2024 Annual Revenue Cycle Management Fall Conference

The Renaissance Austin Hotel
Austin, TX

September 17-19th, 2024

HBMA's hotel block is $269 a night and is available until August 26th, 2024!

Ed Berenblum
Ed plays a pivotal role in meticulously overseeing all operations and IT functions within Fellow Health Partners. Playing an essential part in guiding the company’s strategic initiatives, he not only enhances our services for clients but also brings about innovation and operational excellence across the entire organization. With extensive expertise in healthcare management and information technology, Ed is instrumental in shaping the future trajectory of Fellow Health Partners. Prior to joining our team, Ed dedicated over three decades to advancing global business development and skillfully managing operations in multiple locations across four countries. His leadership was particularly impactful in spearheading transformative initiatives in revenue cycles across a spectrum of U.S. hospitals, medical centers, and physician groups. This wealth of experience positions Ed as a seasoned professional capable of navigating the complexities of healthcare operations and driving sustainable success. Ed has been featured in numerous industry publications and has participated in numerous medical related interviews and public speaking engagements. Ed holds a BS in Civil Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Brown
Michael N. Brown is the CEO of Fellow Health Partners, Inc., a leading-edge medical business solutions company that he founded in 2017, helps healthcare professionals and institutions to improve their bottom line.  Michael was determined to modernize medical billing and make it more transparent by applying innovative methods of streamlining and enhancing the medical billing process, to drive efficiency, profitability, and growth, in our $ 4.5 trillion medical system. Today the company has operations spanning three countries, with over 300 employees. 

After a career in business consulting, working with large multi-national companies across many industries, he was drawn to the medical billing industry because of the opportunities to provide a better product and service at a fair price. He researched the field and found that it was changing rapidly due to growth and consolidation.  However, current industry servicing models were unable to keep up with this accelerate rate of change.

Prior to Fellow Health Partners, Michael was Director at Loughlin Management Partners + Co. (currently BDO), where he used his extensive financial and operational experience to advise companies on profitable growth strategies. His operational working experience includes large retail, manufacturing and healthcare companies that generated annual revenues well into the billions. Prior to Loughlin Management Partners + Co, he worked at Price Waterhouse Coopers.
As a thought leader in the healthcare field, Michael has spoken at numerous conferences and has been interviewed in publications such as Forbes, Fortune, and Entrepreneur and sits on multiple advisory boards.
Michael holds an MBA and B.A. from Fairfield University, CT.

Stacy Calvaruso
Stacy Calvaruso is the CEO of Medical Practice Success.  Stacy has extensive experience in optimizing Revenue Cycle operations for both for profit and non-profit organizations.  Stacy has enjoyed developing strategic operational teams that clean up failing organizations and improve overall revenue cycle operational performance.  

After working for various organizations as a Revenue Cycle leader, Stacy built and sold a successful RCM consulting, coding, billing and collections organization right before the stock market crash in 2012.  After that she spent ten years as an Assistant Vice President with Ochsner Health System assisting with a full Revenue Cycle reorganization and software implementation of Epic.  She then spent four years with LCMC Health as their Assistant Vice President of Revenue Cycle and Patient Access services where she developed a centralized call center that handled referrals, authorization, financial clearance, and customer service in addition to spearheading a complete software system conversion for the system which focused on maximizing revenue cycle operations.  

In 2019, Stacy decided to purchase a small billing and collection company and has been able to build this organization into a larger full service RCM organization focused on start-ups, credentialing/contracting, software conversions, project management, and intensive clean-up operations for multi-specialty organizations who are struggling with cash flow.  

Stacy is from South Louisiana and in her spare time she enjoys traveling to her 2nd home in Destin, Florida where she can walk out the door and onto the beach and spend quality time with her two grandchildren.  

Mark Cunningham
Mark is president and managing shareholder of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel. Recognized nationally for his legal services in health care, Mark keeps his clients on track, delivering strong results through his unique combination of drive and niche experience in areas such as radiology, revenue cycle management, physician/hospital ventures, and complex transactions. While he advises on just about every area of health care, he primarily acts as outside general counsel to large physician and revenue cycle management practices, with a specific focus on strategic, contracting, and regulatory issues. For more information, visit Mark’s bio.

Julian Glenesk
Julian serves as RXNT’s Senior Data Engineer and Analytics Expert. He has worked across many industries including healthcare, sustainable transportation planning, public policy research, and more. As a proud generalist, Julian enjoys working on the full Data and Analytics spectrum, be it statistical modeling, collaborative dashboard building, data warehouse performance optimization, or requirements gathering with non-technical stakeholders.

Shawn Gretz
Since being promoted to President of Americollect in 2018, Shawn Gretz has resided over $1.6 billion in revenue recovery and providers have entrusted Americollect with over $10 billion in placements of accounts for recovery during that same period. Shawn leads the team of Ridiculously Nice collectors with a cultural initiative that has allowed Americollect to be named one of the best places to work in collections for 14 years! Americollect has been on the leading edge of recovery technology and returning more money back to our clients regularly! Shawn is an active volunteer for HFMA Wisconsin. Shawn has served as the Region 7 RE, NAC Revenue Cycle Committee, President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and three years as the VP of Programs. In 2020 he earned his HFMA Fellowship designation and was appointed to the HFMA National Advisory Council Revenue Cycle Committee for a two-year term. Shawn has been an active volunteer with AAHAM for several years and is a Past President of the Wisconsin Chapter. In 2010, Shawn was awarded the President’s Award for AAHAM Wisconsin. Shawn graduated from the UW Oshkosh with a bachelor’s degree in Business, majoring in Marketing and Operations Management. Shawn also graduated from UW Oshkosh’s EMBA program, with a Master’s of Business Administration in 2016.

Nicola Hawkinson
Nicola Hawkinson, DNP, RN, RNFA, is a distinguished healthcare professional and CEO/Founder of SpineSearch. With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Delaware and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, Nicola brings a wealth of expertise to the field. Her extensive career journey, from a novice nurse at Lenox Hill Hospital to an Adjunct Clinical Professor at New York University, showcases her commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

Nicola's passion lies in optimizing revenue cycle management, particularly in the realm of medical billing. As CEO/Founder of SpineSearch since 2008, she has been instrumental in shaping the company's success, offering full-service recruitment, education, and consulting to orthopedic spine surgeons, neurosurgeons, and pain management physicians nationwide. Nicola's dynamic leadership has been pivotal in creating a workplace culture that fosters job satisfaction and employee well-being.

In her presentation, "Nurturing Excellence: Retention and Training Strategies for RCM Professionals in Medical Billing," Nicola draws on her multifaceted experience to share effective strategies for retaining top talent in the competitive healthcare environment. Her insights into creating a supportive environment and addressing industry challenges reflect her dedication to advancing both individual careers and the broader field of revenue cycle management.

Attendees can expect an engaging session filled with practical takeaways, as Nicola imparts valuable knowledge honed through years of experience in healthcare and her role as a thought leader in the recruitment and education space.

Millie Hoffmann
Millie is the Director of Product Management for Practice Management at RXNT. In her role, Millie is passionate and committed to solving the intricate problems facing practices and billing organizations, producing simple and insightful solutions are born from direct experience transforming large sets of data into actionable insights. She has worked in many sectors of the healthcare industry including directly with insurance companies on enrollment and engagement, plan management and integration, healthcare brokerages, and HRIS and payroll tools.

Joshua Klinge
Joshua Klinge is a visionary leader, entrepreneur, and dedicated family man, who has been at the helm of NewportMed for the past 18 years. With a profound commitment to his faith, family, and business, Josh's journey exemplifies a balanced and purpose-driven life.

In pursuit of new horizons, Josh and his family embarked on a pivotal chapter in their lives, relocating to Frisco, Texas, which included the move of NewportMed’s company headquarters. This move, six years ago, marked a turning point for NewportMed. Under Josh's visionary leadership, the company flourished in this new environment, experiencing unprecedented growth and success.

Josh has also led the way in founding a very large team of directly employed RCM and IT experts in Hyderabad, India, as well as a growing patient call center in Monterey, Mexico. Working through cultural differences and building bonds through shared vision and values has been one of the most rewarding challenges of Joshua career.  

At the core of Josh's purpose is an unwavering devotion to his faith. Serving the Lord with his time, talents, and treasure is his foremost passion, guiding every facet of his life. This spiritual foundation extends to his priorities, placing family and business partnerships on a pedestal of equal importance. As the CEO of NewportMed, Josh not only leads but also empowers his dedicated team of employees, fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence.

In the grand tapestry of Josh Klinge's life, the threads of faith, family, and business are meticulously woven together. His journey serves as an inspiration to other aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders, showcasing the possibility of living a purpose-driven life that harmoniously balances personal and professional aspirations.

Thomas LaGreca
Thomas LaGreca graduated with honors from the Pennsylvania State University where he served as President of Tau Kappa Epsilon and was a member of the Skull & Bones Senior Honor Society for campus leadership.  He graduated from St, John’s University School of Law where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the St. John’s Law Review.  
He has been with Callagy Law for more than 12 years, the last 9 years as the Executive Director of Medical Revenue Recovery, serving medical providers and facilities across the nation in their efforts to recover from private insurance carriers.
After law school, Mr. LaGreca worked for the Wall Street law firm of Dewey, Ballantine, as a litigator and worked in-house for NYNEX Corp. as a regulatory attorney.  Immediately prior to joining Callagy Law, he owned and operated a multi-million-dollar commercial contracting business in New York City.     
Mr. LaGreca has spoken on the No Surprises Act before several associations of medical providers and affiliated businesses, including the Healthcare Business Management Association (HBMA), various chapters of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), and various medical societies. 

Adam Laing
Adam Laing, CEO of Healthcare Compliance Pros (www.hcp.md), brings more than 20 years of expertise in healthcare technology and compliance. Specializing in SaaS-based solutions, growth strategies, and operational improvements, Adam strengthens HCP’s position as a national leader in healthcare compliance. His efforts ensure client success through innovative support and a unique $1-million indemnification offer. Holding a Bachelor of Science degree in information systems and business from Brigham Young University of Hawaii, Adam is dedicated to enhancing medical group management and healthcare efficiency.

Melody Mulaik
Melody W. Mulaik is the President of Revenue Cycle Coding Strategies. She is a frequent speaker and author for nationally recognized professional organizations and publications. Melody’s areas of expertise include coding and compliance, management engineering, operations improvement and she is nationally recognized for her extensive radiology expertise.

Melody often speaks at national conferences on many topics including Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology
coding, Internal Audit Program Development, Coding Compliance and other healthcare compliance issues.

Melody is a frequent author for national publications and her work has appeared in AHRA’s Radiology Management, HBMA's Billing Journal, RT Image, Imaging Economics, Radiology Today, and Radiology Business Journal. Melody co-authored RCCS’ Coding Guides for Diagnostic Radiology and Interventional Radiology.

Melody holds a Master of Science in Health Systems (MSHS) degree and a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering (BIE) degree, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), in Atlanta, Georgia. She also holds the professional certification of Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA), Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Outpatient Coder (COC) and Radiology Certified Coder (RCC), and Radiology Certified Coder – Interventional (RCC-IR). Melody has achieved Fellow status with the AHRA (FAHRA) and is a recent recipient of the prestigious AHRA Gold Award for her organizational and industry contributions.

Emily Osetek
Emily Osetek is the President and Chief Executive Officer of PETTIGREW. She has over 30 years of RCM expertise and is an industry leader in this field. Emily began her healthcare career working in the private hospital setting and learned all phases of Part A and B billing. She was later recruited by large RCM firms to help reengineer their companies for profitability as well as ensuring compliance with industry standards. Emily later bought and built her own RCM firm, Sourcenet Medical Billing Associates. She joined PETTIGREW in August 2019 as the result of the PETTIGREW acquisition of Sourcenet. Emily was named COO, and led our operations for the US, India and Philippines. She was promoted to CEO in May 2022 and will continue to lead the company into its bright future.

Linda Perryclear
Linda Perryclear is the Senior Director of Product Management at Availity, with responsibility for the Essentials Pro solution and post-submission claims management. Since joining Availity in 2004, Linda has held various positions in the organization including director of the provider support organization, as well as roles in client experience and account management. Throughout her career, Linda has worked in healthcare in both administrative and clinical roles, and also served in the US Navy for six years as a hospital corpsman. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and risk management from UNC Charlotte and works from her home base in North Carolina. 

Matt Reiter
Matt Reiter is a Principal at Capitol Associates, Inc., a bipartisan government relations and policy analysis firm that has represented HBMA’s interests in Washington for over 20 years. In this capacity, he serves as HBMA’s Director of Government Affairs. 

Matt represents HBMA on legislative and regulatory health policy issues including provider reimbursement, value-based payment systems, administrative simplification, the No Surprises Act, and efforts to reform the U.S. healthcare system.

Vinod Sankaran
Vinod (Vinny) brings around 20 years of experience in operations, financial analysis, strategy, growth, corporate development, strategic planning, and marketing. At Medical Billing Wholesalers, he is involved in applying his experience to optimize revenue cycle process flows to improve our clients' profitability and performance.

As a member of the founding team of MBW, Vinny has helped MBW grow from 3 employees to over 400 employees with multiple locations in the US and delivery locations in Chennai and Bangalore, supporting numerous medical billing companies, healthcare practices, revenue cycle software providers, and EMR companies. As the CEO, he is tasked with developing the company, new client acquisition, and applying new generation technology to drive revenue and profitability.

The dual master's degrees in quantitative finance and Industrial Engineering that he received from Oklahoma State University and the certifications - AI for business from Wharton and Digital Marketing Customer Engagement, social media, Planning & Analytics from Columbia University along with his extensive experience and achievements within the healthcare arena allow him to offer demonstrable economic benefit, enhancing medical practices' revenue cycle management and profitability.

He loves to travel and has been to over 50+ countries and also loves kickboxing and is an instructor in his free time.

Imelda Sauceda 
Imelda Sauceda's distinguished career in healthcare leadership is marked by a remarkable dedication to excellence and a track record of success. With over two decades of experience in clinical operations and revenue cycle management, she has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to driving growth and profitability for her clients.  Imelda's philosophy of building robust working relationships with all team members and acknowledging the contributions of each aligns seamlessly with effective and inclusive leadership practices. This approach fosters a positive work culture, promoting collaboration and contributing to overall organizational success.

In her senior leadership roles spanning client management, clinical operations, revenue cycle, and customer service initiatives, Imelda has proven herself to be a result-oriented leader. Her proficiency in workflow optimization, customer/vendor relations, and organizational development positions her as a key contributor to the success of healthcare organizations.

As the Associate Vice President of Operations at Newport Medical Solutions, Imelda plays a pivotal role in the strategic development of client relationships to ensure ongoing satisfaction and retention. Her emphasis on delivering enhanced economic performance related to Revenue Cycle Management through engagement and problem-solving skills further underscores her significance in steering the organization toward success.

Philip Schrank
With over two decades of specialized experience in orthopedic subspecialty practice, Dr. Philip Schrank embraces his role dedicated to assisting physician and administration colleagues in navigating the intricacies of the medical billing process. Phil serves as the director and lead trainer for certification courses offered by the American Association of Physician Coders (AAPC) at Fellow Health Partners. His commitment extends to ensuring that all FHP employees receive top-notch training to uphold the highest standards during onboarding. Phil delivers physician-to-physician education, emphasizing practice management and revenue maximization with unwavering compliance.  Phil holds a B.S. in Engineering Science from the University of Miami and an M.D. from Georgetown University. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at New York University as Administrative Chief Resident. Further honing his expertise, Phil completed a Fellowship in Sports Medicine at the prestigious Kerlan Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles, CA.  Phil has served as Medical Board and Medical Staff President at St. Charles Hospital, a Board of Trustees member for Catholic Health Services, and Chief Orthopedic Strategy Officer for Orlin and Cohen Orthopedic Associates. He is Board Certified in both Orthopedic Surgery and Orthopedic Sports Medicine through 2033. Since retiring from medical practice in 2023, Phil has obtained the Certified Professional Coder certification, Instructor Certification, and Orthopedic Surgery Coding certificate from the AAPC. 

Matt Seefeld
Matt Seefeld brings 20 years of management consulting experience in the healthcare industry. He has extensive expertise in the assessment, design and implementation of process improvement programs and technology development across the entire revenue cycle. Matt began his career with Stockamp & Associates, Inc. and worked for both PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Deloitte Consulting LLP in their healthcare and life sciences practice lines. In 2007, he developed a business intelligence solution and founded Interpoint Partners, LLC, where he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In 2011, he sold his business to Streamline Health Solutions where he then served as Chief Strategist of Revenue Cycle followed by Senior Vice President of Solutions Strategy until 2014.

Steve Shain
Steve heads LTC Ally’s Contracting division which is a team of clinical and financial professionals who liaise between Healthcare Providers and Insurers. They negotiate contract terms, and ongoing patient authorizations. Steve utilizes his strong relationships with Insurers and understanding of Healthcare reimbursement to better serve their clients, around the country.

Landon Tooke
Landon Tooke is the COO and Chief Compliance Officer of Impact Healthcare Solutions. He has over 22 years of experience in hospital administration, sales, compliance, cybersecurity, medical practice management, and revenue cycle management. Landon is also a licensed attorney practicing primarily in the areas of health law, regulatory compliance, privacy, and cybersecurity. He excels at working with hospitals and medical practices in financial turnarounds with an emphasis on personnel development, business culture, compliance, and the revenue cycle, speaking regularly on the subjects at regional and national conferences. Landon has served as a hospital CEO, a medical practice administrator, worked as a sales executive for a clinical laboratory, and was a clinician in Cardiovascular Services for a large acute care hospital.

Landon earned a Juris Doctor from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, a Master of Legal Studies in Health Law from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana Tech University. Landon earned graduate certificates in Strategic Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Healthcare Organization Operations from Rutgers University. Landon holds several compliance and cybersecurity certifications and a certification in Advanced Legal Research. Landon also completed the Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice Certificate Program through the Dispute Resolution Institute of Mitchell Hamline School of Law during which he received specialized training in negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and organizational conflict management system development.

Kyle Tucker
Kyle is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dexios Corporation.

Kyle is presently serving as the President of the Healthcare Business Management Association (HBMA) – the nation’s premiere association for the Revenue Cycle Management industry. In 2020, he received the HBMA’s prestigious J. Dennis Mock Award. 

Kyle is also known in radiology circles as the “KPI guy.”  Kyle led efforts to revamp the Radiology Business Management Association’s (RBMA) annual Accounts Receivable survey including creating a new metric called The True Cost of Billing. He is a frequent speaker at the RBMA’s national conference, PaRADigm, and the author of many articles about radiology billing. 

Jessica Wagner
Jessica serves as Chief Operating Officer at RXNT and our Product Expert. Bringing a wealth of customer insight, product knowledge, and organizational expertise to her role, she oversees the Product, Operations, and Customer Service teams. They focus on understanding and solving the complex problems facing medical practices and billing organizations, and Jessica has been instrumental in shaping RXNT’s software in her current role and as Executive Vice President of Product since joining RXNT in 2014.

Jackie Willett
Jackie Willett is a trusted healthcare leader with extensive emergency medicine expertise. Jackie is the SVP and GM of Hospital Based Physician Solutions and Practice Management Operations at R1 RCM. Jackie has served as Past President of HBMA and serves on the HBMA Government Relations Committee as well as serving on the EDPMA Board and Executive Committee.

Neelima Yerneni
Dr. Neelima Yerneni, a seasoned healthcare professional, currently serves as the Chief Clinical Officer at NewportMed, where she brings a wealth of expertise to oversee and optimize revenue cycle operations. With a distinguished background as a physician, Dr. Yerneni leverages extensive clinical knowledge to maximize physician reimbursement. Her core strength lies in medical coding, driven by a profound understanding of anatomy and a surgical background, making her an invaluable asset in navigating complex coding challenges.

Staying at the forefront of industry advancements, Dr. Yerneni is dedicated to staying abreast of payer policies and actively engages in researching new, cutting-edge technologies shaping the field of medicine. As a leader, she fosters a collaborative environment, connecting with team members and nurturing analytical thinking. Her commitment to cultivating new problem-solving approaches reflects her leadership style, characterized by approachability and dependability.

Dr. Yerneni graduated from JIPMER, one of India's premier medical schools, in 2004, establishing a strong foundation for her illustrious career. With a unique blend of clinical acumen, leadership finesse, and a commitment to ongoing learning, Dr. Neelima Yerneni continues to make significant contributions to NewportMed, ensuring excellence in revenue cycle management.

Sudheer Yerneni
Sudheer Yerneni, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Newport Medical Solutions, is a highly accomplished Technical Manager known for his comprehensive expertise in application development, software solutions, and agile project management. In his current role, Sudheer has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership by fostering a culture of care and growth within his teams.

In his role as CIO at Newport Medical Solutions, Sudheer continues to champion the well-being of his team, fostering a work environment that values both professional and personal growth. His dedication to care, mentorship, and creating a positive workplace culture makes him not only an accomplished technical leader but also an advocate for the holistic success of his team members. Sudheer's insights into application modernization, Agile methodologies, and compassionate team leadership contribute significantly to shaping Newport Medical Solutions' IT strategy and cultivating a thriving and motivated workforce. 

Under his guidance, the team at NewportMed has not only excelled in delivering cutting-edge solutions but has also thrived in an environment that prioritizes mentorship, skill enhancement, and a healthy work-life balance.