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"Let us help you navigate practice management and coding issues" |
Who Needs Continuing Education? We All Do!Continuing education is essential for the survival and professional growth of the medical manager in today's managed care environment. The manager of a medical practice requires two areas of expertise - business management skills and a thorough knowledge of specific policies and procedures inherent in administering a medical practice. Continuing education is the most viable means the medical manager can utilize to be assured he/she is staying current with the constant changes involved in managing a medical practice today, as well as being prepared for the business and medical management demands of tomorrow. I have always been a proponent of continuing education and my professional career and personal life is a testimony to my belief. I started my career with an Associate Degree in Applied Science working as a medical secretary in a solo orthopedic practice. I realized the skills needed to be an effective medical practice manager were skills I needed to learn. I went on to attain my B.S. degree in Community Health Education and continued to take courses concentrating on business and accounting. My education and business management skills helped me attain my goal of practice manager in a group practice with two offices and ten staff. I learned of PAHCOM, the CMM exam and certification in January 1992. I saw an opportunity to strengthen my position in the medical management field. I joined PAHCOM and attained my CMM in May 1992 at the National Conference in New Orleans (the first year PAHCOM offered CMM). PAHCOM was so instrumental in my professional career that I became an area representative. Shortly thereafter, I joined the Plainfield Tri-County Chapter so I could network locally and stay informed about medical issues in my geographic area. I organized a medical manager association at a local hospital with a different speaker and topic of discussion each month. I am currently Membership and Program Director of the Monmouth County Chapter, and I am pleased to see the enormous growth in PAHCOM members. My strong belief in continuing education has helped me to attain my professional goals. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not have been successful in my career without being a member of PAHCOM and especially without being a CMM. A few years ago, I attained a practice management position through PAHCOM's Job Bank because of my CMM certification. My certification continues to open doors for medical management opportunities. In 1995 I set a goal to utilize all my knowledge and skills that I learned over the past 20 years and become an entrepreneur. I was now ready to start my own company, Healthcare Resource Management, Inc. which provides practice evaluations for mergers and hospital acquisition, medical record documentation and coding reviews for Medicare compliance and revenue enhancement. It has taken an enormous amount of business planning and hard work but after the first mailing, I had my first paying client. I encountered some financial hardship and personal sacrifices. It has not always been easy; however, pursuing worthwhile goals usually demands some sacrifices. Now, more than ever before, I am a firm believer in "continuous continuing education" as the means to not only survive in the medical managed care environment but as the means to become a leader and attain new goals in medical management. I have attended every PAHCOM Annual Conference since 1992. Every conference has enabled me to enhance my skills through educational seminars, problem solving and networking opportunities that are not available anywhere else. I encourage every member to attend the annual conference and see for yourself how "PAHCOM SHARES KNOWLEDGE." Remember, continuing education is the means to success! This article was written by Catherine A. Brink and was originally published in the March/April 1997 issue of Medical Office Management.
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