Message from the President,

  

Greetings Maine Chapter of HFMA Members: 

 

 

While the healthcare industry continues to change, so does the MaineChapter of HFMA.  In September the Chapter moved away from its traditional coastal setting and held the 2013 Annual Meeting at Hollywood Casino in Bangor.  In celebration of our Chapter's 55th anniversary we took the opportunity to welcome and recognize many Past Presidents who have continued to contribute to and support our chapter over the years.  As our key note speaker, we were very pleased to welcome Steve Rose, FHFMA, CPA and 2013-2014 HFMA National Chair.  Steve installed the current year Chapter officers and shared his vision on doing "Whatever It Takes" to meet our goals and address the challenges of our changing healthcare environment.  The event also included several local and national speakers providing insight on the latest trends in healthcare.  To cap off the session we heard the humor and motivational words of Dr. Steve Sobel who was able to get us to laugh at ourselves, our situations in a final moment of entertainment, to bring all of us all together in song.

 

The education events throughout the upcoming year will also feature many new ideas. The Medicare Cost Report & Reimbursement Symposium in December will be a joint session with the NH/VT Chapter.  This will provide increased networking opportunities and insight from fellow HFMA members.   January 2014 will bring ethics as you have never experienced them before as the Chapter invites Dr. Christopher Bauer to share his often humorous approach to avoiding ethical disasters.  Also, in March 2014 we will be featuring a new Revenue Cycle education session.  The Chapter will host members of the Healthcare Excellence Institute as they share their perspective on Lean and Six Sigma Methods to improve the Revenue Cycle.  Be sure to check the education calendar on our website for the details and a complete list of all of our education programs throughout the year.  http://www.mainehfma.org/site/epage/95574_263.htm

 

In September, President-Elect Denis Houle and I had the opportunity to attend the Regional Fall President's Meeting in Woodstock, VT.  This two day event provided a forum for leadership from each chapter and representatives from HFMA National to work together; sharing our successes and struggles and learning from the ideas and experiences of each other.  We also discussed the Region 1 Annual Conference which will feature a new track this year.  In additional to the traditional Revenue Cycle and Payment & Reimbursement tracks, the third track, Healthcare at the Crossroads, will focus on Leadership, Innovation and Managing Change.  Make sure to mark your calendars for May 14th and 15th for what is sure to be another great event at Mohegan Sun.

 

You should have recently received the Chapter Membership Satisfaction Survey.  The survey is conducted by the National HFMA office but is very important to our local Chapter leadership.    It is my hope that some of the changes implemented have addressed feedback received in prior surveys, whether it be new event locations, speakers or topics.  While our goal is that you are all very or extremely satisfied, as chapter leaders we want to know what works and what doesn't.  I encourage you to take a moment to provide feedback on the operation of our Chapter.  It is your input and suggestions that make our Chapter successful and ensure you that you receive the most value from your HFMA membership.

 

 

Sincerely,

     

Anne Cloutier  

President Maine Chapter HFMA  

Maine Chapter of HFMA Past Presidents in attendance at the Annual Meeting. From left to right: Joseph Wood, Vaughn Clark, Mary Griswold, Marjorie DeSanctis, Tamara Butts, Dayton Benway, Melanie Meader

 

Maine Chapter of HMFA Recognizes Members for Their Contribution

HFMA recognizes that its strength lies in volunteers, who contribute their time, ideas and energy to serve the healthcare industry and their profession. In 1960, HFMA established the Founders Merit Award program which acknowledges the contributions made by HFMA members. Awards are part of a merit-rating plan in which specific activities are assigned a range of point values for a variety of activities such as volunteering in a local chapter, writing an article, speaking at an educational event, mentoring a new member, etc.

The Awards are as follows:

The William G. Follmer Bronze Award - awarded to an individual who earns 25 member points. This award is named after William G. Follmer, who is credited with the creation of the American Association of Hospital Accountants (AAHA), now HFMA.

The Robert H. Reeves Silver Award - awarded to an individual with 50 total member points. Reeves, an organizing member of the AAHA, was elected president of AAHA in 1956 and was instrumental in creating the structure of AAHA.

The Frederick T. Muncie Gold Award  presented to an individual with 75 member points. This award honors Frederick T. Muncie, an organizing member of the AAHA, and the first president of the association (1947-1949).

During the annual meeting, Maine Chapter of HMFA recognized several members for their dedication and contribution to chapter's success.  

• Raye Porter, CPA

  Anne Cloutier presenting Raye Porter with Follmer Bronze Award

Recipient of The Robert H. Reeves Silver Award:

• Anne Cloutier, CPA
• Aimee Plowman, CPA
• Denis Houle
• Natasha Erb, FHFMA, CPA

Recipient of the Frederick T. Muncie Gold Award:

• Kathleen Carmichael, FHFMA, CPA
• Michael Koziol, FHFMA, CPA
• Melanie Meader, FHFMA, CPA

Maine Chapter of HFMA congratulates this year award recipients for this outstanding achievement and applauds their continuous active participation in HFMA.     

Anne Cloutier with Melanie Meader and Kathleen Carmichael, recipients of the Muncie Gold Award

Maine Coast Memorial Hospital Hires New CFO

Maine Coast Memorial Hospital has hired Chris Frauenhofer as chief financial officer. Prior to joining Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, Frauenhofer served as CFO for Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone, N.Y. Frauenhofer also served as CFO at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

When asked about why he chose to come to Maine, Chris responded, "I have a strong personal and professional commitment to community based healthcare and value the opportunity to work and live in a close knit community located on the coast. I was impressed by the Maine Coast team and look forward to becoming an active member of the organization and the community." Chris will be re-locating to Ellsworth with his partner, Kelly Fitzgerald, who is a registered nurse. They have eight children in their combined family.

Frauenhofer earned a master's degree in business administration from Niagara University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from State University of New York at Buffalo.

Chris took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for the Maine Chapter of HFMA's Beacon Newsletter.  Please welcome Chris and his family to our State.

Beacon: What's new and exciting happening at your hospital?

Frauenhofer: Attesting for Meaningful Use, Expansion of primary care, Improved quality and cost structure

Beacon: What is it like to work in your hospital?

Frauenhofer: When you work for MCMH you are part of integrated team whose primary focus is the patient and the quality of the care they receive.

Beacon: What is your business philosophy?

Frauenhofer: Under promise and over deliver, Exceed customer expectations. Do the right thing, for the right patient, at the right time.

Beacon: In your mind, what's the best way to keep competitive edge?

Frauenhofer: Be a good listener, be a learning organization (always looking to improve), and being responsive to your customer needs

Beacon: What has been your toughest business decision in your career?

Frauenhofer: Reducing the workforce due solely to reductions in reimbursement and changes in the economic landscape.  Never easy to let good people go just because you cannot afford them.

Beacon: What do you like best/worst about your job?

Frauenhofer: I really enjoy working with all the different team members that comprise a community hospital including physicians, nurses, and support staff. I do not like the significant amount of regulations that do not contribute to improvements in patient care, business development, or business operation.

Beacon: Moving to Maine is a big change from New York, what has been the best part and what has been the most unexpected?

Frauenhofer: I have found the Ellsworth Community and the State of Maine to be very welcoming and friendly.   I enjoy living and working here.  It is a privilege and honor to represent Maine Coast Memorial Hospital. The only unexpected part is the significant differences in the State Medicaid systems.

Beacon: What is your favorite book/hobby?

Frauenhofer: Great Gatsby and enjoying my time with Family

Beacon: If you could meet anyone, who would it be?

Frauenhofer: Michael J. Fox