Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, CGSC, COBGC, CPEDC, CENTC
Vice President of ICD-10 Education and Training
AAPC
Rhonda Buckholtz is vice president of ICD-10 education and training at AAPC. She has
more than 20 years experience in health care, working in the reimbursement, billing and coding sector.
Before joining the AAPC, she was the administrator for a five-location practice in Pennsylvania as
well as being an instructor for Venango Campus, Clarion University for coding and billing. She is
a lead member of the AAPC’s ICD-10 training and education team, which is charged with the development
and training of curriculum on ICD-10 implementation and preparation for providers, facilities and
health plans. She has developed training modules for ICD-10-CM for all specialties for the AAPC
and is responsible for all ICD-10 training and curriculum development for the AAPC and the new Certified
Professional Medical Auditor Credential for AAPC. She has authored many articles for health care
publications and has spoken at conferences across the country. She is a PMCC approved instructor.
Kimberly Reid, CPC, CPMA, CEMC, CPC-I
Director, ICD-10 Development and Training
AAPC
Kim brings over 22 years of progressive coding experience in health care to her role as Regional Director
for the Northeast region. She has a vast range of knowledge from working in a variety of professional
medical settings, including a large academic medical group in Vermont with 500+ physicians. Her most
recent role as a Senior Coding Educator proved her success in leading physicians and students to
achieve comprehensive levels of understanding on complex coding and documentation guidelines. She
is a national speaker who presents regularly on various coding topics across the country.
Betty A. Johnson, BA, CPC, CPC-I, CPC-H, CPCD, CCS-P, PCS, CCP, CIC, RMC
Director, ICD-10 Development and Training
Betty has over 20 years of experience in the health care field and is the AAPC Physician
Services Regional Director for the Midwest. She has worked in a variety of settings
with multiple specialties, including academics, emergency medicine, plastic surgery,
dermatology, family practice, cardiology (diagnostic, cardiothoracic, and cardiovascular),
and general surgery. She has worked with solo practitioners and large physician
groups to assist them with coding, billing, and reimbursement issues. Prior to coming
to the AAPC, Betty ran a private consulting company and spoke nationally for many
groups, such as the AAPC, The Coding Institute, and Blue Cross and BlueShield.
Angela "Annie" Boynton RHIT, CCS, CPC, CCS-P, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, and CPhT
Director 5010/ICD-10 Communication, Adoption & Training, UnitedHealth Group
Angela "Annie" Boynton has served in the health information management field for over 10
years in provider, payer and educational capacities. Currently, she is the Director of 5010/ICD-10
Communication/Adoption and Training at United Health Group, where she helps lead their overall ICD-10
transition. Annie also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Massachusetts Bay Community College,
where she develops curriculum and teaches medical coding, billing, administrative procedures and
medical law and ethics.
Annie was a member the ICD-10 curriculum development team for AAPC. As part of this team, she helped
develop the curriculum that payers will use to facilitate successful 5010 and ICD-10 implementation.
Annie holds an associate’s degree in health information technology and a bachelor’s degree in health
care management from Fisher College and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Health Informatics.
Brenda Edwards, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, CEMC
Coding and Compliance Specialist, Kansas Medical Mutual Insurance Company
Brenda entered the coding and billing profession 25 years ago. She has been involved
in many aspects of coding and billing. Her current responsibilities include chart auditing,
coding and compliance education, and contributing articles to the company website and
publication as well as articles for coding publications. Brenda is an AAPC-approved PMCC
instructor, ICD-10 Trainer and is an AAPC Workshop Presenter. She is a frequent speaker
for local chapters and AAPC regional conferences. Brenda represents Region 8 on the AAPCCA
Local Chapter Board of Directors.
Corrie Alvarez, CPC, CPC-I, CEDC
Educator and PMCC Instructor
Corrie has 25 years of professional experience in the field of medical coding, auditing and practice settings. In 1998, Corrie obtained her teaching credential and started teaching medical billing and coding courses for the Los Angeles School District. She is also an approved instructor for the AAPC’s PMCC course. Corrie is the founder of the Mission Hills, California Chapter where she has held several officer positions. Corrie earned a Bachelor's degree from California State Northridge.
Cynthia L. Stewart, CPC®, CCS-P, CPC-H®, CPMA™, CPC-I®
Revenue Cycle Systems Manager, St. Vincent Health
Cynthia has long been an outspoken advocate for AAPC and is the 2009/2010 President Elect of the National Advisory Board of AAPC. She has been a member of AAPC since 1998 and was the 2006 President of the Central Indiana chapter in Indianapolis prior to being selected to serve as an AAPC National Advisory Board member in 2007.
She has more than 25 years of experience in the medical profession. In the past 15 years she has applied her knowledge and skills in several capacities including Billing Supervisor, Practice Manager, Senior Coding Specialist, Coding and Reimbursement Consultant, and Director of Medical Billing and Coding Specialist and Healthcare Management programs. Currently she is a Revenue Cycle Systems Manager with St. Vincent Health in Indianapolis.
She is an AAPC Workshop presenter and has provided instruction as a reviewer, contributing author and research assistant for various coding and billing text.
Donna Stewart, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CHCO
Compliance Manager, Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters
President, Professional Impact, Inc.
Donna has nearly 30 years of experience in health care coding, auditing, consulting, compliance, and billing. An AAPC-approved PMCC Instructor, Donna provides training for coders, auditors, managers, and physicians. She conducts classes and seminars in coding, E/M auditing, reimbursement, compliance, and documentation. She also provides consulting services for medical record auditing and health care compliance. Donna is very active in AAPC, both nationally and with local chapters, and was recognized as the AAPC Networker of the Year in 2004.
Essie W. White, CPC, CPC-H, CGSC, CPC-I
Senior Coding Consultant, Healthcare Coding Consultants of Hawaii
Essie serves as the senior coding consultant with Healthcare Coding Consultants of Hawaii. Her responsibilities
include coding, auditing, and training. She also served as a bill reviewer of worker’s compensation
and auto insurance claims. In addition, she has18 years of administration and clinical experience
in General and Plastic Surgery.
She is a part-time coding instructor at the University of Hawaii Kapi’olani Community College. She
is also an AAPC ICD-10 implementation instructor.
Jacqueline J. Stack, BSHA, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CFPC, CIMC, CPEDC, CCP-P
Billing, Coding, and Collection Specialist, Seneca Medical Center, LCC/Workers Care
Jacqueline is a highly accomplished health care professional with over 25 years of experience in health care administration, education, and compliance. She holds several AAPC specialty certifications and has a bachelor’s degree in Health Administration. She is also a certified compliance professional. She works at a large multi-physician family care and occupational health practice with two locations in northwestern PA. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience as a certified PMCC instructor. Jacqueline has also been a featured speaker at workshops and national coding conferences. She is actively involved with AAPC and has served on the NAB, various steering committees, and held the offices of president, secretary treasurer, and president-elect in her local chapter.
Jana Purrell, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC
Practice Administrator, Mid Coast Medical Group
Jana Purrell has more than twenty-eight years of hands-on and management experience in a variety of
health care settings including primary care and multi-specialty physician practices and emergency
medicine. She is the practice administrator for Mid Coast Medical Group in Brunswick, Maine, where
she oversees the operations of forty physicians and mid-level providers.
Jana has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and an Associate of Science degree in
Medical Assisting from Westbrook College. She is a certified PMCC instructor for the AAPC. She provides
coding education to students in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts and regularly speaks
to medical organizations at the state, regional and national level.
Jeri Leong, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-I, CPMA
President and CEO, Healthcare Coding Consultants of Hawaii
Jeri Leong is president and CEO of Healthcare Coding Consultants of Hawaii. From 2003 through 2005, Jeri served as the President of the AAPC’s National Advisory Board and currently serves on the AAPC Chapter Association (AAPCCA) Board of Directors. She has also taught various coding courses as a Professional Medical Coding Curriculum (PMCC) instructor for AAPC.
Jeri received her nursing degree through Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, Hawaii. She established the Hawaii Professional Coders Education Fund (HPCEF), which provides financial scholarships for the ongoing education of coders.
Jo-Anne Sheehan, CPC
President and Founder, Lomar Associates, Inc.
She has provided medical billing, coding, and auditing services for over 30 years and has been featured in numerous magazines and medical periodicals. She has acted as a medical billing and coding expert in highly profiled Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases in Boston and has trained others in medical billing on both a local and national level. Jo-Anne is a frequent speaker and staff trainer for medical practices in New England.
Katherine Abel, CPC, CPMA, CEMC, CPC-I
Director of Curriculum
AAPC
Ms. Abel is the director of curriculum for the AAPC. A prior health care consultant, Katherine has over 10 years of practical experience working in health care, including extensive work with billing offices, insurance carriers, and provider offices. Katherine’s experience includes responsibility over coding, compliance, and reimbursement and technology initiatives.
Kathy Rowland, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC
Integrity Compliance LLC
Kathy has over 25 years in the areas of Health Care Administration and Management. Nine years were spent specifically in the development and implementation of practice-based compliance plans, auditing documentation, and litigation support.
Kerin Draak, MS, RN, WHNP-BC, CEMC™
Coding Educator, Prevea Health OB/GYN
Kerin has been involved in the health care field for over 18 years. She earned her undergraduate
degree from UW-Oshkosh in 1991, and then worked as a labor and delivery nurse in the
hospital. After earning her graduate degree from UW-Madison in 1995, she began a nurse
practitioner career. She has over 11 years of clinical experience in women’s health.
Her coding career started in 2004 and has been the coding educator for a 220+ multispecialty
clinic since that time involved in the development of the internal chart audit program.
She has developed educational tools, guides, and policies for the clinic. She is the
president for her local AAPC chapter. She is a past presenter for the Wisconsin Medical
Society’s at their Annual Symposium in 2007 and 2008 and has conducted several audio
and day seminars on their behalf. She was a speaker at the AAPC national conferences
in Orlando and Las Vegas.
Linda Hallstrom, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, CEMC
Director of Coding and Billing, Texas Health Cardiology Practices
Linda has worked as an auditor for a multi-hospital system and as coding director for three hospitalist practices. She also teaches coding classes at the local community college. She enjoys working closely with health care providers to ensure compliant documentation of and appropriate reimbursement for their services. Linda is a strong advocate for coding education and professionalism and a frequent presenter at AAPC local chapter meetings and workshops.
Marilyn Holley, CPC, CPC-I, RHIT
HIT Program Coordinator and Instructor, Ogden–Weber Tech College
Marilyn got her degree in Health Information Management from Weber State University in 1992. She was a coding/data/medical records manager for a multispecialty clinic in Ogden, UT, and has over 15 years of experience in ED provider/facility coding. She has also been an AAPC workshop presenter on diverse coding and practice management topics over the last 5 years.
Peggy Stilley, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, COBGC, ACS-OB
Director of Auditing Services – AAPC Physician Services
Peggy has more than 30 years of experience in the health care industry and has worked in a variety of positions. Her knowledge is enhanced by the experience she possesses in multiple specialties, including General Practice, General Surgery, Neurology, OB-Gyn, and Maternal Fetal Medicine. Prior to working with AAPC Physician Services, Peggy served as the clinic manager for University of Oklahoma, OU Physicians - Women’s Healthcare in Tulsa. She is a national speaker and has presented for The Coding Institute, Ingenix, and Medical Business Institute, as well as for AAPC’s national conferences, workshops, and ICD-10 Boot Camps. She has also authored articles on coding, billing, and practice management issues.
Raemarie Jimemez, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, CANPC, CRHC
Director of Exam Content
AAPC
Raemarie Jimenez has 15 years of experience in the health care industry. She has worked as a billing and coding manager and medical assistant and currently manages the clinical development of the AAPC’s exams program. She served as national externship director for the AAPC’s Xtern program and as advertising coordinator. Prior to joining the AAPC, she spent many years at ConCorde Career Institute, Fla., where she served in several roles, including as an instructor for the coding and medical assistant programs. Raemarie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University.
Suzanne Quinton, CPC, CPC-I, CCS-P, COSC
Owner, Quinton Coding Consultants
Suzanne Quinton has been working in the medical field for almost 30 years. She has served as the president and treasurer of the Pro Tulsa chapter of the AAPC and served on the AAPC’s National Advisory Board from 2007 through 2009. She is also a certified PMCC instructor.
In 2002 she formed Quinton Coding Consultants, Inc. specializing in orthopedic, neurosurgery and cardiovascular/thoracic coding. Suzanne has presented coding workshops for the AAPC and The Coding Institute.
Susan Ward, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-I, CEMC, CPCD, CPRC
PMCC Instructor
AAPC
Susan Ward has more than 20 years of coding and billing experience. She currently works for a reconstructive
plastic surgeon in Phoenix. Susan is a certified PMCC instructor for the AAPC and was a member of
the 2007–2009 AAPC National Advisory Board.
Yvonne Dailey, CPC, CPC-I
PMCC Instructor
AAPC
Yvonne has more than 9 years experience in the medical billing and coding field. As she saw the need for internet technology in the physician office setting, she decided to create her own billing, coding, consulting and training agency. She became a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) in order to better teach her clients the key role of correct coding and documentation in the reimbursement process.
She has experience as an adjunct instructor for business schools in her area. She is a PMCC instructor and provides seminars for physicians, their staff and new coders entering the field.
