South Texas

Congratulations!!!The HFMA South Texas Chapter is excited to congratulate the following individuals for completing their certification programs (1/1/2021 – 4/23/2021): • Gwendolyn Alpers, CRCR,CHFP• Hung Huynh, CRCR• David Tucker, CRCR,CHFP• Camryn Cagle, CRCR• Brooke Herzog, CRCR• Debra Lenard, CRCR• Gevin Dray, CRCR• Renae Racey, CHFP,CSBI,CRCR,CSAF,CSPPM,CSMC• Tyler Mullin, CRCR• Serina Kauffman, CRCR• Katharine Heinemann, CRCR• Dolores Jackson, CRCR• Carol Jiwan, CRCR• Claire Wingfield, CRCR• Janki Patel, CRCR• Eric Elliott, CRCR,CSMC,CSBI,CSAF• Asong Folefac, CRCR• Geoffrey Bretches, FHFMA,CRCR,CSMC• Joseph Soliz, CRCR,CSPPM• Jamie Owens, CSPPM• Kathlene Lambert, CSBI,CHFP• Greg Czapansky, CRCR• Leslie Martell, CHFP If you have any tips that will help others pass their exams, please share them with our Certifications Chair, Paola Turchi MSHCA, FHFMA, FACMPE, CPC, at sziapao@yahoo.com A few comments from some of our recent certified members:CSAF Recommendations:• “I’d encourage people to keep a focus on the role of financial governance and Sarbanes-Oxley. It’s easy to focus on the accounting principles, but being able to apply them to the decision making and governance was a big part of the exam” by Eric Elliott, CSAFCRCR recommendations:• “My recommendation is to make a quizlet or notes with questions asked during quizzes and also from the summary” by Carol Jiwan, CRCR• “Review the summary content for each section” by Katharine Heinemann, CRCR• “Take notes, focus on key processes used, different areas and their responsibilities” by Dolores Jackson, CRCR I am excited to share with you a little bit about Gevin Dray, one of our newest certified members and volunteers. Gevin is currently pursuing…

Congratulations!!!The HFMA South Texas Chapter is excited to congratulate the following individuals for completing their certification programs (10/1/2020 – 12/31/2020): • Daphne Quiroga, CRCR• Edgar Reyna, FHFMA, CRCR• Fabian Borrego, CHFP,CSMC,CRCR,CSAF,CSPPM,CSBI• Gilson Umunnakwe, CRCR• John Koehler, CSMC,CHFP,CSBI• Joseph Soliz, CRCR,CSPPM• Justin Shiver, FHFMA• Kelly Turner, CSAF• Mandy Delafuente, CRCR• Morgan Parker, CHFP,CSAF• Renae Racey, CHFP,CSBI,CRCR,CSAF,CSPPM If you have any tips that will help others pass their exams, please share them with our Certifications Chair, Paola Turchi MSHCA, FHFMA, CMPE, CPC, at sziapao@yahoo.com A few comments from some of our recent certified members:“I would suggest people new to the healthcare industry take these exams to help get them up to speed of processes that happen in the industry”. Morgan Parker, CHFP, CSAF “The CSBI module was formatted differently and was the hardest of the three (CSPPM, CRCR, CSBI) in my opinion. I spent more time getting through it than the others. I would advise paying attention to the questions within the modules and reading the explanations for why the correct answer is the correct answer”. John Koehler, CSMC, CHFP, CSBI A New Year = A New Certification Did you know that we have more certified members in our chapter than the average number of certified members nationwide? Did you know that CRCR and CHFP continue to be the most popular certifications in our Chapter? And that we have 30 Fellows among us? If you are not yet certified, consider enhancing your career and industry knowledge. For more information visit Certifications (hfma.org)…

Greetings HFMA South Texas members! From the bottom of my heart I am thankful for a great team of volunteers, it takes a village! I am also thankful for every one of our sponsors who make our education, events and communications possible. I also want to thank our team at DeMarse for without them we would not function at the same high level that they deliver. On a personal note I am thankful for an employer that allows me to spend the time necessary with HFMA and I am also thankful for my family for putting up with me when I have to be pulled away for my volunteer job.Happy Thanksgiving to each of you and your families. Stay safe! Mike Trostel HFMA South Texas | President What are you THANKFUL for?

HFMA has made a change to the 2021 Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) and Certified Specialist (CS) [CSAF, CSBI, CSMC, CSPPM] maintenance due date and process: The 2021 maintenance due date is changing from May 31, 2021 to August 15, 2021. Please note this change as it may affect your organization. HFMA wanted to provide advance notice to allow time for organizations, as needed, to adjust any applicable training schedules or internal processes. Below is some important information to help you understand the 2021 recertification process and upcoming changes: What is changing?The 2021 maintenance due date is changing from May 31, 2021 to August 15, 2021.The maintenance due date is being extended from May 31, 2021 to August 15, 2021 for the 2021 year only.The revised recertification window will be:February 1, 2021 through August 15, 2021 with due date of August 15, 2021. (previously January through May)As a courtesy for any inconvenience this change may incur, HFMA is offering an additional 2 weeks to the 2021 cycle.Registration for the CRCR and CS recertification program study materials and assessment will be available on February 1.Why the change?HFMA is upgrading to a new learning management system platform in January 2021. To ensure a seamless transition for individuals and organizations, we are extending the 2021 recertification start date. The 2021 recertification programs will have refreshed look in the new system.When will my staff/team be informed of the change?HFMA will be sending an email to all individuals due to recertify in 2021 during the…

The Fall Symposium was a success! Held in person at The Menger Hotel in San Antonio October 18-20, 2020, the conference featured fun networking and up to 11.0 CPE. Here’s what some of the attendees had to say: It was our pleasure and the South Texas chapter sets the bar very high for HFMA…what a fun group!Excellent and SAFE program. Thanks to all who supported the conference.Hats off to this HFMA excellent Chapter for conducting an in-person socially distant/safe symposium. It was a privilege (and a treat) to attend in person! First business trip in 7 months. Great group of healthcare professionals.Great event and the social distancing was taken very seriously by all, which gave me a great level of comfort. Thanks team and thanks attendees.This was my first visit to the South Texas Chapter. I had heard it was a great chapter from Claudia Falcon years ago. I only wish I would have gotten there when she first told me. I visit many and am active in a few chapters and I can honestly say that this is the friendliest chapter of all that I have seen. There is so much camaraderie that makes for the perfect environment to share ideas and best practices.Did an excellent job of providing an in person conference with the social distancing and mask requirements for COVID.

Paola Turchi, MSHCA, FHFMA, CMPE, CPC is the HFMA South Texas Certification Chair and has just won a gift card from HFMA for posting her pandemic project on the Community Callout board. When you login at hfma.org, find the Community section and check out their groups. Subscribe and receive emails for whatever you’d like more information on. Who knows, you might even win a gift card! When my husband and I discussed the idea of reusing the cedar we were cutting at the property. I never imagined it was going to be so labor intensive. We had to cut all the trees (in total 30+ trees). Then we had to seal the wood, create the edge for the mulch and rock; add the mulch (which came from shredding the branches from the trees), add the rock, some lights, and Voila! Soooo rewarding to see the results.

June 1, 2020 Dear HFMA South Texas Colleagues: What big shoes I must fill!  Kudos to our current past president Lisa Keffer for an outstanding job being at the helm for almost 2 full years.  I am truly honored to be entrusted with the position of President of our outstanding, Shelton Award winning chapter.  In addition, it is also an honor to have the opportunity to lead this wonderful group of healthcare and business professionals.  I look forward to working with my fellow incoming officers, board members, committee chairs, past presidents, volunteers, our team at DeMarse Events and business partner sponsors as we continue this positive journey for our chapter.    Our chapter leaders are committed to continuing to provide 1) quality education programs, 2) meaningful networking events, 3) best in class HFMA certification training, and 4) innovative solutions to best communicate the numerous resources that HFMA has to nourish your professional and personal goals. We understand that our mission is to support you, our members. Your feedback and opinions are a critical component. Please continue to provide us with your thoughts on how the chapter can be the best possible resource for you. Moreover, our chapter “It takes a village” approach means that in addition to your thoughts and ideas, we welcome and encourage members to get actively involved whenever and wherever possible. Whether it is assisting with speakers for chapter programs, helping with membership outreach, participating in networking events, mentoring other chapter members or e-students, or providing support for our…

 HFMA South Texas Chapter Certification Update ATTENTION HFMA MEMBERS: Since the beginning of the year we have had a great increase on certified members and many more continue to enroll in our programs. CRCR and CHFP continue to be the most popular certifications but there are many other available free of charge. If you are yet not certified, consider enhancing your career and industry knowledge while sheltering in place.  HFMA’s CHFP program provides the broad range of business and financial skills essential for succeeding in today’s high-value healthcare environment: Business acumen CollaborationFinancial strategyUnderstanding future trends The CHFP is geared toward financial professionals, clinical and nonclinical leaders, and payers-all those whose jobs require a deep understanding of the new financial realities of healthcare.  There is no charge to All-Access HFMA members for the modules required to earn your CHFP. For more information regarding the CHFP please click HERE. If you are interested in other certifications available such as the Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) please click HERE.  You may also contact Paola Turchi MSHCA, CHFP, CMPE, CPC, Certification Chair, at sziapao@yahoo.com Not an HFMA member yet?  The HFMA South Texas Chapter is proud to offer scholarships for the following certifications: Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR)Certified Specialist Accounting & Finance (CSAF)Certified Specialist Business Intelligence (CSBI)Certified Specialist Managed Care (CSMC) Certified Specialist Physician Practice Management (CSPPM)Certified Inpatient Coding Auditor (CICA) Please contact Paola Turchi MSHCA, CHFP, CMPE, CPC, Certification Chair, at sziapao@yahoo.com for additional information. Congratulations!!! The HFMA South Texas Chapter is excited…