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We honor the memory of one family member
 | | August (Gus) Flick |
August (Gus) Flick joined the RMS family of talent as the clinical director of PTRS-Hinsdale on Jan. 20, 2009. On Jan. 17, 2011, Gus lost a brief but courageous battle with cancer. Gus was born Jan. 6, 1958 in North Riverside, Ill. He was married to his wife, Jacqueline, for 26 years. They have three children; Jacob, Maxwell and Alyssa. The impact Gus had on the clinic and the community in Hinsdale was immediate. His relationships with area providers helped to grow his practice in a very brief period of time and a new, larger facility was opened in October of 2009. Gus attended many continuing education courses to ensure that he would be delivering the best/most current physical therapy practices to his patients.
Gus' staff - Amanda, Susan, Larana and Nicole - comprised a team of dedicated, professional individuals that carried out Gus' model of quality patient care and integrity to the profession. It is their desire to continue Gus' legacy by continuing that dedication and level of care in the facility.
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Payer contracts regularly reviewed for best rates
Connie Ziccarelli, COO & Director, Managed Care Operations, and the Managed Care Team have negotiated reimbursement rate increases on major medical, per diem and workman's compensation contracts within the last six months.
Most recently, the major medical contract was renegotiated in our northern Wisconsin market in January 2011; the per diem contract was renegotiated to a fee for service contract in our Illinois market in December 2010; and the workman's compensation contract was termed to a state-mandated fee schedule in another regional Illinois market in August 2010.
Each payer's contract is reviewed on a recurring basis to ensure the best reimbursement rates are being provided to each clinic. In our Illinois and Wisconsin markets, for example, there are no existing workman's compensation discounted PPO contracts. In states where there is a large PPO presence, Connie and her team continue to strengthen relationships with payers to help with referrals. Providers have seen an increase in referrals in those states due to ongoing discussions with payers.
"I really value that top-of-mind awareness I have with payers," Connie said. "It allows the provider to not have to worry about whether their claim will be paid. They can focus their efforts on what they do best - seeing patients." |
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Scrapbook: News in brief from our family of talent
 | | Kevin Svoboda, PT, with Rosalind Franklin University School of Medicine faculty and alumni. |
» Progressive Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists is helping patients keep their New Year's resolutions. The clinic hosted an Open House on Thursday, Jan. 27 to showcase its Medical Weight Management Program. » The Practice Management Team kicked off its 2011 Leadership Management University Series on Thursday, Jan. 20. The learn sessions will feature continuing education and training to keep team members sharp. » Kevin Svoboda, PT, National Clinic Growth & Development Director, regularly helps interview physical therapy school applicants at Rosalind Franklin University School of Medicine. Kevin was at the university on Saturday, Jan. 15 helping other physical therapists interview applicants for the school's 2014 class. » Sport & Spine Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists has opened a second location to serve its growing patient clientele. The new location positions the clinic perfectly to compete in our northern Michigan market, as it can now see patients from two neighboring cities. |
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Family Album: Meet the team
 | | Jodi and Catherine |
We're highlighting the work in tandem of our expert Billing and Reimbursement Teams. Jodi Woodward, Director of Billing and Coding » Time with RMS: 9 years » Family: 2 children (Toby and Kylie); husband Robert » Born and raised in Racine, Wis. » Education: B.A. in Business Management, University of Wisconskin-Parkside » Hobbies: golf, camping » Role: Jodi ensures every patient visit is billed accurately and compliantly to be paid on first submission. Jodi also manages the entire Practice Management software system to ensure all claims and EOBs are formatted accurately and compliantly per federal and third party payer regulations.
Catherine Saaski, Director of Reimbursement
» Time with RMS: 9 1/2 years
» Family: 3 children (Henry, Reese and Tyler); husband Dave
» Born and raised in Racine, Wis.
» Education: Attended University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Gateway Technical College w/ emphasis in business and marketing
» Pets: 2 (guinea pig, bearded dragon)
» Role: Catherine ensures maximum reimbursement for the services provided. She works with Jodi to make sure payment is received for what is billed.
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ANSI, CPT Code update in place ahead of industry
Under the direction of Connie Ziccarelli, COO & Director, Managed Care Operations, Central Office operations and systems have proactively implemented compliance with ANSI 5010 standards and ICD-10 CPT code standards.
The nationwide ANSI standard will change on Jan. 1, 2012. Our Practice Management Software Systems are ready to begin testing with insurance companies later this year. Jodi Woodward, Director of Medical Billing, collaborated on the implementation with Connie.
The team also is years ahead of schedule in compliance for ICD-10 CPT Codes. The new standard will become effective by Oct. 1, 2013. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), adoption of the ICD-10 code is expected to:
- support antifraud and abuse activities by accurately defining services and providing specific diagnosis and treatment information;
- provide the precision needed for a number of emerging uses such as pay-for-performance and biosurveillance;
- support comprehensive reporting of quality data;
- and ensure more accurate payments for new procedures with fewer rejected claims, among other benefits.
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Make industrial inroads by keeping safety in mind
Are you looking to increase your clinic's involvement in industrial rehabilitation services, but aren't sure where to start? The answer may be a right arm away.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends that industrial safety professionals equip themselves with an "extra right arm" in the form of a safety committee. Well-trained, purposeful safety committees can significantly augment a safety manager's capability and boost a company's overall success and safety record.
So how can physical therapists benefit from this knowledge? Start by making inroads at a local industrial organization. Find out who the members of that company's safety committee are and introduce yourself. You may be able to help shape the committee's agenda. The New York State Department of Transportation suggests the following duties for a committee:
- be the facility's safety "eyes and ears"
- find and help correct problems
- be proactive and innovative, rather than just "fight fires"
- help investigate accidents and near-misses
- help establish and maintain safety policies and procedures
- assist in determining accident preventability
If the company at which you're trying to make inroads doesn't have a safety committee, suggest they start one with the above guidelines. The company will benefit from fewer preventable accidents, and you may find the company turning to you for safety advice and industrial rehab when accidents do occur. |
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Core Value:
Customer Experience
Your customer is the only one with the privilege to put you out of business. Focus on the guest experience for each and every patient.
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This Issue's Reading List:
» Book: Guts! Companies That Blow the Doors Off Business-As-Usual by Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg
» Webinar: "Documentation for Rehab Services: Compliance, Communication and Cash"
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Have a news tip?
Do you have a news tip or story idea for our family of talent newsletter? Is there something or someone you'd like to see get more recognition?
Just drop our newsletter editors a note at rms-press@tds.net. We will respond to your message and set up a time to talk within 24 hours.
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Therapist contributes to leading PPS magazine
 | | The January issue of Impact. |
Emily Monson, PT, Clinic Owner and Director of Clear Lake Physical Therapy in Wisconsin, has joined the editorial board of Impact Magazine, the APTA's Private Practice Section publication.
Emily will write monthly columns covering one of four different topics: Marketing, Talent Pool, Office and Incubator. Emily said she's very excited to begin work on the new endeavor and hopes to provide insights to the PT world with knowledge she's gained in her own practice.
"What's exciting is finding things the clinic is doing well," she said. "Little details about what we're doing here at the clinic and about PT can trigger interest."
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Meet our growing team
Congratulations and welcome to these PTs who have recently joined our growing family of talent:
» Sana Omer, DPT - Optimal Health Institute, Addison, Ill.
» Nicole Hilgenberg, MPT - Spine & Sport Physical Therapy, St. Joseph, Mo.
» Jocelyn Davis, FDC - Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists, Midland, Mich.
» Brandi Spring, FDC - Sport & Spine Physical Therapy, Ann Arbor, Mich.
» Olivia Cortez, FDC - Progressive Physical Therapy, Muskego, Wis.
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Notes from HR
» Please remember to alert the HR Department if any staff member - either providers or FDCs - are out of the clinic, for scheduled or unscheduled reasons.
» Also a reminder: if payday (the 5th and 20th of each month) falls on a Saturday, the deposit will be made on Friday. If the payday falls on a Sunday, the deposit will be made the following Monday.
"Focus first on the human kind"
Healthy humans are productive humans. And that means emotional health, a positive attitude, expressing appreciation, accepting others and taking care of yourself. Take care of yourself today. It's a basic human need.
- Adapted from The Daily Carrot Principle: 365 Ways to Enhance Your Career & Life by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton
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Sanford-Brown students gain real world experience
Our family of talent continues to benefit from a productive partnership with Sanford-Brown Technical College. The Practice Management Team regularly hosts students from the school for an 8-week externship course.
The students learn real-world skills in the areas of medical coding and billing, and are exposed to the Practice Management Team's industry-leading Life Cycle of the Claim process. Several team members have been hired directly from the externship program with great success.
The Practice Management Team is proud to contribute to the community through this program and to have the unique opportunity to shape the professional development of the future talent of the healthcare industry.
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