MedAxiom HeartTalk: Recent Episodes
MedAxiom HeartTalk
Cardiovascular leaders discuss today’s most innovative ideas and pressing challenges, with the goal to transform cardiovascular care for all. Top cardiologists, hospital administrators, industry experts and consultants talk patient care, physician culture, financial management, new technology, legislation and more.
Host: Melanie Lawson. Executive Producer: Candice Reineke. Editor/Producer: Laura Bragg.
In this episode of MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS speaks with Byron Lee, MD, professor of medicine and cardiology at Stanford, about the growing importance of remote cardiac monitoring in patient care. Dr. Lee shares how extended 30-day monitoring helps improves arrhythmia detection and guides long-term treatment. He also discusses how real-time data transmission and streamlined reporting allow care teams to identify and address serious cardiac events more quickly and confidently.
In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, is joined by Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom; Nathan Myers, president and CEO at AccuCode AI; and Joe Sasson, PhD, chief commercial officer and executive vice president of Ventures at MedAxiom. They discuss AccuCode CV, a new artificial intelligence (AI)-augmented cardiovascular coding engine launched through a strategic partnership between MedAxiom and AccuCode AI. The conversation explores the challenges of cardiovascular coding, the importance of keeping humans in the loop, and how this solution supports coders rather than replacing them.
In this “Meet the Experts” HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, talks with MedAxiom’s Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation Services, along with Jammie Quimby, CPC, CCC, CEMC, CCS-P, CPMA, CRC, CDEO, CPCO, director of coding, Revenue Cycle Solutions, and Joline Bruder, CPC, CPMA, CCVTC, CGSC, CCC, manager of surgery coding, Revenue Cycle Solutions. Nicole reflects on how a member-driven need grew into one of MedAxiom’s most active communities and why AI may reshape revenue-cycle teams. Jammie and Joline share what they see on the front lines, from documentation gaps to coding changes that can leave revenue behind. It’s a conversation about the work most people never see – but every cardiovascular organization needs.
On this episode of MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS sits down with April Mann, MBA, CNMT, NCT, RT(N), MASNC, FSNMMI-TS, stakeholder engagement lead at GE HealthCare. Together, they discuss a collaborative two-part webinar series establishing shared cardiac PET services. Learn about operational, technical, and business case considerations for building a sustainable program. Expert insights will guide administrators and leadership through governance, accountability, and overcoming common challenges in shared service models.
Cardiovascular ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are no longer a future concept — they are quickly becoming a critical part of care delivery. In this episode of MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC, president and CEO of MedAxiom, and Aric Burke, founder and CEO of Atlas Healthcare Partners, about the momentum behind cardiovascular ASCs and the role MedAtlas CV is playing in advancing this transformation. Together, they explore how the right clinical expertise, operational model and physician alignment can help health systems deliver high-quality, efficient and lower-cost cardiovascular care in the outpatient setting.
In this “Meet the Experts” HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with MedAxiom’s Lori Walsh, MHSA, executive vice president of Member Services and Operations, and Karen Wilson, MHA, vice president of Member Services. Lori shares why the relationships she built as a member still matter and how MedAxiom was founded on the idea that if you can’t learn from your peers, where else can you learn? Karen discusses the “aha” moments that come from helping members better understand their data. Sometimes the best resource is someone who’s been there before.
In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with Jasen Gundersen, MD, CEO and Christie Yoder, COO at CardioOne. Together, they explore practical strategies for immediate growth in cardiology practices, emphasizing small, achievable changes over long-term planning.
In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with Maureen Knechtel, DMSc, PA-C, academic coordinator and associate professor of physician assistant studies at Milligan University, and Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC, president and CEO of MedAxiom. They challenge the idea that onboarding begins and ends with orientation, revealing a gap many organizations don’t recognize until it’s too late. Their conversation explores what it takes to develop APPs with intention and set them up for long-term success.
In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, talks with Ali Rahimi, MD, MPH, CEO of ALYKA Health, about a revolutionary digital platform enhancing patient access and outcomes. Together, they discuss how this personalized solution bridges care gaps, improves engagement, and creates a scalable, affordable system for better patient health.
In this "Meet the Experts" HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS speaks with Nicole Dellise, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, NEA-BC, CHFN, CCK, FACC, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. With an extensive background in advanced heart failure and structural heart care, Nicole shares insights on her leadership style, passion for patient access and where she believes cardiovascular programs can make the biggest impact right now. Discover what motivates Nicole as a leader and what energizes her beyond the workplace.
In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS sits down with Craig Strauss, MD, MPH, vice president of Quality, Innovation and Advanced Analytics at Minneapolis Heart Institute. They explore the innovative "C5 program," developed for comprehensive cardiovascular care, that offers 24/7 physician support, significantly improves patient triage and hospital access, and reduces ER wait times.
Cardiology is shifting from inpatient to outpatient care. In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, talks with Amy Brownell, MSN, FNP-C, FACC, cardiovascular service line director at Ascension Illinois Market about strategies for expanding ASCs and office-based labs while maintaining clinical quality. They also discuss operational and financial considerations that help health systems thrive in this changing landscape.
Cardiovascular programs often evolve over time — but without intentional structure, silos can form, creating operational and strategic challenges. In this episode, Joel Sauer, MBA, executive vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, is joined by Kootenai Health’s Kevin Kavanaugh, MD, cardiologist, and Rhonda Powell, MBA, CNMT, executive director of the cardiovascular division. They discuss their journey to formalize dyad leadership and unify inpatient and outpatient cardiovascular operations. They share how MedAxiom supported this transformation through a comprehensive assessment and strategic guidance to build a cardiovascular institute structure tailored to their organization.
Explore the strategic partnership between MedAxiom and Heartflow, as Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of Care Transformation Services and Revenue Cycle Solutions at MedAxiom, sits down with Cara Santillo, senior vice president of Market Access and Reimbursement at Heartflow. Together, they detail how MedAxiom amplifies HeartFlow's message across the cardiology community. Discover how MedAxiom leverages its extensive reach and analytics to connect HeartFlow's innovative FFR-CT and AI plaque analysis solutions with administrators, clinicians, and operational staff, driving adoption and understanding.
A major change in outpatient cardiac care is underway. In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with David Kenigsberg, MD, FACC, FHRS, a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist based in Northern Broward County, Florida. Together, they unpack the shift toward performing ablation procedures in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) — why it’s happening, how it improves patient access and cost-effectiveness.
In this “Meet the Experts” HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with Katie Willerick, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, to explore what it really takes to move from dashboards to better patient care. Katie shares why “trust in the data” is essential to driving change and how building that trust across teams makes analytics fully actionable. She pulls back the curtain on how Lean Six Sigma thinking and clear definitions help teams work smarter and stay aligned.
Guest Bio:
Katie Willerick
Vice President, Care Transformation Services, MedAxiom
As Vice President of Care Transformation Services, Katie Willerick provides strategic leadership for MedAxiom’s care transformation analytics and consulting initiatives, helping cardiovascular organizations translate data into sustained operational and clinical improvement. She partners closely with MedAxiom members, partners and internal teams to advance system-wide performance across the continuum of cardiovascular care.
Katie leads efforts to align data, process improvement and operational strategy, directing awareness and adoption of MedAxiom resources such as MedAxcess, Medicare claims data, population prevalence and incidence insights, and member-reported benchmarking. Her work supports informed decision-making related to access, capacity, workforce optimization and financial sustainability.
With deep expertise in Lean Six Sigma methodology and healthcare operations, Katie provides guidance in areas including cath and EP lab utilization and staffing optimization, ambulatory surgery center pro formas and ramp-up strategy, device clinic operations, and broader cardiovascular service line performance. She is known for helping organizations move from insight to execution by designing scalable, data-driven improvement models.
Katie began her healthcare career in 2005 in the hospital setting at a Baldrige Award-winning organization in the Midwest. She spent three years in the safety department, where she conducted failure modes and effects analyses (FMEAs), supported regulatory compliance initiatives, and implemented a system-wide hand hygiene observation program. She later transitioned to the process management department, facilitating enterprise-wide Kaizen events, developing productivity and performance metrics, and establishing benchmarking frameworks to support continuous improvement. During this time, she earned her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt through Motorola University.
Katie holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology and a Master of Arts in industrial/organizational psychology from Western Michigan University.
Cardiology and emergency medicine teams are coming together to transform cardiovascular care. In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, is joined by David Wohns, MD, FACC, FACP, FSCAI, division chief of cardiology at Corewell Health, and Meredith Busman, MD, emergency physician at Corewell Health, to discuss how shared pathways, trust, and streamlined communication are improving patient outcomes and hospital efficiency. They share real-world examples of protocol-driven care that enable faster decision-making and support smoother patient flow.
In this “Meet the Experts” HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, talks with Joel Sauer, MBA, executive vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, about building trust, aligning physicians and hospitals, and moving beyond purely transactional relationships. Joel reflects on what keeps him motivated—“I wanna be part of something bigger. And what’s bigger than patient care?” He also teases a project he’s deeply invested in—one that could reshape how programs think about quality and accountability.
Guest Bio:
Joel Sauer, MBA
Executive Vice President, Care Transformation Services, MedAxiom
Since 2010, Joel Sauer has been providing consultative services around the country to accelerate the value transition in cardiovascular care. A significant area of concentration has been creating contemporary and effective physician/hospital partnership structures, utilizing employment and other contractual arrangements (such as professional services agreements) and joint ventures. His work includes full service line advancement, including governance and leadership development, and the creation of targeted co-management programs. Joel is an expert in vision and strategy setting, cultural and operational integration, and physician compensation plan design that promotes the vision and objectives of the organization.
Prior to consulting, Joel spent 14 years in executive roles, including as CEO of a large health system medical group enterprise, a practice CEO and as an operating executive. This affords him perspectives and insights from multiple critical provider perspectives.
A recognized national resource in cardiovascular physician compensation, Joel is the author of the annual MedAxiom Provider Compensation & Production Survey and has expertise in provider workforce planning and development. Along with the entire MedAxiom Care Transformation Services team, he is a resource in new federal payment models such as the Quality Payment Program, Value-Based Plans and other at-risk payment-based arrangements. Joel is often published in health care magazines, blogs and trade journals and is a regular speaker at national health care meetings.
What does it really take to build a successful ECMO program? In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with John Mehall, MD, president of Integration Health and senior vice president of Heart & Vascular Partners, about the expanding role of ECMO in cardiac care. Dr. Mehall discusses rising utilization, improved survival outcomes, economic benefits for hospitals, and the critical importance of physician leadership, training, and institutional support to sustain effective ECMO programs.
Population health strategies and technology are reshaping cardiovascular care. In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS sits down with Chanel Swartz, MBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, vice president of value-based care operations at US Heart and Vascular. They explore how remote patient monitoring is enabling care teams to scale, improve outcomes, and manage large patient populations, all while reducing clinician burden.
In this “Meet the Experts” HeartTalk episode, host Melanie Lawson, MS, talks with Jenny Kennedy, DNP, RN, CHFN, NEA-BC, FACC, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. She explains the importance of being intentional when setting up remote heart failure programs and lessons from her nursing experience. She shares how her desire to “be a giant”—lift others up rather than seek the spotlight—guides her leadership. Additionally, she reflects on the spirit of Florence Nightingale, offering insights that may shift your view of team-based care and the future of cardiology.
Guest Bio:
Jenny Kennedy
DNP, RN, CHFN, NEA-BC, FACC
Vice President of Care Transformation Services, MedAxiom
As Vice President of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, Jenny advises cardiovascular programs and industry organizations across the country on clinical pathways, guideline implementation, quality improvement, operations, disease-specific certification, remote management, strategic planning and more. She is passionate about developing programs that span the care continuum and serve those with complex health diseases to benefit communities, patients and care providers. She encourages innovation and understands the importance of building relationships with mutual trust to empower high-performing teams that can change the lives of the communities they serve.
Jenny brings nearly 20 years of clinical and leadership experience in the healthcare field, with a focus in cardiology, to her role at MedAxiom. Prior to joining the team, Jenny was the director of heart failure and electrophysiology at Wellstar Health System in the metropolitan Atlanta area. She has vast experience with clinic operations, cardiology and specialty clinics, and coordination of programs that span the care continuum.
Jenny holds a Doctorate of Nursing Practice, a Master of Science in Nursing specializing in healthcare system leadership, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. A lifelong learner, she holds Certified Heart Failure Nurse and Nurse Executive Advanced Certifications. She is also an active member of the Association of Heart Failure Nurses.
In this episode of MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with Clay Marsh, MD, chancellor and executive dean for Health Sciences at West Virginia University, to explore his unique perspective on redefining health. Dr. Marsh discusses the powerful role of biological age, mindset, purpose, and community in shaping long-term cardiovascular wellness. He shares compelling data linking stress, connection, and perception to chronic disease risk—and offers transformative insights for clinicians and patients alike.
Guest Biography:
Dr. Clay Marsh is a nationally renowned leader in academic medicine, personalized health care and pulmonary and critical care. He has dedicated his career to helping individuals achieve better health and building innovative ecosystems that make it easier for people to thrive.
As chancellor and executive dean of WVU’s Health Sciences Center, Dr. Marsh leads five health professions schools—dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health—along with statewide allied health programs and clinical operations. He also serves as West Virginia University’s lead representative and spokesperson in health, health education and academic medicine at the national and international levels.
On this “Meet the Experts” HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with MedAxiom President and CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC, for a candid conversation about leadership, teamwork, and service – drawing lessons from both medicine and his early days in sports. He shares how trust and humility guide his approach and why he sees change as something to run toward, not from. Plus, he shares a few personal insights (and laughs) that reveal what keeps him grounded through it all.
Guest Bio:
Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC
President and CEO, MedAxiom
As the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MedAxiom, Jerry guides the course of the organization with a passion for physician leadership, teaching and care transformation – particularly team-based care and organizational performance improvement. He maintains a clinical practice with special interests in advanced imaging, including cardiovascular MRI, CCTA and cardiac PET.
He has more than 30 years of experience in cardiovascular medicine, including academic cardiology, private practice and large integrated cardiovascular group leadership. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and chief clinical officer of the Ballad Health System. Blackwell has been involved with both MedAxiom and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for many years. He has served on the ACC's Board of Governors, the Board of Directors for the Cardiology Advocacy Alliance, and the ACC's Health Affairs Committee.
Blackwell graduated from Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and completed residency/chief residency/fellowship at the Ohio State University and the University of Alabama - Birmingham. He earned his executive MBA from the University of Tennessee.
Watch the episode here:
https://youtu.be/DzbM7n75aVs
In this episode of HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson is joined by MedAxiom's Joel Sauer, MBA, executive vice president of Consulting, and Karen Wilson, MHA, vice president of Member Services, to explore the complexity of subspecialty performance metrics in cardiovascular care. The conversation focuses on how MedAxiom’s MedAxcess data tool helps identify meaningful differences in cardiology subspecialties—revealing that “one size fits all” approaches often fall short. They emphasize the importance of deeper data participation and interpretation to build more accurate, fair, and actionable insights for organizations.
Often referred to as the “sandwich generation,” today’s clinical leaders face a diverse set of challenges in navigating generational dynamics. In this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS addresses common leadership hurdles with Ana Mercurio-Pinto, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, and Nicole Lohr, MD, PhD, FACC, FAHA, division director at University of Alabama at Birmingham. They highlight practical solutions for reducing burnout and effective ways to recruit and retain the next generation of cardiovascular providers.
In this episode of HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, is joined by Paula Furcron, director of specialty services at NextGen Healthcare, for a discussion on the growing role of AI in cardiovascular care. Together, they explore how artificial intelligence is enhancing patient engagement, streamlining workflows and improving both provider satisfaction and clinical outcomes. From self-scheduling to personalized charting, Paula shares real-world examples of AI making a meaningful impact, without losing the human touch.
In this "Meet the Experts" HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with Ana Mercurio-Pinto, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. With a rich background in academic medicine, cardiovascular service line operations, and research management, Ana shares how her work is reshaping the future of care delivery. From optimizing physician performance and budgets to integrating complex hospital-physician systems, Ana brings a forward-thinking approach to transforming cardiovascular organizations. She also shares pivotal moments in her personal life that have fueled her commitment to innovation and collaboration.
Guest Bio:
Ana A. Mercurio-Pinto
Vice President, Care Transformation Services
As Vice President of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, Ana applies her wide range of experience in budgeting, forecasting, physician/practice profit and loss reports, clinical and federal/non-federal research operations, new program development, service-line integration, and dyad and other matrixed leadership structures to help cardiovascular organizations transform care. Energized by the possibilities, Ana has a keen interest in helping members better integrate hospital/physician organization, ease faculty transitions, optimize staffing, improve administrative and research operations, and launch startup ventures.
She has extensive professional experience running large, multi-specialized cardiovascular medicine divisions and has had the privilege of working and partnering with some of the industry’s thought leaders, including master clinicians, practice-changing clinical trial investigators, and groundbreaking research scientists. She is dedicated to developing nimble and adaptive organizations that combine the best of traditional practice with the spirit of continuous modernization in the face of evolving and changing times.
Ana has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University Questrom School of Management and a master’s in management with a concentration in healthcare management. Additionally, Ana has pursued certificates in launching new ventures and research administration.
Remote patient monitoring is reshaping chronic care management. On this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with Patricia Dickson, director of operations at Capital Cardiology Associates; Jude Hebert, vice president of Clinical Programs at Cardiovascular Logistics; and Samson Magid, CEO and co-founder of HealthSnap. They dive into virtual care tools that help practices stay connected with patients between visits, reduce staffing burdens and drive better outcomes.
Watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/n85VT8P-yQA
What makes the dyad leadership model so effective in cardiovascular care? On this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, is joined by Joel Sauer, MBA, executive vice president of Consulting at MedAxiom and Jeff Carstens, MD, MBA, FACC, medical director of the Cardiovascular Service Line at UnityPoint Health. They explore how the dyad leadership model influences the design of physician compensation plans and strengthens cardiovascular programs by aligning clinical and administrative expertise.
Watch the episode here: https://hubs.li/Q03yVmLv0
In this "Meet the Experts" HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS is joined by Jaime Warren Ed.D., MBA, BHS, CNMT, NCT, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. With over two decades of clinical and executive experience, particularly in imaging services and hospital operations, Jaime shares insights into optimizing cardiovascular imaging spaces to improve workflows and team performance. Learn what motivates Jaime as a leader and what inspires her beyond the workplace.
Watch the episode here: https://hubs.li/Q03yVcgK0
As cardiac rehab evolves, innovative care models are key to better outcomes and financial sustainability. In this special episode of HeartTalk, vice presidents of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, Denise Busman, MSN, RN, CPHQ, FACC, and Jenny Kennedy, DNP, RN, CHFN, NEA-BC, FACC sit down with Sarah Shelton, cardiac rehabilitation manager and Rod Roeser, CEO at Heart and Vascular Care (HVC). They discuss how they successfully implemented Intensive Cardiac Rehab (ICR), including their strategies to overcome space and staffing challenges, boost provider and patient engagement, and scale ICR programs for clinical, operational, and financial success.
Watch the episode here: https://hubs.li/Q03yVhS80
In this "Meet the Experts" HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS speaks with Denise Busman, MSN, RN, CPHQ, FACC, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. With over 30 years of nursing and quality leadership experience, Denise shares her journey into healthcare and what it takes to make clinical transformation truly stick. Get to know Denise’s leadership style—and what fuels her passion both in and outside of healthcare.
Watch the episode here: https://hubs.li/Q03yVgXp0
In this episode of HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with Alex Struck, chief growth officer, and Dan Jensen, chief financial officer at CardioOne, to explore the growing challenges facing independent cardiology practices. They discuss the shifting landscape of hospital employment and share how CardioOne is helping cardiologists reclaim autonomy while maintaining financial and operational sustainability.
Watch the episode here: https://hubs.li/Q03yVh9r0
Lessons from the football field can translate to healthcare leadership. On this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with John Erwin III, MD, MBA, MACC, FACP, FAHA, the chair of medicine at Prisma-Health Upstate, as he explores parallels between successful sports teams and high-functioning healthcare teams. Drawing from his background, they discuss team building, trust, and aligning roles for better patient care.
Watch the video here: https://hubs.li/Q03yVwVs0
Gaps in cardiovascular care have sparked the need for a better solution. On this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, talks with Ben Peterson, MD, MPH, Interventional Cardiologist and Medical Director at Heart and Vascular Research Institute. They discuss the use of an AI tool to support patient identification and treatment needs, and envision a future of more personalized care.
Watch the video here: https://hubs.li/Q03yVyLJ0
In this "Meet the Experts" HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, sits down with Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. Known for her deep expertise in cardiovascular operations, revenue cycle optimization, and LEAN process improvement, Nicole shares highlights from her decades-long journey in healthcare leadership. Beyond the professional achievements, Melanie dives into the personal side of Nicole’s story—exploring the experiences that shaped her career, her passion for transforming care delivery, and what drives her commitment to advancing cardiovascular health.
Watch video here: https://hubs.li/Q03qV6nQ0
Welcome to the seventh episode of our HeartTalk podcast series, Revenue Recovery. Host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA, Revenue Cycle Solutions consultant. They dive into how to appropriately capture Prolonged Care services and offer practical examples for your organization.
Click here for the Revenue Recovery cheat sheet: https://hubs.ly/Q03hvhqw0
Guest Bio:
Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA
MedAxiom Consultant, Revenue Cycle Solutions
Linda Gates-Striby has worked in the medical field for over 30 years and has specialized in cardiology coding and revenue cycle for 25 years. Her clinical experience includes work in the heart stations and coronary intensive care units as well as working as an EMT for a level one trauma center.
As a MedAxiom Revenue Cycle Solutions consultant, Linda provides cardiovascular programs across the country with operational expertise, implementation strategies and simplification for often complex initiatives to minimize risk and maximize revenue. Linda, who has spent the past 30 years working as a specialist in compliance, revenue cycle and quality with a large cardiology and multi-specialty practice, is also the director of quality assurance with Ascension Medical Group in Indiana.
Linda is a sought-after speaker and consultant and has conducted numerous national educational sessions focused on documentation, coding, auditing and revenue cycle improvement for clinicians, coders and administrators across the nation.
Linda serves as a non-physician member of the American College of Cardiology’s coding work group and publications subcommittee and has also served on the coding committee for the Heart Rhythm Society. Linda served as the cardiology chair on the Board of Advanced Medical Coding, lead the development of the Advanced Cardiology and Specialty Cardiology Certification examinations, and was the technical editor for cardiology-focused newsletters. Linda has served as an Independent Review Organization auditor for Office of Inspector General Corporate Integrity Agreements, and as an expert witness on behalf of cardiology practices.
In April 2024, Cathie Biga, MSN, FACC, made history as the first non-physician president of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). On this episode of HeartTalk, Melanie Lawson, MS, talks with Cathie about her 40+ years of experience as a leader in cardiovascular care. She shares personal, inspiring and educational stories about her career and discusses her vision for the future.
Watch the HeartTalk with Cathie ACC President Series here:
https://www.acc.org/accpresident
Cathleen Biga, MSN, FACC
ACC President
Cathleen Biga, MSN, FACC, is President and CEO of Cardiovascular Management of Illinois, a cardiology physician practice management company. She has worked with more than 100 cardiovascular providers in the Chicago area and partners in their cardiovascular service lines at more than 14 acute care hospitals. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the Mayo/College of St. Teresa and Master of Science in Nursing from Northern Illinois University School of Nursing. Biga has more than 40 years of experience as a registered nurse, service line director, hospital vice president and CEO. She has 30 years of experience in physician practice management.
She has been active nationally in consulting, strategic planning, operational efficiencies, integrated financial and quality initiatives, and growth and development of the cardiovascular service lines. She is focused on facilitating the integration of strategic, financial and quality perspectives between cardiovascular service lines at practices and hospitals. In addition, she consults and lectures on numerous contemporary cardiovascular topics.
Biga is a member of ACC's Board of Trustees, a past member of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Board and was the Inaugural Chair of MedAxiom's Board of Managers.
On this episode of MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for cardiovascular care with guests Effie Andrikopoulou, MD, MBA, FACC, FASE, associate professor at the University of Washington and medical director at Harborview Medical Center, and Denise Busman, MSN, RN, CPHQ, FACC, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom. They explore how care teams can integrate AI into everyday practice and consider the current challenges and opportunities to improve patient outcomes.
Guest Bios:
Effie Andrikopoulou, MD, MBA, FACC, FASE
Dr. Andrikopoulou is an associate professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and the medical director of the Echocardiography Lab at Harborview Medical Center. She completed her internal medicine training at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, cardiology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and advanced multimodality cardiovascular imaging training at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Dr. Andrikopoulou also holds an MBA from UAB.
She is an expert in cardiovascular imaging, and her clinical niche is cardio-oncology. Dr. Andrikopoulou is a rising leader in the space of artificial intelligence (AI). She is passionate about developing and implementing AI ("collaborative intelligence") algorithms to optimize clinical workflows and ensure delivery of high-quality, equitable care to all patients and communities irrespective their socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
Her expertise has been recognized with several awards, including the 2016 Rising Stars in Healthcare in Alabama and the 2016 American Heart Association Women in Cardiology Trainee Award for Excellence.
Denise Busman, MSN, RN, CPHQ, FACC
As Vice President of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, Denise brings more than 30 years of experience as a cardiovascular clinician and leader to her role. Her clinical expertise is complemented by a passion for engaging multidisciplinary teams to transform care delivery and enhance clinical quality. Known for her work in program development and change management, Denise is skilled in the implementation of new programs and clinical initiatives.
Denise joined MedAxiom from Corewell Health, formerly known as Spectrum Health – a multi-hospital system in Michigan, where she held a variety of positions including critical care educator and cardiology clinical nurse specialist. Most recently, her focus was directed toward clinical improvement and quality for the cardiovascular service line, where she implemented innovative approaches to care and served as a trusted advisor to cardiovascular physicians and team members.
Denise holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Michigan State University and master’s degree in nursing from Grand Valley State University. She has been active with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for many years as a Michigan Chapter board member, cardiovascular team liaison, ACC Scientific Program Committee member and reviewer of scientific abstracts.
It’s becoming increasingly important to ensure your care team stays up to date with best practices for managing patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) in the device clinic. On this MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with James Allred, MD, FACC, CEO and co-founder of CV Remote Solutions; Austin Reed, vice president of Business Development, Strategy and Innovation, at CV Remote Solutions; and Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation at MedAxiom. They discuss the unique challenges related to highly technical roles and complex workflows in the device clinic. They also offer educational solutions to enhance your care team’s understanding of function, programming and troubleshooting CIEDs.
GUEST BIOS
James Allred, MD, FACC
CEO and Co-Founder, CV Remote Solutions
As Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of CV Remote Solutions, Dr. Allred partners with clinicians nationwide to ensure optimal care for patients with cardiac implanted electrical devices.
Before launching CV Remote Solutions, Dr. Allred previously served as chief of Electrophysiology Services and medical director of the Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Clinic at Cone Health in Greensboro, NC. After establishing the world-class AF Clinic in Greensboro, he consults with individual clinicians, clinics and hospitals on starting or improving their AF clinic efforts and programs. He has also served on advisory boards for the Heart Rhythm Society and the American Heart Association.
Dr. Allred completed an internal medicine residency at Duke University and fellowships in cardiovascular disease and electrophysiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL. In addition to partnering with MedAxiom to create educational material for clinicians, he has authored several published manuscripts on AF clinical efficiencies and healthcare savings.
Austin Reed, MBA
Vice President of Business Development, Strategy, and Innovation, CV Remote Solutions.
In his role, Austin is responsible for sculpting strategic growth initiatives, pioneering innovative solutions, and driving business development efforts to help CV Remote Solutions continue to be at the forefront of the industry. In his previous role as vice president of Operations, he managed multiple business areas, including operations, marketing and human resources. Austin was instrumental in developing brand strategies and initiatives that responded to the needs and projected future of the healthcare industry.
Before his time at CV Remote Solutions, Austin served as a director of Physician Services for HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s top providers. With over 15 years of healthcare industry experience spanning multi-site operations in primary care, cardiology, oncology and pulmonology, his robust understanding of the healthcare landscape is a key pillar of his strategic approach.
Austin obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in health care administration from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Business Administration from Murray State University. His commitment to healthcare extends beyond his role at CV Remote Solutions as he continues to serve on the Nashville Health Care Leadership Council and the Medical Group Management Association, contributing valuable insights and leadership.
Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P
Executive Vice President, Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation Services
As the Executive Vice President of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, Nicole provides guidance to MedAxiom’s membership in cardiovascular operations, LEAN process improvement and the revenue cycle. Nicole applies her decades of healthcare experience in cardiovascular and neurology practice operations, clinical management, business office management and consulting to leading the Revenue Cycle Solutions team at MedAxiom.
Prior to joining MedAxiom, Nicole served as a practice administrator for Baptist Neurology and Northeast Florida Cardiology and director of operations for Jacksonville Heart Center and Louisiana Cardiology Associates. She has extensive expertise in coding, compliance and education for various specialties including cardiology, neurology, radiology, hematology/oncology, orthopedic, ENT, gastroenterology and internal medicine. Nicole has delivered physician and staff coding and compliance education sessions nationally.
Nicole has completed numerous education hours towards a Bachelor of Science in health care administration. In addition, she maintains her licensed practical nurse credential in Florida. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the American Health Information Management Association. She received her Advanced Cardiovascular Coding Certification with the Board of Medical Specialty Coding and completed the AAPC inpatient coding and reimbursement course. Nicole is a certified American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) ICD-10-CM Trainer and completed a LEAN Healthcare training course at Johns Hopkins University. She has also served on the Physician Practice Council for AHIMA.
Areas of Expertise:
• Cardiology and neurology practice operations
• Clinical and business office management
• LEAN process improvement
• Office-based cath lab implementation
• Revenue cycle performance and metrics
• Coding, compliance audits and education in numerous specialties, including cardiovascular
• Documentation and implementation guidelines
• Complex procedure coding education
• Risk adjustment coding
• Cardiovascular service line integration
• Cath and electrophysiology lab optimization, revenue cycle services and facility coding
Click here for the Revenue Recovery cheat sheet: https://hubs.ly/Q02yqht40
Welcome to the next episode of our HeartTalk podcast series, Revenue Recovery. Host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with MedAxiom’s Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation, and Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA, Revenue Cycle Solutions consultant. They discuss the coverage eligibility for Interprofessional Consultation services and share specific examples your practice can use to capture those services, all while improving patient care.
Guest Bios:
Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P
Executive Vice President, Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation Services
As the Executive Vice President of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, Nicole provides guidance to MedAxiom’s membership in cardiovascular operations, LEAN process improvement and the revenue cycle. Nicole applies her decades of healthcare experience in cardiovascular and neurology practice operations, clinical management, business office management and consulting to leading the Revenue Cycle Solutions team at MedAxiom.
Prior to joining MedAxiom, Nicole served as a practice administrator for Baptist Neurology and Northeast Florida Cardiology and director of operations for Jacksonville Heart Center and Louisiana Cardiology Associates. She has extensive expertise in coding, compliance and education for various specialties including cardiology, neurology, radiology, hematology/oncology, orthopedic, ENT, gastroenterology and internal medicine. Nicole has delivered physician and staff coding and compliance education sessions nationally.
Nicole has completed numerous education hours towards a Bachelor of Science in health care administration. In addition, she maintains her licensed practical nurse credential in Florida. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the American Health Information Management Association. She received her Advanced Cardiovascular Coding Certification with the Board of Medical Specialty Coding and completed the AAPC inpatient coding and reimbursement course. Nicole is a certified American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) ICD-10-CM Trainer and completed a LEAN Healthcare training course at Johns Hopkins University. She has also served on the Physician Practice Council for AHIMA.
Areas of Expertise:
• Cardiology and neurology practice operations
Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA
MedAxiom Consultant, Revenue Cycle Solutions
As a Revenue Cycle Solutions Consultant at MedAxiom, Linda provides cardiovascular programs across the country with operational expertise, implementation strategies and recommendations for simplifying often complex initiatives to minimize risk and maximize revenue.
Linda has worked in the medical field for over 30 years and has specialized in cardiology coding for 25 years. Her clinical experience includes working in the heart stations and coronary intensive care units and serving as an emergency medical technician for a level-one trauma center. As a coding specialist, she focuses on compliance, revenue cycle and quality for a large cardiology and multispecialty practice. She is also the director of quality assurance at the Ascension Medical Group in Indiana.
Linda is a sought-after speaker and consultant and has conducted numerous national educational sessions focused on documentation, coding, auditing and revenue cycle improvement for clinicians, coders and administrators across the nation.
Linda serves as a non-physician member of the American College of Cardiology’s coding work group and publications subcommittee and has also served on the coding committee for the Heart Rhythm Society. Linda served as the cardiology chair on the Board of Advanced Medical Coding, led the development of the Advanced Cardiology and Specialty Cardiology Certification examinations, and acts as a technical editor for cardiology-focused newsletters. Linda has served as an independent review organization auditor for the Office of Inspector General Corporate Integrity Agreements and as an expert witness on behalf of cardiology practices.
Click here for the Revenue Recovery cheat sheet:
https://hubs.ly/Q02x7ncv0
Welcome to the next episode of our HeartTalk podcast series, Revenue Recovery. Host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with MedAxiom’s Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation, and Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA, Revenue Cycle Solutions consultant. They discuss specific use cases for CPT code 99211 and give implementation tips to help ensure your practice leaves no dollar on the table.
Guest Bios:
Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P
Executive Vice President, Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation Services
As the Executive Vice President of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, Nicole provides guidance to MedAxiom’s membership in cardiovascular operations, LEAN process improvement and the revenue cycle. Nicole applies her decades of healthcare experience in cardiovascular and neurology practice operations, clinical management, business office management and consulting to leading the Revenue Cycle Solutions team at MedAxiom.
Prior to joining MedAxiom, Nicole served as a practice administrator for Baptist Neurology and Northeast Florida Cardiology and director of operations for Jacksonville Heart Center and Louisiana Cardiology Associates. She has extensive expertise in coding, compliance and education for various specialties including cardiology, neurology, radiology, hematology/oncology, orthopedic, ENT, gastroenterology and internal medicine. Nicole has delivered physician and staff coding and compliance education sessions nationally.
Nicole has completed numerous education hours towards a Bachelor of Science in health care administration. In addition, she maintains her licensed practical nurse credential in Florida. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the American Health Information Management Association. She received her Advanced Cardiovascular Coding Certification with the Board of Medical Specialty Coding and completed the AAPC inpatient coding and reimbursement course. Nicole is a certified American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) ICD-10-CM Trainer and completed a LEAN Healthcare training course at Johns Hopkins University. She has also served on the Physician Practice Council for AHIMA.
Areas of Expertise:
• Cardiology and neurology practice operations
Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA
MedAxiom Consultant, Revenue Cycle Solutions
As a Revenue Cycle Solutions Consultant at MedAxiom, Linda provides cardiovascular programs across the country with operational expertise, implementation strategies and recommendations for simplifying often complex initiatives to minimize risk and maximize revenue.
Linda has worked in the medical field for over 30 years and has specialized in cardiology coding for 25 years. Her clinical experience includes working in the heart stations and coronary intensive care units and serving as an emergency medical technician for a level-one trauma center. As a coding specialist, she focuses on compliance, revenue cycle and quality for a large cardiology and multispecialty practice. She is also the director of quality assurance at the Ascension Medical Group in Indiana.
Linda is a sought-after speaker and consultant and has conducted numerous national educational sessions focused on documentation, coding, auditing and revenue cycle improvement for clinicians, coders and administrators across the nation.
Linda serves as a non-physician member of the American College of Cardiology’s coding work group and publications subcommittee and has also served on the coding committee for the Heart Rhythm Society. Linda served as the cardiology chair on the Board of Advanced Medical Coding, led the development of the Advanced Cardiology and Specialty Cardiology Certification examinations, and acts as a technical editor for cardiology-focused newsletters. Linda has served as an independent review organization auditor for the Office of Inspector General Corporate Integrity Agreements and as an expert witness on behalf of cardiology practices.
Click here for the Revenue Recovery cheat sheet:
https://hubs.ly/Q02531_L0
Welcome to the fourth episode of our HeartTalk podcast series, Revenue Recovery. Host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with MedAxiom’s Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation, and Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA, Revenue Cycle Solutions consultant. Together, they discuss the challenges and benefits of capturing home health certification and recertification services and share some top implementation tips your practice can use.
Guest Bios:
Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P
Executive Vice President, Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation
Nicole’s decades of healthcare experience include cardiovascular and neurology practice operations, clinical management, business office management, and consulting. The most recent years have been devoted to cardiovascular consulting in operations, LEAN process improvement, and the revenue cycle.
Prior to joining MedAxiom, Nicole served as practice administrator for Baptist Neurology and Northeast Florida Cardiology and director of operations for Jacksonville Heart Center and Louisiana Cardiology Associates. She has extensive expertise in coding, compliance, and education for various specialties including cardiology, neurology, radiology, hematology/oncology, orthopedic, ENT, gastroenterology and internal medicine. Nicole has provided physician and staff coding and compliance education sessions nationally.
Nicole has completed numerous education hours toward a B.S. in Health Care Administration. In addition, she maintains her LPN licensure in Louisiana and Florida. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Association. She received her Advanced Cardiovascular Coding Certification with the Board of Medical Specialty Coding and completed the AAPC inpatient coding and reimbursement course. Nicole is a certified AHIMA ICD-10-CM Trainer and completed a LEAN Healthcare training course at Johns Hopkins University. She also serves on the Physician Practice Council for AHIMA.
Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA
MedAxiom Consultant, Revenue Cycle Solutions
Linda Gates-Striby has worked in the medical field for over 30 years and has specialized in cardiology coding and revenue cycle for 25 years. Her clinical experience includes work in the heart stations and coronary intensive care units as well as working as an EMT for a level one trauma center.
As a MedAxiom Revenue Cycle Solutions consultant, Linda provides cardiovascular programs across the country with operational expertise, implementation strategies and simplification for often complex initiatives to minimize risk and maximize revenue. Linda, who has spent the past 30 years working as a specialist in compliance, revenue cycle and quality with a large cardiology and multi-specialty practice, is also the director of quality assurance with Ascension Medical Group in Indiana.
Linda is a sought-after speaker and consultant and has conducted numerous national educational sessions focused on documentation, coding, auditing and revenue cycle improvement for clinicians, coders and administrators across the nation.
Linda serves as a non-physician member of the American College of Cardiology’s coding work group and publications subcommittee and has also served on the coding committee for the Heart Rhythm Society. Linda served as the cardiology chair on the Board of Advanced Medical Coding, lead the development of the Advanced Cardiology and Specialty Cardiology Certification examinations, and was the technical editor for cardiology-focused newsletters. Linda has served as an Independent Review Organization auditor for Office of Inspector General Corporate Integrity Agreements, and as an expert witness on behalf of cardiology practices.
Click here for the Revenue Recovery cheat sheet:
https://hubs.ly/Q023rDk50
Welcome to the third episode of our new HeartTalk podcast series, Revenue Recovery. Host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with MedAxiom’s Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation, and Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA, Revenue Cycle Solutions consultant. They discuss the challenges of capturing Advanced Care Planning services and share some practical tips to take back to your organization.
Guest Bios:
Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P
Executive Vice President, Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation
Nicole’s decades of healthcare experience include cardiovascular and neurology practice operations, clinical management, business office management, and consulting. The most recent years have been devoted to cardiovascular consulting in operations, LEAN process improvement, and the revenue cycle.
Prior to joining MedAxiom, Nicole served as practice administrator for Baptist Neurology and Northeast Florida Cardiology and director of operations for Jacksonville Heart Center and Louisiana Cardiology Associates. She has extensive expertise in coding, compliance, and education for various specialties including cardiology, neurology, radiology, hematology/oncology, orthopedic, ENT, gastroenterology and internal medicine. Nicole has provided physician and staff coding and compliance education sessions nationally.
Nicole has completed numerous education hours toward a B.S. in Health Care Administration. In addition, she maintains her LPN licensure in Louisiana and Florida. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Association. She received her Advanced Cardiovascular Coding Certification with the Board of Medical Specialty Coding and completed the AAPC inpatient coding and reimbursement course. Nicole is a certified AHIMA ICD-10-CM Trainer and completed a LEAN Healthcare training course at Johns Hopkins University. She also serves on the Physician Practice Council for AHIMA.
Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA
MedAxiom Consultant, Revenue Cycle Solutions
Linda Gates-Striby has worked in the medical field for over 30 years and has specialized in cardiology coding and revenue cycle for 25 years. Her clinical experience includes work in the heart stations and coronary intensive care units as well as working as an EMT for a level one trauma center.
As a MedAxiom Revenue Cycle Solutions consultant, Linda provides cardiovascular programs across the country with operational expertise, implementation strategies and simplification for often complex initiatives to minimize risk and maximize revenue. Linda, who has spent the past 30 years working as a specialist in compliance, revenue cycle and quality with a large cardiology and multi-specialty practice, is also the director of quality assurance with Ascension Medical Group in Indiana.
Linda is a sought-after speaker and consultant and has conducted numerous national educational sessions focused on documentation, coding, auditing and revenue cycle improvement for clinicians, coders and administrators across the nation.
Linda serves as a non-physician member of the American College of Cardiology’s coding work group and publications subcommittee and has also served on the coding committee for the Heart Rhythm Society. Linda served as the cardiology chair on the Board of Advanced Medical Coding, lead the development of the Advanced Cardiology and Specialty Cardiology Certification examinations, and was the technical editor for cardiology-focused newsletters. Linda has served as an Independent Review Organization auditor for Office of Inspector General Corporate Integrity Agreements, and as an expert witness on behalf of cardiology practices.
Four out of five people don’t know they have cardiovascular disease until they end up in the emergency room. MedAxiom HeartTalk host Melanie Lawson speaks with Rahul Sharma, MBBS, FRACP, the director of structural interventions at Stanford Healthcare and the senior scientific advisor for Egnite, about why structural heart patients experience an unreasonable wait time before treatment and how technology can be used to identify and treat patients before it's too late.
Guest Bio:
Rahul P. Sharma, MBBS, FRACP is the Director of Structural Interventions at Stanford Healthcare, Associate Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.
Dr. Sharma graduated from Monash University and completed his medicine and cardiology training at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. He completed an advanced interventional and structural fellowship at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California in 2015 before joining Cedars Sinai as Clinical Faculty, Director of the Structural Imaging Core Laboratory and Associate Director of Interventional Cardiology Research until 2019, before joining Stanford Healthcare.
Dr. Sharma is an Interventional Cardiologist with specialized clinical and research interests in structural heart disease, particularly transcatheter valve therapy. He has a large volume of expertise in transcatheter aortic, mitral and tricuspid replacement, percutaneous mitral valve repair, left atrial appendage occlusion, PFO/ASD/VSD closure, alcohol septal ablation and cerebral protection. He also has expertise in CT imaging for structural heart disease. He is a clinical investigator in ongoing national multi-center research studies and clinical trials and has co-authored numerous peer reviewed, scientific articles and book chapters. Dr Sharma also serves as a national and international clinical proctor for transcatheter aortic and mitral valve implantation and percutaneous mitral valve repair and speaks regularly at major national and international cardiology meetings.
Click here for Revenue Recovery "Cheat Sheet"
Welcome to the second episode of our new HeartTalk podcast series, Revenue Recovery, in which we aim to empower you to communicate effectively and ensure your organization does not leave any money on the table. Host Melanie Lawson, MS, speaks with MedAxiom’s Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of revenue cycle solutions and care transformation, and Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA, revenue cycle solutions consultant. They share tips for capturing counseling services for a low-dose CT scan and why shared decision-making with the patient is essential.
Guest Bios:
Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P
Executive Vice President, Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation
Nicole’s decades of healthcare experience include cardiovascular and neurology practice operations, clinical management, business office management, and consulting. The most recent years have been devoted to cardiovascular consulting in operations, LEAN process improvement, and the revenue cycle.
Prior to joining MedAxiom, Nicole served as Practice Administrator for Baptist Neurology and Northeast Florida Cardiology and Director of Operations for Jacksonville Heart Center and Louisiana Cardiology Associates. She has extensive expertise in coding, compliance, and education for various specialties including cardiology, neurology, radiology, hematology/oncology, orthopedic, ENT, gastroenterology and internal medicine. Nicole has provided physician and staff coding and compliance education sessions nationally.
Nicole has completed numerous education hours toward a B.S. in Health Care Administration. In addition, she maintains her LPN licensure in Louisiana and Florida. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Association. She received her Advanced Cardiovascular Coding Certification with the Board of Medical Specialty Coding and completed the AAPC inpatient coding and reimbursement course. Nicole is a certified AHIMA ICD-10-CM Trainer and completed a LEAN Healthcare training course at Johns Hopkins University. She also serves on the Physician Practice Council for AHIMA.
Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA
MedAxiom Consultant, Revenue Cycle Solutions
Linda Gates-Striby has worked in the medical field for over 30 years and has specialized in cardiology coding and revenue cycle for 25 years. Her clinical experience includes work in the heart stations and coronary intensive care units as well as working as an EMT for a level one trauma center.
As a MedAxiom Revenue Cycle Solutions consultant, Linda provides cardiovascular programs across the country with operational expertise, implementation strategies and simplification for often complex initiatives to minimize risk and maximize revenue. Linda, who has spent the past 30 years working as a specialist in compliance, revenue cycle and quality with a large cardiology and multi-specialty practice, is also the director of quality assurance with Ascension Medical Group in Indiana.
Linda is a sought-after speaker and consultant and has conducted numerous national educational sessions focused on documentation, coding, auditing and revenue cycle improvement for clinicians, coders and administrators across the nation.
Linda serves as a non-physician member of the American College of Cardiology’s coding work group and publications subcommittee and has also served on the coding committee for the Heart Rhythm Society. Linda served as the cardiology chair on the Board of Advanced Medical Coding and lead the development of the Advanced Cardiology and Specialty Cardiology Certification examinations, as well as the technical editor for cardiology focused newsletters. Linda has served as an Independent Review Organization auditor for Office of Inspector General Corporate Integrity Agreements, and as an expert witness on behalf of cardiology practices.
Click Here for Revenue Recovery "Cheat Sheet"
While you may or may not be the person coding revenue cycle services, many of you are responsible for your program’s overall success with revenue recovery and know all too well the challenges that come with it. Welcome to the first episode of our new podcast series, Revenue Recovery, where we aim to empower YOU – physicians, administrators and revenue cycle managers – to effectively communicate and ensure your organization does not leave any money on the table. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson speaks with MedAxiom’s Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, executive vice president of revenue cycle solutions and care transformation, and Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA, revenue cycle solutions consultant. Together, they discuss some challenges, tips and solutions for capturing services involving smoking and tobacco cessation.
Guest Bios:
Nicole F. Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P
Executive Vice President, Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation
Nicole’s decades of healthcare experience include cardiovascular and neurology practice operations, clinical management, business office management, and consulting. The most recent years have been devoted to cardiovascular consulting in operations, LEAN process improvement, and the revenue cycle.
Prior to joining MedAxiom, Nicole served as Practice Administrator for Baptist Neurology and Northeast Florida Cardiology and Director of Operations for Jacksonville Heart Center and Louisiana Cardiology Associates. She has extensive expertise in coding, compliance, and education for various specialties including cardiology, neurology, radiology, hematology/oncology, orthopedic, ENT, gastroenterology and internal medicine. Nicole has provided physician and staff coding and compliance education sessions nationally.
Nicole has completed numerous education hours toward a B.S. in Health Care Administration. In addition, she maintains her LPN licensure in Louisiana and Florida. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Association. She received her Advanced Cardiovascular Coding Certification with the Board of Medical Specialty Coding and completed the AAPC inpatient coding and reimbursement course. Nicole is a certified AHIMA ICD-10-CM Trainer and completed a LEAN Healthcare training course at Johns Hopkins University. She also serves on the Physician Practice Council for AHIMA.
Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA
MedAxiom Consultant, Revenue Cycle Solutions
Linda Gates-Striby has worked in the medical field for over 30 years and has specialized in cardiology coding and revenue cycle for 25 years. Her clinical experience includes work in the heart stations and coronary intensive care units as well as working as an EMT for a level one trauma center.
As a MedAxiom Revenue Cycle Solutions consultant, Linda provides cardiovascular programs across the country with operational expertise, implementation strategies and simplification for often complex initiatives to minimize risk and maximize revenue. Linda, who has spent the past 30 years working as a specialist in compliance, revenue cycle and quality with a large cardiology and multi-specialty practice, is also the director of quality assurance with Ascension Medical Group in Indiana.
Linda is a sought-after speaker and consultant and has conducted numerous national educational sessions focused on documentation, coding, auditing and revenue cycle improvement for clinicians, coders and administrators across the nation.
Linda serves as a non-physician member of the American College of Cardiology’s coding work group and publications subcommittee and has also served on the coding committee for the Heart Rhythm Society. Linda served as the cardiology chair on the Board of Advanced Medical Coding and lead the development of the Advanced Cardiology and Specialty Cardiology Certification examinations, as well as the technical editor for cardiology focused newsletters. Linda has served as an Independent Review Organization auditor for Office of Inspector General Corporate Integrity Agreements, and as an expert witness on behalf of cardiology practices.
As cardiology advances, cardiology fellowship education must evolve with it. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson speaks with Ami Bhatt, MD, FACC, the chief innovation officer of the American College of Cardiology and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Doreen DeFaria Yeh, MD, FACC, adult congenital heart disease cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Ana Mercurio-Pinto, VP of Care Transformation at MedAxiom. Together, they explore how cardiology fellows are the future and discuss opportunities for enhancing education during cardiology fellowship.
Guest Bios:
Ami B. Bhatt, MD, FACC:
Dr. Ami Bhatt is the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) of the American College of Cardiology. As CIO, Bhatt provides leadership and expertise in healthcare innovation and continues to grow the College's comprehensive Innovation Program in support of the ACC's Mission to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health.
A graduate of Harvard College and the Yale School of Medicine, Bhatt completed her medicine and pediatrics residency at Harvard, her adult cardiology fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital and her adult congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension fellowship at the Boston Children's Hospital. She was the Inaugural Richard Liberthson Endowed Scholar in Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Director of the ACHD program for over a decade. She most recently served as the Director of Outpatient and Telecardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Corrigan-Minehan Heart Center. Dr. Bhatt continues as a Harvard College premedical mentor and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.
As an active clinical cardiologist, investigator, and educator Bhatt brings nearly ten years of experience in telemedicine and digital health to her new role. She founded her first program in virtual care in 2013 and continues to work on creating culturally relevant personalized virtual cardiovascular care delivery models. Her research has centered on identifying and implementing solutions to overcoming access barriers to cardiovascular and telemedicine care.
Dr. Bhatt's interest in digital health strategy and the digital transformation of the cardiovascular field stems from her belief that state-of-the-art, personalized care can be delivered to individuals in the community, empowering patients and creating stronger clinician-patient partnerships for sustainable health outcomes. The ACC Innovation Program has a robust platform to transform digital patient care and advance technologies that are reshaping medicine and is focused on furthering these strategies.
Doreen DeFaria Yeh, MD, FACC:
Dr. Doreen DeFaria Yeh completed Internal Medicine Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Cardiology and Echocardiography fellowships at the University of California at San Francisco. She completed advanced training in Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Cardio-Obstetrics at the University of San Francisco California, and currently serves as the Associate Director of the MGH Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program and Co-Director of the MGH Cardiovascular Disease and Pregnancy Program. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Adult Cardiovascular Disease and Adult Echocardiography. The has received Certification from the National Board of Echocardiography for Adult Comprehensive Echocardiography.
Dr. DeFaria was selected as one of the American College of Cardiology 2012 Emerging Faculty and received the Brian McGovern Memorial Award from the Department of Medicine in 2012 and 2016 for Excellence in Clinical Teaching in cardiology. She also received the MGH, Department of Medicine Fellowship as part of the Eleanor and Miles Shore Scholars in Medicine from Harvard Medical School. In 2013 she was awarded the Clinician Teacher Development Award, a four-year grant supported by the Massachusetts General Hospital Physicians Organization and Center for Diversity and Inclusion, a project titled: Redefine ACHD Education. She currently serves as the Director of the MGH Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program and Chair of Internship Selection for the Department of Medicine.
Her clinical focus is ACHD, Pregnancy & Cardiovascular Disease, particularly high-risk cardiac conditions in pregnancy as well as Echocardiography with expertise in ACHD Echocardiography. Dr. DeFaria speaks regionally and nationally on these topics.
Ana A. Mercurio-Pinto, MM:
Ana is energized by the possibilities. She has extensive professional experience running large, multi-specialized cardiovascular medicine divisions and has had the privilege of working and partnering with some of the industry’s leading thought leaders: master clinicians, practice changing trialists and groundbreaking research scientists. She is dedicated to developing nimble and adaptive organizations that combine the best of traditional practice with the spirit of continuous modernization in the face of evolving and changing times.
As vice president of care transformation at MedAxiom, Ana applies her wide-ranging experience in budgeting, forecasting, physician/practice P&Ls, clinical and federal/non-federal research operations, new program development, service-line integration, and dyad and other matrixed leadership structures to help cardiovascular organizations transform care. Ana has a keen interest in hospital/physician organization integration, faculty transitions, staffing optimization, administrative and research operations, and startup ventures.
Ana has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University Questrom School of Management and a master’s in management with a concentration in Healthcare Management. Additionally, Ana has pursued certificates in Launching New Ventures and Research Administration.
With cardiovascular care rapidly changing, it can be challenging to find the right mix between traditional care and innovation. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson speaks with Ana Mercurio-Pinto and Jenny Kennedy, both VPs of Care Transformation at MedAxiom. Together, they break down how organizations can succeed in today’s competitive healthcare space and steps you can take to combine traditional practice with the spirit of continuous modernization.
Ana A. Mercurio-Pinto, MM - Vice President, Care Transformation, MedAxiom - Ana is energized by the possibilities. She has extensive professional experience running large, multi-specialized cardiovascular medicine divisions and has had the privilege of working and partnering with some of the industry’s leading thought leaders: master clinicians, practice changing trialists and groundbreaking research scientists. She is dedicated to developing nimble and adaptive organizations that combine the best of traditional practice with the spirit of continuous modernization in the face of evolving and changing times.
As vice president of care transformation at MedAxiom, Ana applies her wide-ranging experience in budgeting, forecasting, physician/practice P&Ls, clinical and federal/non-federal research operations, new program development, service-line integration, and dyad and other matrixed leadership structures to help cardiovascular organizations transform care. Ana has a keen interest in hospital/physician organization integration, faculty transitions, staffing optimization, administrative and research operations, and startup ventures.
Ana has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University Questrom School of Management and a master’s in management with a concentration in Healthcare Management. Additionally, Ana has pursued certificates in Launching New Ventures and Research Administration.
Jenny Kennedy, MSN, RN, CHFN, NEA-BC - Vice President, Care Transformation, MedAxiom - Jenny has nearly 20 years of clinical and leadership experience in healthcare, namely in the cardiology field. As a vice president of care transformation at MedAxiom, she advises cardiovascular programs and industry organizations across the country on clinical pathways, guideline implementation, quality improvement, operations, disease specific certification, remote management, strategic planning and more.
Prior to joining MedAxiom, Jenny was the director of heart failure and electrophysiology at Wellstar Health System in the metropolitan Atlanta area. She has vast experience with clinic operations, cardiology and specialty clinics, and coordinating programs that cross the care continuum.
Jenny holds a Master of Nursing in Leadership through Jacksonville University and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Nursing. She also holds Certified Heart Failure Nurse and NEA-BC certifications and continues to be a lifelong learner. She is also an active member of AAHFN.
Her passion is to develop programs that span the care continuum and serve those with complex health diseases to benefit communities, patients and care providers. She encourages innovation and understands the importance of building relationships with mutual trust to empower high performing teams and change the lives of the communities they serve.
An aging population, physician shortages, and industry fragmentation are making cardiology the “new darling” of private equity investment. The question is – can private equity coexist with the quadruple aim? On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with Ann Honeycutt, executive director of Virginia Cardiovascular Specialists, Larry Sobal, CEO of Heart and Vascular Institute of Wisconsin, Dinesh Pubbi, MD, a founding member of First Coast Heart and Vascular Center, Rick Snyder, MD, FACC, an interventional cardiologist at HeartPlace Dallas, and Joe Sasson, executive vice president of Ventures at MedAxiom. They discuss the influx of private equity in cardiovascular healthcare and how one size does not fit all.
Guest Bios:
Ann E. Honeycutt, MSN, is the executive director of Virginia Cardiovascular Specialists (VCS), a private practice based in Richmond, VA. In her role, Ann has been actively involved in developing strong partnerships with local health systems and managed care organizations and has strived to ensure VCS remains a leader in the transformation of healthcare and clinical cardiology. She also serves as vice chair of MD Value Care, an ACO comprised of 90 primary care physicians and 350 specialists. Ann is also the only practice executive serving on the Richmond Academy of Medicine Board. She received a Master of Nursing, Community Health and Education from the University of Washington. Over the course of her nearly 40-year career, she has held various leadership roles in the areas of community health, home health care, acute care, ambulatory services and physician practice management. She has in-depth experience with financial management, strategic planning, business development, talent acquisition and leadership development.
Larry Sobal, MBA, MHA, FACMPE - CEO of the Heart and Vascular Institute of Wisconsin in Appleton, WI. - Larry is an innovative, results-driven senior healthcare executive with a diverse background in medical group leadership, hospital leadership, and insurance. Effective communicator with the ability to engage others to create a vision for change and translate that into strategy by analyzing critical business requirements, identifying deficiencies and potential opportunities, and developing innovative solutions. Respected decision-maker who delivers value and trust through strong relationships with colleagues, physicians, staff, and the community. His areas of expertise include strategic planning and implementation, leadership and management, and operations improvement.
Joe Sasson, PhD - executive vice president of Ventures and chief commercial officer, MedAxiom - Joe is a tenured member of the MedAxiom team and brings with him a wide variety of perspectives on healthcare operations and market access strategies. As chief commercial officer and executive vice president of Ventures at MedAxiom, Joe helps members access the technologies and solutions they need to effectively run their organizations and prepare for the future of value-based care. He currently works with companies spanning medtech, device, pharma, imaging, cath labs/ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and health IT to deliver economic value propositions and strategies to accelerate commercial growth. Joe has created and led programs and workgroups centering on EMR utilization and optimization, chronic care management, physician in-office dispensing of medications, CCTA, cath lab efficiency and more.
Dinesh Pubbi, MD – Dr. Pubbi is a founding member of First Coast Heart & Vascular Center. He completed his electrophysiology fellowship at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee where he trained in the latest electrophysiology procedures and techniques including atrial fibrillation ablations, device implantations and complex ablations. Dr. Pubbi completed his internal medicine residency at Sinai Samaritan Medical Center in Milwaukee and worked as an Internist and Primary Care physician for several years before completing his cardiology fellowship at Aurora Health Care at ASMC and St. Luke’s Hospital also in Milwaukee.
Rick Snyder MD, FACC – Dr. Snyder is a board-certified interventional cardiologist at HeartPlace, serving adults and teens in and around Dallas, Texas. He holds three board certifications: interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure and transplantation, and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Snyder joined the team at HeartPlace in 1996 and opened the satellite office at Medical City that same year. Though he’s trained as an interventionist, Dr. Snyder prides himself on providing the highest quality preventive care. He believes that risk factor modification through diet and exercise can significantly reduce the risk of potentially serious issues like a heart attack or a stroke.
As a cardiologist, Dr. Snyder serves as an advocate for his patients. That advocacy extends to his work with legislative leaders at both the state and national levels. His work as a physician advocate allows Dr. Snyder to help a larger number of people.
Currently, Dr. Snyder serves as the president of HeartPlace. He enjoys leading the organization and has plenty of past experience — he’s served as staff president at Medical City Dallas Hospital as well as president of the Dallas County Medical Society.
So far in this series, we’ve covered how to clinically capture the acuity of TAVR patients and how to save thousands using templates embedded in your EHR. In today's Structural Heart Innovations episode, host Melanie Lawson talks with guests Susan Low, RN, CCRNK, Executive Director of Cardiovascular Services, Prisma Health Richland and Jim Kreiner, MHA, Director of Cardiovascular Operations, Prisma Health Richland. Together, they discuss how they’ve standardized acuity capture across their service lines and explain the risks associated with capturing them improperly.
Guest Bios
Susan Low RN, CCRNK, Executive Director Cardiovascular Services, Prisma Health Richland – Susan is an experienced Cardiovascular Nurse leader with extensive work in operational execution, strategic planning, leadership development and cardiovascular program development. She is quality and outcomes focused with a proven record of building successful STEMI, Heart Failure , LVAD and structural heart programs.
Jim Kreiner, MHA, Director of Cardiovascular Operations, Prisma Health Richland – Jim is an experienced professional with over 23 years’ experience in the cardiovascular industry. Starting his career as a Cardiovascular Sonographer, he then moved into a leadership role as an Imaging Manager. Jim has been serving as the Director of Cardiovascular Operations at Prisma Health in Richland for the past 6+ years.
When navigating ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in today’s cardiovascular healthcare landscape, change is at the forefront, evolving the way we provide care. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with Joe Sasson, PHD, Executive Vice President of Ventures and Chief Commercial Officer at MedAxiom and Marc Toth, Market President, Cardiovascular Services at Atlas Healthcare Partners. They discuss both the complexities and benefits of ASCs, as well as what steps your organization can take if considering starting one of your own.
Guest Bios:
Joe Sasson, PHD, Executive Vice President of Ventures and Chief Commercial Officer – Joe is a tenured member of the MedAxiom team and brings with him a wide variety of perspectives on healthcare operations and market access strategies. As chief commercial officer and executive vice president of Ventures at MedAxiom, Joe helps members access the technologies and solutions they need to effectively run their organizations and prepare for the future of value-based care. He currently works with companies spanning medtech, device, pharma, imaging, cath labs/ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and health IT to deliver economic value propositions and strategies to accelerate commercial growth. Joe has created and led programs and workgroups centering on EMR utilization and optimization, chronic care management, physician in-office dispensing of medications, CCTA, cath lab efficiency and more.
As the leader of MedAxiom Ventures, Joe spearheaded the development of the HeartX Accelerator, which invests into and helps accelerate five growth stage companies per year. He was also responsible for the creation and execution of MedAxiom’s joint venture with Atlas Healthcare Partners, to position MedAxiom as a leader in the in the ASC space for both clinical quality and operational efficiency. Joe has also led MedAxiom’s initiatives in the direct contracting space, aiming to link self-funded insurers with high quality cardiovascular providers across the nation to create steerage that improves patient experience and outcomes, while lowering costs for payers. In his role, Joe works to commercialize MedAxiom’s product portfolio and continues to focus on innovation, commercial acceleration and operational execution for 40+ companies in the cardiovascular arena.
Throughout his career, Joe has advised over 75 companies – from small startups to the largest names in cardiovascular care – on commercial strategy, sales execution, risk model development, market segmentation and care pathway development with a focus on commercialization. His experience has provided him with valuable relationships and expertise spanning numerous aspects of the healthcare industry, which has provided him a unique skill set that enables him to author the development and delivery of successful responses to the new challenges in this rapidly changing environment.
Joe holds a PhD in Behavioral Science and a master’s degree in organizational improvement.
Marc Toth, Market President, Cardiovascular Services at Atlas Healthcare Partners – As the President of Cardiovascular Services, and Chairman of the MedAtlas CV Board of Directors, Marc leads the team working to transform cardiovascular care delivery and expand patient access to high-quality cardiovascular ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). He oversees the development and management of both the day-to-day business and clinical operations of cardiovascular ASCs for Banner Health, Corewell Health, as well as expansion efforts with Atlas’ newest JV partner MedAxiom.Marc has 25+ years of leadership experience in the cardiovascular/cardiology marketplace, including product commercialization, physician-practice and outpatient-vascular-lab valuations, capital acquisition, and exit strategies. He also has been an M&A Advisor representing physicians seeking capital and strategic partners for outpatient centers.
Prior to Atlas, Marc founded ACA Cardiovascular, a development and management company focused solely on turnkey development and management of hybrid cardiovascular centers (ASCs and office-based labs). Before ACA Cardiovascular, he worked as a consultant with VERTESS, a healthcare-focused M+A advisory firm, where he advised physician-owned endovascular labs looking for economic and strategic partnerships. His work also included valuations, capital acquisition, and exit strategies.
Marc is also a frequent contributor to Cath Lab Digest, Cardiovascular Interventions Today, and Becker’s ASC Review, and he routinely speaks at national cardiovascular meetings on outmigration trends. He also is an active member of Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA)’s government affairs board bringing his expertise to lobbying efforts that raise awareness of issue relating to cardiovascular ASCs.
Marc received his Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and is a Certified Mergers and Acquisitions Advisor.
How can ten minutes save you thousands while also capturing appropriate acuity to ensure your patients get the care they need? Abhimanyu (Manu) Uberoi, MD, MS, FACC, FSCAI, and MedAxiom HeartTalk host Melanie Lawson explore the answer to this and more on this Structural Heart Innovations episode.
Get to know Abhimanyu (Manu) Uberoi, MD, MS, FACC, FSCAI:
Dr. Uberoi was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, then moved to San Diego for college and graduate school, where he earned a master's in science with a focus in exercise physiology. He attended medical school in Washington, D.C., at George Washington University, then residency at Stanford University. From there, he moved to Los Angeles to complete a rigorous cardiology and interventional cardiology training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, one of the busiest hospitals in the country.
Dr. Uberoi says he was fortunate to join this premier group of cardiologists at Kaiser Permanente, who push and motivate him to improve every day. He chose to practice medicine because he believes that the doctor-patient relationship is one of the most unique, special bonds that exists. Two people come together from completely different backgrounds, with different beliefs and experiences, and connect in a way that accomplishes something amazing—health and well-being. The team effort and ownership of both parties to achieve this common goal is exciting and humbling. Dr. Uberoi loves that every interaction is one of a kind. You never know what will come next!
Cardiac device techs are in hot demand, but gaps in staffing and education are causing difficulties for this role. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with Kelli Shifflett, MHA, FACMPE, AVP of Revenue Growth and Business Development, HCA Physician Services, Sirena Bridges, MSPH, MSN, FNP-BC, CCDS, Clinical Director, Melissa Hauck Center for Device Therapy at Centennial Heart, and Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, SVP of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation, Medaxiom. Together, they discuss innovative strategies that your organization can use to help address this growing issue.
Guest Bios
Kelli Shifflett, MHA, FACMPE, AVP of Revenue Growth and Business Development, HCA Physician Services – Kelli has been with HCA Physician Services for 20 years in a variety of practice operation roles from Practice Manager to Division Vice President. She resides in Austin with her family and is passionate about process improvement and finding practice efficiencies in a constantly changing healthcare environment. She enjoys her current role of partnering with companies whose products improve the daily workflows and needs patients, providers and healthcare teams.
Sirena Bridges, MSPH, MSN, FNP-BC, CCDS, Clinical Director, Melissa Hauck Center for Device Therapy at Centennial Heart – Sirena has worked in the healthcare field for over 20 years; with the last 10 years working as a Nurse Practitioner in Cardiac Electrophysiology with a focus on device management of Cardiac implantable electronic devices at Centennial Heart. She became the inaugural Clinical Director of the Melissa Hauck Center for Device Therapy at Centennial Heart in Nashville in November 2021. In her role as the Clinical Director, she brings a wealth of clinical and technical expertise on interpretations, programming and troubleshooting of cardiac implantable electronic devices and remote transmissions. She also serves as a clinical resource for patients, peers and colleagues. Sirena has a Bachelor’s Degree in Cardio-respiratory Care Sciences from Tennessee State University and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Meharry Medical College in addition to a Master’s Degree in Nursing from Vanderbilt University. She is also a Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (CCDS) through the IBHRE (International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners).
Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, EVP of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Care Transformation, Medaxiom - Nicole’s decades of healthcare experience include cardiovascular and neurology practice operations, clinical management, business office management and consulting. The most recent years have been devoted to cardiovascular consulting in operations, LEAN process improvement and the revenue cycle. Prior to joining MedAxiom, Nicole served as Practice Administrator for Baptist Neurology and Northeast Florida Cardiology and Director of Operations for Jacksonville Heart Center and Louisiana Cardiology Associates. She has extensive expertise in coding, compliance and education for various specialties including cardiology, neurology, radiology, hematology/oncology, orthopedic, ENT, gastroenterology and internal medicine. Nicole has provided physician and staff coding and compliance education sessions nationally. Nicole has completed numerous education hours towards a B.S. in Health Care Administration. In addition, she maintains her LPN licensure in Louisiana and Florida. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Association. She received her Advanced Cardiovascular Coding Certification with the Board of Medical Specialty Coding and completed the AAPC inpatient coding and reimbursement course. Nicole is a certified AHIMA ICD-10-CM Trainer and completed a LEAN Healthcare training course at Johns Hopkins University. She also serves on the Physician Practice Council for AHIMA.
This episode is supported by an independent educational grant from Medtronic.
Patient Acuity is a critical benchmark for ensuring the patient has a proper care plan – it essentially saves lives. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with Amy Simone, PA-C, FACC, Director of the Marcus Heart Valve Center, Piedmont Heart Institute and Vinod Thourani, MD, FACC, Professor of Cardiac Surgery, Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery, Piedmont Healthcare at the Marcus Heart Valve Center. They discuss the challenges of accurately capturing patient acuity in heart failure patients and share innovative solutions to this problem.
Guest Bios
Vinod Thourani, MD, FACC, Professor of Cardiac Surgery, Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery, Piedmont Healthcare at the Marcus Heart Valve Center - Dr. Thourani is board certified in surgery and cardiothoracic surgery. He earned his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Thourani completed a general surgery internship at Emory University, followed by a residency and fellowship at Emory University. He also completed visiting fellowships for minimally invasive and transcatheter valve surgery at Fuwai Hospital in Beijing, China, and a fellowship with Prof Fred Mohr in Leipzig, Germany. Dr. Thourani is a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, the Heart Valve Society, the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery, the South Atlantic Cardiovascular Society, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. He serves as the President of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (2019-2020) and the President-elect for the Heart Valve Society (2019-2020). Dr. Thourani specializes in valve surgery, specifically in minimally invasive and transcatheter aortic and mitral valve surgery. He is passionate about working with a multi-disciplinary team in providing the patient with options for traditional, minimally invasive, and transcatheter surgical options. In his spare time, Dr. Thourani enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, tennis, and going to sporting events and concerts.
Amy Simone, PA-C, FACC, Director of the Marcus Heart Valve Center, Piedmont Heart Institute - Amy Simone is a Physician Assistant who received her training in Boston, MA at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She is entering her seventeenth year of practice as a PA, and has spent over a decade in the Structural Heart arena. She served as the Structural Heart and Valve Coordinator at Emory University Midtown Hospital for over 6 years before transitioning to the Piedmont Heart Institute as the Director of the Marcus Heart Valve Center in 2017. She is a Past President of the Academy of Physician Associates in Cardiology (APAC) and in 2022 was appointed the APAC Structural Heart Disease Committee Chair. She is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) and serves on the ACC Cardiovascular Team Section Leadership Council, the ACC Physician Assistant Committee and the ACC Georgia Chapter Program Committee. In 2019 she co-published a textbook entitled Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Program Development – A Guide for the Heart Team. She is passionate about patient advocacy and experience, program optimization, and addressing disparities in care. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Michael and daughter Ivy.
Patients with more advanced disease are returning to hospitals in pre-pandemic volumes and the cost of treating them is now higher. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson speaks with Stuart Jacobson, Founder & CEO of Biome Analytics, Amber Pawlikowski, MSN, RN, CPHQ, Director of Client Services & Quality Improvement Analytics at Biome Analytics, and Bradley Hubbard, MD, Cardiologist at Trinity Health Michigan Heart to discuss the struggles of quality performance improvement during a time of massive resource shortages and some of the major barriers that clinicians face. We’re also joined by Joel Sauer, MBA, Executive Vice President, Consulting and Denise Busman, MSN, Vice President, Care Transformation at MedAxiom who share insights on how organizations can use analytics to better achieve the “Quadruple Aim” of healthcare.
Guest Bios
Bradley Hubbard, MD, Cardiologist, Trinity Health Michigan Heart - Dr. Hubbard has more than 20 years of experience practicing in the area. His clinical interests include cardiac MRI, critical care, and monitoring quality outcomes. Dr. Hubbard also has additional training in adult comprehensive echocardiography and nuclear cardiology. He is the director of the coronary care unit and section head of cardiology at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, as well as a clinical instructor in internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Amber Pawlikowski, MSN, RN, CPHQ, Director of Client Services & Quality Improvement Analytics, Biome Analytics - Amber is a passionate and driven healthcare leader with over a decade of experience in healthcare delivery and services. She is considered a young, rising figure and prominent voice in the areas of data analytics and quality improvement methodologies. As a healthcare leader, Amber has created, directed, implemented, and continuously monitored quality strategic plans and outcomes for the nation’s largest CVSLs with specific focus on cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, cardiology (medical, interventional and electrophysiology) and interventional radiology. Amber currently serves as Director of Client Services and Quality Improvement Analytics at Biome, a leading provider of performance solutions for enterprise cardiovascular centers
Stuart Jacobson, Founder & CEO, Biome Analytics – An entrepreneur, Stuart Jacobson co-founded Biome Analytics in 2013.
Denise Busman, MSN, VP, Care Transformation at MedAxiom - Denise brings more than 30 years of experience as a cardiovascular clinician and leader to MedAxiom. Her clinical expertise is complemented by a passion for engaging multi-disciplinary teams to transform care delivery and enhance clinical quality. Known for her work in program development and change management, Denise is skilled in the implementation of new programs and clinical initiatives. Denise joins MedAxiom from Spectrum Health, a multi-hospital system in Michigan, where she held a variety of positions including critical care educator and cardiology clinical nurse specialist. Most recently, her focus was directed toward clinical improvement and quality for the cardiovascular service line, where she implemented innovative approaches to care and served as a trusted advisor to cardiovascular physicians and team members. Denise holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Michigan State University and master’s degree in nursing from Grand Valley State University. She has been active with the American College of Cardiology for many years as a Michigan Chapter board member and cardiovascular team liaison, ACC Scientific Program Committee member, and reviewer of scientific abstracts.
Joel Sauer, MBA, EVP - Consulting, MedAxiom - Since 2010 Joel Sauer has been providing consultative services around the country to accelerate the value transition in health care, particularly within the cardiovascular realm. A significant area of concentration has been creating contemporary and effective physician/hospital partnership structures, utilizing employment and other contractual arrangements (such as professional services agreements) and joint ventures. His work includes full-service line advancement, including governance and leadership development, and the creation of targeted co-management programs. Joel is an expert in vision and strategy setting, cultural and operational integration, and physician compensation plan design that promotes the vision and objectives of the organization. Prior to consulting, Joel spent 14 years as Chief Executive Officer of a large Midwestern multi-specialty physician group that included 23 cardiologists. In 2008 Joel led his group through acquisition by a major health system and then took over as CEO of its entire physician enterprise, which eventually included nearly 500 providers. A recognized national resource in cardiovascular physician compensation, Joel is author of the annual MedAxiom Provider Compensation & Production Survey and has expertise in provider workforce planning and development. Along with the entire MedAxiom Consulting team, he is a resource in new federal payment models such as the Quality Payment Program and the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced), and other episode payment-based arrangements. Joel is often published in health care magazines, blogs and trade journals and is a regular speaker at national health care meetings.
Bonus Links:
https://biome.io/
On MedAxiom HeartTalk, we are diving deeper with part two on the PEARLS Paper - a blueprint structural heart programs can use to optimize care. Host, Melanie Lawson, speaks with Elizabeth Perpetua, DNP, ACNP-BC, FACC, Patricia Keegan, DNP, NP-C, AACC, Roseanne Palmer, MSN, RN, and Susan Schnell, MSN, ACNP-BC, all co-authors of the paper. They share how their geographical challenges influenced their perspectives writing the paper and discuss practical steps that organizations can take now, to implement guidelines and care pathways for future crises.
Guest Bios:
Elizabeth Perpetua, DNP, ACNP-BC, FACC: Founder of Empath Health Services and faculty at University of Washington in Seattle – Dr. Perpetua led the efforts and development of the PEARLS paper and the first published study describing the Structural Heart Coordinator role and Coordination in the U.S. She is a Doctor of Nursing Practice with 15 years of experience in structural heart program development and research. She was the Director of the structural heart programs at Swedish Medical Center and University of Washington before starting her work in consulting and education. Dr. Perpetua has trained thousands of nurses, physicians, and administrators in structural heart disease.
Patricia Keegan, DNP, NP-C, AACC: the original coordinator and nurse practitioner at Emory Healthcare with the PARTNER trial, now the Director of Strategic and Programmatic Initiatives across all of Emory Heart and Vascular (system-wide). Many areas of expertise including but not limited to structural heart, congenital heart disease, nurse-led sedation, minimalist approach, same day discharge, program efficiencies, quality improvement, and clinical program development.
Roseanne Palmer, MSN, RN: the original coordinator and nurse leader at Dartmouth Hitchcock with the PARTNER trial, now the Program Manager for Structural Heart. Many areas of expertise including but not limited to structural heart, shared decision making, patient stated goals, crisis management including work with the Red Cross, clinical program development.
Susan Schnell, MSN, ACNP-BC: the original coordinator and nurse practitioner at Columbia University Irving Medical Center at the time when TAVR was in the first-in-man experience in 2007 (REVIVAL trial, preceded the PARTNER trial). Sue is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Columbia HeartSource. Many areas of expertise including but not limited to structural heart and interventional cardiology, system wide healthcare quality improvement and change management, clinical program development.
Bonus Links:
PEARLS Paper - Elsevier:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2474870622008089
PEARLS Paper Video Extras - TCT:
https://www.tctmd.com/PEARLS
https://www.tctmd.com/videos/pearls-the-heart-team-in-action.6270320173001
Do you have a reliable roadmap for optimizing care during a crisis? On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson speaks with guests Elizabeth Perpetua, DNP, ACNP-BC, FACC, Kimberly Guibone, DNP, ACNP-BC, FACC, Martina Kelly Speight, MSN, FNP-BC, and Joan Michaels, RN, MSN, CPHQ. They share insights from their PEARLS paper – a blueprint for structural heart programs to optimize care and improve outcomes while facing profound obstacles.
Guest Bios:
Elizabeth Perpetua, DNP, ACNP-BC, FACC: Founder of Empath Health Services and faculty at University of Washington in Seattle – Dr. Perpetua led the efforts and development of the PEARLS paper and the first published study describing the Structural Heart Coordinator role and Coordination in the U.S. She is a Doctor of Nursing Practice with 15 years of experience in structural heart program development and research. She was the Director of the structural heart programs at Swedish Medical Center and University of Washington before starting her work in consulting and education. Dr. Perpetua has trained thousands of nurses, physicians, and administrators in structural heart disease.
Kimberly Guibone, DNP, ACNP-BC, FACC: Structural Heart Clinical Program Manager at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Guibone brings extensive experience as a Doctor of Nursing Practice and the first valve coordinator of her structural heart program. She has contributed to multiple research papers helping to define the role of the valve center coordinator.
Martina Kelly Speight, MSN, FNP-BC: Board-certified Nurse Practitioner in the Structural Heart Program at Stanford Health Care in California. Martina established her role on the Stanford multidisciplinary heart team in 2008 where she coordinated research efforts and greatly contributed to program development. In her role as Nurse Practitioner, Martina Speight has become a clinical expert in the care and management of patients undergoing treatment for Valvular Heart Disease. She is passionate about leading efforts that improve program outcomes, efficiencies, and patient experiences. Martina has contributed to multiple publications and speaks nationally about Heart Valve Disease and Structural Heart Program development.
Joan Michaels, RN, MSN, CPHQ: Director of Cardiac Registries for the American College of Cardiology in D.C. Joan brings more than 30 years of experience in cardiology as a registered nurse and expertise overseeing the STS/ACC TVT Registry.
With misinformation running rampant in this new digital age, providing accurate information to our patients is more important than ever. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson speaks with Samantha Avery, DO, Thabet Alsheikh, MD and Kevin Mair, MBA who have implemented innovative strategies prioritizing patient education in their clinical programs. They discuss the benefits of both community and one-on-one approaches and steps your organization can take to apply this within your own care teams.
This MedAxiom HeartTalk explores recent TVT Registry data on racial and socioeconomic disparities in structural heart programs, such as TAVR. Host Melanie Lawson talks with Wayne Batchelor, MD, Inova Health, Kimberly Guibone, DNP, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Joan Michaels, RN, of the American College of Cardiology. They examine some possible reasons for these disparities and a few strategies CV programs can use to bridge this gap.
Guest Bios:
Kimberly Guibone, DNP, ACNP- BC, FACC
Dr. Guibone is the Structural Heart Clinical Program Manager at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA and has led the Structural Heart program there since its inception and early clinical trials. She did her graduate work at Georgetown University in Washington, DC and completed her doctoral studies in Nurse Executive Leadership at Simmons University in Boston, MA. She is currently a member of the ACC/STS TVT Registry Steering Committee and the ACC Lifelong Learning Oversight Committee. Her areas of interest include enhancement of the advanced practitioner role, disparities in healthcare, development of the heart team, and clinician burnout.
Joan Michaels, RN, MSN, CPHQ, AACC
Ms. Michaels is Director of Cardiac Registries for the American College of Cardiology. She has been with the ACC for more than 13 years and is the Program Manager for the STS/ACC TVT Registry. Ms. Michaels is a registered nurse with extensive experience working in the cardiovascular area. Prior to working at ACC, she held several management positions at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va. Most recently, she was the Director of the NIH Cath Lab at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Ms. Michaels received her BSN from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and her MSN from The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC.
Wayne Batchelor, MD, MHS, FSCAI
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, Dr. Batchelor grew up in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where he graduated class valedictorian from Frontenac Secondary High School. In 1990, he received a Bachelor of Arts and Medical Degree from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and was the recipient of the Dr. and Mrs. Sydney P. Schiff Medal in Surgery and the Nathan E. Berry Prize in Urology. He furthered his post-graduate medicine training by completing a Comprehensive Internal Medicine Residency and Fellowship in Adult Cardiology at the University of Toronto (UOT), where he received the University of Toronto Sopman Award for Clinical Excellence and Human Compassion. Upon completing a Cardiology Fellowship at the UOT, he was awarded a National Research Fellowship from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, which took him to Duke University, where he received a Master's of Health Science Degree and completed a 3-year Research Fellowship at the Duke University Clinical Research Institute under the supervision of Professor Robert Califf (incoming FDA Commissioner). During this time, he also completed an Advanced Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology. Thereafter, Dr. Batchelor returned to Toronto, where he served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Interventional Cardiologist and Clinician Investigator in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto (St. Michael's Hospital). In 2002, he moved to the US and was hired by Southern Medical Group, PA, in Tallahassee, Florida. There, he co-founded the Tallahassee Research Institute (TRI), a broad-based independent cardiovascular clinical research institute, which rapidly grew to be the most active research program in Florida's Panhandle. He joined the Medical Faculty at the Florida State University College of Medicine and was promoted to Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine.
In Tallahassee, Florida, he held numerous Executive Leadership positions, including Chair of the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Medical Staff Executive Committee (2009-2010), President of Southern Medical Group, PA, President of TRI, and served on the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Board of Trustees. He currently holds numerous leadership positions within national and international cardiology organizations, including Chair of the American College of Cardiology's (ACC) Interventional Sectional Leadership Council, Program Committee Member for the 2021 ACC/World Congress of Cardiology Scientific Sessions, Member of the Scientific Program Committee of the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) Meeting and active Member of the NCDR STS/TVT Registry's Steering Committee. He also currently serves as President of the Duke University Cardiovascular Cooperative Society (DUCCS) and is past President of the South Atlantic Cardiovascular Society (SACS). Dr. Batchelor was instrumental in developing one of the most advanced and innovative interventional cardiology and structural heart programs in Florida and was the first physician in the region to perform transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In 2011, Dr. Batchelor led North Florida's first Structural Heart Program and soon thereafter performed the region's first transcatheter mitral valve repair and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. For over 15 years, he provided the region's primary clinical leadership and research within interventional cardiology.
Dr. Batchelor has published over 140 original abstracts/manuscripts, multiple book chapters and has given hundreds of invited lectures. He has overseen and/or participated in over 170 clinical trials, including being Principal Investigator in over 75. He also founded the Florida Institute for Medical Education (FIME), a corporation focusing on educating interventional cardiologists on new innovative procedures and promoting research. He has served on several international clinical trial steering committees and was the National Co-Principal Investigator for the PLATINUM DIVERSITY study, which is the first to prospectively evaluate clinical outcomes and socioeconomic status in minorities and women after contemporary coronary stent procedures in 52 sites across the United States. In March 2017, Dr. Batchelor was recognized by his physician peers in North Florida as the Capital Medical Society's Outstanding Physician of the Year.
In 2019, Dr. Batchelor was hired by the Inova Health System in Falls Church, Virginia, to serve as the Director of Interventional Cardiology, Directory of Interventional Cardiology Research, Education and Innovation and Associate Director of the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute. As such, he heads up a large interventional cardiology program within Inova's $5 billion health system that spans five metropolitan hospitals and is responsible for the executive leadership clinical, research and educational efforts within the health system's Interventional Cardiology Program. In 2022, he was appointed as the Chair of the Interventional Leadership Council of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), representing over 5,000 interventional cardiology members nationally and internationally. He has also recently been appointed as a special government employee and consultant to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the Cardiovascular Devices Branch and has served on the Circulatory System Device panel. Dr. Batchelor is board-certified in Cardiovascular Diseases with added qualifications in Interventional Cardiology and enjoys traveling, playing tennis, and spending time with his wife Zaneta and two children, Nadia and Samia.
In this episode, we celebrate 20 years of transforming cardiovascular care, together. From physician-hospital integration, to major legislative reform, to a global pandemic, the MedAxiom community, alongside the American College of Cardiology (ACC), has always found a way to meet the challenge of the day, pushing the needle towards innovation. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson sits down with a powerhouse panel, who have been there since the start: Ed Fry, MD, FACC, Cathie Biga, MSN, RN, FACC, and Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC. They discuss how it all began, the impact of collaboration, and their thoughts on what the future holds.
Guest Bios:
Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC, is President and CEO of MedAxiom. Blackwell graduated from Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and completed residency/chief residency/fellowship at the Ohio State University and the University of Alabama - Birmingham. He earned his executive MBA from the University of Tennessee. He has more than 30 years of experience in cardiovascular medicine including academic cardiology, private practice and large integrated cardiovascular group leadership. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and chief clinical officer of the Ballad Health System.
Blackwell has a passion for physician leadership, teaching, and care transformation - particularly team-based care and organizational performance improvement. He maintains a clinical practice with special interests in advanced imaging, including cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, cardiovascular CT angiography, and cardiac positron emission tomography.
Blackwell has been involved with both MedAxiom and the American College of Cardiology for many years. He has served on the ACC's Board of Governors, the board of directors for the Cardiology Advocacy Alliance, and the ACC's Health Affairs Committee.
Ed T.A. Fry, MD, FACC, is Chair of Ascension Health Cardiovascular Service Line and Vice President of the ACC. Fry attended medical school at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and completed his residency in internal medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He completed a two-year cardiovascular research fellowship focused on pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of native and genetically modified plasminogen activators. He also completed a general cardiology fellowship at Washington University, where he then served as assistant professor and medical director of the cardiac transplant program before completing an interventional cardiology fellowship at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital – Indianapolis.
In 1991, he joined the cardiology practice at St. Vincent where he continues to be a busy interventional and general cardiologist and serves as chair of the Ascension National Cardiovascular Service Line. He helped launch Navion Healthcare Solutions, a subsidiary data quality management software company owned by Ascension, where he previously served as board chair.
Fry is past president and governor of ACC's Indiana Chapter. Within the ACC, he has served on the Audit and Compliance Committee (Chair), Digital Strategy Steering Committee; Interventional Section Leadership Council; Surviving MI Initiative; Integrating the Health Enterprise Health Policy Work Group; Clinical Quality Committee; Prior Authorization Work Group; ACC Telemedicine Project; ACC COVID-19 Hub; Board of Governors Steering Committee; Innovations Development Work Group; ACC Premier Oversight Work Group (chair); Board of Trustees (BOT) Task Force on Clinician Well-Being; Health Systems Task Force; ACC/AHA Ethics and Professionalism Consensus Task Force, and ACC Nominating Committee. He has been a presenter, moderator and session chair at ACC Annual Scientific Session, ACC CV Summit, MedAxiom CV Transforum, Heart House Roundtables and is a member of HeartPAC, ACC's political action committee. He currently serves on ACC's BOT.
Cathie Biga, MSN, RN, FACC, is President and CEO of Cardiovascular Management of Illinois, a cardiology physician practice management company. She works with more than 100 providers in the Chicago, IL, area and partners in their cardiovascular service lines at more than 14 acute care hospitals. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the Mayo/College of St. Teresa and Master of Science in nursing at Northern Illinois University School of Nursing.
Biga has more than 40 years of experience as a registered nurse, service line director, hospital vice president and CEO. She has 20 years of experience in physician practice management.
She has been active nationally in consulting in strategic planning, operational efficiencies, integrated financial and quality initiatives, and growth and development of the cardiovascular service lines. She is focused on facilitating the integration of strategic, financial and quality perspectives between cardiovascular service lines at practices and hospitals. In addition, she consults and lectures on numerous contemporary cardiovascular topics.
Biga is a member of ACC's Board of Trustees, Chair of the MedAxiom Board of Managers, a member of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and an ACC Fellow.
Transcatheter valve therapy (TVT) is always evolving and is one of the most exciting areas of innovation in our industry. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with experts Vinod Thourani, MD, and John Carroll, MD, about how TVT innovations are impacting the way they deliver care and why tracking data collaboratively is crucial to future advancements. Plus, Ginger Biesbrock, MedAxiom’s EVP of Care Transformation, explains the importance of shared decision-making for TVT procedures and what it could mean for low-risk patients. Stay tuned to MedAxiom HeartTalk for additional episodes in the new Structural Heart Innovations series!
Cardiovascular care transformation starts with data and it’s more important now than ever. The COVID pandemic has created a volatile healthcare environment, drastically impacting volumes, fundamentally changing how care is delivered and presenting significant financial challenges. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with Lori Walsh, EVP of Membership & Operations, MHSA and Karen Wilson, Director of Member Relations, MHA, both of MedAxiom. They share how your organization can use data to identify waste in the system and improve patient care and access.
What does the future hold for coding workforce trends? On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with Revenue Cycle Solutions Consultants, Joline Bruder and Jammie Quimby. They discuss the importance of a coder-physician relationship, what the most significant changes for coders and revenue-cycle staff might be, plus they explain how COVID-19 has made it even more critical to understand the complex guidelines.
Administrative and leadership roles in cardiovascular care are complex, and a staffing gap can present a real problem for your organization’s momentum. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, we speak to industry thought leader, Joel Sauer, MedAxiom’s EVP of Consulting, as he explains what the MedAxiom team is doing to address this problem. Joining him in the discussion is Chris Lipp of WellSpan Health. He shares his personal experience of how this new approach is helping to transform care.
Cardiac Rehab in the COVID Era. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson, talks with Terri McDonald, Vice President of Consulting at MedAxiom. She shares the latest CMS Guidelines and what that means for your program and patients. We also speak with Terry Rogers, President of Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehab and Dr. Jerry Blackwell, CEO and President of MedAxiom to share how the two organizations are teaming up to create outcomes-based support for intensive cardiac rehab.
Patient access is a significant challenge, and the pandemic only made things worse. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, one patient describes the struggles he faced as he underwent heart surgery during the peak of COVID-19. Plus, Providence Health's Dr. Ty Gluckman and MedAxiom's Ginger Biesbrock share innovative solutions to the patient access problem and strategies for putting the patient at the center of care.
Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, so why are only 13% of cardiologists and 4.5% of practicing interventionalists women? On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with Dr. Pamela Rama and Dr. Ruby Satpathy of Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida. As part of a team that includes six female cardiologists, they share how you can empower the women in your organization and why having workforce diversity benefits your care team and patients.
COVID-19 has disrupted the healthcare system and forced CV programs to transform the way they deliver care. With a new year and new host, Melanie Lawson, MedAxiom HeartTalk explores the concept of innovation and how to leverage the lessons learned in 2020. We talk with MedAxiom's Ginger Biesbrock, EVP of Care Transformation, and Taylr Jesinger, VP of Innovation, to discuss why they're so passionate about cardiovascular health and how that passion drives them towards innovation and improving the future of care for all.
Whether there’s a need to expand office space or acquire real estate, CV programs need capital and property management expertise. But few have sufficient amounts of either, in-house. That’s where a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) can help. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, Dan Klein and Mark Dukes from Physicians Realty Trust – better known as DOC – discuss how you can partner with a REIT to relieve the burden that comes with managing real estate portfolios.
This conversation was recorded back in February 2020. We'd planned to release the episode, but then the pandemic hit, and everyone's world turned upside down. So much has changed in the last several months, and we know many of you are finding yourselves in unsettling times. So we thought you might appreciate a pre-Covid escape to this discussion on physician satisfaction.
About 30% of cardiologists say they feel the effects of burnout. "Engagement is the inverse of burnout," says Edward Fry, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Chair of the Cardiovascular Service Lines for St. Vincent Medical Group and Ascension Health. As a practicing cardiologist and dyad leader, Fry intimately understands the complexities of this issue. He believes practical steps can be taken to create an environment where physicians and care teams are recognized and have some positive control over their professional lives.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has become the preferred test for diagnosing coronary artery disease. Although the clinical advantages are many, implementing a cardiac PET program requires planning, training, new technologies, and change management to challenge CV leadership.
In this episode, we talk with two physicians who have led the execution of cardiac PET programs and myocardial blood flow (MBF). Cardiologist Gary Heller, MD, Medical Director of Molecular Imaging Services, is the first physician to establish a PET program in Connecticut and has been involved in many other implementations since. Richard Thompson, MD, a cardiologist with Health First Medical Group, championed his organization’s recent cardiac PET program implementation.
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We can see COVID-19's seismic impact on CV patient care, but what’s happening beneath the surface? Revenue cycle teams report massive shifts as well. Nicole Knight, MedAxiom’s VP of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Consulting, explains how to make the most of these changes, embrace virtual technologies and prepare for what’s coming in 2021.
COVID-19 has accelerated the shift toward delivering remote care and using digital platforms to monitor patients. Many have embraced telehealth visits, but what else can CV providers do to monitor and care for patients outside the clinic? Here to answer that question are MedAxiom HeartTalk guests Todd Butka, Founder and CEO of cardiac device data management software company, Murj, and Jude Hebert, RN, BSN, Executive Vice President of Nursing Services at Cardiovascular Institute of the South.
In a CV practice, good communication between physicians and the coding team is vital. Still, coders and physicians usually work in different office areas – often in separate buildings – and everyone has a packed schedule. When coders find inaccuracies or missing elements in the documentation, it's tough to communicate them. In this episode, MedAxiom's Revenue Cycle Solutions Consultants – Joline Bruder, CPC, CPMA, CCVTC, CGSC and Jammie Quimby, CPC, CCC, CEMC, CCS-P, CPMA, CRC, CDEO – discuss strategies for breaking down these barriers and establishing effective relationships between physicians and coders.
Patient access remains a top concern for cardiovascular (CV) programs across the country. Its broad scope and complex dynamics make it a tricky problem to solve. To pave the way for open access, CV organizations must create governance and leadership structures that support a culture of access. In this episode, Joseph Goeke, MD, FACC, of St. Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants, and MedAxiom’s Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC, offer insights on how to do just that.
“It’s not going to be getting back to normal; it’s going to be getting back to hopefully something better than normal, in terms of our care,” says Edward Fry, MD, FACC, Chair of the Cardiovascular Service Lines for St. Vincent Medical Group and Ascension Health. As they cautiously and steadily move toward reemergence, Dr. Fry describes the challenges of their dual focus – protect patients and staff from COVID-19 exposure, but still provide the high-caliber care that cardiovascular disease demands.
Guests explain why PET imaging is their modality of choice for stress testing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Christopher Douglas, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiologist, and Jamie Branch, Lead Imaging Technologist, both from Heart & Vascular at Hattiesburg Clinic, also share how their organization has adapted protocols to keep patients and employees safe as pandemic restrictions ease and patient volumes become a new version of normal.
MedAxiom’s Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, Vice President of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Consulting, shares the latest information on the COVID-19 crisis, covering top-of-mind issues for MedAxiom members and her pick for Story of the Week – an uplifting experience in the face of this unprecedented pandemic.
MedAxiom’s Lori Walsh, MHSA, Executive Vice President of Membership and Operations, and Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC, Senior Vice President of Consulting, share the latest information on the COVID-19 crisis. They cover top-of-mind issues for MedAxiom members, legislative updates from Capitol Hill, and their picks for Story of the Week – uplifting experiences in the face of this unprecedented pandemic.
“COVID is an amazing animal – it has no bounds…This is the time for the house of medicine to come together to try to treat these patients until we have a vaccine,” says Cathie Biga, CEO and President of Cardiovascular Management of Illinois.
“I can’t think of a reasonable analogy for the rapidity with which meaningful changes have occurred as have happened with COVID-19,” posits Dr. Jerry Blackwell, President of MedAxiom.
MedAxiom HeartTalk’s dynamic duo shares the latest on the COVID-19 crisis, covering top-of-mind issues for MedAxiom members, legislative updates from Capitol Hill, and their picks for Story of the Week – uplifting experiences in the face of this unprecedented pandemic.
Hear the latest information on the COVID-19 crisis, with a focus on telehealth, from Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute's Jenny Villafane, Director of Virtual Care, and William Downey, MD, Vice Chair of Quality and Care Transformation, along with MedAxiom's Ginger Biesbrock, Senior VP of Consulting. They cover top-of-mind issues for MedAxiom members and their picks for Story of the Week – uplifting experiences in the face of this unprecedented pandemic.
MedAxiom's Lori Walsh, MHSA, Executive Vice President of Membership and Operations, and Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, Vice President of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Consulting, share the latest information on the COVID-19 crisis. They cover top-of-mind issues for MedAxiom members, legislative updates from Capitol Hill, and their picks for Story of the Week - innovation and courageous leadership in the face of this unprecedented pandemic.
The MedAxiom Community's response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been "nothing short of amazing," says Joel Sauer, Executive VP of Consulting for MedAxiom. Just as expected, MedAxiom members immediately rallied to share valuable information. Unexpected, however, was the speed at which change took place – what traditionally takes months or years to implement, the CV community actualized in a matter of days. This unprecedented pivot is a win-win for patients and providers, but what happens after this crisis has subsided? Will adaptability prevail in a post-pandemic world?
Dr. Jerry Blackwell, President of MedAxiom, and Cathie Biga, CEO and President of Cardiovascular Management of Illinois, share the latest information on the COVID-19 crisis. They cover top-of-mind issues for MedAxiom members, legislative updates from Capitol Hill, and their picks for Story of the Week - innovation and courageous leadership in the face of this unprecedented pandemic.
"Let's face it - people are scared," says Dr. Geoffrey Rose, President of Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute. "We thought we were ready, but the reality is we cannot find masks," says Cathie Biga, President and CEO of Cardiovascular Management of Illinois. "For coders and billing staff, it's wanting those black and white answers that are just not out there right now," says Nicole Knight, VP of MedAxiom Revenue Cycle Solutions and Consulting. In this episode, these three experts who've been handling COVID-19 from the front lines share their unique perspectives on how to manage the human impact this pandemic is having on care teams and offer advice on "Staying Calm in the Storm."
If you’ve been thinking about outsourcing revenue cycle services, you are not alone. According to Black Book Market Research, demand for outsourcing these services grew 48% from 2015 to 2019. But is outsourcing right for your program? In this episode, Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, Vice President of MedAxiom’s Revenue Cycle Solutions and Consulting, shares the ins and outs of outsourcing and the two questions you should ask before deciding.
Having the right number of staff at the top of their license is an ongoing challenge for every CV program, but it is vital to patient care, operational efficiency, and the bottom line. We talked with MedAxiom members from Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Bart Reeves and Dr. Geoffrey Rose, about their data-driven approach to rightsizing staff that has boosted physician productivity, created transparency, and achieved organizational success.
To start, mix one cup of expertise, spoonful of humility, and dash of instinct.
MedAxiom's Ginger Biesbrock, Sarah Brown of Saint Luke's, and Eve Mogadam of Virginia Heart, discuss what qualities make a successful CV APP and how to cultivate these among your care team. Plus, learn what to look for during the hiring process, as well as strategies for continued education for your APP team.
Physicians are facing increased scrutiny over their procedural complications. What happens when quality data identifies an outlier? How do you have that conversation with the physician? In this episode, interventional cardiologist Jeffrey Wescott, MD, Swedish Heart and Vascular Institute, and psychologist Mark Masters, PhD, Baptist Heart Specialists, describe what has worked for them and the role dyad leadership has played in their quality improvement efforts.
Are you wondering about CPT code changes for cardiology for 2020? Looking for clarity on E/M codes, NCCI edits, MCCs, and risk adjustment? In this episode, we feature the experts of MedAxiom's Revenue Cycle Consulting team – Nicole Knight, Joline Bruder, and Jammie Quimby – for their insights about what to expect and how to prepare for 2020 coding and reimbursement changes.
The American College of Cardiology's recent acquisition of MedAxiom has created a powerful, new professional home for the entire cardiovascular team. The new organization is uniquely positioned to combine rich data resources and collaborate with physicians, industry, and payors to serve all cardiovascular model needs. Join us for a conversation with MedAxiom's new president, Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC, about what inspired him to step into his role, the benefits for members and the CV community, and his thoughts on a bright future for MedAxiom and the ACC.
Tracking metrics and comparing them to external benchmarks is a critical part of assessing performance and monitoring how you rank against competitors and peers. Benchmarks give context to program gaps, help frame decisions, and aid in program design and planning to ultimately improve the delivery of patient care. The importance of cardiovascular services specific benchmarking is what led MedAxiom to develop our annual Cardiovascular Provider Compensation & Production Survey. The data are essential to practice and program leaders, and there is no other platform like it in our specialty.
In this episode, we talk with the survey’s author and MedAxiom Executive Vice President of Consulting, Joel Sauer, and Jonathan Fialkow, MD, practicing cardiologist and group practice leader and Chief Population Health Officer at Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, about the value of benchmarks and how to use the results of the annual survey in recruitment and planning efforts.
Download the Survey: https://www.medaxiom.com/compsurvey
Watch the Webinar: https://www.medaxiom.com/resource-center/administrative-and-clerical-operations/webinar-recording-what-does-the-2019-cardiovascular-provider-compensation-and-production-survey-mean-for-your-organization/
Questions or feedback? Email: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
As measured by wRVUs, the productivity of advanced practice providers (APPs) has been on the rise since 2015. Although this is good news for patient access and revenue growth, there is still room for improvement. In this episode, we talk with Ginger Biesbrock, Senior Vice President of Consulting at MedAxiom, about the challenges and best practices for optimizing APPs to the top of their licensure. Ginger shares the APP productivity data from the 2019 Provider Compensation and Production Survey and gives us her take on what is needed to move the needle on APP utilization, role structure, and profitability.
01:58 Ginger has been a Physician Assistant since 1998
03:24 What gets Ginger excited to go to work everyday
04:55 State of the State for the team-based care model
08:35 APP productivity data from 2019 Survey Report
12:23 Common challenges to APP utilization and valuation
19:44 What works in the team-based care model
22:06 Getting patient buy-in
24:48 How this applies to subspecialty clinics
26:46 Self-assessment for APP utilization
27:08 What does NOT work in the team-based care model
30:32 CV Transforum session on Patient Access
32:04 Advice for implementation
Ginger's blog:
https://www.medaxiom.com/blog/app-productivity-the-challenge-remains/
Register for CV Transforum at http://cvtransforum.com
We'd love to hear from you! Email HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
What inspired you to choose the path toward cardiovascular services? What drives you to continue your journey to care for patients or serve in your role?
Terri McDonald, MedAxiom's newest consultant, shares the "why" behind her decision to pursue a CV nursing career, and how the personal impact of one patient's experience drove her to make a critical career change. We talk with Terri about her recent role as a heart and vascular service line administrator at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, and her advice for physicians and CV leaders looking for ways to collaborate and create a better experience for patients.
00:53 Cheryl Toth is the new host of MedAxiom HeartTalk
01:37 Terri McDonald is MedAxiom’s newest consultant
05:11 What Terri likes to do in her personal time
07:57 Terri tells us her "Why"
10:06 Terri shares the story that changed the course of her career
13:06 The Great Divide - trust is biggest challenge to patient-centered care
16:51 Role of quality and cost data
18:21 Bridging the Great Divide - strategies that have worked for Terri
23:24 Terri's advice to leaders as they implement shared governance
Terri's blog post:
https://www.medaxiom.com/blog/a-passion-for-cv-care-here-s-my-why-what-s-yours/
Email us:
HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
Direct to provider contracts are beneficial from a quality and health economics perspective but they can limit care to the patients they are designed to serve. Joe Sasson, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of MedAxiom Ventures, shares some innovative solutions that would offer better access between providers and payers.
Patient access has become one of the hottest topics across the country in the majority of CV programs. Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, ACS-CA, Director of Revenue Cycle Solutions at MedAxiom, shares how patients define access and what we consider to be the attributes to a high performing CV program.
Trying to determine how much time an APP should contribute weekly can vary depending on the needs and size of the organization. Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC, Vice President - Consulting for MedAxiom, explains why it is important for the leadership and APP teams to set and review expectations and what each should commit to for building a healthy team-based environment.
The Fall CV Transforum is quickly approaching and we want you to be aware of what will be covered. Lori Walsh provides a first look at the agenda with insights about the sessions we're planning. Lori Walsh, MHSA is Vice President - Membership and Senior Consultant for MedAxiom.
Most programs are involved with at least one registry but struggle to effectively utilize the data. Ginger Biesbrock explains three areas that need to be managed in order to ensure this valuable tool is not left unused. Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC, is Vice President - Consulting for MedAxiom.
How can we deliver quality care to our patients where they need it most? HeartTalk guests share their unique perspectives on outreach program management and strategies for maintaining: local, patient-centered care, team-based care for post-procedure patients, and effective APP utilization. Dino Recchia, MD, FACC, is Chairman of the Department of Cardiology for Traverse Heart & Vascular, Munson Healthcare. Robert Vincent, MD is Chief Financial Officer for Sibley Heart Center Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Kay Stewart-Huey is Vice President of Cardiac Services for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC, is Vice President - Consulting for MedAxiom.
It's important to create a formal process for acclimating and developing each new employee. Lori Walsh provides seven tips to help improve employee engagement and provide that continuous line of communication. Lori Walsh, MHSA is Vice President - Membership and Senior Consultant for MedAxiom.
For more information, email HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com
Time is central to the Evaluation and Management (E/M) coding system and changes from CMS and the American Medical Association (AMA) could impact documentation requirements in this area. Nicole Knight provides a few things you may want to look at as you evaluate your time-based coding effectiveness, training needs and future opportunities. Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, ACS-CA, is Director of Revenue Cycle Solutions at MedAxiom Consulting.
Lead administrator and physician from Bellin Health share their journey of navigating the corridor from volume to value-based healthcare and address these important questions:
•What does volume-to-value mean for you?
•How are physicians reacting to this new population health model?
•Why have you decided to focus on understanding cost of care?
•From a population health perspective, what focus areas are you targeting for 2019?
Andrea Werner, MSW is Senior Vice President for Cardiovascular and Pulmonology; Neurosciences, Orthopedics, and Sports Medicine; and Pathology and Radiology for Bellin Health in Green Bay, Wisconsin. James Rider, MD is the Director of Cardiovascular Research, Nuclear Cardiology, and the CHF program for Bellin Health in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Lori Walsh, MHSA is Vice President - Membership and Senior Consultant for MedAxiom.
Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs) have been included in Medicare's methodology for risk adjusting provider payment since 2004. And while not new, they continue to be a topic of concern. This video answers: what do physicians need to focus on regarding HCCs, how should HCCs be handled on the outpatient side, and what are some strategies to improve documentation and to best incorporate HCCs into the physician workflow? Linda Gates-Striby, CCS-P, ACS-CA is Director Quality Assurance, SVMG Ascension Indiana. Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, is Director of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Senior Consultant, for MedAxiom, an ACC Company. For more information, email HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com
As MIPS enters its third year, understanding how to access your data, interpret it, and create meaningful action plans becomes challenging. Cathie Biga, MSN, RN, FACC, ACC Trustee
and President and CEO of Cardiovascular Management of Illinois, shares the latest on: attribution, cost, interoperability, risk scoring, and the vital role that documentation plays in determining whether you will receive proper credit for your risk score. Pat White is Senior Advisor for MedAxiom, an ACC Company. For more information, email HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com
Now that CMS has opened the application period for Cohort 2, there are lessons to be learned from those that have come before us. Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC, Vice President of MedAxiom Consulting, explains that the consensus from participating groups has been favorable and provides key lessons learned from their experience.
Learn more about the next open enrollment period at medaxiom.com/bpci-advanced and join us at our upcoming webinar: BPCI Advanced: Insights and Lessons Learned from Cohort 1 CV Participants, on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at 1:00 pm. Register at medaxiom.com/events
What is the best model for compensating physicians, and what is your process for implementing change in physician compensation? Two MedAxiom member programs highlight their respective answers to these questions, showcasing unique compensation models for cardiology in these challenging times. Joseph Goeke, MD, is Chairman of Operations and Finance Committee at Saint Luke's Physician Group. Arie Szatkowski, MD, FACC, is Director of Cardiovascular Services for Baptist Memorial Healthcare Corporation, Baptist Desoto Hospital, Stern Cardiovascular Clinic. Joel Sauer, MBA, is Executive Vice President of MedAxiom Consulting.
MedAxiom's revenue-cycle team shares the latest coding changes and documentation guidelines for: structural heart programs, TAVR, EP studies, device implants, E&M services and surgical procedures. Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, is Director of Revenue Cycle Solutions and Senior Consultant, for MedAxiom. Joline Bruder, CPC, CPMA, CCVTC, CGSC, and Jammie Quimby, CPC, CCC, CEMC, CCS-P, CPMA, CRC, are Revenue Cycle Solutions Consultants, for MedAxiom. Register for their next webinar at www.medaxiom.com/events
Artificial Intelligence continues to advance and to offer innovative ways of tracking cardiovascular patient data. Hear from John Rumsfeld, MD, Ph.D., FACC, Chief Innovation Officer for the American College of Cardiology, as he sits with Joseph Sasson, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of MedAxiom Ventures, to discuss these questions:
1.What is AI, and what isn't AI?
2.What are the misconceptions about AI in healthcare?
3.What are some notable examples of success using AI in the CV space?
4.What are some key barriers to successful AI applications for CV care?
5.How would a typical CV program leverage the benefits of AI today, or is it too early to engage with AI?
This episode was recorded at the CV Transforum Spring 2019 conference. For more information and to register for the CV Transforum Fall 2019 conference, visit CVTransforum.com
The Spring ‘19 CV Transforum conference will cover many extremely timely topics including sessions on artificial intelligence (AI) and remote monitoring. Joe Sasson highlights a few that he feels you will find particularly valuable.
Joseph Sasson, Ph.D. is Executive Vice President of MedAxiom Ventures. Joe’s work includes helping MedAxiom members to access the technologies and solutions they need most to effectively run their organizations and prepare themselves for the future of value-based care. Simultaneously, Joe works with dozens of companies in med-tech, device, pharma, imaging, cath labs/ASCs, and health IT to deliver economic value propositions and strategies to help companies accelerate commercial growth. For more information, email HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com
As programs continue to utilize Advanced Practice Practitioners (APPs), it is important to quantify the value that they bring to the team. Ginger Biesbrock explains four methods that can be used to track and measure productivity and performance.
Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC, is Vice President, MedAxiom Consulting. She is a respected executive, provider and teacher with 20+ years of experience in the health care industry with a concentration in clinical care and operations. Before joining MedAxiom Consulting, Ginger was Director of Operations at West Michigan Heart, a 39 Physician practice with 24 mid-level provider. At West Michigan Heart, Ginger oversaw all operations for ambulatory services, tertiary care and rural health practices. Prior to that Ginger was the COO of the Cardiovascular Group at Centra-Health.
Her areas of consulting expertise include APP Utilization, Care Team Optimization and Transitions of Care. For more information, email HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com
Creating benchmarks for your cardiovascular program is important but may seem like a daunting task. Lori Walsh explains how simple it is to submit and analyze your data using MedAxiom's tool MedAxcess.
With an obvious passion for what she does, Lori Walsh has worked in healthcare for nearly 20 years, including nine years as the Director of Operations for Heart Clinic Arkansas. In her role as Vice President of Membership, Lori uses her healthcare background to help our current and prospective members build relationships within the industry and maximize the benefits of MedAxiom's exclusive educational and research support services to improve their programs. As a senior consultant, Lori takes her vast operations experience and applies it towards our client practices in the areas of operational efficiency, financial performance, workflow redesign, strategic planning and business development.
Christopher Ott, MD, FACEP, Chief Medical Officer, HCA Physician Services Group, shares: why he refrains from using the term "population health", keys for success with captive payer population reimbursement models, and tips on how to avoid overbuilding your infrastructure. Dana Carpenter is a Communication Consultant for MedAxiom.
For more information, email HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com
Discover challenges and successes CV leaders have experienced with telemedicine (recently named healthcare's greatest opportunity and greatest challenge). Also, learn what financial, clinical and operational specifics should be considered when building a telehealth or virtual care program. Marc C Newel, MD, FACC, FSCCT is Director of MHI® Teleheart Program and Chief of Clinical Cardiology at MHI®, and Jacob Corbell, MBA is Executive Vice President of Business Development at Cardiology Institute of the South. For more information, email HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com
For more information, email HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com
Clinicians agree that roughly one third of variation in care is unwarranted, leading to underuse of effective care, overuse of ineffective care, and increased cost. This video focuses on: how to address unwarranted variation, how to approach outliers and physicians who may be resistant to change, and how technology plays a role in helping to reduce variation. Pat White, President of MedAxiom, interviews Peter Duffy, MD, Interventional Cardiologist at FirstHealth of the Carolinas, and Thomas Schleeter, MD, FACC, FASNC, Chairman Cardiology Division for St. Vincent Medical Group.
Esteemed leaders of the cardiovascular community share their unique perspectives on how the ACC-MedAxiom merger will bring value to its members and to cardiovascular care as a whole. This episode features: C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC, President of the American College of Cardiology; Patrick White, President of MedAxiom; James Palazzo, Vice President of Service Lines at Ascension; Marc Toth, CMAA, Chief Executive Officer of ACA Cardiovascular; and Edward T.A. Fry, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiologist at St. Vincent Medical Group and Member of the ACC Board of Trustees.
For more information, email HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com
The recent announcement of MedAxiom's merger with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) may spark questions. Pat White shares how the relationship has grown over the years and what can be expected now that we will be Transforming Cardiovascular Care, Together.
This year's ACC Cardiovascular Summit will cover some critical topics including sessions on leadership, clinician well-being, and mitigating burnout. Leah Hill, MedAxiom Marketing and Communications Manager, sits down with Candice Reineke, MedAxiom Production Director, to highlight some of the sessions that Joe Sasson, Executive Vice President of MedAxiom Ventures, believes have particular relevance this year.
Recent healthcare headlines tell us that disruptive change is happening at a staggering pace across the country, and now, the market is being led by, and developed to support, self-insured employers. This video focuses on how self-insured organizations are attempting to select providers, how they are looking to pay providers using a bid-price bundle methodology, and how providers can succeed in this rapidly changing environment. Joseph Sasson, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of MedAxiom Ventures, interviews Lee Lewis, Area Vice President of Arthur J. Gallagher, and Eric Haberichter, CEO of Access HealthNet, LLC.
For more information, contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com.
Healthcare providers are working hard to provide the right care to patients, but that hard work alone does not ensure the best outcomes. Ginger Biesbrock explains why having a roadmap or evidence-based guidelines to follow can be very valuable.
For more information, contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com.
Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC, is Vice President, MedAxiom Consulting. She is a respected executive, provider and teacher with 20+ years of experience in the health care industry with a concentration in clinical care and operations. Before joining MedAxiom Consulting, Ginger was Director of Operations at West Michigan Heart, a 39 Physician practice with 24 mid-level provider. At West Michigan Heart, Ginger oversaw all operations for ambulatory services, tertiary care and rural health practices. Prior to that Ginger was the COO of the Cardiovascular Group at Centra-Health. Her areas of consulting expertise include APP Utilization, Care Team Optimization and Transitions of Care.
The importance of having a strong, cohesive and supportive physician culture has never been greater. Concerns about combining aging cardiologists, who are used to working long hours, with younger physicians, who are interested in creating work/life balance, are increasing and complex. Letitia Anderson, MD, FACC, FASE, and Jeffrey Russell, Administrator, both of Renown Institute for Heart & Vascular Health, are leading the charge of integrating physician cultures in their organization. They describe what has worked for them, as well as what resistance they have encountered along the way. Dana Carpenter is Communication Consultant for MedAxiom.
For more information, contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com.
"Public policy and managerial innovation is less about health and more about money (taxes)," says Michael Chernew, Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School. So how do we slow spending growth? Payment reform, benefit design, competition/managed care, organization of medical practice, and wellness are all factors that Chernew suspects will play a key role. Jacob Turmell, DNP, RN, NP-C, ACNS-BC, CCRN-CMC, is Vice President of MedAxiom Consulting.
For more information, contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com.
The electronic medical record (EMR) has impacted how we deliver care. Jacob Turmell provides six things that will help with EMR success whether you are in the planning phase, new to the platform, or have been using it for several months or years.
Jacob Turmell, DNP, RN, NP-C, ACNS-BC, CCRN-CMC, Vice President, MedAxiom Consulting, is a certified Nurse Practitioner with a strong clinical background combined with years of medical industry experience. While earning his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, Jacob’s focus on systems leadership gave him expertise in organizational assessment, outcome-driven change management, population health, and public policy. At MedAxiom Consulting, Jacob is focused on care processes redesign and provider team optimization.
For more information, contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com.
We are hearing that patient collections can be a struggle from estimating cost up front to collecting at time of visit. Nicole Knight provides ten best practices for developing a proactive collection plan for 2019.
In a few weeks the calendar flips to 2019 and that means patient deductibles will reset. How prepared is your practice to collect?
Many programs tell me that their patient balances are out of control. In my experience, it's usually because we lack proactive systems to facilitate patient collections.
With the new year you have an opportunity to evaluate and set up these systems. Here are ten best practices to help you achieve this goal.
- Update your collection policy and get providers on the same page.
"You are responsible for paying your portion of the bill" is a common but vague statement that is difficult to operationalize and enforce. Update your policy language to provide details. Focus on things such as patient education, rules about establishing payment plans, and how staff should handle patients who can't pay their balance.
Remember the regulatory guidelines and avoid "professional courtesy."
- Set expectations up front.
The biggest complaint we hear from staff when they have trouble collecting is that patients weren't told they would have to pay, so they aren't prepared to pay. Schedulers are your first touch in the collection effort. Train them to explain your policy and provide a range of fees as well as payment options. For instance: "Mr. Johnson, in addition to the visit fee, Dr. Jones may conduct a study or test during your visit. A typical fee range for most patients is $300 - $500, and we ask that you be prepared to pay your visit copay plus any unmet deductible and coinsurance..."
- Designate a financial counselor.
Practices that are most successful at collecting patient balances are the ones that have a designated person available to speak privately with patients about what they owe. Ideally, this conversation is held in-person, in a private office.
I recognize the challenges of bringing on a new FTE. But if you look at the actual dollars that this person can collect against the cost of sending out months (sometimes years) of statements, plus the amount you are currently writing off to bad debt or collections, you can justify the financial case.
- Equip staff with the right data.
A first step in staff knowing the amount to collect from patients is creating a reference of fee schedules for the most common office visits procedures and testing, for your top contracted plans and Medicare. Put the information in a table or spreadsheet so staff can quickly calculate what patients owe if they have not met their deductible.
The batch eligibility report is another great resource. It shows who is ineligible for coverage on the date of service, and often provides copay and remaining deductible information for each patient on the schedule. I suggest running batch eligibility at least two days prior to the date of service so staff can contact patients with information and options. Communicating in advance is important to overall patient satisfaction and also will assist with managing access to fill an open slot if the patient chooses to reschedule.
- Collect pre-procedure deposits.
Some practices have adapted the modern practice of giving patients a written estimate of what they will owe for procedures. Many payors offer online cost estimators that calculate the patient's out of pocket responsibility based on unmet deductible, non-covered services, and coinsurance. Enter the CPT billing codes and the estimate is quickly customized for the patient.
- Train front desk staff how to ask for money.
When I'm conducting an assessment of the front desk, I often hear staff say, "Are you going to pay your copay today?" and "I'm so sorry but I have to ask you to pay today."
Training and role playing are vital to building staff confidence about asking for money. Provide scripts that help them handle objections and sensitive subjects such as what to do when a patient arrives for an appointment and can't pay.
- Offer multiple payment options.
I've started hearing more and more patients ask staff whether they can set up an auto payment on their credit card to pay off the balance. Patient financing is an option that's becoming popular for patients who have $1,500+ deductibles but no room left on their credit card to pay them. Typically, the practice pays a small service fee and the balance is paid in full and off the A/R; no more statements or staff calls. And, online bill pay is a convenience that can encourage patients to pay past due balances.
- Offer a discount if the patient pays in full.
To clear up large, past due balances, send patients to speak with the financial counselor, who can discuss multiple payment options that include a discount when the patient opts to pay the balance in full.
- Have a plan for financial hardship.
Obviously, there will be patients who cannot afford to pay their bill. Instead of letting that money languish in the A/R, offer assistance to patients who meet certain requirements, such as a household income that is a certain threshold above the U.S. Poverty Guidelines. Consider adopting the hospital's policy for a sliding payment scale. And for those patients who are indigent or unable to pay anything, don't wait: facilitate a process for "Charity Care" instead of letting the account inflate the A/R.
- Set collections goals and reward success.
Staff perform better when they know someone is monitoring their work. Set metrics for collecting a specific percentage of collectible copays each quarter or reducing patient A/R over 90 days old. When the incentive is reached, reward staff with gift certificates, pizza, or an ice cream party. If you have multiple sites, make it a friendly competition to see who collects the most, and update all teams at the end of each week to keep everyone engaged.
Don't wait until the end of March for uncollected high deductibles and coinsurances to show up in the A/R. Be prepared and put a plan in place before the holidays so you can hit the ground running in 2019.
Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, ACS-CA, is director of Revenue Cycle Solutions at MedAxiom Consulting. Her decades of hands-on health care experience includes cardiology and neurology practice operations, clinical management, business office management, and consulting for coding and compliance. Nicole maintains her LPN licensure in Louisiana and Florida. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Association. She received her Advanced Coding Certification with the Board of Medical Specialty Coding. Nicole is a certified AHIMA ICD-10-CM Trainer and completed a Lean Sigma Healthcare training course at Johns Hopkins University. She also serves on the Physician Practice Council for AHIMA.
For more information, contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com
Cardiology Advocacy Alliance leaders explain why it is so important to get involved with your legislators in Washington, and to share with them the issues that are impacting cardiovascular healthcare. Cathie Biga, RN is Former President of CAA and President and CEO of Cardiovascular Management of Illinois; Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC is Executive VP and Chief Clinical Officer of Ballad Health System; and Pat White is President of MedAxiom. This episode was recorded at the CV Transforum on October 11, 2018. To join the Cardiology Advocacy Alliance, go to www.cardiologycaa.com. For more information, contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com or visit https://www.medaxiom.com.
The MedAxiom Revenue Cycle Solutions team gives us a sneak peek into what's new for 2019 coding and documentation guidelines. Also, they detail what we can expect from each of the four sessions of their upcoming CV Coding Boot Camp 4-part webinar series. To register, please visit https://www.medaxiom.com/events . Please register for each webinar individually to comply with AAPC rules and earn CEUs. Each of the four webinars offers 1.5 CEUs. For MedAxiom members, each session each free. For non-members, the price is $99 per attendee per session.
CV Coding Boot Camp Session 1: CV Diagnostic Testing Coding and Medical Necessity Requirements
December 17, 2018 at 1:00 PM-2:30 PM EST
Instructors: Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P and Jammie Quimby, CPC, CCC, CEMC, CCS-P, CPMA, CRC
This session provides an overview of the tools and technology used for Cardiovascular Diagnostic testing. How are these services coded? What are some of the payer guidelines for reimbursement? What are the documentation, supervision and place of service requirements for these various services?
CV Coding Boot Camp Session 2: 2019 Cardiovascular CPT Coding Changes
December 18, 2018 at 1:00 PM-2:30 PM EST
Instructors: Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P and Joline Bruder, CPC, CPMA, CCVTC, CGSC
During this webinar, we will provide an overview of the New, Revised, and Deleted CPT codes for 2019 that impact Cardiovascular services. We will discuss how these changes will affect provider documentation, coding, and reimbursement processes. We will also define changes in the final Medicare physician fee schedule.
CV Coding Boot Camp Session 3: Cardiac Cath Lab Procedure Coding
December 19, 2018 at 1:00 PM-2:30 PM EST
Instructor: Jammie Quimby, CPC, CCC, CEMC, CCS-P, CPMA, CRC
We will review the coding and documentation principles in both diagnostic cath coding, coronary interventions and PV procedures, and apply these concepts to actual case examples.
CV Coding Boot Camp Session 4: Coding and Documentation Guidelines for Open Vascular and AV Fistulas
December 20, 2018 at 1:00 PM-2:30 PM EST
Instructor: Joline Bruder, CPC, CPMA, CCVTC, CGSC
In this webinar we will review CPT coding, billing and documentation requirements as they pertains to open Vascular and AV Fistula procedures. Topics include: Endarterectomies, Open Thrombectomies, Bypass Grafts- Venous, PTFE, AV Fistula Coding, and Amputations.
As an industry there are many registries available that offer data to improve things like clinical outcomes but there are still missed opportunities to optimize that data. Ginger Biesbrock lists five ways to get additional value from your registry investments.
We all know that physician burnout is a major issue, but they aren't the only ones experiencing it. Lori Walsh details five ways that will help you avoid or reverse it if you've identified a problem.
Alternative Payment Models will impact your organization's future revenue, whether participating in voluntary models or waiting for mandatory payment policies to take effect. So what role will BPCI Advanced play in this new era, what is "BPCI Advanced Plus", and what are the current drivers and challenges among providers, payers and self-insured employers? David Terry is CEO and Founder of Archway Health. Joel Sauer is Executive Vice President of MedAxiom Consulting.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
Learn more: https://www.medaxiom.com
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
Learn more: https://www.medaxiom.com
Ginger Biesbrock believes that creating real team-based care comes down to goals, relationships and communication. She sees it at work in programs across the country. Here she explains how it can work for you.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
Learn more: https://www.medaxiom.com
Are you overwhelmed by device clinic management? Too much data? Complex processes? Take a deep breath. Nicole Knight offers great tips for optimizing your device management system. Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, ACS-CA, is director of Revenue Cycle Solutions at MedAxiom Consulting.
Prepared for bundled payments? Are cost avoidance strategies, like same-day discharge and care pathway optimization, the keys to success? Dr. Amit Amin says 60-70% of costs are attributable to index hospitalization. So how do we mitigate inpatient costs for cardiovascular healthcare? Dr. Amit Amin is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and Cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri. Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC, is Vice President of MedAxiom Consulting.
Four years after starting an effective A-fib clinic, Bradley Hubbard, MD, of Michigan Heart, shares his journey: first steps, lessons learned, and advice to those looking to start an A-fib clinic. Dana Carpenter is Communication Consultant for MedAxiom.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
For more information: https://www.medaxiom.com
Unwarranted clinical variation was the #1 concern of 54% of healthcare executives in a recent industry survey. Is data the answer? Two cardiovascular leaders share their groups' journeys and how they foresee the future of data in this value-based system. Amy Frye-Anderson, RN, MSN is Assistant Vice President of Government Programs and Clinical Reporting for HCA Physician Services Group. Samuel Hanke, MD, is a pediatric cardiologist and an assistant professor in the Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center. Lori Walsh is Vice President of Membership and Senior Consultant for MedAxiom.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
For more information: https://www.medaxiom.com
Same-day discharge (SDD) is reducing costs for Medicare hospitals in low-risk populations, by an average of $3,600. See how this estimate was calculated, how patients are reacting, and tips for hospitals looking to start SDD programs in their cath labs. Amit Amin, MD is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and Cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri. Joe Sasson, P.h.D. is Executive Vice President of MedAxiom Ventures. Gary Clifton is Vice President of Terumo Business Edge.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
For more information: https://www.medaxiom.com
If you missed the BPCI Advanced enrollment window in 2018, another opportunity is coming soon! How should your group get ready for it? What chance do cardiovascular groups have, to reach the APM-participation threshold, and thus, qualify for a 5% bonus? David Terry is Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Archway Health, a data analytics company focused on bundled payments and innovative payment models. Joel Sauer is Vice President of MedAxiom Consulting.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
Learn more: https://www.medaxiom.com and cvtransforum.com
Changing compensation models can be controversial: despite an organization's positive intentions, someone usually gets a pay cut. What is the best way to approach compensation redesign and most effective way to communicate about changes? Mark Chang, MD, MBA, FACC, FSCA is President of CVA Heart Institute and Senior VP of Ballad Health System. Adam Klein is Principal for ECG Management Consultants. Dana Carpenter is Communication Consultant for MedAxiom.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
Learn more: https://www.medaxiom.com and cvtransforum.com
Non-healthcare companies, like Google, Apple and Amazon, are now staking claims in healthcare. Is this a good disruption for our industry? What strategies may help today's health systems remain competitive, and what is the future of interoperability? Mike Mytych, MBA is Principal and Founder of Health Information Consulting. Joel Sauer is Vice President of MedAxiom Consulting.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
Learn more: https://www.medaxiom.com and cvtransforum.com
If the goals are to improve patient outcomes, succeed in risk payment models and improve the healthcare experience for all, then how can cardiovascular leaders re-engineer care delivery? What are the challenges, first steps and keys to success? Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC and Jacob Turmell, DNP, RN, NP-C, ACNS-BC, CCRN-CMC are Vice Presidents of MedAxiom Consulting. Dana Carpenter is Communication Consultant for MedAxiom.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
For more information: https://www.medaxiom.com
How do St. Vincent Health and Ascension Health approach the Quadruple Aim within their cardiovascular service lines, improve provider engagement, increase patient satisfaction and patient access, and measure success?
Edward T.A. Fry, MD, FACC, FSCAI, is Chair of the Cardiology Division and Physician Dyad Leader of the St. Vincent Health Cardiovascular Service Line, and Chair of the Ascension Health National Cardiovascular Service Line. Joel Sauer is Vice President of MedAxiom Consulting.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
For more information: https://www.medaxiom.com
If your revenue cycle management is all about putting out fires, there is relief in sight. Nicole Knight helps you focus on six key areas to create a more successful revenue cycle.
Nicole Knight, LPN, CPC, CCS-P, ACS-CA, is Director of Revenue Cycle Solutions at MedAxiom. Her decades of hands-on health care experience includes cardiology and neurology practice operations, clinical management, business office management, and consulting for coding and compliance. Nicole maintains her LPN licensure in Louisiana and Florida. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Association. She received her Advanced Coding Certification with the Board of Medical Specialty Coding. Nicole is a certified AHIMA ICD-10-CM Trainer and completed a Lean Sigma Healthcare training course at Johns Hopkins University. She also serves on the Physician Practice Council for AHIMA.
CMS is proposing to update the list of Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) covered surgical procedures by adding 12 cardiac catheterization procedures to the list for CY 2019. Joe Sasson thinks this may be a good time to rethink your ambulatory strategy. Joe Sasson, Ph.D. is Executive Vice President of MedAxiom Ventures.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
For more information: https://www.medaxiom.com
Proposed QPP (Quality Payment Program) changes for next year have you confused? Ginger Biesbrock explains what you need to know now. Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, AACC is Vice President of MedAxiom Consulting.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
For more information: https://www.medaxiom.com
How partnering with Philips Volcano helped Ballad Health transition from volume to value; what quality and cost measures were used; who benefits from this risk-sharing venture; how long it took to implement; and keys to a successful partnership. Jerry Blackwell, MD, FACC, MBA, is Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Ballad Health System in Tri-Cities, Tennessee. Joe Sasson, Ph.D., is Executive Vice President of MedAxiom Ventures.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
For more information: https://www.medaxiom.com
Cardiovascular program leaders share how they learned to best utilize Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in both the clinic and hospital settings, how their APP governance structures were developed, and what challenges they overcame along the way.
Episode Notes:
Jacob Turmell, Vice President of MedAxiom Consulting, interviews Vance Chunn, D.Sc., FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of Cardiology Associates of Mobile, Alabama, and Joseph Goeke, MD, FACC, Chairman, Operations & Finance Committee of Saint Luke’s Physician Group.
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For more information: https://www.medaxiom.com
The RUC survey process needs to change - we need a better selection process and yes, it should be random and non-biased. Respondents need to know what the survey is being used for, and all must trust that statisticians know how to handle outliers.
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Do patient navigators make sense for cardiovascular healthcare? Jacob Turmell of MedAxiom Consulting shares his thoughts after dealing with the healthcare system as a consumer.
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
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Cardiovascular thought leaders join to continually advance healthcare for all. What is MedAxiom? Who should listen? Who will be hosts/guests? What topics will be covered? Episode types and lengths? How to contact us?
Episode Notes:
What is MedAxiom?
A powerful community of cardiovascular healthcare leaders dedicated to advancing healthcare through innovation, peer learning, expertise and data. The MedAxiom community includes more than one third of all cardiovascular programs in the U.S.
Who should listen?
Providers, administrators, care coordinators, industry partners, billers, coders, service line leader, and anyone in between. Anyone who cares about advancing cardiovascular healthcare, maybe even patients.
Who will be hosts and guests?
MedAxiom HeartTalk will have lots of different hosts, including MedAxiom's team of consultants, who have worked in the trenches of healthcare for years - some have led hospital operations; others have served as providers. Guests will be pulled from MedAxiom's national network of cardiovascular professionals—both providers and industry innovators.
What topics will be covered?
The Quadruple Aim, patient access, MIPS, MACRA, financial management, business development, risk assessment, electronic medical record, strategic planning, physician engagement, telemedicine, population health, care delivery, APP utilization, cardiology compensation models, legislative changes, revenue cycle management, medical coding, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and more.
Episode types and lengths?
Weekly blog posts, by a different MedAxiom consultant (5-10 minutes). Longer heart-to-heart discussions of personal stories, best-in-class practices and valuable lessons learned. Shorter QuickTips from consultants or industry experts (1-2 minutes).
Contact: HeartTalk@medaxiom.com
For more information: https://www.medaxiom.com