Medical Coding National Advisory Board

The role of the National Advisory Board (NAB) is to advise AAPC leadership on coding issues, trends and member needs and enthusiastically promote and support the mission of the AAPC and the coding profession. The NAB works with the national office for the betterment of the entire membership and the medical coding community through active participation in nationally sponsored conferences, events, publications, educational programs and activities. The NAB writes articles, speaks at local chapters and conferences and speaks at other health care-related conferences on coding subjects. Each NAB representative becomes an ambassador for the AAPC and its members.

A position on the NAB is a voluntary appointment for a period of two years commencing at the end of AAPC's national conference in odd number years and ending two years later at the next odd year national conference. The NAB includes 16 members appointed by the AAPC representing eight geographical regions of the U.S. and four officers elected by the NAB including president, president-elect, member relations, and secretary. The CEO and a liaison represent AAPC.

NAB Responsibilities Contract

President:
Terry Leone, CPC^®, CPC-P^®, CIC
President, Catamount Associations LLC

Terry is a specialist in radiology coding, interventional coding and consulting. His career spans over 30 years with experience in various aspects of management, billing, and coding. Since 1996, Terry has been the principal owner and president of Catamount Associates, LLC—a physician billing company. He is the founder and past president of the Western New York Chapter at Buffalo. He is a certified instructor at Bryant & Stratton College, Rochester, New York teaching the Professional Medical Coding Curriculum (PMCC).

President-Elect:
Cynthia Stahl, CPC^®, CPC-H^®, CCS-P
MedTech College in Indianapolis

Cyndi is a past president of the Central Indiana chapter (Indianapolis) and has 18 years of experience in the medical profession, developing a broad base of experience in the practice setting while holding, among others, the positions of consultant, practice manager and senior coding specialist. She is the lead instructor of Medical Billing Curriculum at MedTech College in Indianapolis. She provides medical coding and billing instruction as a writer and research assistant with Elsevier publishing.

Secretary:
Linda Farrington, CPC^®, CPC-I^®
Sr. Provider Training & Development Consultant
Ingenix, Clinical Assessment Solutions

Linda Farrington has over 30 years of experience in healthcare and practice management, specializing in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery and risk adjustment with an emphasis on diagnostic coding.  Linda served as President of the AAPC Phoenix local chapter, Grand Canyon Coders, in 2005; served as Secretary of the AAPC Colorado Springs local chapter, Pikes Peak Coders, in 2009; has presented various audio conferences and workshops; and served on the AAPC National Advisory Board, 2007-2009.  She is employed as a consultant for Ingenix and is the owner/instructor of Medisense, a private occupational school, teaching coding certification courses in Colorado Springs, with a stated mission of “Making Sense of Medical Coding.”

Member Relations Officer:
Julia Croly, CPC^®
Director in actuarial and underwriting, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina

Julia Croly is a director in actuarial and underwriting, with a health care career that spans 30 years. Julia has a BS in biochemistry and a Master’s of public administration with a specialty in health care administration. For the past 20 years, Julia has worked in the health insurance arena. She focuses on provider contract support and group utilization reporting at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. She has also taught ICD-9-CM and CPT® coding at a local college.

AAPC Liaison:
Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC®, CPMA™, CPC-I®, CGSC™, CPEDC™, COBGC™, CENTC™
Vice President of Business and Member Development - AAPC

Rhonda is the Vice President of Business Development and Member Relations for the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). A seasoned coder and coding educator, she previously served the AAPC as director of local chapter relations and as a member of the organization’s National Advisory Board. She is a certified coder and PMCC coding instructor, and speaks frequently at coding conferences. She is the owner of Coding and Reimbursement Experts, Pennsylvania coding consulting service and teaches coding at the Venango campus of Clarion University. Prior to her employment with the AAPC, Ms. Buckholtz was administrator for Wolf Creek Medical Associates, managing a five location multi-specialty practice and was business manager at an otolaryngology practice.

Reed Pew
CEO of AAPC

Reed is CEO and president of the American Academy of Professional Coders. He is excited about the changes in the AAPC and the NAB, and looks forward to getting to know the members.

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Donna SanGiovanni, CPC^®, CASCC™, CHI
Manages Coding for both Office and Surgical Procedures at Yale University

Donna has worked in the ambulatory surgical center (ASC) industry for more than nine years, working at Hamden Surgery Center in Hamden, Conn. before accepting a management position at Yale University. Donna received was named “Who’s Who is the ASC Industry-2008” by Today’s SurgiCenter Magazine. Donna is heavily involved in the education of medical coders. She is an adjunct professor at Gateway Community College, and a program specialist with the Accrediting Council of Independent College and Schools (ACICS). She is the founder and past president of the Hamden, Conn. AAPC chapter.

Beverly Welshans,  CPC^®, CPC-I^®, CPC-H^®, CCS-P
Compliance Coordinator, University of Buffalo School of Medicine

Beverly is the Compliance Coordinator for three of the Practice Plans at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine; University Orthopaedics, Inc., UB Family Medicine and University Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Associates. She audits and educates 100+ physicians, provides coding training for the billing staff, and oversees HIPAA Privacy and Security. In 2001 Beverly became a certified PMCC instructor and has been teaching medical coding ever since. She opened her own consulting company in 2008 and, as an AAPC approved vendor, presents CEU programs throughout the western New York region. Beverly is very active in her Local Chapter and served as president-elect in 2006, president in 2007, and education officer in 2008.

 

Janice G. Jacobs, CPA, CPC^®, CCS
Director at Huron Consulting Group, LLC

Janice Jacobs has over 25 years of health care and consulting experience. During her consulting career she has worked on numerous ambulatory payment classifications (APC), diagnosis-related groups (DRG), and physician billing and coding projects as well as chargemaster (CDM) reviews and various interim staffing engagements such as billing office manager and, most recently, director of compliance at a major west-coast academic medical center. She owned and managed a full-service, multi-specialty medical billing company in northeast Pennsylvania. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Pennsylvania with experience in hospital accounting, auditing, and cost reporting.

Jacqueline J. Stack, AAB, CPC^®, CPC-I^®, CEMC™, CFPC™, CIMC™, CPEDC™, CCP-P
Billing, Coding, and Collection Specialist, Seneca Medical Center, LLC/Workers Care/Primary Care Center

Jacqueline is a highly accomplished health care professional with over 22 years of experience in health care administration, education and compliance. She holds several AAPC specialty certifications andhas an associate degree in business. She is also a certified compliance professional. She is the billing, coding, and collection specialist at Seneca Medical Center, LLC/Workers Care/Primary Care Center, a large multi-physician family care and occupational health practice with two locations in northwestern PA. As an AAPC and PMCC certified instructor, Jacqueline enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience as a part-time instructor at Clarion University, Venango Campus. Jacqueline is a featured speaker at national coding conferences. She is involved in the AAPC by serving on the NAB, various steering committees and is the president of her local chapter.

 

Trina Cuppett, CPC^®, CPC-H^®
Medical Terminology, Billing and Reimbursement College Educator

Trina serves as the president of the Hickory Coding Specialist Chapter in Hickory, N.C. and networks with the Mooresville Coding Chapter which she founded in 2005. She teaches medical terminology and billing and reimbursement issues at a local community college. Trina is also a student with a double major in paralegal technology and middle grade education. She loves learning, teaching, and networking with local chapters.

Barbara Scott, BSN, RN, CPC^®, CFE
Innovative Investigation Resources, LLC

Barbara is a medical coding and investigative nurse consultant specializing in health care fraud, abuse, audits, and medical coding education and has over 25 years of health care experience. In 2006 Barbara established her consulting business, Innovative Investigation Resources, LLC. Barbara served as vice-president, and subsequently president, of the Palm Beach County Chapter. Barbara is committed to education related to medical coding and anti-fraud and has delivered numerous presentations for her local chapter, as well as the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA), and BCBS Association, on topics related to medical coding and health care fraud. Barbara was credentialed as a PMCC Instructor in 2002. Barbara recently partnered with PhySource, a San Diego, Ca. based company, as their director of education, to provide online continuing education courses. Barbara is a graduate of Villanova University and resides in South Carolina.

 

David B. Dunn, MD, FACS, CIRCC™, CPC-Cardio, CPC-H®, CCS, RCC
Vice President, ZHealth

David Dunn, MD, Vice President-ZHealth oversees physician coding and manages ZHealth operations. A graduate of Texas A&M University, he completed his M.D. at the University of Texas in San Antonio, his surgical residency at Scott & White in Temple, Texas, and his vascular surgery fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Dunn spent over ten years as an active vascular surgeon in private practice, which included endovascular procedures. A diplomat of the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Dunn is also certified in Vascular Surgery. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery. He joined his longtime colleague, Dr. “Z”, at ZHealth in 2002.

Robert A. Pelaia, Esq., CPC^®
Senior University Counsel for Health Affairs, University of Florida

Robert A. Pelaia provides a wide range of legal support services for the University of Florida with exclusive legal responsibility for the University of Florida College of Medicine - Jacksonville and its related not-for-profit corporate support entities. He is certified as a Health Care Law Specialist by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education. He has been a CPC^® since 1999. He has been a member of the AAPC Legal Advisory Board, the AAPC Ethics Committee, and was a founding member of the AAPC Chapter Association Board of Directors. He serves as an adjunct professor of health law at Florida Coastal School of Law. He has written numerous articles and is a frequent regional and national speaker on issues related to health care fraud and abuse, compliance, and coding. He has spoken at seminars sponsored by various industry groups including the American Health Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association, the Health Care Compliance Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the AAPC.

 

Marge Carney, CPC^®, CGCS™
Coding and Documents Manager, Midwest Therapeutic Endoscopy Consultants

Marge has worked in the health care industry for over 30 years, in both the hospital and physician practice. She spent 25 years working for one of the ten largest medical centers in the United States. In the last eight years, she moved to the private sector and now serves as coding and documents manager for a GI professional practice which encompasses two physicians and two physician assistants. Marge is responsible for their current coding and billing department, as well as compliance. Her employer, Dr. Aliperti, is widely recognized for his contribution to therapeutic endoscopy. Through local chapter involvement she was responsible for establishing a “Points for Education” program which assists active members to further their education at low cost. Marge served the St. Louis West Local Chapter as president in 2008.

Sandra Kunze, CPC^®, CPC-I^®, CHC-H
Coding Compliance Coordinator, United States Air Force

Sandra has over 20 years experience in the health care field. Her background comes from on the job training. She is a contractor with the United States Air Force (AF) as their coding compliance coordinator where she prepares monthly coding in-services and writes a quarterly coding newsletter. Her responsibility includes creating policy and functional POC for the AF wide coding accuracy audit. Sandra assists the AF coders and auditors with coding questions on a daily basis. She was the 2008 San Antonio, Texas Local Chapter president.

 

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.

Terri Scales, CPC^®, CCS-P
Regional Director of Client Services and National Director of Business Development, Bill Dunbar and Associates, LLC.

As a health care consultant Terri has an extensive background in clinic management, coding, insurance billing, and State Specific Workers’ Compensation Regulation and Compliance. She holds a bachelor of arts in Psychology from Indiana University. Additionally, she was the 2008 president for the Indianapolis Local Chapter.

 

Melody S. Irvine, CPC^®, CEMC^®, CPC-I^®, CCS-P, CPMA, CMRS
CEO and Founder, Career Coders, LLC

Melody has 30 years of experience in the medical profession. She specializes in physician auditing, educational and consulting services. Melody is an approved PMCC instructor and has an extensive background in multi-specialty physician practice, curriculum development, and auditing. She is a past president and president elect of her local chapter in Loveland, Colo. Her true passion is teaching and educational seminars. She is motivated by career challenges. She is working to publish a book in 2009.

Julie A. Leu, BS, CPC^®, CPC-I^®
PMCC Instructor, Iowa Western Community College and Creighton University

Julie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in education. Certified as a CPC^® in 1998, she became an approved coding instructor in 2003 and teaches the PMCC curriculum to Iowa Western Community College students and to employees of Creighton University. She has served as chapter president for the Greater Omaha Coding Chapter. She was a founding member and also served as president for the Metro Omaha Coder’s Association (MOCA). Julie has worked in the medical billing and coding field for over 25 years, with the last ten years being in billing compliance at Creighton University. ICD-9-CM, E/M, and orthopaedic surgery coding are her areas of interest and expertise. 

 

Corrie Alvarez, CPC^®, CPC-I^®, CEDC^®
Educator and PMCC Instructor

Corrie has been working in the field of medical coding and auditing for 25 years and has been a CPC^® since 1999. She attained her specialty credential in emergency room coding in 2007. Corrie has worked in a variety of practice settings. In 1998, Corrie obtained her teaching credential and started teaching medical billing and coding courses for the Los Angeles School District. Corrie 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.

Stacie Hannah, LPN, CPC^®, CPC-I^®, CHCC
President of the Delta Resource Group

Stacie Hannah has over 23 years experience in the health care field and is the president of The Delta Resource Group, a medical coding, billing, compliance and consulting provider specializing in emergency medicine. Prior to The Delta Resource Group, she worked with several national medical coding and billing companies holding executive and upper management positions. She worked for many years as nurse in the areas of urgent care and family practice. Stacie holds a degree in healthcare administration. She is an approved AAPC instructor. Memberships include AAPC, Healthcare Compliance Resources (HCR) and Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA). Stacie enjoys outdoor activities such as boating, camping, and spending quality time with her husband and five children.