What are the benefits of staying at the host hotel?

You will be surrounded by your fellow conference attendees, NAB and AAPCCA board members, along with staff from the AAPC national office. It is also a great chance to meet new friends and catch up with all your conference friends from previous years.

What does my conference registration include?

All of the general and breakout sessions, and all of the meals during the program, including the member appreciation banquet lunch.

Will I meet any of the National Advisory Board, the AAPCCA Board, or any of the AAPC staff at conference?

Yes, both the National Advisory Board (NAB) and the AAPCCA Board are involved in putting on the conference and are available throughout the conference to meet and network with conference attendees. You will also have the opportunity to meet other staff members from the AAPC national office.

Where will I find my handouts for the conference?

Handouts will be available two weeks prior to and three weeks following the conference. They are accessible to registered attendees conference web page (once you are logged in). If you wish, you can print out the handouts and bring them to the conference, but it is not necessary. Paper copies of the handouts will not be provided at the conference.

A code card lists all of the approved sessions on one document. The vendor portion of the code card includes the title, index number, specialty designations, and number of CEUs for each session. The attendee portion of the code card has the same information excluding the index number. Each AAPC member attendee should be given an attendee code card prior to the conference. The index number of a session should be released to the attendees at the close of each session. It is the responsibility of the attendee to write the index number on their code card and retain the document.

DOCUCON 2024 Agenda

Tuesday, October 1, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM, MT

GS1 / Leveraging AI in the Medical Industry/ PANEL / Jessica Miller, MHA, CPC, AAPC Approved-Instructor; Christopher Chandler. MHA, MBA, CPC, CGSC; Kristen Viviano, MHA, CPC, CRC-I

We cannot avoid artificial intelligence making an entrance into the healthcare arena. This presentation will answer the questions: How and where is AI making an appearance in healthcare? What are the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating AI in healthcare? How can we best use AI to improve our workflow and documentation? What are the ethical and privacy concerns with AI?

Tuesday, October 1, 10:15 AM - 11:30 AM, MT

1A / Intro to Outpatient CDI / Colleen Gianatasio, CPC, CPCO, CPC-P, CDEO, CPMA, CPPM, CRC, AAPC Approved Instructor

Come join our discussion on one of the hottest topics in healthcare right now — outpatient clinical documentation integrity. We’ll discuss the reason for the focus on outpatient CDI, the challenges, and how to get your program started.

1B / Deep Dive - CDI for Cardiology / Sharon Oliver, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, AAPC Approved Instructor

In this interactive session we’ll discuss how HCC/risk and E/M guidelines converge, with documentation of chronic conditions being the key to it all. Our focus will be on cardiology.

Tuesday, October 1, 12:30 PM - 01:45 PM, MT

2A / Deep Dive into Diabetes Documentation / Colleen Gianatasio, CPC, CPCO, CPC-P, CDEO, CPMA, CPPM, CRC, AAPC Approved Instructor

Join us for this session to discuss the complexities of accurately documenting and coding diabetes. You will learn why healthcare organizations focus on diabetes prevention and care, how a provider makes a diagnosis of diabetes, and what official guidance is available for accurate coding and documentation of this condition.

2B / Deep Dive - CDI for Orthopedics / Jacob Swartzwelder, CPC, CIC, CRC, CEMC, CPMA, AAPC Approved Instructor, AAPC NAB Member 2022-2025, SAFe 5 Practitioner

In this interactive session we’ll discuss how HCC/risk and E/M guidelines converge, with documentation of chronic conditions being the key to it all. Our focus will be on orthopedics.

Tuesday, October 1, 02:15 PM - 03:30 PM, MT

3A / Care Management Services (Principal Care, Chronic Care, Complex Chronic Care) / Keisha Wilson, CCS, CPC, CPMA, CRC, CPB, Approved Instructor

This presentation will provide healthcare professionals with a comprehensive understanding of care management coding, specifically focusing on Principal Care Management (PCM), Chronic Care Management (CCM), and Complex Chronic Care Management (CCCM) codes. The session will cover the definitions, requirements, billing processes, and practical applications of these codes to enhance patient care, ensure compliance, and optimize reimbursement for managing chronic conditions.

3B / CDI for General Surgery / Jaci Kipreos, CPC, COC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I, CEMC

In this interactive session we’ll discuss how HCC/risk and E/M guidelines converge, with documentation of chronic conditions being the key to it all. Our focus will be on general surgery.

Tuesday, October 1, 03:45 PM - 05:00 PM, MT

4A / Documentation Deficiencies Identified by the OIG / Stephanie Thebarge, CPC, CPCO, CPB, CPMA, CPPM, CEMC, CHONC; CJ Wolf, MD, M.Ed., CPC, COC, Approved Instructor

The OIG is currently investigating several different types of services, such as home dialysis, home health, and advanced care planning. Part of the OIG’s cases center around documentation deficiencies associated with these services. This session will review examples of the OIG’s reports.

4B / CDI for Oncology / Stephanie Thebarge, CPC, CPCO, CPB, CPMA, CPPM, CEMC, CHONC

This session will focus on documentation pitfalls in oncology and how CDI can improve documentation, identify risk areas, reduce claim denials, and more. Topics will include identifying common diagnosis-related denials and how improved documentation can reduce those denials, commonly missed diagnoses in oncology and hematology, cancer staging, top reasons for provider queries, strategies for open communication and partnerships between provider, coder, and CDIS, and much more.

Wednesday, October 2, 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM, MT

GS2 / How to Go From Coding/Auditing to CDI / PANEL / Jaci Kipreos, CPC, COC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CPC-I, CEMC; Melissa Kirshner, CPC, CPCO, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CEMC, CFPC, COBGC, Approved Instructor, AAPC Fellow; Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CENTC, CGSC, COBGC, COPC, CPEDC, AAPC Approved Instructor

Growing in our selected profession is part of the path to gaining knowledge and a deeper understanding of what it is that we do. But when is it time to take the next step, and how do you get it done? Come with your questions for this panel of speakers.

Wednesday, October 2, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM, MT

5A / Coding Guidelines vs. Physician Queries / Marianne Durling, MHA, RHIA, CPC, CCS, CDIP, CPCO, CDEI, CIC, AAPC Approved Instructor

Who loves a coding guideline? There are rules and then there is influence. In this session you’ll learn best practices for when and how to query providers based on the most common coding guideline issues.

5B / CDI for Data Optimization / Sherrie Thevel, CPC, CPC-I, CRC, CPMA, CPPM

This session will focus on how cross-functional management can leverage CDI data to optimize reimbursement, processes, training/education, cost reduction, and more. Topics will include types of metrics available, pre-CDI denial rates vs. post-CDI denial rates, query analysis/reports (provider agreement rate), impact on quality metrics/patient outcomes, impact on clinical and coding workflows, escalation reports, vendor reporting (if outsourced), and financial outcomes.

Wednesday, October 2, 12: 00 PM – 01:00 PM, MT

GS3 / Networking Lunch

Wednesday, October 2, 01:45 PM – 02:30 PM, MT

6A / Medically Necessary History and Exam / Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CENTC, CGSC, COBGC, COPC, CPEDC, AAPC Approved Instructor

In this session we’ll learn what constitutes medically relevant history and exams, what resources are available, and how to implement best strategies for documentation improvement by hitting all elements.

6B / Documentation to Support Critical Care / Raemarie Jimenez, CPC, CDEO, CIC, CPB, CPMA, CPPM, CPC-I, CANPC, CRHC

Documentation is always under scrutiny by payers. In this session an auditor and a physician will analyze the documentation and the definition of critical care and show how the documentation does or does not support the intent of the CPT^® description.

Wednesday, October 2, 02:45 PM – 04:00 PM, MT

7A / What Resources are Trustworthy? / Pam Warren, MHA, CPC, COC, AAPC Fellow

What are the reliable resources that can be quoted to prove a point or to use for education? Just like we require from providers, we must also “show the work.” In this session, we’ll discuss the good and the bad and what to look for to tell the difference. We’ll look at examples of each and consider the potential outcomes when the information that you present is not trustworthy.

7B / CDI for Ophthalmology / Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, CENTC, CGSC, COBGC, COPC, CPEDC, AAPC Approved Instructor

It seems simple: right eye, left eye. Understanding the nuances in documentation that affect the various conditions of the eyes and medical coverage is essential when working in ophthalmology. In this session you’ll learn it’s never as simple as it seems.

Virtual Conference

DOCUCON