AAPC 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 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 and speaks at local chapters, conferences, and other health care-related conferences on coding subjects. Each NAB representative becomes an ambassador for 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 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.

 

President:
David B. Dunn, MD, FACS, COC, CIRCC, CCC, CCS, RCC — Nashville, TN
Vice President, ZHealth

Dr. David Dunn oversees physician coding and manages ZHealth operations. In 2002, he joined his longtime colleague, Dr. Zielske, at ZHealth and is a regular instructor for ZHealth educational programs and a contributor to Dr. Z’s Medical Coding Series reference books. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Dunn completed his Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Texas in San Antonio, his surgical residency at Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas, and his vascular surgery fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. A diplomat of the American Board of Surgery, he is also certified in vascular surgery. Dunn is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery.

 

President-elect:
Jaci Johnson, CPC, COC, CPMA, CPC-I, CEMC — Richmond, VA
President, Practice Integrity, LLC

Jaci Johnson has been working in the field of medical coding and auditing for 22 years and has been a CPC® since 1994. She teaches PMCC and manages a national client list, providing compliance monitoring for provider documentation. Johnson was recognized as Coder of the Year in 2006. She is the past president of her local AAPC chapter. Johnson received her Bachelor of Science in finance from Virginia Tech.

 

Secretary:
Maryann C. Palmeter, CPC, CENTC — Orange Park, FL
Director of Physician Billing Compliance, University of Florida Jacksonville Healthcare, Inc.

Maryann Palmeter has over 27 years of health care experience in government contracting and physician billing. She provides professional direction and oversight to the billing compliance program at the University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville. Palmeter is the education officer and a two-time past president of the Jacksonville, Fla. chapter. She was AAPC’s 2010 Member of the Year.

 

Member Relations Officer:
Nancy Clark, CPC, COC, CPB, CPMA, CPC-I — Elberon, NJ
Manager, Health Care Services, EisnerAmper, LLP

Nancy Clark has over 20 years of experience in medical coding and billing, healthcare consulting, accounting, and business administration. She applies her skills to assist physician and hospital clients with revenue cycle management. Clark focuses on coding and documentation reviews, assistance with payer audits, and providing education for physicians and their staff. She is also an AAPC certified instructor, a contributing author to health care publications, and a presenter at seminars. Clark is a member of the Novitas Medicare Provider Outreach and Education Advisory Group and co-founder of the New Jersey Coders' Day Medical Coding and Billing Conference. She is proud to support the AAPC for recognizing the value of medical coding professionals and enjoys working with its members.

 

Jeanne S. Gershman, CPC — Norton, MA
Business Analyst, Miriam Hospital (a Lifespan Partner)

Jeanne Gershman has more than 20 years in the health care field, with experience in ambulatory care, medical coding and compliance, emergency rooms, customer service, and information systems and technology. Gershman is very active in the local AAPC Providence Chapter and has served as president, vice president, and education officer. Through her leadership and direction over the last three years, chapter membership and participation has dramatically increased. Gershman holds an associate degree in Business Administration and Health Information and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management.

 

Susan Edwards, CPC, CEDC — Morrisville, VT
Coding Specialist, Copley Hospital.

Susan Edwards began her career in the health industry as a filing clerk at Florida Health Care Plans in Daytona Beach, Fla., moved up to medical records department manager, and cross-trained in transcription. For the past eight years, she’s worked at Copley Hospital in Morrisville, Vt., where she started in the radiology department and has since transferred to the HIM coding department. In 2009, Edwards was Region 1 - Networker of the Year. She was secretary of the AAPC Chapter Association (AAPCCA) Board of Directors, Northeast Region 1, and was AAPC Newport, Vt. local chapter president in 2012. She has written presentations for both physicians and staff and teaches medical terminology at a local community technical center.

 

Michael D. Miscoe JD, CPC, CASCC, CUC, CPCO, CCPC, CHCC — Central City, PA
President Practice Masters, Inc., Founding Partner, Miscoe Health Law, LLC

Michael Miscoe has a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy, a juris doctorate degree from Concord Law School, is president of Practice Masters, Inc., and founding partner of Miscoe Health Law, LLC. He has served on AAPC’s NAB, is a current member of the Legal Advisory Board, and is chair of the Legal Ethics Committee. Miscoe is admitted to the Bar in California and to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. District Courts in the Southern District of California and the Western District of Pennsylvania. He has 20 years of experience in health care coding and over 16 years as a compliance expert, forensic coding expert, and consultant. Miscoe has provided expert analysis and testimony in civil and criminal cases, and represents health care providers in post-payment audits and HIPAA Office for Civil Rights matters. He is a national speaker and a published author.

 

Yvonne Dailey, CPC, CPC-I — Tom’s River, NJ
Owner, Dailey Billing Services Inc, AAPC PMCC Instructor

Yvonne founded Dailey Billing Services in 2001 to provide electronic medical billing services. With more than 10 years experience in the medical billing and coding field, she teaches her clients the “key role” for correct coding and documentation and its affect on the reimbursement process. Dailey has experience as an adjunct instructor for business schools in her area and is a PMCC instructor providing seminars for physicians, staff, and new coders. She has served as president for the Monmouth Ocean and Toms River local chapters and previously served on the 2008-2009 NAB.

 

M. Colleen Mescall, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I — Chesterfield, VA
Senior Audit & Compliance Specialist , Health Management Resources, Inc.

Colleen Mescall has worked in the health care field in a variety of settings for over 25 years and has been a CPC since 2000. She received her 2011 her Masters in Health Administration with an emphasis on education in 2011. She has worked in billing and registration in hospitals, group practices, and for the Department of Defense. She teaches coding and billing at a local college in Richmond, Va., and audits and educates providers and staff to ensure compliance with federal documentation guidelines.

 

Erica T. Cousin, CPC — Kernersville, NC
Medicare and Medicaid Accounts Receivables Manager, Cornerstone Healthcare

Erica Cousin attended North Carolina Agriculture and Technical University, where she studied industrial engineering. She has been a CPC® since 2004 and has over 10 years of health care management experience. Cousin founded two companies servicing the medical community: Diabetic Home Deliveries Solutions, Inc. and Codexecutives, Inc. She has managed all components of the revenue cycle for inpatient, outpatient, E/M, radiology, and DME providers and now manages the Medicare and Medicaid accounts receivables for Cornerstone Healthcare.

 

Sylvia Partridge, CPC, CGSC – Athens, GA
General Surgery Coding Specialist

Sylvia Partridge has more than 42 years in the medical field. She completed a physician assistant program in Boston, Mass. and started her medical career working as a lab tech at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. In the mid-’70s, she was introduced to coding while working with a general practitioner in Atlanta, Ga. Partridge moved to Athens and worked as an assistant to an internist and as a coder. “Our office was the first in town to have a computer system to do all our claims!” Partridge said. She became a full-time coder for three general surgeons in 1992 and has been a general surgery coder ever since. She taught a coding class at the local vocational school and enjoyed sharing her love for coding with her students. In 2001, Sylvia earned her CPC-I and started the Athens, Ga. chapter, serving three terms as president.

 

Virginia “Jennie” Outlaw, CPC, CMPE — Jacksonville, FL
Business Manager, First Coast Cardiovascular Institute

Jennie Outlaw has been a member of AAPC since 2004. She is a founding member of the St. Augustine, Fla. chapter and is 2013 president. She has served in several officer positions and has 15 years of experience as a business manager, compliance officer, and education officer. She helped develop an internal chart audit process and compliance policies at the University of Alabama. While at the University of Florida, she promoted education for staff development. Outlaw markets the St. Augustine chapter through educational seminars and has been a coding instructor at Virginia College.

 

Angela Clements, CPC, COSC — Covington, LA
Coding and Education Department Internal Consultant, Ochsner Health Systems

Angela Clements has worked for seven years at Ochsner Health Systems as senior associate analyst and abstractor, and now as an internal consultant for the Coding and Education Department. She has been in health care for 14 years, holds CPC® and COSC® certifications, and has an associate degree in Health Service Office Management. Clements helped to establish the Covington, La. local chapter and has held the offices of president, vice president, treasurer, educator and new members officer.

Stacy Harper, JD, MHSA, CPC — Overland Park, KS
Health Care Department Counsel at Lathrop & Gage, LLP

Stacy Harper served as office manager for a medical practice in Lawrence, Kan., where she was responsible for coding, billing, medical records, and reception operations, and administering the practice’s auditing and corporate compliance programs. She obtained her juris doctorate from the University of Kansas School of Law and master’s degree in Health Service Administration from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Harper’s legal practice now focuses on regulatory compliance and reimbursement for health care providers. She has experience working with a wide range of providers including multi-specialty physicians, acute and critical access hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, independent diagnostic testing facilities, and rural health clinics.

 

Ann M. Bina, CPC, COC, CPC-I — West Salem, WI
Manager of Coding and Revenue Integrity, Gundersen Lutheran

Ann Bina has over 20 years of experience in the health care field and has held various positions throughout the revenue cycle. Bina has been a CPC since 1993 and serves as president of the La Crosse, Wis. local chapter. Besides obtaining multiple AAPC coding credentials, she holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Viterbo University and is Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC).

 

Chandra Stephenson, CPC, COC, CPMA, CPC-I, CANPC, CEMC, CFPC, CGSC, CIMC, COSC — Lebanon, IN
Consultant

Chandra Stephenson started out in health care 10 years ago and has worked in various settings, including a centralized billing office, a family practice office, a cardiology office, and as a billing and coding instructor at a local technical college. She has worked as a coding and compliance auditor and enjoys conducting audits, researching coding and compliance issues, developing coding tools, and providing practitioner education.

 

 

Cynthia A. Swanson, RN, CPC, CEMC, CHC, CPMA — Omaha, NE
Senior Manager - Health Care Consulting, Seim Johnson, LLP

Cynthia Swanson has over 30 years of health care and consulting experience. She has assisted with physician and hospital projects related to CPT®, HCPCS, and ICD-9-CM coding; medical record documentation review; Medicare fraud and abuse issues; corporate compliance programs; reimbursement issues; litigation support and testimony; internal policies and procedures; IRO work; and other regulatory matters. Swanson formalized training in these areas and is a frequent local, state, and national speaker on health care topics. She enjoys networking and teaching and is active in the Nebraska and Iowa AAPC chapters.

 

Rhonda Zollars, CPC, COC — Scottsdale, AZ
Fraud Investigator, State of Arizona Medicaid Program

Rhonda Zollars has worked in the medical field since 1988, beginning her coding career as a medical assistant in internal medicine. This experience built the foundation for her current position as a fraud investigator for the State of Arizona Medicaid Program. Zollars has held many positions in the Scottsdale, Ariz. chapter, including president and educational officer. In 2008, she was honored as AAPC Region 7 - Coder of the Year. Zollars extends her passion for coding education to her local chapter and her employer.

 

Ida L. Landry, MBA, CPC — Portland, OR
Medical Coding Specialist, CareOregon

Ida Landry works for Keen Heathcare, a HME manufacturer and supplier of durable medical equipment. As Director of Keen Home Medical one part of her job is to oversee a staff of 13 and their participation in the revenue cycle as it pertains to insurance and facility billing. She also act as the Compliance Officer tackling everything from reaccreditation, regulatory complaints and issues, Medicare, Medicaid and Board of Pharmacy audits, quality improvement assurances, and anything else that falls within compliance. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration and a Master of Business Administration with a focus of Health Care Management. Ida enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge of coding.

 

Melissa Tescher, CPC, CPMA, CEMC — Salem, OR
Coding Supervisor, Physician Auditor, and Educator, Willamette Valley Professional Services

Melissa Tescher shares her passion for coding by creating and implementing training plans and materials and by shadowing providers upon request. Tescher extends her passion and experience outside her organization as a local community college speaker and presenter at AAPC local chapters. After serving as past chapter president, she challenged herself by obtaining CEMC and CPMA specialty credentials. Over the last few years, ICD-10 has become a new opportunity for Tescher to grow and lead.