Volunteering - I Don t Have Time

Transcription

1 Fall 2008 Volunteering - I Don t Have Time Time deprivation or, at least, the perception of having less and less time to do the things we want to do is a growing malady around the world, affecting the work world, family life and of course, volunteering. Yet the standard earth day remains 24 hours in length. Here s the paradox: We all feel that we don t have enough time, yet we all have all the time there is. Many social observers have analyzed why the speed of life seems to be accelerating. We are: working longer hours at paid jobs; over-scheduling activities for ourselves and our children; caring for older parents or raising our grandchildren; spending hours on and Web sites. Divorce, for example, is a time sucker. Even in a bad marriage one of you can go for milk and the other for the dry cleaning. When you divorce, you both have to go for milk and the dry cleaning. Without a doubt every recruiter of volunteers hears I don't have time Continued on pg. 6 In This Issue President s Message....2 Letter from the Editor.3 New Chapter Members..4 Job Bank..9 Show-Me of Missouri Chapter Membership Directories The membership directories have been mailed. If any of membership information contained within the directory is incorrect, please go to Log in and select Personal Profile to update any information. If you did not receive a membership directory, please contact Jennifer Ogden at jlogden@audrainmedicalcenter.com. Page 1

2 Dear Show Me of Missouri Members: As we near the coming Presidential Election, healthcare concerns remain at the forefront of the election issues, the media and the public. This is nothing new to those of us working in the industry but serves as a reminder of the difficult environment we are faced with day to day to provide care for our patients. We are faced with increasing costs of capital partnered with tighter access, declining reimbursement, staffing shortages and trends that will most likely change the entire way we provide care. As we work in these challenging circumstances, I think the connections you make through HFMA can become increasingly beneficial to you. HFMA has multiple resources on both the national and Show Me website. Please make sure you take advantage of the material, knowledge and connections you have by being a member. Please contact anyone of the officers of the Show Me Chapter if you have a request for education, materials or ideas to assist in making your connections stronger through HFMA. The continued value of your membership is very important to us and we strive to provide excellent resources for you. I hope you have a wonderful Fall Season. Respectfully, Shelly Hunter, MBA, FHFMA President s Message By Shelly Hunter, FHFMA, MBA Special Thanks to Our Sponsors Gold Silver Bronze BKD LLP Berlin-Wheeler, Inc. Accounts Management Services CACi Human Arc Account Resolution Corporation LarsonAllen PNC/Xpack Network Services D-MED Corporation Missouri Medical Collection Remote Support Services Perot Systems Senex Services Inc. The Outsource Group Page 2

3 Letter from the Editor Fall is my favorite time of the year. It is somewhat of a precursor to the Holiday season that will be here before we know it. In thinking about the upcoming holidays, all of the holiday activities begin to come to mind. Among the activities that is associated with the holidays is volunteering. It is a way to contribute to a cause that may be close to your heart HFMA provides many ways for our members to volunteer. The Show Me of Missouri chapter has many different types of committees that develop or enhance your skills as a financial leader. Committees are what make our chapter function. You get to meet new people and have fun while doing work that makes our chapter bigger and better. A completed list of committees, descriptions and the members that serve on those committees are located in the Membership Directory or on If you are interested in serving on a committee, please contact the committee chairman for more information. Regards, Deana Thomas Page 3

4 Welcome New Show Me of Missouri Chapter Members! Margaret A. Gregg Revenue Cycle Management Skaggs Community Health Center Katrina R. Robinson Client Services Specialist Healthcare Insights, LLC Bryant Marshall Attorney Professional Credit Management, Inc Debra K. Froebel Director of Patient Financial Services Capital Region Medical Center Tammy M Murakami Accountant Southeast Missouri Hospital Aaron Puchbauer Graduate Student Columbia MO Becky Mcafee Financial Analyst St John s St Francis Hospital Andrea Bunton St. John s St Francis Hospital Ann W. Nadler, M.A. Administrator University of Missouri Student Health Ctr Christopher Nierman Accountant Bothwell Regional Health Center Nicholas D Putnam Consultant Ernst & Young Wanda Cooley Director of Business Services St. John s St Francis Hospital Denise Witthaus Director of Accounting Hermann Area District Hospital Kevin P Gaudette Director of Practice Management Freeman Practice Management Milissa Smith Corporate Compliance Project Manager St John s Regional Health Center Page 4

5 HFMA Fall President s Meeting Shelly Hunter and Greg Shaw attended the 2008 Region 8 Fall President s Meeting. The meeting is held for all Region 8 chapter President and President Elect positions. The purpose of the meeting is to perform strategic planning, share best practices, and vote for next year s Region 8 Executive. This meeting is a great opportunity to network with other chapters in Region 8. HFMA National provides representatives to answer any questions the chapters may have and to inform the chapter of upcoming requirements. Pictured left to right, Greg Shaw, President Elect Show Me Chapter, Shelly Hunter, President Show Me Chapter, Teri Reger, President Greater St. Louis Chapter, Tami Knobbe, President Elect Greater St. Louis Chapter Searching for a New Job? Look at the Show-Me of Missouri Job Bank at for details. Business Office Manager Lincoln County Medical Center Troy, MO Coordinator, Government Payors University of Missouri Health Care Columbia, MO Managed Care Analyst University of Missouri Health Care Columbia, MO Page 5

6 Continued from pg. 1 as the most often expressed reason to refuse an invitation to participate in a project. Similarly, those who coordinate volunteer services also express the frustration of I don t have the time to do all sorts of things from expanding a program to reading professional books or Web resources. What can we do about this except wring our hands? Time and the Volunteer Naturally virtual volunteering and one-time days of service are responses to the lack of time expressed by volunteers. But it s still possible to engage people in more intensive service, if we pay attention to their needs. Revisit volunteer position descriptions from a time perspective. Ask why volunteer work is structured the way it is now. Of course, if you re running a lunch program, volunteers have to be on site at lunchtime. But for most other work, question whether you truly need to require a set schedule. Is it more important to have volunteers on site at specific times or to have an amount of work completed by a determined due date? If the Also, can a volunteer position description be broken into several smaller ones so that the work can be shared? Might a team of volunteers be assigned to the same project and promise to staff a shift or complete the tasks on a schedule they rotate among themselves as they wish? Identify time wasters and do something about them. Every meeting requires commute time, so perhaps it would make sense to hold fewer but longer meetings, focusing time spent on what s important (group discussion) rather than on sitting in a car more often. Similarly, does the volunteer have to come on site? Can we audiotape some messages and make them available online, even to download onto a portable listening devices like an IPod? Meet multiple needs. Busy people make choices and gravitate to activities that accomplish more than one thing on their to-do list. For example, if there s a choice between two volunteer opportunities both serving important causes and allowing the volunteer to exercise civic responsibility any sane person would select the one that provides additional personal benefits. For example: Meeting new friends (possibly single new friends!)-especially important for prospective volunteers new to a community or recently divorced or widowed. Learning something new while volunteering that, in turn, will be helpful in the person s paying job or look good on a resume for future job hunting. Being able to volunteer with one s children as a family activity, rather than having to make the choice of spending even less time parenting than now. Simply having fun time-deprived folks need a recreational outlet (by the way, it s possible to do hard work and still have fun!). Reprinted with permission from Page 6

7 Show-Me of Missouri Chapter Offers Job Bank Beginning with the Fall 2008 chapter newsletter that will be published in November, the Show-Me of Missouri chapter will offer employment ad placement both in the newsletter and on All ads will be placed in the Job Bank. Below are the guidelines for the employment ad placement in the Job Bank. Guidelines for placing a Job Bank listing in the Show Me of Missouri chapter newsletter and on The Show Me of Missouri chapter newsletter is published four times per year (August, November, February and May). A Job Bank listing cost $100 per position for a one-time placement in the Show Me of Missouri chapter newsletter and a one month posting on the chapter s website, The Job Bank request must contain the following information: Hospital/Organization s Name Job Title i.e. Financial Analyst, Controller Position or Department to whom the advertised position will report to i.e. Chief Financial Officer, Director of Accounting Brief Job Description Educational/Professional experience required i.e. Bachelors Degree, CPA preferred Contact information as to where to send applicant s resume including contact name, address, telephone and fax number and address. To ensure consistent presentation of all Job Bank listings, no company logos are permitted. Deadlines for Job Bank listing placement in the Show Me of Missouri Chapter Newsletter are as follows: July 10 for August (Summer) Issue October 10 for November (Fall) Issue January 10 for February (Winter) Issue April 10 for May (Spring) Issue Checks for Job Bank listings should be made payable to HFMA Show Me Chapter and mailed to: Janet Taylor, Treasurer, HFMA Show Me Chapter 16 S Pennsylvania Webb City MO All Job Bank listing information must be Microsoft Word format. To place a Job Bank listing or for more information, contact: Deana Thomas Kyle Lee Lake Regional Health System Financial Resource Group, LLC 54 Hospital Drive 6048 Black Oak Osage Beach MO Springfield MO dthomas@lakeregional.com kylewlee@mchsi.com Page 7

8 UPCOMING EVENTS Skilled Nursing presented by WPS Health Insurance December 10, 2008 at Holiday Inn Select in Columbia, MO What you will learn: SNF Admission Procedures SNF PPS Consolidated Billing SNF Part A Billing Basics No Pay Billing and Benefits Exhaust SNF Part B SNF Beneficiary Notices CERT Registration is $75 for HFMA members and $85 for non-members. For more information contact Jennifer Ogden at or jlogden@audrainmedicalcenter.com. Page 8

9 Are You Certifiable? Become a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) Enhance your career potential by becoming a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP). HFMA's certification program provides you an opportunity to earn this designation when you meet the following requirements: Be an HFMA member for a total of two years and be an current active member Have two years of professional experience in the healthcare finance industry Successfully complete the HFMA Core certification exam and one of the specialty exams - Accounting and Finance, Patient Financial Services, Financial Management of Physician Practices, or Managed Care Obtain a reference from an elected HFMA chapter office and your CEO or supervisor All active members are eligible to take the certification exams. Once you meet the requirements for becoming a CHFP, submit a CHFP application to HFMA National within 24 months of successfully completing the first exam, with a one-time fee. You will then receive a certificate through your chapter that you can proudly display and will be entitled to used the CHFP designation after your name. The Show-Me chapter supports you efforts in becoming HFMA certified. The Chapter has study guides that can be used by any member of the chapter. They can be checked out for one month at a time. The Chapter will reimburse 100% of the exam fees charged by National HFMA to take the certification exams, upon successful completion of the exams. For more information about the HFMA certification program or resources available locally, please contact Janice Janssen at Janssenj@health.missouri.edu or Don t forget to check out For chapter updates and information HFMA Show Me of Missouri Chapter President Shelly Hunter, FHFMA, MBA President-Elect Greg L. Shaw, FHFMA, CPA, MBA Vice President Jennifer L. Ogden Secretary Kory Stout Treasurer Janet C. Taylor Board of Directors Mary Bonge Kyle Lee Deana Thomas Stephanie Fennewald, FHFMA Rita Dew Matt A. Levsen, FHFMA, CPA Jan Pederson Page 9