Spring Brings Growth and Progress to HBMA “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” – Anne Bradstreet, English poet As I contemplate writing this issue’s president’s message, there is still snow on the ground, it is 20 degrees below 0, and I’m fighting to keep the pipes carrying water to our stables from freezing. While I have always been a big fan of winter’s beauty and the activities we enjoy during this season, the challenges of winter sometimes make me look forward to warmer days. Likewise, HBMA has always faced challenges, PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Spring is in the air, and HBMA continues to grow and lead the THE JOURNAL OF THE HEALTHCARE BILLING AND MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION 3 but we have learned and grown from them. Today I’d like to tell you about our progress and renewed growth. Last October, the board of directors responded to concerns regarding membership value, board transparency, and communication, all raised by members at the fall meeting with initiatives to update our bylaws, review our certification program, and to improve our communications with all HBMA members. These are all laudable initiatives that became the cornerstone of my goals for the coming year. As I’m sure you are aware by now, HBMA, your board of directors, and our committees continue to make progress. In February, we were pleased to announce revisions to our certification program. These changes will simplify HBMA CHBME certification and still be meaningful and attainable, while positioning the program for future enhancement and growth. I’d like to congratulate the Certification Committee, chaired by Cindy Pittmon, on their work. As I write this, the Bylaws Committee, chaired by past president Scott Everson, continues to make progress in its review of our bylaws. The committee members’ goals are to update, streamline, and add clarity to our bylaws. These changes will benefit HBMA members and future directors with clarity in governance, improve our decision-making processes, and enhance the transparency to the board of directors and all of our members. As always, any changes to our bylaws will require a review by membership and a formal vote to approve these changes. The committee’s recommendations will be made to the board of directors and, if approved, forwarded to the membership for review and ratification. HBMA also continues to make progress in our member value proposition. HBMA must continue to provide and add value to our members. Our accomplishments on this front continue to grow. This year we have already announced an affinity program with AAPC that provides excellent discounts on AAPC products and services. We have also added a new affinity program with Access Receivables, a collection agency serving all 50 states, to offer preferred pricing to HBMA members. When you consider these new benefits – along with the fact that our Find a Biller and RFP tools are appearing in 2015 buyers guides for MGMA, AHIMA, HFMA, and NAHAM, giving our members exposure to many new prospects – the value of membership to HBMA has never been better. As I stated when I became president this year, one of my goals was to make sure I did my part to ensure that HBMA continues to offer top-notch educational content. I think you will agree that our Education Committee and faculty continue to do just that. I hope you have been able to take advantage of our Compliance Conference, and I urge you to check out the Spring Educational Executive Symposium, as well as the upcoming Owner’s and Manager’s Conference held this July in Minneapolis. Spring is in the air, and HBMA continues to grow and lead the medical billing industry. Join me as we watch the seeds we’ve planted grow into success and value in the future. Curt Cvikota, CHBME, HBMA President ccvikota@cvikota.com medical billing industry.
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