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DOCUCON 2022

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Join Us For DOCUCON

A Clinical Documentation Improvement Conference

Join AAPC as we delve into clinical documentation improvement (CDI). This 2-day conference will take a comprehensive deep dive into clinical documentation improvement, covering best practices for implementing a CDI program, provider engagement, provider queries, documentation requirements for E/M, and other procedures. We’ll also feature a pathophysiology series covering diabetes, chronic kidney disease, sepsis, COPD, emphysema, and heart conditions.

The conference will feature 2 tracks with 16 sessions in total. Click the "Agenda" tab above for more information on tracks.

This conference is designed for CDI professionals, compliance officers, and auditors to provide the latest industry insights, best practices, and expertise around clinical documentation improvement. You’ll leave with the knowledge and know-how to maximize the impact you can make and thrive in your profession. You can earn up to 12 CEUs and there will be a networking lunch hour so you can bond with your colleagues from around the country.

Virtual Only | April 26-27, 2022 | 12 CEUs
2 Tracks with 16 Sessions total + a Networking Lunch Hour
Member Pricing $595

Join us!

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

General Session

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM, MDT | 1.00 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

GS1: Operationalize CDI Implementation | PANEL

Donna Malone, CPC, CRC, Approved-Instructor; Kristen Viviano, CPC, CRC; Samuel Le Church MD, MPH, CPC, CRC, CPC-I; Paula Digby, CPC, CPC-I

This panel consisting of industry experts will answer all your CDI questions focused on the best ways to Implement a CDI program. They will share their stories of success as well as hurdles. Come with all your questions ready!

General

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM, MDT

EH1: Break

Breakout Session 1

10:15 AM - 11:30 AM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 1 - 1A: Intro to Outpatient CDI

Colleen Gianatasio, CPC, CPCO, CPC-P, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I

Outpatient CDI is the hottest new topic in the business of healthcare today! This session will discuss how outpatient CDI differs from previous approaches to improving documentation and coding. Participants will learn some do's and dont's of provider engagement and a comprehensive understanding of how to compliantly query a provider. This will be an energetic discussion of this exciting new field so be prepared to interact and share your experiences and ask questions!

10:15 AM - 11:30 AM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 2 - 1B: Pathophysiology of Heart Disease

Sharon Jane Oliver, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, Approved-Instructor

Heart disease is the biggest killer in women above cancer. Everyone can be impacted by heart conditions that we are either born with (congenital) or developed due to lifestyle (acquired). This presentation will address the top recorded diagnoses pertaining to heart disease, and how that respective disease, when first diagnosed, progresses. What steps can be taken by the plan of care at the patients participation in compliance with the provider to correct the condition. How are the other organ systems impacted?

General

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, MDT

EH2: Lunch Break

Breakout Session 2

12:30 PM - 1:45 PM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 1 - 2A: Define Goals and Standards of CDI and What to Include in Processes and Risk Areas

Paula Digby, CPC, CPC-I

We all know that documentation is the foundation of coding, coding (with charge capture) is the primary basis of billing and billing is the requirement of payment. However, payment logic seems to get more complex and payers more difficult leaving providers challenged to obtain and maintain accurate payment. Looking at the revenue cycle and the role of CDI, you very quickly see its’ importance and that running an effective, efficient CDI program can greatly support the services provided and protect the payment once received. CDI is imperative to ensuring payment accuracy, documentation compliance and building a defense for the care provided and payment received even before questioned. That said, without understanding the goals and standards expected, it leaves a provider open to miss direction and miss steps. Join in this session as we discuss CDI goals and standards as well as key processes and risk areas.

12:30 PM - 1:45 PM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 2 - 2B: Pathophysiology - Sepsis

Sheri Poe Bernard, COC, CPC, CDEO, CRC, CPC-I

Sepsis is a tricky diagnosis to assign based on sketchy documentation, multiple providers with their hands in the chart and ever changing clinical criteria. This session will explain the pathophysiology behind Sepsis, Outline current acceptable clinical parameters and do a deep dive on ICD 10 CM code assignment. Sepsis codes to one of the highest paid DRGs making it a favorite for auditors looking for overpayments.

General

1:45 PM - 2:15 PM, MDT

EH3: Break

Breakout Session 3

2:15 PM - 3:30 PM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 1 - 3A: Engaging Providers for CDI

Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CENTC, CGSC, COBGC, COPC, CPEDC, Approved-Instructor

Getting providers to engage on CDI efforts can be a struggle if you are not armed with the right tools. In this session, we will learn about: 1. Differing communication styles 2. How to use the right tools/mechanisms for effective communication 3. How to drive with the RIGHT data for optimum engagement

2:15 PM - 3:30 PM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 2 - 3B: Advance Coding: Diabetes

Colleen Gianatasio, CPC, CPCO, CPC-P, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I

Diabetes is a chronic condition that negatively impacts the lives of millions. Participants of this interactive session will leave with an understanding of how diabetes impacts patient care and healthcare resource expenditures. They will receive a detailed overview of critical diabetes coding guidelines and Coding Clinic guidance. Participants will learn common documentation and coding challenges and opportunities.

General

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM, MDT

EH4: Break

Breakout Session 4

4:00 PM - 5:15 PM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 1 - 4A: Documentation – It's Not Just for Coding

Kelly A Shew, CPC, CPCO, CDEO, CPB, CRC, Approved-Instructor

Let’s be honest – we all know clean and clear documentation is important for billing, right? But why else is thorough documentation needed? Join us as we discuss documentation standards for these reasons, some of which include: - Patient safety and quality of care - Education opportunities - Reduction in risk management exposure

4:00 PM - 5:15 PM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 2 - 4B: Impact of COVID on CDI and How to Prepare for Future Disruptions

Sheri Poe Bernard, COC, CPC, CDEO, CRC, CPC-I

During COVID and during the duration of other emergencies, well-hewn contingency plans and attention to government guidance can make all the difference. Whether we are talking about pandemics, natural disasters, or political upheavals, it's a fact that major shifts in our reality lead to major shifts in our operations as well as our ability to connect with patients or provide and document medical services compliantly. This session will discuss how COVID affected compliance in documentation and coding, and learn from our COVID response how to be better prepared during the next event. We will also look at weather emergencies, and how we need to prepare our medical communities for outages or floods.

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

General Session

9:00 AM - 10:15 AM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

GS2: How to Become a CDI – Coder to Auditor to CDI | PANEL

Angela B Clements, CPC, CPMA, CEMC, CGSC, COSC, Approved-Instructor; Jaci J. Kipreos, COC, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I, CEMC; Kimberly Garner Huey, COC, CPC, CPCO; Sandra Kay Giangreco Brown, RHIT, Approved Instructor, COC, CPC, CPC-I, COBGC

Are you at a crossroads in your career? Are you thinking of how you can “up your game”? This panel session will focus on how and when to take your skills to the next level. How to know if you are comfortable and ready to review provider documentation with a new set of “eyes”? Bring your questions and thoughts about entering the detailed world of clinical documentation improvement and find out how this adds a unique edge to auditing and education.

General

10:15 AM - 10:30 AM, MDT

EH5: Break

Breakout Session 5

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 1 - 5A: Compliant Provider Queries

Melissa Kirshner, CPC, CDEO, CRC, CPC-I, CFPC

It happens. We have to query our providers to clarify documentation for correct coding. But do you know how to format a correct query? What makes the query correct? In this session:\ - Learn what a compliant query is - Review examples of incorrect and ineffective queries - Develop education strategies for your providers

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 2 - 5B: Oncology Diagnosis Coding

Leonta Williams, CPC, CPCO, CRC, CEMC, CHONC

Learn methods of exploring strategies for open communication and partnership between provider, coder, and CDI professional. Identify common diagnosis related denials for this specialty. Learn how to best navigate the clinical coding ambiguities surrounding the “history of” versus “active” disease. Learn how documentation impacts research initiatives, reimbursement, readmission rates, quality measures, risk adjustment, and physician profiles. We will also review some of the most common diagnosis queries and how to strengthen provider engagement for improved outcomes.

General Session

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM, MDT | 1.00 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

GS3: Networking Lunch

Join us for Networking Lunch while we give out some great prizes!

Breakout Session 6

12:45 PM - 2:00 PM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 1 - 6A: CDI for Lesions and Repairs

Kelly A Shew, CPC, CPCO, CDEO, CPB, CRC, Approved-Instructor

As with any other procedure, accurate documentation for dermatologic procedures is key to capturing the full picture of services that were provided. This is an area with many requirements for complete documentation and many of them are easy to overlook. This session will review documentation requirements for diagnosis and procedure coding for: - Layers, sizing, and complexity of wound closure - Lesion biopsies and removals - Multiple procedures and global periods

12:45 PM - 2:00 PM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 2 - 6B: CAC and Impact of Clinical Documentation

Christine Hall, CPC, CPB, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I

• Define uses of CAC o What is its purpose? o How does it work (examples would be nice)? o What are the pros/cons? • Explore how to leverage EMR tools/templates/macros in a compliant manner o Best practices/advantages (especially to clinicians) o Disadvantages – Upkeep/maintenance; cloned/carry-forward documentation o Compliance and education • Discuss how coders/CDI can work alongside CAC o Impact on coder/CDI productivity/accuracy o Is there a threat to coder/CDI jobs? o Audit implementation for CAC

General

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM, MDT

EH6: Break

Breakout Session 7

2:30 PM - 3:45 PM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 1 - 7A: Documentation to Support 2021 E/M Guidelines and other E/M Services

Jaci J. Kipreos, COC, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I, CEMC

1. Explain how Clinical Documentation has an impact on the completeness of the patient medical record 2. Show how proper Clinical Documentation is directly correlated to the correct selection of the level of service 3. Educate on how to incorporate Clinical Documentation into an audit for any evaluation and management service 4. Explain how missing Clinical documentation can have an impact on correct diagnosis coding

2:30 PM - 3:45 PM, MDT | 1.25 CEUs CPMA, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CDEI, CDEO, CPB, CPCO, CPPM

Track 2 - 7B: Top 10 DRGs for Conditions

Leonta Williams, CPC, CPCO, CRC, CEMC, CHONC

CDI is all about the integrity of documentation, but let us keep in mind proper documentation aids in ensuring proper reimbursement. Facilities should pay close attention to the conditions that drive the highest DRGs. Payers are undoubtedly doing this through their clinical validation processes. Conditions and procedures such as sepsis, heart failure, and joint replacements to name a few have attached relative weights of significant value. Providers need to be aware of documentation that is required to not only support, but also validate the conditions they are treating. This session will cover some CDI practices that will help bolster documentation for top DRGs.

Angela Clements, CPC, CPMA, CEMC, CGSC, COSC, AAPC Approved Instructor

Angela Clements, CPC, CPMA, CEMC, CGSC, COSC, AAPC Approved Instructor, has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She served as Region 5 representative on AAPC's National Advisory Board from 2013-2015 and as the member relations officer from 2015-2018. Clements has extensive experience in multi-specialty coding, documentation, and auditing. She's also a frequent speaker at local medical managers' meetings, as well as other AAPC local chapters in her region.

Christine Hall, CPC, CPB, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I

Christine Hall, CPC, CPB, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I, is the CEO and Senior Consultant for Stirling Global Solutions, LLC. She has a degree in HIM (health information management) and Sociology, along with 30+ years of healthcare administration and information management experience. Hall is Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC), a Certified Professional Coder (CPC), a Certified Professional Biller (CPB), a Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA) a Certified Risk Coder (CRC) and a Certified AAPC Instructor.

Hall is the current chairwoman for the AAPC Billing Advisory Committee, a skilled educator and national public speaker. She has a strong core in compliance, ethics and regulatory affairs, revenue cycle management, coding, credentialing, and practice management.

Hall is a subject matter expert in specialty coding, risk adjustment, telehealth and reimbursement. She has had the pleasure of working with many of the gold star standard organizations in healthcare like AAPC, AHIMA, national medical associations and societies. She serves as the Education Officer of the Palm Beach AAPC chapter.

Amy Lee Smith, MBA, CPC, COC, CPMA, CIA, CRMA, CHIAP, CHFP

Colleen Gianatasio CPC, CPCO, CPC-P, CPMA, CPC-I, CRC, CCS, CCDS-O

Colleen Gianatasio CPC, CPCO, CPC-P, CPMA, CPC-I, CRC, CCS, CCDS-O, has over 20 years of experience in the health insurance field. She has experience in customer service, claims, quality, and coding. In her current role, her primary responsibilities are provider engagement and clinical documentation improvement for accurate coding and reimbursement. Gianatasio specializes in developing innovative coding curriculum and instruction to support compliance with federal guidelines and appropriate reimbursement processes. She is a certified AAPC instructor and enjoys teaching a variety of coding, documentation, and auditing classes. Gianatasio currently serves as president of the AAPC National Advisory Board for the 2022-2025 term.

Donna Malone, CPC, CRC, CRC-I, AHCCA, RAP, AAPC Approved Instructor

Donna Malone, CPC, CRC, CRC-I, AHCCA, RAP, AAPC Approved Instructor, is director ambulatory clinical documentation quality improvement (CDQI) with Mount Sinai Health System, adjunct professor with MassBay Community College, and president/owner of Malone Risk Adjustment Consulting. She has over 25 years’ experience in various healthcare settings, serving primarily in the value-based care space. Previously, she worked for Tufts Health Plan in their enterprise risk adjustment division for seven years, rising to director enterprise risk adjustment coding and provider education; ENJOIN as the director of ambulatory CDI – risk adjustment; and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts as an HCC professional audit III for four years. Earlier, she worked for Am-B-Care for nine years and other healthcare settings previously. Malone is a member of the 2022-2025 AAPC National Advisory Board, has served as president of the Watertown, Mass., local chapter since 2017, and was the chapter’s education officer in 2016.

Amy Pritchett, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I, CANPC, CASCC, CEDC

Jaci Kipreos, CPC, COC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I, CEMC

Jaci Kipreos, CPC, COC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I, CEMC, has been in the field of medical coding and auditing for over 30 years. She has been a Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) since 1994, a Certified Outpatient Coder (COC®) since 2005, and a Certified Documentation Expert Outpatient (CDEO®) since 2019. She is also a Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA®) and is certified in the specialty of evaluation and management (E/M) coding. Kipreos has worked in a variety of practice settings and has expertise in coding for family practice, urgent care, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, and Medicare’s teaching physician guidelines, with an emphasis on compliance with E/M guidelines. She has been an instructor for various AAPC workshops for the past 10 years and has spoken at AAPC’s annual HEALTHCON conference for more than 10 years, as well as AAPC’s regional conferences. Kipreos received her Bachelor of Science in finance from Virginia Tech. She has given presentations at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners state event in Virginia and the national event for the American Association of Medical Assistants. Kipreos is a past president of the Richmond, Va., and Charlottesville, Va., local chapters, and also served as president of AAPC’s National Advisory Board from 2015 to 2018.

Angela 'Annie' Boynton, MSJ, CPC, CPCO, CPMA, COC, CPC-P, CPC-I, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P

Kelly Shew, RHIA, CPC, CPCO, CDEO, CPB, CRC, AAPC Approved Instructor

Kelly Shew, RHIA, CPC, CPCO, CDEO, CPB, CRC, AAPC Approved Instructor, made the switch to healthcare about 12 years ago. Since then, she’s spent some time billing, coding, and auditing, but her happy places are education and risk adjustment. Shew is a member of the AAPC Documentation Advisory Committee and currently serves as education officer for the Ann Arbor, Mich., local chapter.

Kimberly Huey, COC, CPC, CPCO

Kimberly Huey, COC, CPC, CPCO, completed three years of premedical education before she decided that she preferred the business side of medicine. She went on to obtain a Bachelor of Science in healthcare management and a Master of Jurisprudence in health law. Huey's passion is helping physician practices deal with the myriad of regulations so that they can focus on patient care.

Kristen Viviano, MHA, CPC, CRC, AAPC Approved Instructor

Kristen Viviano, MHA, CPC, CRC, AAPC Approved Instructor, has been working in the healthcare industry for over 10 years. She has experience working interdepartmentally with health plans and provider organizations to foster unique approaches for coding, documentation, and performance improvement strategies. Viviano has experience managing all aspects of risk adjustment and clinical documentation improvement initiatives with diverse teams of experts and turning data into actionable information to improve program outcomes and enhance efficiencies. After recently becoming a certified AAPC instructor, she is eager to share her risk adjustment knowledge with fellow coders and help support newer members of the coding community.

Leonta (Lee) Williams, MBA, RHIA, CCS, CCDS, CPC, CPCO, CRC, CEMC, CHONC

Leonta (Lee) Williams, MBA, RHIA, CCS, CCDS, CPC, CPCO, CRC, CEMC, CHONC is director of education at AAPC. She holds multiple credentials across several professional organizations and has more than 20 years of health information management experience as a coding director, auditor, educator, trainer, practice manager, and mentor. Williams is founder and past president of the Covington, Ga., local chapter and served as secretary on AAPC’s 2018-2021 National Advisory Board.

Melissa Kirshner, CPC, CDEO, CRC, CPC-I, CFPC, AAPC Fellow

Melissa Kirshner, CPC, CDEO, CRC, CPC-I, CFPC, AAPC Fellow, has been involved in the healthcare world for over 30 years, with experience in billing, coding, auditing, education, practice management, and risk adjustment. She is a passionate educator for both the AAPC Live Virtual Instructor team as well as for her private Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) students. Kirshner serves as chairperson of the AAPC Documentation Advisory Committee and is a founding member of the Novi, Mich., local chapter, where she currently serves as chapter president.

Nancy Reading, RN, BS, CPC, CPC-P, CPC-I

Nancy Reading, RN, BS, CPC, CPC-P, CPC-I, has worked in healthcare for 42 years as a nurse and coder and is currently the director of coding for Robin Healthcare. She has worked in the professional, hospital outpatient, and hospital inpatient settings. Her career includes having her own consulting business, working for large university medical centers, Medicaid, and as a Medicare specialist for the country’s largest private third-party payer. She is a two-time past local chapter president, National Advisory Board member, and previously worked for AAPC as vice president of education.

Paula Digby, CPC, CPC-I, CCS, CDIP, AHIMA-Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer, CEO AQ Consulting

Paula Digby, CPC, CPC-I, CCS, CDIP, AHIMA-Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer, CEO AQ Consulting, LLC, and AQ-IQ, LLC, has more than 30 years’ experience in healthcare, including medical office and health information management; billing and coding supervision; and process design and implementation for multiple types of healthcare providers, such as inpatient and outpatient hospital departments, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, physician practices, and ambulatory surgery centers. Her expertise includes performance of compliance and revenue integrity audits; medical records documentation improvement reviews; ICD-10 documentation gap analysis; education and training on various compliance, revenue cycle, billing, and coding topics to all levels of staff and physicians; assistance and creation of clinical documentation improvement programs; litigation investigative support; and research for biomedical and medical device companies. Digby has functioned as an expert witness, a member of an independent review organization for facilities under corporate integrity agreements, and assisted the federal government (Department of Justice) and state-level Medicaid in coding, documentation, and billing issues for Medicare and Medicaid legislative compliance in multiple legal cases. Digby has worked with legal counsel for multiple provider types, and her work has proven to mitigate circumstances and provide case support for providers.

Jaci Kipreos, CPC, CPMA, CDEO, CEMC, COC, CPC-I

Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CENTC, CGSC, COBGC, COPC, CPEDC, AAPC Approved Instructor

Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CENTC, CGSC, COBGC, COPC, CPEDC, AAPC Approved Instructor, has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, working in the management, reimbursement, billing, and coding sectors, in addition to being an instructor. She was responsible for all ICD-10 training and curriculum at AAPC. Buckholtz has authored numerous articles for healthcare publications and has spoken at numerous national conferences for AAPC, AMA, HIMSS, AAO-HNS, AGA, and ASOA.

Samuel Le Church, MD, MPH, CPC, CRC, CPC-I

Samuel Le Church, MD, MPH, CPC, CRC, CPC-I, is a solo private practice rural family physician, providing both inpatient and outpatient services. His practice is a recognized NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home. Church teaches medical students for the Medical College of Georgia and is on the faculty for the Northeast Georgia Medical Center family medicine residency program, where he is responsible for the coding and practice management curriculum. In addition to speaking and teaching on various coding topics at regional and national conferences, Church consults for both small practices and health systems on HCC coding, practice workflow, and chronic care management implementation and coding. Church serves on the AMA CPT® Editorial Panel and also as the Georgia medical director for Aledade ACO.

Sandy Giangreco Brown, CPC, COC, CPC-I, COBGC, RHIT

Sandy Giangreco Brown, CPC, COC, CPC-I, COBGC, RHIT, has over 30 years of experience in healthcare and medical records management, coding, auditing, and compliance in the hospital, outpatient, and physician settings. Giangreco Brown was previously an EMT/firefighter and certified nursing assistant performing patient care. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health, applying her vast experience in both clinical and coding.

Sharon Oliver, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CPC-I, CRC

Sharon Oliver, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CPC-I, CRC, , is a 36+ year medical professional. She has been a Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) for 18 years and a PMCC instructor for 17 years. Oliver has been a practice manager and worked in the specialties of family practice, ob-gyn, infectious disease, and cardiology. She is a co-contributor to several medical publications and owner of Medical Coding & Consultants. Oliver has presented at numerous national and regional AAPC conferences, serves on several AAPC committees, and travels the nation to conduct onsite training sessions for physicians and staff. She served on the AAPC Chapter Association Board of Directors from 2013 to 2016. Oliver is a member of the Southern Appalachian Coders local chapter in Johnson City, Tenn., where she previously served as president and member development officer.

Sheri Poe Bernard, COC, CPC, CDEO, CRC, CPC-I

Sheri Poe Bernard, COC, CPC, CDEO, CRC, CPC-I, is managing consultant at Granite GRC Consulting, where her chief responsibilities are risk adjustment auditing, clinical documentation improvement, and training. With 28 years in coding and reimbursement publishing, training, and test development, Bernard is an expert communicator of coding concepts. She is the author of the AMA publication Risk Adjustment Documentation and Coding, now in its second edition, and served as coding content developer at Optum360 for 15 years. Bernard served as vice president at AAPC for three years and was on the AAPC National Advisory Board for eight years.