–washington dc chapter

Summer 2014

VCU MEDICAL CENTER - OPENS $23 MILLION BIRTH UNIT RENOVATION

CERTIFICATION VIA THE HFMA IS GREAT FOR YOUR CAREER!

INTRODUCING! THE RANDALL BLEDSOE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR CERTIFICATION

SAVE THE DATE! 2014 VA-DC HFMA FALL EDUCATION CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 24 - 26, 2014

INSIDE  OFFICERS MESSAGE - PRESIDENT - LYNNE WISEHART  YOU AND YOUR 340B PROGRAM: ARE YOU COMPLIANT OR CONFUSED? THIS  CHAPTER MEMBER PROFILE - AN INTERVIEW WITH AL PAYNE @ ISSUE

OFFICERS MESSAGE

Dear Valued VA/DC HFMA Chapter Members, As we celebrate the Chapters 60 year anniversary in 2014, I am honored and humbled to be serving as your Chapter President in such pivotal times. I appreciate your vote of confidence in this Board and am excited to work with each of you, our valued members, in building on the successes of this past year.

As we embark into this new chapter year, I would be remiss if I did not recognize and congratulate the Board for their accomplishments over the past year, under the leadership of Tom Henderson, Immediate Past Presi- dent. With Tom’s fortitude, creativity and direction, our Chapter has emerged as one of the national leaders; as such, we received five awards at the recent Annual National Institute, including two educational awards of excellence, two Yerger Awards and one multi-Chapter award for collaboration. Tom has forged the path for Lynne Wisehart this new leadership team and we are committed to sustaining excellence in this Chapter. President Therefore, my vision is to develop a strategic plan and implement initiatives needed to enhance our Chapter excellence, including the following priorities:

♦ Education: Improve educational programs to ensure we are providing quality education to a larger member demographic across the State and the District, making value-added content easily accessible to our entire membership.

♦ Member Satisfaction: Engage members in the Chapter to actively participate in developing meaningful events, content and activities. Provide networking opportunities and encourage open communication to en- hance both member benefits and satisfaction.

♦ Leadership: The sustained excellence of this Chapter is dependent upon a successful leadership develop- Summer 2014 ment strategy. While current leaders are committed to serving, it is critical that new leaders are engaged, developed and trained to carry on the work of those that have served before them.

♦ Sponsorship: Create new ways to increase the value provided to our sponsors, by aligning benefits with access to education and healthcare leaders. This includes the continuance and enhancement of provider spon- sorship benefits.

♦ Strategic Building Blocks: Lay the foundation to carry out a longer term strategic plan, over the next five years, in an effort to earn the coveted Shelton Award. By establishing some of the above initiatives, directing a clear implementation plan and measuring our results along the way, we will continue to strive to be the best!

Over the course of this year, I will be challenging all members to get actively involved, share your ide- as, and be a part of the driving force that assists us in achieving our goals. As a volunteer organization, it is critical that we come together and make progress toward achieving this success. Please plan on joining us at our Fall Conference in Virginia Beach, where you will have access to great educational content and an opportunity to get directly involved with the Chapter.

The future of the Chapter is bright and I am fortunate to be able to take on this role with over 60 years of Chapter leadership having paved the way for a strong Chapter. On behalf of the 2014-2015 Virginia-Washington DC HFMA Board of Directors, I want to thank all members, volunteers and spon- sors that make our chapter great. With your continued support, our quest for excellence will not fail. I look forward to serving with you over the next year, as we work together to take on the difficult challenges and embrace the exciting opportunities that this year will bring. Best regards,

Lynne Wisehart Lynne Wisehart President VA-DC HFMA

2 Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center unit’s overall size by 50 percent — from 20,000 to 30,000 square Opens $23 Million Birth Unit Renovation feet.

The new unit is in space that formerly housed the neonatal intensive Women giving birth at VCU Medical Center will have more spa- care unit before it moved to the VCU Critical Care Hospital several cious rooms, some with a spa-like tub to labor in if they so choose, years ago. when the hospital’s renovated labor and delivery unit opens this fall. About VCU Medical Center Those features and others, including 24-hour family visitation and room service-like meal Every day, there’s a new discovery at service, are part of a $23 VCU Medical Center. million project to update the hospital’s aging and Whether it’s a patient who under- outdated labor and deliv- goes a new, life-saving procedure or ery unit. a clinical researcher who finds prom- ise in a new cancer treatment, excit- The changes come as ing medical advances are taking other area hospitals have place. updated their labor and delivery units in recent As the only academic medical center years. in the region, VCU Medical Center is on the forefront of health care, “If we walk through the providing patients with the most old unit, you can see why progressive treatments and medical this was long overdue,” technology available. said Dr. David Chelmow, professor and chairman VCU’s medical staff includes interna- of the VCU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. tionally recognized physicians and highly skilled nurses who provide state-of-the-art, comprehensive patient care. Their physicians have “Our former facility was 1982 vintage when labor and delivery was been ranked among the top doctors in Richmond in specialties rang- done completely differently,” Chelmow said. “People labored in tiny ing from allergies to vascular surgery. rooms and got wheeled to another room for the delivery. We really needed to bring our facility up to the way (obstetrics) is currently In July 2014, U.S.News & World Report ranked VCU Medical Cen- practiced, where people deliver in the rooms, where we want the ter as the best hospital in the Richmond Metro area, the fourth con- baby to be with the mom.” The renovations to the unit on the sixth secutive year the hospital has led in the area. The medical center’s floor of the Main Hospital and Staff and visitors were given a pre- nephrology program ranked in the top 50 nationally. In 2011, the view of the new space during an open house. medical center was re-designated by the American Nurses Creden- tialing Center as a Magnet hospital, the most prestigious honor and “The focus was for us to support labor and support it safely, and level of recognition awarded for nursing excellence in national and then support the staff that is taking care of the patient,” said Mary international health care. Ann Brock, nurse manager for the unit. “Each (room) now allows mom to get up and walk around. They are no longer tethered to a VCU Center for Clinical and Translational Research, funded by a monitor. We have a wireless system here,” Brock said. “We’re ex- $20 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, is part of an cited because we have everything we need in the room.” elite consortium of 60 nationally prominent research institutions that focus on translating research into real-world applications. About 2,200 births occur annually at the VCU Medical Center. In the Richmond region, HCA Virginia’s Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, Thanks to the dedication, compassion and expertise of its more where the labor and delivery unit was remodeled in the past five than 9,400 team members — from doctors, nurses and resident years, does the most births — about 3,600 in 2012, according to an medical staff to support personnel and administrators — the medi- HCA Virginia spokeswoman. cal center has enjoyed a consistently high patient satisfaction ratings.

At HCA’s Johnston-Willis Hospital there were 1,771 births, and at Teaching and Treating Chippenham Hospital there were 1,192 births in 2012. The labor MCV Hospitals is the teaching hospital component of VCU Medical and delivery units in those hospitals have had cosmetic upgrades Center, which also includes outpatient clinics and MCV Physicians, a within the past five years. 600-physician faculty group practice. The 1,125-bed VCU Medical Center is a regional referral center for the state and is the region's In many cases, the renovations are done to take advantage of new only Level I Trauma Center for adults and children. technology but also to make facilities more family-friendly and to accommodate women’s choices about the type of birth experience The medical center offers more than 200 specialty areas, many of they want. national and international note, including:

The renovation of the labor and delivery unit at VCU Medical Cen- Continued Next Page ter will more than double the size of patient rooms and increase the

3 VCU Continued

2014 VA-DC HFMA Fall Education Conference

Save the Date! September 24 - 26, 2014

Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront 3001 Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 phone: 757-213-3000 Fax: 757-213-3019

Education Opportunities Include:  Certification Class - CHFP Guided Study  Revenue Cycle Forum  CFO Forum  Current Trends in Compensation Plans and VCU’s New Birthing Unit Employment Transactions Multidisciplinary centers for cancer, cardiology, neurosurgery and  CEO Forum transplantation.  Ethics for CPA’s  ACA Lessons Learned - Open Enrollment is Virtually every form of contemporary medical service Over, Now What? International recognition for early diagnosis and treatment of chest pain and strokes, organ transplant, head and spinal cord trauma  And Much More! research, burn and wound healing, neonatal intensive care and ge- netic research, as well as cancer research, treatment and rehabilita- tion. Don’t forget to visit our Committee Meetings as well. VCU Medical Center has the only NCI-designated cancer centers in the central Virginia area; including VCU Massey Cancer Center

— and full-service children’s hospital, Children’s Hospital of Rich- Thursday, September 25th, will have a beach party theme. mond at VCU. Recently, Community Memorial Health center Come in your favorite tropical attire, enjoy specially creat- (CMH) in South Hill, ed foods and drinks, and network with the exhibitors, who

will be in on the fun too! Va., joined operations with VCU Health System to expand the range and depth of health care delivery for residents of southern

Virginia and northern . CMH is now VCU Commu- nity Memorial Hospital, and the affiliation brings together two high- performing organizations, combining the clinical expertise of the Links community-based hospital with the nationally ranked programs of VCU Medical Center under the umbrella of VCU Health System. Hotel Website

VCU - 2013 Statistics Register Today! Inpatient Discharges 34,105 Adjusted Discharges 8,091 Detailed Conference Agenda Emergency Department Visits 85,683 Outpatient Clinic Visits 580,005 Total Surgeries 20,442

4 You and Your 340B Program: Are You Compliant or Confused? by Venson Wallin and Bill Bithoney, MD BDO Center for Healthcare Excellence and Innovation interpretation “gap” to prosper to an extent not anticipated by the authors of the program. Audits in recent years by HRSA and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of HHS have confirmed the What is the 340B program? fact that covered entities are having challenges meeting full compli- The 340B program is a means through which providers, known as ance with guidelines, particularly in the areas of diversion and dupli- “covered entities”, can offer pharmaceuticals to a greater amount of cate discounts. Another key factor in meeting compliance require- eligible patients than they could at traditional manufacturer pricing. ments identified through the audits is the degree to which providers This is because the program requires that manufacturers sell the utilize contract pharmacies and their oversight of such. The use of drugs to the eligible providers at a discount, thereby enabling a larg- contract pharmacies, while occurring in the minority of covered er number of those in need to get the assistance they need with entities at this point, is growing and there is a wide disparity in their purchasing their prescriptions. The 340B program is very popular treatment and oversight. HRSA has strongly recommended the use for this very reason; covered entities are able to purchase drug sup- of independent audits of contract pharmacies to address compli- plies at the 340B discounted price, and then bill the patient’s insur- ance. ance company the traditional rate. This “margin” generates much needed profit for some of the more income-challenged providers, Increased focus on integrity and compliance while having minimal impact on the Medicare and Medicaid program So where does one go from here? Good question and one that the costs. The patient wins, the provider wins, and the government HHS OIG and HRSA intend to address in the immediate future. programs win. Providers understand the upside, and annual 340B They are both being very active in publishing clarifying documents drug spending by covered entities exceeds six billion dollars and and preparing to conduct more extensive audits of 340B programs. approximately one-third of U.S. hospitals participate in the program. The HHS OIG 2014 Work Plan contains initiatives pertaining to the The spending and number of participating providers is forecast to 340B program, including a focus on contract pharmacy compliance increase significantly during the coming years. by covered entities. In February, 2014, the OPA issued a program update that addressed contract pharmacy compliance and the con- In 1992, Congress created the 340B pro- tinued focus on the program’s integrity. In gram via Public Law 102-585, the Veterans its June, 2014 program update, HRSA dis- Health Care Act of 1992, which is otherwise cussed an additional six million dollars that known as Section 340B of the Public Health Congress had set aside for the 340B pro- Service Act. The law requires drug manufac- gram. The additional funding is being used turers that participate in the Medicaid pro- to establish a new branch of HRSA – Pro- gram to agree to provide discounts on cov- gram Performance and Quality – which is ered outpatient drugs purchased by govern- tasked with overseeing program integrity. ment-supported facilities, or “covered enti- HRSA stressed that program integrity has ties”. Examples of “covered entities” include disproportionate always been a focal point of their staff, but that the new branch will share hospitals, sole community hospitals, rural referral centers, now enable them to devote even more emphasis on this topic. And critical access hospitals, and children’s hospitals and cancer hospitals in its July, 2014 program update, HRSA further clarified its audit exempt from the Medicare prospective payment system. Enroll- process, reaffirming its focus on increased audits and the intent to ment periods for those providers seeking to participate in the pro- no longer issue preliminary audit reports but to only issue final re- gram are open on a quarterly basis. Administration of the 340B ports. The commitment to a renewed attention to compliance program is performed by the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) of through increased audits is evident through these updates and publi- the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agen- cations and covered entities would be advised to prepare for the cy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. inevitability of an increase in 340B program audits and that they may soon fall within HRSA’s radar. Achieving Compliance with 340B Program Guidelines Compliance pertaining to a 340B program is relative. A provider “Mega-Reg” to provide clarification may consider themselves in compliance with the guidelines of the Many facilities may be feeling somewhat alarmed by this enhanced program based on their understanding of these guidelines, whereas focus on program integrity in that they believe they may need more HRSA and the OPA may consider the provider to be noncompliant guidance to ensure that their program is truly compliant. As dis- based on their interpretation of these same guidelines. These diver- cussed before, heretofore, detailed implementation guidance on the gent opinions are a result of a set of rules that are written in a 340B program has been found to be somewhat lacking, and compli- somewhat general manner, excluding the detailed implementation ance became an “interpretation of the rules” exercise. Now, with regulations that are common to other HHS programs. HRSA rec- more expected of them, the covered entities are in need of specific ognizes the need for more clarity on the part of the covered entities clarification of the rules and HRSA is preparing to provide such and is actively working to close the interpretation “gap” and to guidance. The much discussed “mega-reg” that HRSA is expecting achieve more compliance within the program. to issue later this month (July, 2014) will provide specific guidance on issues such as the definition of an eligible patient, compliance HRSA has heard the rumblings from the industry and Congress over requirements for contract pharmacy arrangements, hospital eligibil- the past several years regarding the 340B program and the need for ity criteria, and the eligibility of off-site hospital facilities. more detailed directions to minimize both unintentional violations of the program as well as intentional efforts to take advantage of the Continued Next Page

5 You and Your 340B Program: Continued

Throwing a potential curve into HRSA’s plans is the recent (May, 2014) decision by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (USDCDC), which held that HRSA lacked the ability to issue the regulation regarding orphan drugs. HRSA had at- THE VA/DC CHAPTER tempted to promulgate limitations on the use of orphan drugs by IS NOW ON certain covered entities; however, the USDCDC found that the 340B regulation itself limited HRSA’s ability to promulgate regula- FACEBOOK tions to only those areas dealing with the administrative dispute & resolution process, calculation of ceiling prices, and civil monetary TWITTER penalties. Furthermore, orphan drugs were not deemed to be included in the definition of any of these three areas, therefore, HRSA was found to not have the authority to issue any regulations pertaining to them. Not only will there be Covered entities may wonder why this is important if orphan drugs are not a large part of their 340B program. The importance lies in updates each week; the ability of HRSA to issue and enforce the “mega-reg”. HRSA we will also share fun photo’s, has so far chosen not to appeal the USDCDC finding, and it must decide, before proceeding, whether the issues covered by the current chapter news, humor… “mega-reg” would survive a likely court challenge in light of the You Name It! USDCDC decision, and whether a further “tweaking” of the regu- lation should occur prior to its actual issuance. HRSA has indicat- ed that they continue to look to move forward with the “mega- reg” at this point and the July, 2014 issuance date continues to be FOLLOW US posted. & Conclusion LIKE US TODAY! It is very clear that the history of the 340B program being loosely regulated and enforced is just that – history. HRSA, the OPA and the HHS OIG all have the 340B program high on their list of priori- ties and they are committed to ensuring a more consistent imple- mentation of the program and to strengthening its integrity. Through audits and publication of clarifying guidance, they are working with covered entities to achieve those goals. Covered entities should be proactive in assessing the compliance of their 340B programs and taking steps to document compliance and/or perform corrective efforts to become compliant. Steps may in- clude performing internal assessments of policies and procedures or partnering with external agents to assist with these assessments, performing audits of the program components, obtaining independ- ent audits of contract pharmacy arrangements, and developing a routine process of monitoring new HRSA program updates and their impacts, including the new “mega-reg”. By taking these steps, covered entities can begin to move the gauge from “confusion” to “compliance”.

Click here for additional information and links for The BDO Center for Healthcare Excellence & Innovation

BDO is a proud sponsor of the VA/DC Chapter! 6 CHAPTER MEMBER PROFILE AP An Interview with Albert Payne In my current role at Sentara as Director, Patient Accounting I am primarily responsible for directing the Customer Service, Pre- Collections, and Collections areas. As a member of the revenue Al Payne, CPAM, CPAT Is Director, Patient Accounting at cycle management team I participant in routine meetings on all mat- Sentara Healthcare in Tidewater Virginia ters impacting revenue cycle operations. I am also responsible for by Patrick Miller; Chapter Publications Chair the administration of the system’s financial assistance policy.

VA/DC HFMA VA/DC HFMA Tell us a little about your path to Healthcare Finance? Can you give us an example of a particular initiative that you and the team have worked on? AP Upon graduating from the University of Virginia AP with a degree in accounting I went to work for a Over the past year in my area we’ve successfully pharmaceutical research company in Char- completed a number of major department pro- lottesville, Virginia. I had interned with this or- th jects and provided assistance in support of numer- ganization while I was in my 4 year at UVA. ous system initiatives. One of the more significant Early on I got to wear several hats and was intro- accomplishments for our team in 2013 included duced to many aspects of accounting, finance, the implementation of a new collections applica- project management, HR, and IT. The company tion. expanded into Europe and I had the opportunity to assist in the setup of that operation while Unlike most hospital systems today that out- working some in Germany. A short number of source bad debt accounts to a third-party collec- years into my employment the company acquired Al Payne tion agency we handle the primary collection of a Site Management Organization (SMO) in Kansas Director of our own bad debt. In Collections (and Pre- and I was promoted to Controller of that opera- Collections) your most critical tool is the collec- tion. At this SMO we conducted small outpatient Patient Accounting at tion application so it was imperative that we get clinical studies, but we also had inpatient beds Sentara Healthcare this implementation right. As with most large used for overnight and long-term early phase scale system implementation projects there were clinical drug trials. We also had our own Institu- issues that had to be addressed during setup, test- tional Review Board (IRB) that was responsible for ing, training, and after go-live, but my team did an incredible job of ensuring the safety of study participants. staying focused on priorities while not losing site of the details.

As this company grew so did my responsibilities. I was moved with the parent company back to Virginia, but at this time the headquar- We were able to successfully convert hundreds of thousands of rec- ters was located in Tysons Corner so that the executive team could ords to the new application and collections were able to continue on be in close proximity to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. I existing accounts while new placements were able to load and pro- worked as the Finance Manager assisting the CFO on our S-1 filing cess as expected. The most important part of this implementation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company may be that we were able to minimize any financial impact to the eventually dropped its application to become publicly traded due to organization during the transition and the changeover between appli- the market conditions at that time for Initial Public Offerings (IPO), but the knowledge I gained through that entire application process cations was seamless to our patients from a customer service per- was amazing. After I left the company and the timing was right they spective. ended up having a very successful IPO.

VA/DC HFMA I really enjoyed my time in finance and the exposure that I had to You have been a member in the VA/DC Chapter for many years – healthcare from a pharmaceutical research and clinical trials perspec- please tell us some about your experiences, what you like and how tive so when I was presented with the opportunity to work at Mar- you have benefited from your involvement with HFMA? tha Jefferson Hospital in finance it was an easy transition and one where I was able to apply much of what I had learned from my previ- AP ous work experiences. In my earliest years at Martha Jefferson I I’ve been an active member of HFMA for more than 13 years and administered the hospital’s decision support application and gathered during this time I’ve been very pleased with the association at all data in support of regulatory filings including the completion of its levels. Anyone in healthcare finance owes it to themselves and their Medicare cost report. After some time as the Supervisor of busi- organization to join HFMA and to participate in all that it offers ness operations I was promoted into the Revenue Cycle Manager members. I’ve had the opportunity to moderate and participate on a role which I held before transferring within Sentara into my current couple PFS panel discussions and each time I’ve learned something role as Director, Patient Accounting. that I could not wait to bring back to the office and implement. The learning opportunities with HFMA are many and the monthly HFM

magazine is a must read. VA/DC HFMA Tells us a little about your role at Sentara? Continued Next Page 7 Al Payne - Member Profile Continued

One year while attending ANI in Seattle, Washington I remember North Carolina. looking through the list of attendees and I was astonished by the number of Virginia-DC chapter members attending. It was great to VA/DC HFMA see that much support from the local chapter at ANI. Even better Using your crystal ball - how do you see Healthcare finance in 5 or was that many of the topics covered at ANI had already been pre- even 10 years? sented to Virginia-DC chapter members at local education confer- ences. AP In the not so distant future I can see Finance playing an even bigger VA/DC HFMA role in healthcare. As a result of the PPACA the political leg of our What are the unique challenges that Sentara Health System has faced four legged healthcare stool has created this off-balance situation. in recent years?

AP The four legs of my healthcare stool are Patients, Providers, Payers, Sentara Healthcare is unique- and Policy Makers, I like to refer ly positioned as a one of the to them as the 4 P's in most progressive and inte- healthcare. When the legs are all grated health care organiza- of the same length we have a tions in the nation. While balanced healthcare system, but this level of integration has when one leg is off it places un- its own set of complexities, due stress on the other legs. we still face many of the The challenge for Healthcare same challenges as other finance leaders over the next 5 Virginia hospitals. Today in or 10 years is to put their organi- Virginia we have hundreds of zation in a position that it can thousands of uninsured that quickly respond to unbalanced could benefit from the ex- situations and keep the stool pansion of Medicaid. Until upright. some sort of health care coverage is made available to this population we’ll continue to see an increase in the cost of delivering them comprehensive clin- VA/DC HFMA ical services. At the same time most of these Virginia residents Tells us some about your activities away from the office – what do don’t have access to good preventative care programs and they find you do for fun? themselves seeking care in hospital emergency rooms, some choos- ing to only seek care when a condition has become serious or life threatening. AP I realize that this challenge is not unique to Sentara Healthcare or I’m a rock star, or at least I pretend to be one. In my spare time I the communities it serves, however it is important that hospitals do enjoy playing on my drum set. I played percussion in high school and everything they can to reach out to these patients letting them know just recently picked up the sticks again. When I’m not banging on about hospital sponsored preventive screening programs and also the drums I enjoy attending monthly member meetings at the local about the hospital's financial assistance programs. While the com- Fraternal Order of Police Associates (FOPA) lodge. I’ve always been munication of a hospital's FAP may be a fundamental part of the pro- interested in police work and I was an Advisor with the Char- posed 501(r) regulation impacting not-for-profit providers, it is at the very heart of Sentara Healthcare’s mission to improve health lottesville Police Explorers while attending UVA. I moved to Hamp- every day. This fact coupled with our outreach programs in commu- ton Roads last year so many of my weekends are spent with the nity centers, churches, and other easily assessable locations has real- family exploring the area. We’re excited to now be living so close ly aided us in educating the uninsured while also helping them to to the beach. This summer we have lots of plans that are by, in, or better manage their healthcare needs. around the water. Virginia Beach VA/DC HFMA What is the biggest or best kept secret about Sentara Health Sys- tem?

AP That is an excellent question. Sentara Healthcare is already national- ly recognized as a leading health care organization and an employer of choice in the Hampton Roads area, but many Virginia residents may not realize how far we've expanded geographically and all the communities we now have the pleasure of serving. I encourage eve- ryone to check out our website (www.sentara.com) to see a com- prehensive listing of our locations through-out Virginia and now in 8 Certification via the HFMA is Great For Your Career! (a re-print article in Honor of Randy Bledsoe, by Randall G. Bledsoe, FHFMA, FACHE, CPAM, MBA ) When I am reviewing resumes for open positions, I tend to pay closer attention to those who have some technical designation Ok, let’s just get this out of the way up front. There are a or certification. This shows me that that individual was willing to put lot of letters behind my name – or as an old friend once stated – it in the hours and to take responsibility for their own career. It looks like Scrabble! The point is – while it looks a bit like gibberish, shows me a level of dedication and while this does not mean they there is a significant message that these designations convey to your will automatically be selected for the position – it does give them a peers and colleagues in the industry – that you are committed to head start. excellence and will bring knowledge, talent and dedication to an organization. In closing: After joining VA/DC Chapter of HFMA in 1997; learning as much as I could about my chosen industry and over the intervening GET INVOLVED IN THE CHAPTER! years, has been an extremely rewarding experience for me. Oppor- BECOME CERTIFIED! tunities abound for us in HFMA. I’ve had the privilege of serving various committees, acted as webmaster and served 2 terms as Get the most out of your membership and be all that you can be Chair of the Certification Committee. Having met some wonderful (OK – I took that last bit from someone else) – but you get the people, many of whom I consider close friends, I look back and picture. Reach out to other members who are certified; reach out know that I could never repay HFMA for all it has afforded me. Each to your peers who are not and study together. We are here to meeting and conference brings me closer to the industry which I help! have called home for the past 30 years. But nothing in my time as an HFMA member has brought me as much satisfaction and personal In honor of Randy’s service to our chapter and his reward as becoming certified. commitment to personal and professional

If you have attended a conference or read an article in any excellence; the VADC Chapter of HFMA of our journals, you have undoubtedly seen the initials, CHPF or recently announced the establishment of FHFMA behind someone’s name. Many of you understand these The Randall Bledsoe Memorial Scholarship designations, as you possess them yourselves. Others are wonder- for Certification. ing, “What do they mean? And why are they important? Well I am here to tell you that they are very important and to stress to you the implications for your career and your future. Please see the next page for details on the scholar- Someone asked me long ago; if you could do the greatest ship and links to our application form and process. job and make the biggest impact, but if no one knew about it – what have you accomplished? Kind of like the adage about the tree falling in the forest – if it falls and no one is there to hear it – does it make a sound? Please don’t misunderstand me – knowledge is power. But proving to the rest of the industry, your co-workers and your peers that you have attained a mastery of the skills needed to be success- ful in the healthcare industry is priceless.

Certification is one avenue to prove – to yourself – and to others that you possess the requisite knowledge and that you have committed yourself to a path of success. It is a testament to your dedication and desire to succeed. Certification with HFMA has changed over the years and has become a more comprehensive view of the healthcare finance segment. No longer do we study individual tracts of Patient Accounting, Collections, Patient Access and Managed Care. Now these have been combined into Revenue Randy Bledsoe Cycle. Finance functions and specified areas have been combined as FHFMA, FACHE, CPAM, MBA well. The idea being to test a broad range of expertise and to test May 12, 1960 - August 26, 2013 your knowledge of how the big picture is formed.

While this might make sense and sound good to you – get- ting there is not always easy. That is why over the years the Certifi- cation Committee has increased its visibility and has been offering multiple avenues for study and help. There are webinars, mentoring, coaching sessions at each of the two major conferences during the year and multiple chapter collaborations. Every person has their own way of studying and for preparing for exams – the VA Chapter has tried to make sure that there are multiple avenues of study and Continued Next Page that everyone is welcome.

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Randall Bledsoe Memorial Scholarship for Certification member’s desire to pursue professional certification as a Awarded by the Virginia-Washington DC Chapter, HFMA Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) by the Healthcare Financial Management Association.” Have you wanted to pursue HFMA certification but been hesitant be- cause of the expense? The Virginia / DC Chapter of HFMA has a way to The scholarship is awarded on a reimbursement basis remove that concern, so you can pursue certification and enhance your to cover the cost of the on line study guide or the downloadable ver- professional profile. This past March at our Spring Conference I an- sion, the fees for taking the exam and applying for CHFP status, and the nounced the launch of the Randall Bledsoe Scholarship for Certification! registration fee to one statewide conference of his or her choice within It is a simple application process that will pay your way to the certifica- 12 months of passing the exam. The conference registration will help the tion you want. member get a head start on his or her required continuing education credits to retain his or her status. Some of you may not be aware of Randall (Randy) Bledsoe, so let me introduce him to you. First, allow me to give you a little personal Here are the criteria to be eligible for the scholarship: history that led to my friendship with Randy.  Virginia-Washington DC Chapter HFMA member in good standing with a minimum of two membership years I was brought into serving on chapter committees by Gary  Full time employee of a provider Bowman in 2004 when he was chairperson of the Membership Commit-  Is currently employed at the director level or below tee. He told me that I would gain as much or more from volunteering as  Has shown their interest in professional development through at- the chapter would from my service, and he was right. I encourage every- tendance at chapter events and/or involvement in chapter activities one who can to serve on a committee. I worked on that committee for on a committee several years, then moved to the Certification Committee when Steve  Has committed to sit for the examination within the succeeding Quiriconi was chairman. In 2009 I received an email from Randy stating chapter year following the scholarship award that he was taking over as chairman as Steve took on an officer role. He asked if I would stay on the committee and I did. The following year So you are interested in taking the exam and applying for the Randy asked if I would serve as co-chair of the committee and I accept- scholarship, but want to know how to apply? Here are the steps you will ed. have to complete to be considered:

To describe my time with Randy as interesting is an under-  Complete the scholarship application which will be available on the statement. I have met few people in my career who could match Randy’s chapter website passion and enthusiasm for learning and professional certification. During  Provide a short essay (500-750 words) that describes your profes- Randy’s time as chairman we enhanced the available coaching opportuni- sional goals ties, added a track to the two statewide conferences, and became in-  Submit a current copy of your resume’ volved in a multi-state coaching course that was made available on line  Provide a recommendation from a current HFMA Fellow or CHFP for members to download. HFMA National added an additional chal- lenge when they changed the exam structure, but Randy’s involvement The members of the Certification Committee will review the and energy stayed constant. I personally gained a lot of good experience, applications and send their recommendation for approval to the chapter as well as valuable contacts, by working closely with Randy as his co- Board of Directors. The criteria used to judge the applicants are: chair. In fact, when Randy was unable to attend the HFMA LTC in April  Commitment to the industry as described in the essay of 2012 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida he called and “persuaded” me to  Commitment to HFMA as demonstrated through chapter involve- take his place so I could gain the experience. ment  Work history I took over as the chairman in June 2013 when Randy’s tenure on the Board ended. Even then he offered to work with me as needed The scholarship winner as approved by the VA/DC Chapter to stay successful, but wanted to be sure my work was recognized. Board of Directors will be announced at the Annual VA/DC Chapter Randy ended that conversation as he did every one by saying, “If you Spring Educational Conference. That person must take the examination need any help please don’t hesitate to give me a call.” To say that Shawn within the next chapter year that begins on June 1. Nelson, the current co-chair, and I have big shoes to fill does not begin to describe our job. Look for additional information on the chapter website, or at the up- coming fall conference in Virginia Beach in September. You can also feel Randy passed away in August 2013 very suddenly and unex- free to contact me at [email protected], or Shawn Nelson pectedly. We all lost a great friend and mentor and we still miss him. at [email protected] . Randy was slated to receive the Medal of Honor for his service at the fall conference last year, and his family was on hand to receive it on his The VA/DC Chapter of HFMA currently offers three different scholar- behalf. At the spring conference this year when the Randall Bledsoe Me- ships: morial Scholarship for Certification was announced, Randy’s parents and one of his sons were in attendance at the luncheon. It was a moving time 1. The Jay Ellis Scholarship for them and everyone who knew Randy. 2. The Robert Thomas Scholarship 3. The Randall Bledsoe Memorial Scholarship for Certification So what is the Randall Bledsoe Scholarship, what does it cover, and how do I go about applying for it? Here is the Mission Statement of In formation for all three scholarships, the scholarship: the nominations processes and applications can be found on the: “Mission Statement – The mission of the Ran- dall Bledsoe Memorial Scholarship for Certification is to promote professional excellence in those members who Scholarships Page of the VA/DC HFMA Website wish to demonstrate their commitment to further their professional development. This is demonstrated by the

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Virginia-Washington DC HFMA 2013 - 2014 Corporate Sponsors

Avectus Healthcare

DECO, LLC Bank of America Deloitte & Touche BDO FirstSource/MedAssist PNC Healthcare Grant Thornton LLP

McGuire Woods, LLP

Advanced Patient Advocacy Med A/Rx CBIZ Merkle Response Management Group Ernst & Young NAVEOS FirstPoint Collection Resources, Inc. ParrishShaw Hancock, Daniel, Johnson & Nagle, PC. Professional Recovery Consultants LifeCredit RSI Enterprises, Inc. McBee Associates, Inc. The Focused Group, Inc. The SSI Group The ROI Companies Wells Fargo

Bon Secours Cirius Group, Inc. Carilion Cohen Rutherford - Knight, PC Chesapeake Regional Medical Center

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