AAPC Chapter Association Board of Directors

The AAPC Chapter Association (AAPCCA), the Governing Board for AAPC Local Chapters, was established to create, maintain, and sustain the infrastructure, through approachable and accountable representation, necessary to empower local chapters to function in support of the AAPC "Upholding a Higher Standard". The Board provides policy, rules, regulations, direction, and advice to the AAPC local chapters and is also charged with ensuring that the local chapters function in accordance with the mission of the AAPC.

The AAPCCA Board of Directors is comprised of 16 certified AAPC members who work collaboratively with AAPC staff and current local chapter officers. Two board members represent each region of the country. New board members are selected on an annual basis. AAPC members who have previously served as chapter officers are invited to apply to serve on the Chapter Association Board of Directors.

AAPCCA Hardship/Disaster Assistance Funds

In 2012, a financial assistance program was introduced by the AAPCCA Board of Directors for the purpose of providing support to AAPC members experiencing difficulty maintaining their membership and credentials. Previously, in 2010, Project AAPC had been introduced the BOD as a way for AAPC members to donate funds to help victims around the world who were suffering from natural/catastrophic disasters. The funds from these two programs now are combined and reserved solely for AAPC members. Those with financial burdens can benefit from this program by applying online. The option is also available for members to nominate a fellow AAPC member in need of financial assistance.

The AAPCCA Hardship Committee is formed of past AAPCCA Board of Directors members and is strictly a volunteer role. The funds continue through donations made by members. Once funds run out, then awards will be on hold. Learn more about this program.

2021 AAPC Chapter Association Board of Directors

Chair

Heather Allen, LPN, COC, CPMA

Region 1 Representative

Heather has over 18 years of experience in coding, billing, auditing, management, and consulting in addition to her clinical experience. Venues including hospital inpatient, solo and group practices, insurance defense auditing as well as consulting. She has been employed the last 10 years with CorroHealth, currently with oversight of coding, auditing and client management for over 50 Emergency & Ancillary Departments and Urgent Care Clinics. She is a past Secretary/Treasurer and President of the Jefferson City Missouri Chapter.

Contact: heather.allen@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Jefferson City, Missouri
Offices held: President, treasurer, secretary/treasurer
Secretary

Robin Goudy, CPC, CRC

Region 4 Representative

Robin began her career in healthcare 28 years ago in the clinical laboratory and continues to grow in new roles. Robin has coded and audited for multiple areas, specializing in HCC and Compliance, and has created educational relationships with providers in all specialties. In her free time, she is often found being a mentor for newly certified coders. She served as the education officer in her local chapter for 2019 and again for 2020 and is currently serving as member development officer.

Contact: robin.goudy@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Covington, Georgia
Offices held: Education officer
Treasurer

Michele Stevens, CPC, CPMA, AAPC Fellow

Region 1 Representative

Michele Stevens has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Starting as a receptionist, she discovered her love of ICD, CPT and HCPCS Level II when asked to take over the practice billing and being promoted to office manager. She has worked as a coder, an auditor/physician educator, and a practice manager and is currently the Clinical Coding Manager at Maine Health in Portland, Maine. She has served as education officer twice, vice president, president and treasurer of the Seacoast-Dover, NH chapter.

Contact: michele.stevens@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Seacoast-Dover, New Hampshire
Offices held: President, vice president, education officer, treasurer
Meeting Coordinator

Brenda Stevens, COC, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I, CMC, CMIS, CMOM

Region 2 Representative

Brenda has 20 plus years of experience working on the business side of healthcare. In her current role she stays knowledgeable on the ever-changing world of medical coding while reviewing billing, coding, and documentation practices to ensure compliance and reimbursement success. Brenda has a passion for teaching and is now teaching coding and billing at the community college level where her communication skills and knowledge help educate students on accurate and ethical coding, allowing for a successful career.

Contact: brenda.stevens@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Salisbury, Maryland
Offices held: President, vice president, member development officer, treasurer
Region 2 - Atlantic

New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC

Victoria Moll, CPC, COC, CPMA, CRC, CPRC, AAPC Approved Instructor, Fellow

Victoria has been in the medical coding industry since 2007. She has multi-specialty experience in professional coding, auditing, and risk adjustment coding. Victoria has published numerous articles on coding and billing best practices and has spoken at several local, regional, and national events, including HEALTHCON, the national business of healthcare expo. She has been featured on various podcasts and has her own dynamic YouTube Channel filled with free coding tips, tricks, and tutorials.

Contact: victoria.moll@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Offices held: President, vice president, education officer
Region 3 - Mid-Atlantic

Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina
Samantha Patterson, CPC, CMC, CRHC

Samantha has over 15 years of experience in coding, billing, insurance, consulting, and teaching. She currently codes different specialties that include cardiology, internal medicine, family practice, rheumatology, nephrology, and urology and has coded many others. She enjoys teaching others, research, and creating tools to help other coders. She is the past member development officer as well as the current president of the Abilene Texas Chapter.

Contact: samantha.patterson@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Abilene, Texas
Offices held: President, member development officer
Region 4 - Southeast

Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, Bahamas
Kimberly Espinosa, CMRS, CPC, CRC, CMPA, CMPM, CPC-I

Kim has over 30 years of experience managing medical offices and 10 years educating medical billing and coding. She is very passionate and enthusiastic about assisting physicians’ offices, so passionate she founded the Naples Florida Chapter and often speaks at her chapter and others in Florida. Her current position is with a large Medicare Advantage carrier educating and reviewing for Medicare risk adjustment. Kim is an independent contractor for education, consulting, and auditing in Southwest Florida.

Contact: kimberly.espinosa@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Naples, Florida
Office held: President, vice president, secretary, secretary/treasurer
Region 5 - Southwest

Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi

Rhonda McCaskill, CPC, COC

Rhonda has been in the healthcare industry for over 30 years. She began in a pathology laboratory that later opened opportunities to learn all aspects of the revenue cycle. She has since worked in billing, coding, auditing, and compliance including outpatient hospital. She started her own billing and coding company and mainly does consulting. She served in the Memphis Tennessee chapter as member development officer and found her passion in being a mentor to newly certified coders. Among her greatest accomplishments was founding of the Horn Lake Mississippi chapter where she currently serves as President.

Contact: rhonda.mccaskill@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Horn Lake, Mississippi
Offices held: President, vice president, education officer, member development officer
Region 6 - Great Lakes

Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio
Denise Garrett, COC, CPC, CPCO, CPMA, CPPM, CSFAC

Denise has been in the Healthcare field just over 22 years. She is the 2021 treasurer for the Bay City Michigan chapter and prior to that served as the president and secretary. She has filled in for member development as an added responsibility over the years as well. She currently works for a billing company and focuses on denial management, auditing, coding, and client support services. She is proudly serving region 6!

Contact: denise.garrett@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Bay City, Michigan
Offices held: President, secretary, treasurer
Tammy Vannatter-Berger, BHSA, CPC, CMA (AAMA), RMA (AMT)

Tammy has 24 years of experience in healthcare and has been with the same healthcare system, in the metro-Detroit area, for 23 years. In 2005 she became a certified coder and began working as a backend medical coder, in revenue cycle. She has since held positions as a physician educator, coding coordinator, supervisor and currently a coding manager for nine emergency rooms and five trauma centers, along with the observation charging. Tammy also has experience in billing, medical assisting, and as an educator. She is a current member of the Macomb Township Michigan Chapter, where she has held officer positions, as president, new member development officer, and education officer.

Contact: tammyvannatter-berger@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Macomb Township, Michigan
Offices held: President, member development officer, education officer
Region 7 - Mountain/Plains

Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa
Tabitha Iverson, CPC

Tabitha has been in healthcare for over 15 years, most recently as a provider relations manager. Previous experience includes work in compliance, practice management, and provider coding education. Her passion lives in bridging the gaps between the multidisciplinary teams within healthcare, working with denial management and building relationships. She hopes to support chapter members in Region 7 by being a resources and support system in their own local chapters. 2021 marks her third year as president.

Contact: tabitha.iverson@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Fargo, North Dakota
Offices held: President, secretary, member development
Tricia Tuttle, BS, MM, CPC, CPB, CPB-I, CEMC, CRCR, CHFP

Tricia has almost two decades of experience in medical billing, coding, auditing, consulting, and teaching. She started her career in workers compensation as an adjuster and transitioned to coding after almost ten years. Tricia has been working as a coder and auditor for Providence St Joseph Health since 2015, as well as working as a billing instructor for a local technical college teaching the future generation of billers. She lives and works in Alaska and is president of the Anchorage Alaska Chapter.

Contact: tricia.tuttle@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Anchorage, Alaska
Offices held: President, treasurer
Region 8 - West

California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska
Cynthia Stephenson, CPC, CRC

Cindy has been in healthcare for over 18 years in a hospital system working in various areas, currently in Patient Facing Shared Services. She’s been involved on the local level in Indianapolis since 2012 and is a former BOD member where she served as treasurer, vice chair, and chair from 2016-2019. She has had many great experiences with chapter members and officers alike. She said there is nothing like the connections she has made in her affiliation with AAPC.

Contact: cynthia.stephenson@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Indianapolis, Indiana
Offices held: President, vice president, treasurer
Julia Mitchell, MHA, CPC, CDEO, CRC

Julia has over 25 years of experience in coding, billing, practice management and consulting, and quality improvement. Venues include hospital, ambulatory services, private solo and group practices, and health plans. She is also the owner of her own physician medical billing service. Currently she is employed by a health plan as a quality improvement project manager, responsible for HEDIS, risk adjustment, and provider and member engagement. Julia is the current president for the Hilo Hawaii Island chapter.

Contact: Julia.mitchell@aapcca.org
Chapter affiliation: Hilo, Hawaii Island
Offices held: President, vice president, secretary, secretary/treasurer
AAPC Representative

Marti Johnson

Director Local Chapters

Marti Johnson and her team are responsible for making each of AAPC’s 500 local chapters a place where members can hone their expertise and grow their careers. To accomplish this aim, she believes in focusing on empowering chapter officers to be capable leaders. A successful chapter has officers who are there for their members, and boldly look for solutions to the unique problems the chapter and members face. Marti believes the future promises many new and vibrant local chapters.

Contact: marti.johnson@aapcca.org
Offices held: AAPC National Office