Medical Manager

MICHELE ANN LEUZZI

(Cell) 215-***-**** ********@*****.***

Operational Excellence Improve Financial Results Pro-active Team Leadership

Excellent ability to transform practices into high performing functions in the areas of billing, accounts receivable, practice

planning, process improvement and revenue generation, employee and patient satisfaction. .

• Operational Excellence: Consistent track record for developing sound operational practices that has led to

organizations running at peak efficiencies.

• Improve Financial Results: Brought organizations, whether start-ups or mature, to an elevated level of

performance through enhancements in billing, reduction in expenses, process improvements and patient

satisfaction. Grew practices through direct marketing and advertising as well as through physician referral

resources. Responsible for all RFP’s with respect to new business ventures from potential vendors or for

outsourcing services.

• Leadership and Teamwork: Proactive leadership style that gains confidence from all areas within the

organization from physicians, to professional and clerical support staff by ability to make an immediate impact and

resolve long standing issues while achieving patient and employee satisfaction.

Professional highlights:

Indian River Medical Center, Vero Beach, Florida 2014 - 2015

Patient Access Manager Contractual Agreement

It is the responsibility of the Patient Access Manager to supervise Pre-Admission, Insurance Verification, Emergency

Department, Bed Control and Inpatient/Outpatient Registration within the hospital complex. Managed a 24/7 operation of

the ED and assisted in providing assistance if needed with all three shifts.

• Provided support and direction to all decentralized registration points such as Outpatient Surgery, Lab, GI, an

Emergency Department to make certain all areas support patient satisfaction while increasing revenue cycle at all

access points.

• Implemented Strategies to reduce the hospital DNFB. Worked with Revenue Cycle Team to develop status change

reports, primary insurance missing authorization number, Insurance not verified, missing date of birth, employer

information missing from workers compensation accounts. Etc. in order to increase revenue stream.

• Discovered an issue with the system in terms of generating duplicates patients from the time of their conversion 2

years ago. Executed a process to clean up the duplicate accounts to ensure patient safety, and medical record integrity.

Provided training on how to identify duplicates accounts, and communicate the findings in order for the medical

records to be merged into the correct medical record. Accountable for written policies and procedures to ensure users

identified accounts using a 3 step identification process.

• Implemented a new hire training process to ensure staff were trained appropriately with the system prior to gaining

access to the system. Developed a team of employees to work on a training development manual that would be

available to access online.

• Managed trends in providing proper coverage in the ED registration area to improve the patient flow, and decrease

incomplete registrations by cross training personnel to cover in all areas of patient access in order to provide adequate

staffing during peak times to ensure patient registrations were complete prior to being discharged. Provided smooth

transition of Bedside Registration in the Emergency Department, and trained registration clerks to register patients via

bedside using Carts on Wheels.

• Aided in developing controlled report for patients who reflected unknown ethnicity in order to achieve Meaningful

Use financial gain.

• Implemented a reconciliation process for petty cash and collection of copayments to ensure there was no theft and

the system was accountable for every dollar collected. Improved Copayment collection opportunity in the ED, and

upfront patient responsibility collections for outpatient procedures by implementing bonus incentives, scripting, and

benchmarking reinforcement.

• Provided clinical support team with ED redesign to facilitate a decrease in patients leaving without being seen by a

provider. Worked with the clinical support team, information technology and revenue cycle to develop provider pods

with proper bed placement assignment controlled by ED nursing administration in order for the clinical staff to

increase patients seen without losing oversight of patient bed assignment. Introduced the registration team within the

bed assignment within the tracking board in order to capture complete accurate registrations at patient bed side.

• Team Captain for Cancer Walk and Cancer benefit programs. Joined various committees such as the Leadership

Committee which reports to the VP of Human Resources to assist with the change in leadership culture. Engaged

employees to volunteer for various programs and hospital events.

• Strategic development to engage employees, physicians, and patients by rounding to collect information, reward

recognize, build relationships and validate behaviors for safety. Organizational engagement by all stakeholders.

Encouraged the ED to conduct daily15 minute huddles for each shift improve communication.

Delaware Back Pain and Sports Medicine, Middletown Delaware 2013 – 2014

Assistant Director Operations

Directly responsible for assisting the operations director with various initiatives and objectives initially focusing on the

planning of go live of Electronic Health Record and Meaningful Use. Represent the organization to the public, key

stakeholders and business partners in a professional manner.

• Assist operations director and other managerial staff, provided training and guidance with all stages of

implementing Electronic Health Record.

• Introduced and outsourced a scanning process for E.O.B’s and medical charts in order to create more efficient way

to look up EOB’s and removing the need to pull paper as well as proper filing and storage. Reduced overall cost of

paying for storage. Increased productivity for the billing and collections team.

• Hire, terminate, and trained staff. Worked with the Director to sustain and grow programs and service.

• Manage administrative functions to ensure smooth and efficient operations of the organization.

• Support the organization's strategic alliances and partnership. Ensure performance goals are met and set. Fulfill

duties delegated by director. Attend and preside over meetings.

• Create budgets and track expenditures.

• Create presentations for meetings. Implement improvements with billing and collections.

South Jersey Healthcare / Inspira Health Network, Vineland, NJ 2013 – 2013

Practice Manager

Vascular, General, Thoracic and Endocrine Surgery

Directly responsible for strategic development and growth of the Vascular, General, Thoracic and Endocrine Surgery

practices. Managed operations, billing functions and physician productivity. Development of direct marketing to increase

patient referrals from providers within and outside the health system.

• Manage operations staffing, patient, physician and employee satisfaction, as well as physician income and

executed performance benchmark standards. Construct advertising and marketing plan to increase patient

population.

• Assisted in benchmarking process to increase productivity and revenue.

• Review competitors, market analysis necessary to strategically plan for new development of business.

• Develop policies and procedures and employee education to enhance operational performance.

• Design and recommend development of operational efficiency and flow of the practice.

• Facilitate presentations and projects across the Medical group.

• Standardize and normalize the business practices. Develop analytical reports to improve physician and revenue

cycle performance.

• Strategize and plan for future expansion and facilitate meaningful operational flow.

Care Taker 2011- 2012

Care taker for a family member battling stage 4 Cholangiocarcinoma cancer.

COOPER UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL – Camden, NJ 2004 –2011

Administrative Director – Emergency Department

Managed all billing, coding for hospital and physician billing for emergency medicine, P & L budget of over $26M for a

24/7 operation meeting the needs of over 60,000 patients annually, leading 40-50 employees and a staff of physicians with

residency program as well as research program.

• Grew actual revenue of Emergency Department from $16K to $450K monthly by improving billing process by

transitioning all departmental medical billing and collections under my direct administration, and tripled professional

income within one year.

• Implemented document scanning system and batch controls, by providing departmental physicians, primary care

physicians, and the entire business office with access to archived medical records, which provided quality of care,

accountability and medical records tracking systems, and access to patient insurance information.

• Managed expansion and relocation of Emergency Department that doubled in space and increased patient satisfaction

scores.

• Surpassed budgeted charges from anticipated of $11M to $26M in actual and implemented payer specific coding

practices that improved revenues by $1.5M.

• Successfully developed informative one on one program for ED physicians wanting to acquire knowledge in healthcare

administration and operations, providing them with knowledge of entire operational process which included patient

registration, revenue cycle, budgets, contracts, RFP’s coding, and compliance and billing process. Two physicians are

now successfully functioning in administrative roles.

• Executed ED resident physician education program delivering information on physician documentation which

advanced to the entire residency program to be cultivated in the perils of documentation and addressed its importance.

• Assisted in settlement process to recover $300K with third party payer.

• Assisted in Electronic Medical Record implementation and collaborated on efficient ways to increase productivity and

enhance revenue capture as well as develop custom report functions.

• Developed and implemented significant savings through outsourcing of coding staff that led to 25% reduction in staff.

• Implemented trauma activation charge revenue process that increased charge revenue by $1.6M.

• Implementation of bedside registration and fast track initiatives with doctor supervision, and triage.

• Partnered with strategic group of cross-functional department heads to reduce expenses and increase revenues by $10M

in 10 days.

• Managed Operational Budget for Technical and Professional Components of the ED along with Research Grants

• Worked with physicians, compliance, nursing and staff to educate the organization in medical documentation in order

to be audit defensible as well as maximize billing to third party payers.

• Improved all areas within the Emergency Department; operations to staffing, patient and employee satisfaction, to

physician income and executed performance standards as well as compliant coding and billing practices.

• Implemented physician’s to code by insurance to increase revenue for commercial payers.

• Worked with hospital compliance to Implement Q/A of all medical documentation and coding to ensure audit

defensible.

• Assisted in Electronic Medical Record implementation with EPIC and collaborated on efficient ways to increase

productivity and enhance revenue capture as well as develop custom report functions.

• Responsible for oversight of ED registration staff and improved flow process co-pay collections.

• Managed Operational Budget for Technical and Professional Components of the ED along with Research Grants.

Accountable for payroll and accounts payable.

• Strategically worked with the Emergency Preparedness Team.

• Organizational engagement by all stakeholders through Unit Based Council to improve communication between

department staff as well as support from other areas with in the health system.

LOWE-GREENWOOD NEUROSURGICAL ASSOCIATES, LLC – Linwood, NJ 2001 - 2003

Practice Administrator

Hired to meet the challenges of creating a practice from inception of business from hiring and directing all staff, set up in

house billing, coding, and collections, for all outpatient and surgical procedures performed, to the rapid expansion of a

10,000 square foot medical office building.

• Responsible for strategic development and growth of newly formed Neurosurgical practice from zero patients to practice

growth of 50 patients daily and revenues surpassing expectations.

• Implementation of in-house billing system for professional billing and collections. Generated reports on accountability

process for settlement of daily and monthly billing and receivables.

• Managed the entire practice from start to finish including and maintaining all billing, coding and collections, accounts

payable, reports and payroll, budgets. Worked directly with practice accountant to prepare year end taxes and 1099’s

• Negotiated contracts for all third party payers to maximize reimbursement by negotiating fee schedules with third party

payers.

• Arranged advertising and marketing plan to increase patient population. Enhanced referral source and infrastructure to

improve quality patient care. Wrote promotional articles, news releases in order to develop new business.

• Accomplished full management of construction phase for a 10,00sq. ft. medical building and relocation process with no

interruption in daily business process.

THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL – Philadelphia, PA 1999 – 2001

Project Manager

Reported directly to Vice President of Finance with responsibility for managing core staff of 120 employees and three

consulting firms developing strategies for process improvement and system implementation within the business service

department to improve hospital revenue cycle.

• Improved the quality of system generated reports to meet the goals of the business service department by developing

and preparing month end management reports from financial accounting system for the VP Business Services for

budgeting, forecasting.

• Project Leader for the development and management of “discharged not final billed” process improvement initiative

that resulted in resolving $66M in unbilled services to only $600K in one year under the directive of the VP of

Business Services. Prepared weekly and monthly meeting protocol and error reports to resolve issues and ensure

baseline of $600K was maintained.

• Established a role with the Compliance Committee, under the guidance of HIPPA regulations. Worked closely with

Compliance designed reports to monitor payer updates and reported feedback to Information Technology for system

updates, Revenue Cycle Team for new or revised billing procedures.

• Implemented and improved the handling of employee claims to track pending and approved cases, as well as review

active cases and associated cost in order to maintain contact with employee to determine date for employee’s return

and ensure any bills submitted are forwarded in a timely manner, as well as mitigate causes of accidents for claims

made by employees.

• Implemented training course for new employees. Delivered periodic presentations on work progress for staff to

encourage profitability. Created and refined operational policies and procedures for hospital business services

department and advised on strategy issues.

ALLEGHENY UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL/HAHNEMANN MCP - Philadelphia, PA 1993 – 1999

Practice Administrator

Responsible for the strategic planning, team building and development of staff during reorganization and achieved a

reputation for participating in the attainment of organizational profit. This was the first multi-specialty site by developing

an Orthopedic Institute and Sports Therapy Center

• Directly managed growth of Orthopedic of six practices taking it from 4 to 32 physicians, 1 to 19 facilities and budget

of $10M.

• Report directly to the Chairman all performance management reports with respect to financial accounting. Responsible

for preparation of budgets, and working closely with accountants to prepare year end taxes. Maintained Grant

Accounting reports and presentation of monthly activity for Associate Dean and Finance Committee.

• Physician and employee engagement through training of physicians, residents, professional and clerical staff members

with respect to medical documentation in order to bill for all services provided and maximize revenue.

• Implemented and managed full conversion of Medical Manager billing system for medical billing and collections.

Reorganized development of training for key billing personnel, implementing policies and procedures throughout

multi-specialty practice.

• Responsible for the oversight of $5-8M in NIH, state and federally funded grants and educated physicians on

utilization and reporting of funds.

• Established key role in Clinical Practice Group Committee developing strategy for the new university under Drexel

University.

EDUCATION:

Temple University – Philadelphia, PA

Certificate from Wharton Executive Leadership Program – 2007

Six Sigma Certification – 2015 Villanova University

Systems Knowledge:

Epic, Soarian, IDX, Medical Manager, Vitera, IDX, Allscripts, Encoda, Kronos, Various Accounts Payable Systems,

Studer Leadership Performance Measurement, Press Ganey, Jackson Patient Satisfaction, People Lynk, Microsoft, Power Point,

Excel Word, Navinet, Paragon, McKesson, AHIQA (realtime QA), and Relay Clearance.

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