regulatory reforms that the regulation development. The system would agency should pursue. seek input on assumptions, cost estimates, and implementation issues before the On June 8, 2002, Thompson announced a promulgation of the regulation. department-wide initiative to reduce regulatory The complete comment letter is available burdens in health care and respond faster to the under the “HFMA Position and Activities” concerns of healthcare providers, state and local section of HFMA’s on-line Resource Center at governments, and individual Americans who are http://www.hfma.org/resource/. ♦ affected by HHS rules. In January Thompson appointed 27 consumers, physicians, and other healthcare professionals to the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Regulatory Reform. The committee, which is chaired by a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, will scrutinize all HHS agencies but ANNUAL GOLF OUTING Our will focus particular attention on CMS and FDA – annual golf outing will be July 26, 2002 at the two HHS agencies with the heaviest regulatory the International Country Club in duties. Stevensville, Ontario. In its letter, HFMA recommended CMS should: . Eliminate, or significantly simplify, the EDITORIAL POLICY Medicare cost report so that only those data elements critical to the development Opinions expressed in articles are those of the of appropriate payment and cost analysis authors and do not necessarily reflect the view are collected. of the WNY Chapter, HFMA or Publications . Make Medicare truly a nationwide Committee. The HFMA and Publications program without local variations in policy Committee assume no responsibility for the and regulations. accuracy or content of any articles published . Give providers a way to obtain clarification and guidance in the application of unclear regulations or in the newsletter. Article submissions should processes. Make those decisions be sent to: applicable to all regions of the federal Paul W. Sweet government and to all contractors. WNY Healthcare Association

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5 THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Silver Deloitte & Touche Ernst & Young Health Management System Maxim Management Services LLC Upstate New York Transplant Services

Bronze Damon & Morey LLP Mercantile Adjustment Bureau SCS – Security Credit Systems Inc

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