1. colorado chapter
PEAKS & plainsFIRST QUARTER 2015-2016 | JULY
Tax-Exempt Hospitals
& 501(r) –Are You
Ready?
WITH STAKES HIGH, an
effective compliance
program is essential
from top to bottom
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
Janiece McNichols,
Centura Health
EARLY CAREERIST
Gen Ys: A Stark Contrast
from Gen Xers?
THIS YEAR AT ANI...
CHA UPDATEWHAT A TANGLED
WEB WE WEAVE:
How to Make Value-
Based Partnerships and
Affiliations
Successful
10REASONSWHYFRIENDLINESS
ISALEADERSHIPNECESSITY
2. PAGE | 1
plains
PEAKS
&
continued on page 2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Tim Cashman
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
President’s Message 1
Upcoming Events 2
Tax-Exempt Hospitals & 501(r) – Are
You Ready?
4
10 Reasons Why Friendliness is a
Leadership Necessity
6
Member Spotlight: Janiece McNichols 8
Conspicuous Absence 11
Hospital Highlight 12
This Year at ANI... 14
CHA Update 15
Experience the Benefits of the New
Mentorship Program
16
Safe Fun in the Summer Sun 18
Early Careerist: Gen Ys: A Stark Con-
trast from Gen Xers?
20
Committee Corner 22
With Stakes High, an effective
compliance program is essential from
top to bottom
24
Chapter Distractions 27
What a Tangled Web We Weave 28
Statewide Pride 31
H
ello all Colorado
HFMA members,
friends and associates.
While the weather
is very wet this year,
hopefully we can find some sunshine
in our professional lives! Your Chapter
volunteers are certainly quite busy
working on interesting conferences,
webinars and social events that
hopefully present a fresh look at
current trends. Our Chapter is loaded
with talent, energy and highly qualified
professionals. It really is a team that
makes our Chapter successful. We are
planning a very fun year, to be sure.
First things first – I would like to
extend my sincere gratitude to Jeff
Hyre for his energy, leadership, and
thoughtful insights as our President
last year. Under his leadership and
his Committee Chair’s, we have
growth in Membership, Attendance,
Education hours and Certifications.
All of those represent our Chapter
very well, nationally. Jeff is one
those guys that you always see very
early at Conferences, taking care of
the details. His work ethic and his
knowledge of our Conference and
Event management is of huge value to
us. So, please join me in thanking Jeff
for his time and all of his hard work.
Speaking of which, everyone has
now returned from HFMA Annual
meeting (ANI) in Orlando. Included
in this newsletter is a report from Jeff
regarding the Chapter’s awards for
this past year. For the record, our
accomplishments for 2014/2015
include a 4.8% increase of education
hours, member satisfaction score of
75% (new high), and an increase
in certified members from 8.2% to
8.6%. Jeff did a remarkable job with
his written reports for Yerger Awards,
of which we received four (4). Well
done, Jeff.
We held our annual Strategic Planning
meeting (aka the MiniLTC) on May 7
& 8. Excellent attendance from your
Board and Committee Chair’s resulted
in a Plan that we hope is achievable
and continues to set the course for our
long term success.
We are emphasizing a new direction for
our Marketing and Communications,
under the talent and ideas of Pilar
Mank and Jessica Griffith. I am
hopeful that you notice how crisp and
well organized our communication
messages, including this newsletter,
conference brochures and weekly
emails. Also, we are working hard to
update our website. We are updating
the website more frequently to include
conference materials, including the
respective Agenda’s as well as the
Speaker Powerpoints.
Also, Steve Ellsworth and a team of
capable volunteers are working on
updating our Sponsorship program.
We are hopeful to complete a clearly
defined and mutually beneficial
program for our Sponsors, of which
REGISTER HERE
3. PAGE | 32
plains
PEAKS
&
FIRST QUARTER 2015-2016 | JULY
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
continued
UPCOMING EVENTS:
■■ AUG 4TH, 2015 Webinar: Ensuring Compliance with
RCM Vendors
■■ AUG 12-14TH
, 2015 HFMA Region 10 Conference
Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Colorado Springs
■■ SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2015 Webinar: Critical Issues Overview
and Update for CAH
■■ SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2015 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Sign up
to join HFMA Colorado’s team for this great cause. Sign up
online here. Select “Join A Team” and enter CO HFMA.
■■ SEPTEMBER 23 - 25TH
, 2015 Great Fall Rural Conference,
Hotel Colorado, Glenwood Springs
■■ OCTOBER 20TH, 2015 Webinar: Intro to Service
Leadership - Establishing a Climate & Culture for Success
■■ OCTOBER 26-27ST
, 2015 Chargemaster Conference
Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver
we simply couldn’t have as successful
a Chapter as we are fortunate to have.
Membership, under the expert
direction of David Ridley and his
team of volunteers has absolutely
transformed our methodology
of managing the database of our
membership roster. This includes
managing our retention, new members
and transfers. Tammy Rivera is our
Volunteer Coordinator, we are hopeful
that this helps to organize any and all
members that wish to become more
active in our Chapter activities. By
the way, Tammy is also leading a team
of outstanding ladies as they build a
program around the theme of Women’s
Leadership, consistent with HFMA
National. Stay tuned for more details
forthcoming.
Don’t miss our upcoming Region
10 Conference in mid-August at
the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in
Colorado Springs. The Speaker lineup
is fantastic and so is the location. It
promises to be tons of fun, including
a Wild Wild West Party on Thursday
night. There are lots of educational
opportunities as well as a very
relaxing atmosphere. We have a Golf
Tournament planned for Wednesday
that promises to be very fun. And, as
always with our Conferences, there are
NASBA credits for our CPA friends.
Our annual Great Fall Rural
Conference in Glenwood Springs is
scheduled for September 23rd thru
the 25th. This is a very popular
Conference in a beautiful resort
location, the Hotel Colorado. This is
historically well attended and always
a fun time with old and new friends.
Jon Wiik and his team promise to put
on yet another terrific event. Don’t
miss the fun!
We also have planned, yet again,
another very successful ChargeMaster
Conference, presented by the very
popular Angie Martin. In December
we have planned the always popular
Payer Day, in collaboration with
CMCC at Children’s Hospital. There
are monthly Webinars and a few Social
gatherings planned this year. Sure
hope to see you at a few of these, for
networking and socializing with your
peers.
Please visit our Website for all the
details of your Colorado Chapter.
http://www.hfma-co.org
In closing, I could not be more
proud to be associated with the
Colorado HFMA Chapter and all
of the fine members, whom we call
friends and professional associates. I
encourage you to attend some of our
planned events for your professional
continuing education and networking
opportunities. Our goal is to provide a
stimulating professional environment
to meet your educational and social
expectations.
Yours, most truly
Tim Cashman
HFMA Colorado Chapter President
SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2015
SIGN UP TO JOIN HFMA COLORADO’S
TEAM FOR THIS GREAT CAUSE.
SIGN UP ONLINE HERE.
SELECT “JOIN A TEAM” AND ENTER
CO HFMA.
4. PAGE | 54
On December 29, 2014, the IRS issued
final regulations for charitable hospitals
as part of the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act, with which
hospitals must comply to retain exempt
status. These mandates fall under
Internal Revenue Code Section 501(r).
For a tax-exempt hospital to retain its
exempt status, it must comply with the
entire regulation.
This new regulation comes with many
compliance mandates and penalties
for noncompliance, up to loss of
exempt status and/or a $50,000 excise
tax penalty for failure to complete
an adopted Community Health
Needs Assessment (CHNA) and
implementation strategy by the required
due date. Here is a high-level overview
of the IRC 501(r) regulations and a few
key takeaways of what is required for
each section. Tax-exempt hospitals
with December 31 year-end should
pay particularly close attention to the
following requirements, as they must
comply by December 31, 2015. Tax-
exempt hospitals with a different fiscal
year-end should be compliant by the
end of their fiscal year in 2016.
501(R)(3) – CHNA
To comply with 501(r)(3), each hospital
must conduct a CHNA and adopt an
implementation strategy based on the
health needs identified in the assessment
every three years. The CHNA must
be approved by an authorized body
by the end of the third year, while
the implementation strategy must be
adopted by an authorized body on
or before the 15th day of the fifth
month after the end of the taxable
year the CHNA was conducted and
made widely available to the public.
Organizations without an approved
CHNA by the due date will be subject
to a $50,000 excise tax penalty for each
hospital it operates that fails to meet
this requirement.
Please note: The final regulations
require the hospital to evaluate the
impact of actions taken to address
significant health needs since the last
CHNA report.
TAX-EXEMPT
HOSPITALS & 501(R) –
ARE YOU READY?
by Ed Priem, BKD, LLP
epriem@bkd.com
501(R)(4) – WRITTEN &
ADOPTED FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE POLICY &
WRITTEN EMERGENCY
MEDICAL CARE POLICY
Each tax-exempt hospital facility
must have in place a written financial
assistance policy (FAP) as well as a
written emergency medical care policy
to be compliant with the requirements
of Section 501(r)(4). Each policy also
must be adopted by an authorized body
of the hospital facility, i.e., the board of
directors, in which these policies reside.
501(R)(5) – LIMITATIONS ON
CHARGES
This section describes the limitations
on what 501(c)(3) hospital facilities can
charge patients receiving emergency and
other medical care if those patients are
eligible under the hospital’s financial
assistance policy. Amount generally
billed (AGB) can be determined using
two methods: the look-back method and
the prospective Medicare and Medicaid
method.
501(R)(6) – NOTIFICATION
REQUIREMENTS,
EXTRAORDINARY
COLLECTION ACTIONS &
OTHER ISSUES
A tax-exempt hospital facility complies
with 501(r)(6) if it doesn’t engage
in extraordinary collection actions
(ECA) against an individual before
making reasonable efforts to
determine if an individual is
eligible for assistance under
the organization’s financial
assistance policy. Some (but not
all) of the actions considered
ECAs include:
■■ Selling an individual’s
debt to another party, sub-
ject to some exceptions
■■ Adverse reporting to
credit reporting agencies
or credit bureaus
■■ Deferring, denying or
requiring payment before
providing medically neces-
sary care due to non-
payment for previously
provided care
■■ Actions that require a legal
process
Hospitals should carefully consider what
actions are needed to comply with these
important regulations and protect their
exempt status.
This article is for general information
purposes only and is not to be considered
as legal advice. This information was
written by qualified, experienced BKD
professionals, but applying this information
to your particular situation requires careful
consideration of your specific facts and
circumstances. Consult your BKD advisor
or legal counsel before acting on any matter
covered in this update.
Article reprinted with permission from
BKD, LLP, bkd.com. All rights reserved.
5. PAGE | 76
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PEAKS
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FIRST QUARTER 2015-2016 | JULY
We’ve heard it many times, “It’s a dog
eat dog world.” The trouble is, some
leaders actually believe it. They conduct
themselves like the alpha dog in a pack,
holding sway through intimidation.
This instinctive behavior helps insure
survival in a dog world, but applied
to the human world of organizational
dynamics, it can lead to disaster.
Alpha dog leadership can eventually
turn out to be destructive to the people,
their organization, and the leaders
themselves. To use another common
metaphor, “That dog won’t hunt.”
After all, leaders do nothing more
important than get results; and the best
results are what I’ve been teaching for
more than two decades, “more results
faster, continually.” An alpha-dog leader
might chew up people to get more
results and get them faster, but I submit
that it takes a far different personality
trait to engender the “continually”
aspect of the imperative. That trait isn’t
the despot modeled by so many leaders,
it’s ... well, friendliness.
Having a friendly attitude as a leader
means eschewing the alpha-dog way
of leadership. It means being gentle,
kind, helpful, and cordial in your
relationships, even in times of anger
and stress -- ESPECIALLY in times of
anger and stress. Here are 10 reasons
friendliness gets far more results than
an alpha-dog way.
1
We stay in control. Apha-dog
leaders seek to control others. But
they misconstrue what control
really means. In truth, such leaders
are really out of control much of the
time, since they’re at the mercy of
their emotional outbursts and the
reactions of others to those outbursts.
In leadership, the best way to control
a situation, i.e., the best way to get
great results, is to put the people in
control. Don’t constrain them through
short-term compulsion but liberate
them by playing the “longer game.”
Unleash their initiative and creativity
by allowing them to make free choices,
and they will be under your “control” in
more profound and effective ways than
the alpha-dog leader could imagine.
2
People respond more openly and
positively to friendliness. Humans
seek happiness; and friendliness
is a great way to spread happiness. It
enables you to communicate much
more effectively because it bonds you
with others in ways that anger, coercion,
intimidation can’t. And that bonding is
the stuff that great results flow from.
3
We a r e m o d e l i n g g o o d
interactions, bringing the future
into the present. Whether leaders
know it or not, their words and actions
are carefully watched by the people they
lead. People have an instinctive need
to model those words and actions; or
if they disagree with them, speak and
act in opposite ways. By radiating
friendliness, leaders are being the means
that are the ends in the making.
4
We make real issues relevant
factors, not false issues like anger
and intimidation. Friendliness
tends to clarify issues; intimidation,
because it is associated with fear,
obfuscates them. So often intimidating
leaders make themselves and their
tormenting ways the issue. Whereas the
real issues should be, how do we get
results, how do we get more results, how
do we get faster results, and how do
we get “more, faster” continually? The
fear they provoke is like crack cocaine,
temporarily stimulating but addictive
and in the long run destructive to the
leader and the people.
5
With friendliness, we set the
agenda. “A good offense is the best
defense” applies with friendliness.
You should be on the offense with
10REASONS WHY
FRIENDLINESS IS
A LEADERSHIP NECESSITY
by Brent Filson
friendliness, displaying it even in
challenging circumstances when it may
take an act of disciplined courage on
your part. This helps you set the agenda
in terms of how people respond to one
another in these circumstances. Of
course, your friendliness will not affect
some people who may be determined to
subvert your leadership no matter what
your attitude is; however, friendliness
can, like the clearing of brush-lines to
contain a forest fire, keep rancor from
spreading deeply into the organization.
6
We increase the chance that others
will support our cause. The truth
is that leaders can’t motivate
anybody to do anything. The people
make the choice to be motivated or not.
Friendly leaders have the best chance of
creating an environment in which the
people make that choice. As Abraham
Lincoln said, “If you would win a man
to your cause, first convince him that
you are his sincere friend. Therein is a
drop of honey that catches his heart,
which, say what he will, is the great
highroad to his reason, and which, once
gained, you will find but little trouble
in convincing him of the justice of your
cause, if indeed that cause is really a
good one.”
7
Our opponents can be put off
balance. As a leader, you’ll often
have people working against you,
spoiling for a fight; and when they
encounter a friendly attitude on your
part, they may be thrown off balance
in benignly effective ways. Furthermore,
your friendliness can encourage others
to take up your cause against them.
8
With friendliness everybody has
an opportunity to win. Unfriendly
leaders often win battles but lose
wars. They may compel others to get
on board; but if those others do so
out of compulsion and not genuine
conviction and motivation, the fruits
of any victories can become ashes. Most
people welcome friendliness -- even if
they disagree with and even dislike the
leader. Furthermore, our friendliness
can prompt the people we interact
with to reflect on their own character,
a prerequisite for their choosing to
be motivated. In an environment
of friendliness, all parties have an
opportunity to achieve something
positive.
9
Friendliness is fire prevention
equipment against your burning
bridges behind you. An opponent
may seem to be your opponent today
but in the future you may need him
to be your partner in implementing
changes. Friendliness gives us an
opportunity to have productive
relationships even with those who
oppose us, enriching both the present
and the future.
10
Getting results through
friendliness can take a lot less
energy than getting results
through coercion and intimidation.
Friendliness isn’t an absolute necessity
in leadership. I’ve seen great leaders who
were terrific curmudgeons. It’s just that
unfriendly people have to go through
a lot more trouble getting people
motivated.
Two caveats. One, friendliness
can be mistaken for weakness. In
fact, friendliness can BE weakness
if it manifests as a way of avoiding
challenging people to do the hard
things to get great results. In leadership,
friendliness has a clear function which is
to people achieve constantly improving
results. This entails your challenging
people to do what they often don’t
want to do. Anybody can be nice to
them and let them do what they want.
But a leader must continually be
challenging people to struggle mightily
for extraordinary results. If friendliness
doesn’t help you fulfill that function
then it’s simply a lifestyle choice, not a
leadership tool, and ultimately in terms
of leadership, a weakness.
Two, even if you do use it as a strong
leadership tool, you certainly can’t
be friendly 100 percent of the time.
If you try to be, you’ll find yourself
becoming a rather one-dimensional
leader. One of the most difficult
accomplishments facing any leader
is simply being who you really are -
especially under pressure. To force-fit
friendliness in a situation where you
might not ordinarily exhibit it or to
use friendliness to manipulate people
into conforming to your wishes is not
the best leadership uses of friendliness.
It may be a dog-eat-dog world; but by
progressing in the Way of friendliness,
leaders can invest their lives and this
world with moments of beauty and
meaning -- and get more results in the
bargain.
6. PAGE | 98
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PEAKS
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FIRST QUARTER 2015-2016 | JULY
“One big project after another” is how
Janiece McNichols describes her exciting
life as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at
Centura Health. Janiece is located at
the St. Anthony North Hospital campus
in Westminster. The opening of that
beautiful and innovative facility is one of
those “big” projects. To better meet the
community’s health needs, St. Anthony
North Hospital has transitioned and is
now the 84th Avenue Neighborhood
Health Center. All inpatient care,
including maternity services, has shifted
to the new St. Anthony North Health
Campus at 144th Ave. and I–25. The
campus is a 92 bed facility with 93% of
patient care being outpatient.
I had the distinct pleasure recently
of receiving a guided tour of the
new location by Janiece. It is a very
impressive operation and Janiece’s pride
and enthusiasm for being part of the
creation of that organization was very
evident.
Janiece grew up in Hot Springs,
Arkansas. She began her healthcare
career straight out of Henderson State
University in Arkansas. She worked
for three years as a Decision Support
Analyst at the University Hospital.
During her tenure there, she also
achieved her graduates’ degree from the
University of Arkansas – Little Rock.
And a remarkable part of Janiece’s story
is that she did all of this while raising a
son as a single mom.
Janiece ventured to Colorado to work
for The Coleman Company, as a
Financial Database Administrator. But,
when the Coleman Company moved
to Wichita, Kansas, Janiece decided to
go back into the healthcare arena and
she has not looked back ever since.
This decision took her to Nashville,
Tennessee and into her first leadership
role, as Manager of Financial Systems at
St. Thomas Hospital.
JANIECE
MCNICHOLS
Chief Financial Officer, Centura Health
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT by Brian
Mitchell | Chief Commercial Officer,
Sage Growth Partners
Janiece soon discovered that she missed
the great state of Colorado, so she
returned after two and a half years for a
position with Exempla Healthcare. She
served as Manager, Decision Support
and Revenue Integrity for nearly ten
years at Exempla prior to becoming
part of Centura Health. Janiece joined
the Centura team as the Director of the
North Denver Group of St. Anthony’s
seven years ago. She has since been
promoted up in the organization to the
CFO role for the past two years.
Janiece believes that her most
significant challenge is due to declining
reimbursements. “Cutting cost, while
providing outstanding care and a
positive work environment is not
easy”, according to Janiece. She is
thankful for the family environment
and “comradery” culture that helps
overcome the obstacles and challenges
of the industry. Love for the non-profit
and religious aspect of the business
and the mission of the organization
are primary motivators for Janiece.
Her vision for success is to really live
the mission of the health center. That
mission is - We extend the healing
ministry of Christ by caring for those
who are ill and by nurturing the health
of the people in our communities.
Janiece’s personality provides her
the spirit of a “get in the trenches”
leadership style and she thrives on
staying connected by listening to the
front line staff of the organization. As
we toured the facility it was evident to
me that she lives out what she professes
with employees. The open door - down
to earth – easy to talk to attitude she
maintains was evident by the aura of
those around her. She explicitly told
me that she cares very, very much for
employees and loves to help them
become better and see them grow in
their positions and careers.
When speaking of “big projects” Janiece
gets very enthusiastic regarding other
undertakings at her campus as she
describes the move to bring hospitalists
in-house versus continuing to outsource
that work. In addition, the health
center has set up unique registration
areas where patients can be registered
for both ambulatory and hospital visits.
The goal of the initiative is to set up sort
of a medical mall for patients, a veritable
“one stop shop”, which serves a diverse
population demographic. Janiece and
her organization are working hard to
build what she referred to as a “clinical
– financial bridge” to benefit both
patients and the organization. Her next
big project is to implement Epic.
Janiece has been a member of HFMA
for 18 years. She is currently co-chair of
the Certification Committee. She feels
that the Colorado Chapter of HFMA
is “exceptional” and she really likes the
fact that for the past few years there has
been more focus on the revenue cycle
of the business, and she also is very
bullish on all the education provided
by the chapter. The ANI is a very
valuable conference in Janiece’s mind
and she looks forward to the benefits
of attending that event annually.
Janiece is an 18 year resident of
Westminster. She is married to Chris,
an Aerospace Engineer with Stellar
Solutions. Chris is very supportive of
Janiece’s career, for which she is very
thankful. Her son Daniel, 25, wants
to become a pilot. The family loves
to travel; Hawaii and the Caribbean
Islands are favorite vacation spots.
Janiece is a scuba diver and loves
spending casual time with friends and
family.
Doing what’s right,
not what’s popular.
Mariner Kemper, CEO
“ “
Our principals never change.
umb.com
Member FDIC
303.839.1300
7. PAGE | 11
plains
PEAKS
&
10
the
conversation
starts
We’re coming together for a first-ever national conversation about the unique
challenges we face as women leaders, in our lives and our profession. We hope
to inspire one another, learn together, and connect with colleagues across
the industry. Join us.
October 27-28, 2015. Register now at hfma.org/here
Women. In business. In health care. In Fort Lauderdale.
CONSPICUOUS ABSENCE
Published March 24, 2015
- www.boz.com
None of us are born leading others
but we are raised with an image of
leadership through commanding
presence. We expect leaders to sit at
the head of the table. We expect to
hear them speak decisively. We expect
them to lead us.
Early in our careers we grow our
influence by embodying these
behaviors. Later in our careers we
grow our influence by defying them.
When you are visibly present people
learn to defer to you. When you
weigh in on every conversation you
make yourself critical to progress and
become a bottleneck. You reduce the
opportunity for those around you to
step up and lead in your place. You
cut off their ability to surprise you.
Worse yet, you cut off their avenues
for outperforming you.
True leaders leave their chairs empty
as often as possible. They remain
silent unless it is absolutely necessary
to speak. Their conspicuous absence
forces people to fill the void. Their
conspicuous silence frees people to
speak up.
And when such leaders do show up
and speak, they find their gravity
magnified many times. Such is the
power of restraint. Such is the power
of conspicuous absence.
8. PAGE | 1312
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PEAKS
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FIRST QUARTER 2015-2016 | JULY
Scott I. Raberge, Senior Vice President Marketing & Sales
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sraberge@pfccollects.com
5754 West 11th Street, Suite 100 • Greeley, CO 80634
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DENVER | DETROIT | INDIANAPOLIS | LOUISVILLE
MILWAUKEE | PHILADELPHIA | WASHINGTON, D.C.
9. PAGE | 15
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PEAKS
&
14
Hello Colorado Chapter members and friends, I hope your
summer is going well. I was honored to receive our chapter
awards at the HFMA ANI awards banquet June 23rd in
Orlando. I am so proud to be part of this association, and
I am happy to report our chapter received seven awards at
the banquet, tied for the most in the country with only
a few other chapters. Kari Cornicelli, outgoing National
Chair, and Mary Mirabelli, National Chair Elect presented
the awards at the banquet event.
This past year, our chapter achieved:
■■ Sister Mary Gerald Bronze Award of Excellence for
Education
■■ Bronze award of excellence for Membership Growth
and Retention
■■ Bronze award of excellence for Certification
Our chapter was one of four in the country to be awarded
four Yerger awards, the maximum amount for an individual
chapter to win.
Our Yerger awards earned were the following:
■■ Chapter Improvement Yerger for Webinar Programming
Enhancements
■■ Member Communications improvement Yerger for
Marketing and Communications Advancement
■■ Innovation Yerger for the Early Careerist Scholarship
Program
■■ Generation Y committee E-Student Project
To walk onstage and accept these awards on behalf of the
Chapter, and on behalf of all of you who have volunteered
your time for this association over the years, was truly
humbling. This chapter continues to improve and your
future leadership is excited and well positioned to continue
moving this chapter forward. Many Thanks again to all
those whom were involved in volunteering their time to
help achieve these awards for our chapter. I look forward to
seeing you at an upcoming event!
THIS YEAR AT ANI...
by Jeff Hyre, Immediate Past President
CHA
UPDATE
by Ryan Westrom
The 2015 legislative session concluded
in May. During the legislative session
several bills involving hospital finance
were introduced.
To highlight a few:
■■ Senate Bill 15-074: Transparency In Direct Pay Health
Care Prices by Sen. Tim Neville (R – Littleton) & Rep.
Patrick Neville (R – Castle Rock): the bill would have
required facilities to post direct pay prices to patients
for common medical procedures. It was defeated in the
House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
on a partisan vote.
■■ House Bill 15-1389: Create Hospital Provider Fee Enter-
prise by Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst (D – Boulder),
Rep. Lois Court (D – Denver), & Senator Pat Steadman
(D – Denver): the bill would have removed the Hospital
Provider Fee cash fund from the Taxpayer Bill of Rights
(TABOR) calculation and created additional spending
room in the state budget. The bill was defeated in the
Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
on a partisan vote.
■■ House Bill 15-1141: Hospital Provider Fee Patient Billing
Statements by Rep. Janak Joshi (R – Colorado Springs)
& Sen. Tim Neville (R – Littleton): the bill would have
required hospitals to include the hospital provider fee on
patient billing statements. The bill was defeated in the
House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
on a partisan vote.
■■ Senate Bill 15-228: Medicaid Provider Rate Review by
Sen. Pat Steadman (D – Denver) & Rep. Bob Rankin (R
– Carbondale): the bill establishes a 24-member advisory
group within the Department of Health Care Policy &
Financing (HCPF) to review Medicaid provider rates on
a regular basis. The bill was signed by the governor on
June 5, 2015, and advisory group meetings will begin later
this summer.
■■ Senate Bill 15-259: Out-of-network Health Care Provider
Charges by Sen. Irene Aguilar (D – Denver) & Susan
Lontine (D – Denver): the bill would have required in-
network facilities to notify patients of out-of-network
providers in emergency cases. The bill was defeated in the
Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology on
a partisan vote.
Colorado Hospital Association expects many of the same
issues that were defeated in the 2015 legislative session to
be revisited during the 2016 legislative session. Hospital
finance and billing offices can prepare for the 2016 session by
reviewing their own billing practices and pricing transparency.
Ensure that the billing policies are aligned with HFMA’s
“Patient Financial Communications Best Practices”(http://
www.hfma.org/Content.aspx?id=20098). Also, ensure local
legislators understand the positive impact of the hospital
provider fee on their local communities.
The positive impact of best practices for a hospital are larger
than an effective lobbying effort. A recently cited survey
reported, “93 percent of patients who liked the billing process
were satisfied with the clinical, whereas those unsatisfied
with billing reported 63 percent satisfaction with their
clinical care.” Patient’s correlate billing with their overall
experience. And improving the patient experience is the best
reason to ensure hospital billing and finance exceed patient’s
expectations.
10. PAGE | 1716
EARLY CAREERISTS:
■■ Would you like to expand your
networking capabilities within the
healthcare industry?
■■ Are you looking for ways to get
more involved with HFMA?
■■ Are you interested in making more
one-on-one connections with
experienced professionals?
■■ Do you want to expand your
opportunities for career planning?
EXPERIENCED
PROFESSIONALS:
■■ Are you looking for opportunities
to give back to the Chapter?
■■ Have you wondered how else you
might be able to contribute your
time, experiences, and wealth of
knowledge with others?
■■ Are you interested in helping shape
the future of our Chapter, includ-
ing fostering leadership develop-
ment and promoting diversity of
thought and cultural awareness?
Where does it all begin? How did you get to the point
where you can do what you do today? Were you born with
that capability or did you become the talented and skillful
person that you are today?
Experience the
Benefits of the New
Mentorship Program
If so, we have the perfect solution – sign
up to participate in the new Colorado
HFMA Mentorship Program!
This past April we introduced this
program at the annual conference and
we are excited to report that we have
a number of individuals, particularly
experienced professionals, who have
volunteered to participate. We would
love to see our Early Careerists take
advantage of this great opportunity
to get more involved, form closer and
more individualized relationships with
others in the industry, and expand their
own career development.
Participation is easy. Just email Jessica
Griffith at admin@hfma-co.org and
ask for either a Mentee or a Mentor
application. Fill it out and return it
to Jessica.
The newly-formed Mentorship
Committee will match mentors
and mentees based on mutual
interests, availability, locations, etc.
and communicate the matches to
the individuals. Once matched,
the pair will be provided with the
relevant mentoring materials and be
instructed to set up an initial mentor
meeting. At the initial meeting, the
pair will agree upon the term of the
relationship, time commitment and
frequency of meetings, goals of the
mentor relationship, and more. The
time commitment and nature of the
relationship is really all up to you!
Whether you are considering becoming
a mentee, a mentor, or maybe one of
each, reach out to Hal today and
request an application. Mentoring
can be one of the most rewarding and
fulfilling professional relationships you
will develop in your career. Don’t miss
this opportunity to enhance your own
development, get more involved, and
contribute to the enhancement of our
great Chapter!
$100 ONE DAY / $130 BOTH
11. PAGE | 19
plains
PEAKS
&
18
SUNSCREEN ADDITIVE MAY SPEED
DEVELOPMENT OF SKIN CANCER
Retinyl palmite and its other names: Retinol, Retinyal
palmitate, Retinyl acetate etc., are all names for versions of
Vitamin A. Manufacturers add Vitamin A to about 19% of
all sunscreens, 17% of moisturizers and 13% of lip products,
as an antioxidant and combatant to aging. (EWG 2015)
Also according to EWG and other federal (government)
scientists “When used in the presence of sun… (Retinyl
Palmitate) may trigger skin tumors and lesions.”
Although sadly there is no “perfect” sunscreen we should
strive to find a safe product with similar UVA and UVB
protection and use it before we go out. Then reapply it
every few hours-or immediately after being in the water. We
can also cover up with shirts, hats and great eye protection;
another strategy is to create shade for ourselves, our kids and
our pets to cool off and prolong the fun in the summer sun.
NCI; National Cancer Institute: http://www.cancer.gov/
ACS; American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/
EWG; Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org/
SAFE FUN IN THE SUMMER SUN continuedHYDRATION
With the mercury rising, so must our attention to staying safe
during our activities at altitude. We all know that medical
conditions, as well as intensity and duration of physicality
require vigilant hydration efforts during the summertime
months. The elderly, children and pets are especially
susceptible to dehydration and subsequent heat exhaustion
and potentially heat stroke.
For every pound of sweat we lose, a pint of water needs to be
reintroduced to maintain balance and regulate temperature
within the body. If we aren’t sweating during moderate
activity, that may be a flag that we are already dehydrated
and should be consuming water. Juice, sports drinks and
soda all contain ridiculous amounts of things that we don’t
really need (e.g., high fructose corn syrup, aspartame and
sugar.) Water truly is the best thing for us!
There are also dehydration concerns that come with some
medications (acting as a diuretic) in chronic condition
management: Diabetes, Obesity and Heart Disease. It is
critical to maintain hydration to avoid over taxing the heart
and other organs.
Water is the best source for true hydration before you garden,
exercise, travel or just sit and relax. D, drink it before you
start and again as you move and the finally, as you recover.
Stay healthy through hydration!
SUN PROTECTION
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) the rate of
new melanoma diagnoses (the deadliest form of skin cancer)
has tripled since the 70’s. (NCI 2015) The exact cause of
this form of cancer remains a mystery, though the risk factors
have commonly been identified as: family history, amount
of indoor tanning *especially before age 30, ultraviolet (UV)
radiation and number of severe sunburns. Three of
these we can control: amount of indoor tanning, the level
of UV exposure and number of “severe” sunburns *especially
during childhood.
According to the NCI in America, “last year 76,000 people
were diagnosed with melanoma and 9,700 people died from
it.” (NCI 2015) The American Cancer Society (ACS) states
that “More than 2 million Americans develop skin cancer
every year.” (ACS 2015) This estimate includes: Basal Cell
and Squamous Cell Carcinomas too. Even though the
science is still ongoing, the consensus among researchers
is “the most important step people can take to reduce their
melanoma risk is to avoid sunburns but not all sun exposure.”
(EWG 2015)
Sun exposes us to two different types of UV radiation;
UVA (highest level of UV exposure, this UV goes deep
into the skin to cause damage to the DNA and create free
radicals,) also UVB (High energy rays causing sunburns and
blisters)..) UVB makes up only “three to five percent of the
UV radiation hitting earth.” (EWG 2015) It is important
to remember both UVA & UVB exposure may cause cancer.
One of the most important weapons
in sun protection arsenal is an effective
and safe broad spectrum sunscreen.
Consumers can choose chemical based
sunscreens which may: quickly lose
efficacy, affect hormones and cause skin
allergies; or mineral based sunscreens
which offer “micronized” zinc oxide and
titanium dioxide.
A lot of recent research has identified a
commonly unknown, underlying threat
to be considered. The Environmental
Working Group (EWG) offers an
informative & easy interactive guide here:
EWG Sunscreen Guide
Safe Fun in the Summer Sun
By: Cally Christensen
continued on page 22
13. PAGE | 2322
plains
PEAKS
&
FIRST QUARTER 2015-2016 | JULY
C OR NER
Colorado HFMA offers it’s members lots of
opportunites to get involved. Check out what our
committees are working on for you!
Certification We were awarded The Award of
Excellence with 8 members passing the certification
exam this year! Congrats to all. With 8.6% certified
for the year, we met our Bronze level goal. For
2015, the new CHFP credential is awarded upon
successful completion of module I end of course
assessment (6 courses plus 75 question, 90 minute
exam) and successful completion of module II case
study exercises (a 3 hour timed exam- $300). New
certification program preparation materials for
Module I were made available to Gregg Fanselau on
July 9. Estimated 7.5 contact hours total. We will be
meeting to determine additional ways to promote
certification and offer study options.
Marketing The Marketing Committee is busy
updating our website. We hope to have some BIG
improvements rolling out in the second quarter. We’ve
gone high-tech, purchasing 4 digital photo frames to
replace purchasing printed signs for each conference.
This should save the chapter money and time for each
conference.
We’re Social - How about you?!?! We continue to
promote and utilize our social media sites. Facebook
page is growing, and you can now follow us on Twitter
@HFMACOLORADO.
We will be working closely with the Sponsorship
Committee to develop an Electronic Chapter Vendor
Guide as an added benefit to our Annual Sponsors.
Look for that January 2016.
Your Colorado Chapter is also the Marketing
Committee for the Region 10 Conference in Colorado
Springs and we’ve got some great things planned
including a fun Wild West Hoedown and Barbeque
planned for Thursday night. Join us!
Membership The membership committee is pleased
to report that we beat our membership goal for last year
by 19 members! Our retention rate was calculated at
100.8% for last year (Vs. 87% goal). Our Mentorship
program is off to a great start with matching of mentors
and mentees underway. Check out the article for more
details.
Sponsorship The Sponsorship Committee has various
projects underway. We are creating a “Buyer’s Guide” of
services of annual sponsors to publish online.We will be
formalizing follow up (survey) with exhibiting sponsors
after meetings to address issues and recommendations.
We are continuously reviewing our processes to make
sure that we are providing a great value to our sponsors.
We will be reinstituting speaker introductions by
sponsors at major meetings beginning with Great
Fall Conference. Lastly, we are always soliciting new
annual sponsors by identifying national companies that
currently sponsor other chapters.
COMMITTEE
Program and Education Programs
are shaping up for the year! Look out
for some great educational opportunities.
Our committee continues to meet
monthly to make sure we are on
track for providing the great learning
opportunities that our members have
come to expect. Keep your eyes open
for our upcoming events. Great Fall is
all lined up for September in Glenwood
Springs and Chargemaster in October.
We continue to look at ways to provide
more value and to include more parts
of the state by evaluating new locations
and combining conferences so members
have fewer travel expenses. We’d love to
hear what you think or your comments
on our programs! Email our VP of
Education Gina Eastin at gina.eastin@
yumahospital.org.
Collaboration We will be adding a
new program this year in colaboration
with CMGMA. Legislative Update
will be held on January 26, 2016 at the
University Club in Denver. Planning is
preliminary so stay tuned for more info
on this fun event.
Women in Leadership We are pleased
to present our newest committee and
initiative! Vision: We celebrate women
of all career stages to learn and laugh
together; we celebrate leadership and
professional development in all its
capacities. Mission: To create dynamic,
engaging education and networking
opportunities for women of healthcare,
finance and business in Colorado. We
will be instituting a series of afterhours
(4-7pm approx.) events in and around
the Denver Metro Area. Look for the
first of this 3 event series in November!
COMMITTEE CORNER continued
BENCHSTRENGTH
When you need it
We have it
COMPLETE REVENUE CYCLE SUPPORT
CBO | Self Pay | AR Projects |
HIM Services and Consulting |
Staffing
Improve your financial performance with HRG
14. PAGE | 2524
While an understanding of organizational
compliance and oversight is the responsibility
of the members of a health care organization’s
management team, each member of an
organization also must understand his or her
personal compliance responsibilities and potential
individual liability for failure to comply with the
law.
It is well established that a healthcare organization’s
management team and the boards that oversee them are
responsible for implementing procedures to effectuate
compliance with State and Federal laws that regulate the health
care industry. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Office of Inspector General (“HHS OIG”)
recently collaborated with health care industry leaders to
jointly release “Practical Guidance for Health Care Governing
Boards on Compliance Oversight” (“Board Guidance”) that is
designed to assist governing boards of healthcare organizations
with carrying out compliance oversight obligations. The Board
Guidance is designed “to encourage the development and
use of internal controls to monitor adherence to applicable
statutes, regulations, and program requirements.”
While the Board Guidance is a welcome resource for those
in board or management roles, its substance should also
be adapted and shared with non-managerial members of
an organization. All too often do employees hear of the
importance of “compliance” without understanding its
significance or how it actually applies to them
and their own job responsibilities. Even worse,
too often do members of an organization believe
that their business is too small to implement
a compliance program. Such failures in
understanding and education can lead to violations
of the laws that serve as the very framework for
effective compliance programs. Such violations can
result in significant legal consequences not only at
the organizational level but also at the individual
employee level as well.
Consequently, in order to best protect an
organization and its employees, managers should take
advantage of the various publicly available resources put out
by industry leaders and agencies, starting with the various
resources available from OIG. The Board Guidance itself
builds off of prior compliance program resources such as the
Federal Sentencing Guidelines, OIG’s voluntary compliance
program guidance, and OIG Corporate Integrity Agreement
requirements. The Board Guidance not only applies to
governing boards of healthcare organizations but also is a
valuable resource for internal management and compliance
members by highlighting key issues and roles that must be
addressed in order to support an effective compliance program.
More generally, the OIG’s “Compliance” section on its website
(https://oig.hhs.gove/compliance/) has numerous resources
for developing and implementing an effective compliance
program. The key is that while the specifics of any two
compliance programs may differ due to differences in size and
complexity of the organizations, the OIG’s basic fundamental
elements of an effective compliance program stay the same:
1. Implementing written policies, procedures, and standards
of conduct.
2. Designating a compliance officer and compliance
committee.
3. Conducting effective training and education.
4. Developing effective lines of communication.
5. Conducting internal monitoring and auditing.
With stakes high, an
effective compliance
program is essential
from top to bottom
By Gregory S. Lindquist
6. Enforcing standards through well-publicized guidelines.
7. Responding promptly to detected offenses and
undertaking corrective action.
These are fundamentals. Any organization, no matter how
large or small, can and will benefit from implementing these
elements into their business. But they only work effectively if
each employee is trained and educated as to how and where
they fit within the program.
On an individual level, there are some risk areas that the
OIG has found are highly vulnerable to fraud and abuse,
such as referral relationships and arrangements, billing issues
such as “upcoding” or billing for medically unnecessary
services, HIPAA privacy breaches, and other quality related
events. While an effective compliance program involves
monitoring of such activities, employees must understand
that issues in such risk areas may implicate State or Federal
fraud and abuse laws such as the False Claims Act , Federal
Anti-Kickback Statute , physician self-referral statute (“Stark
Law”) , and the Civil Monetary Penalties Law , to name a
few. While a discussion of these laws is outside the scope of
this article, it is critical that members of the management
and compliance team not only understand them from an
organizational perspective, but must also be able to educate
individual employees as to how these laws apply to their job
responsibilities.
While the implementation of an effective compliance
program requires effort, persistence, and knowledge, it will
benefit an organization not only from a business-standard
perspective but it will also help protect the organization
and its employees from significant financial and legal
consequences.
Gregory Lindquist is a health care attorney at Caplan and
Earnest LLC. He previously served as Associate Counsel in the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of
Counsel to the Inspector General. Contact him at 303-443-8010
or glindquist@celaw.com.
15. PAGE | 27
plains
PEAKS
&
GION 10
ARE
NCE
2 - 14, 2015
HFMA REGION 10
HEALTHCARE
CONFERENCE
Come to Learn. Stay to Play.
HFMA Region 10 represents chapters from Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Mark your calendars and plan to join us for
this exciting bi-annual conference which provides exceptional education and
networking opportunities. Here’s a sneek peak at what we have planned!
August 12 - 14, 2015 Colorado Springs, CO
™
region 10
cheyenne mountain resort
Located within the southwest district of Colorado
Springs, Colorado, Cheyenne Mountain Resort is a
luxury retreat nestled on over 35 acres that include
a private reservoir, beach with volleyball courts,
paddleboats, tennis, swimming pool, and 18-hole
Pete Dye designed golf course.
reservations
Rooms are available at $169 per night plus
applicable taxes and fees. Conference rates will be
honored 3 days prior to the conference and 3 days
after. Stay and enjoy all that the area has to offer.
3225 Broadmoor Valley Road, Colorado Springs,
CO 80906
Room Reservations: 800.588.0250
Main Phone: 719.538.4000
www.cheyennemountain.com
Pikes Peak Sponsors
Educational Sessions
• Breakout sessions for Revenue Cycle, Physician Practices, and Finance
• “Sustaining Revenue Cycle Excellence” Gregory West, President & COO
Healthcare Resource Group
• “Cost Reporting for Patient Financial Services” Shar Sheaffer, CPA,
Owner, Dingus Zarecor & Associates
• “Successful Transformation Strategies for the New Healthcare
Environment” Tom Royer
• Hospital Association Panel
• Bonus pre-conference sessions on Wednesday
Social Events
• Wednesday Evening Opening Reception with Sponsors and Exhibitors
• Thursday Night Wild Wild West Party with Dinner, Dancing and fun!
Golf Tournament
• Wednesday morning golf tournament with prizes
• Sponsorship opportunities available
Full program brochure and registration coming in May!
Learn more at www.hfmaregion10.org
www.hfmaregion10.org
CHAPTER DISTRACTIONS!
Commonyms
What's a commonym you ask? A commonyms is group of words that have a common
trait in the three words/items listed. For example: the words; A car - A tree - An
elephant.. they all have trunks. These will make you think!
WAGON - FERRIS - CART
LOVE - CHAIN - DEAR JOHN
HOT - CHILI - CORN
BRICKS - EGGS - CARPETS
A SKYSCRAPER - ERNEST HEMINGWAY - MARK TWAIN
TONE - ZEST - DOVE
DOOR - GRAND - NOBEL
PILLOW - DOG - FIST
DINNER - STRAIGHT - LEATHER
LABOR - COLUMBUS - GROUND HOG
16. PAGE | 2928
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PEAKS
&
FIRST QUARTER 2015-2016 | JULY
WHAT A TANGLED
WEB WE WEAVE:
HOW TO MAKE
VALUE-BASED
PARTNERSHIPS
AND AFFILIATIONS
SUCCESSFUL
Jeff Hoffman, Health Care Expert, Kurt
Salmon
D
eveloping integrated, value-based care delivery
models requires unraveling existing systems and
processes and weaving together new ones. It’s
an uncomfortable, disruptive effort with few
guidelines, and most hospitals and health systems in the
midst of it are finding it messy and complicated.
Many will fail. Mergers and acquisitions to build scale won’t
be enough to meet population health goals. Integrated care
solutions call for larger, fiscally strong health organizations—
not necessarily with shared balance sheets—to partner in
order to jointly develop systems of care that offer value-based
solutions.
Ultimately, it will boil down to who can actually put these
relationships together—integrate cultures, technologies,
geographies and financial circumstances—then deliver results
and get paid for the value of these results.
UNTANGLE THE VALUE CONUNDRUM
The biggest partnership issues must clarify: How will the
network define value? And how do participants equitably
distribute the value that is created among the participants?
The answers form the framework onto which all other
relationships are woven.
Getting agreement among partners about how to define value
creates a framework for these new partnerships and prioritizes
goals. Is the partnership about making care more efficient?
Making care safer? Improving outcomes? Reducing costs and
waste? Succeeding on a risk-based contract?
An even more challenging aspect lies with the potential
monetary return on the investment. How will financial
returns be generated? Will they be distributed equally
among hospital and physician partners? When, and in what
magnitude?
TIGHTEN THE WEAVE
Partnerships are looser arrangements than mergers or
acquisitions, making them flexible, but prone to fraying if
they’re not carefully constructed. Each partner must be well
integrated into the overall pattern so the structure retains
its integrity in the face of difficult decisions and inevitable
challenges.
Initially staging the partnership can help ease everyone in.
For example, the health systems and physicians in one new
arrangement began by self-insuring their own employees.
Partnerships aren’t always equitable societies, so the ways in
which individual partners come together may have to vary.
Smaller providers and critical access hospitals won’t necessarily
have the same level of capital to invest in a partnership as
a major health system, but may be essential components
due to geographic location or strategic interest in changing
care. There must be alternative options available so that these
organizations can still have “skin in the game.” In turn, it will
be necessary for these differential partners to accept certain
trade-offs, such as serving on a committee rather than holding
a board seat.
ENSURE EXPERTISE AND INTEREST GOVERN
THE GROUP
A new entity formed by multiple parties is typically governed
by a body representing all of those who invested, with local
physicians also participating. But this approach will not work
here. If these partnerships are established on the belief that
dramatic change in the delivery and cost of care needs to
happen, then governance expertise must trump or be equal
to investment when it comes to governing.
This is a particularly sensitive spot for partners because it
means giving up representative board seats, and that creates
discomfort. But to succeed in unknown territory, partners
must be willing to give up some of their governance control
and be open to leadership guidance from experts who have
been down the road before.
To identify the right board mix, the partnership must be
clear in what it’s trying to achieve, then seek out leaders with
specific expertise. In some cases, this may require changing
board bylaws to accommodate non-local or non-traditional
board members.
Physicians must also play a significant role in the partnership’s
efforts to improve clinical care. They must
recognize that traditionally hierarchical
physician relationships must bow to
the higher purpose of alignment and
integration: Physician seniority must weigh
less than interest in and engagement in the
process.
VISUALIZING THE POPULATION
HEALTH TAPESTRY
We’re at the beginning of changing the
health care delivery system but partnerships
will be the flexible yet multidimensional
bases of the future care paradigm and future
physician and hospital revenue streams.
17. PAGE | 31
plains
PEAKS
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30
FOUNDERS
MERIT AWARD
SERIES
Are you volunteering
for HFMA? If so, you
are eligible for
Founder’s Points!
HFMA recognizes that its strength
lies in volunteers, who contribute
their time, ideas, and energy to
serve the healthcare indsutry,
their profession and one another.
The Founders Merit Award Series
acknowledges the contributions
made by HFMA members. These
awards are part of a merit-rating
plan in which specific activities are
assigned a range of point values.
Some of the activities for which
you may be awarded points are:
■■ Write an article for the local
chapter or national
■■ Chair or co-chair a committee
■■ Be a committee member
■■ Volunteer at an event
■■ Speak at an event
Please check your points
frequently throughout the year at
www.hfma.org/Awards/Founders/.
Point corrections are retroactive
and are transferrable from one
chapter to another.
Report missing points to the
Chapter Secretary, Gina Eastin at
geastin@yumahospital.org
Hard to believe and maybe even harder to accept, Fall will be
here before we know it. September 23rd through the 25th
in Glenwood Springs; our chapter will be hosting the Great
Fall Conference at the Historic Hotel Colorado. The drive to
Glenwood Springs offers a great opportunity to take in one of
the seasons’ greatest treasures in Colorado, our “Aspen Gold.”
Glenwood Springs is full of great activities for a long weekend
“finding your bliss” with friends and family. According USA
Today and Rand McNally Glenwood Springs is “The Most
Fun Town in America.” (2011) There are many activities to
choose from in and around the area; from fishing gold medal
waters, to hiking and biking within the White River National
Forest, rafting and kayaking in a whitewater park, to great
dining and shopping- this Colorado town has something
for everyone!
VAPOR CAVES
A short walk from the Hotel Colorado is a one of the most
historic of the local attractions the 120 year old Vapor Caves.
The Yampah (Ute for “Big Medicine”) spring seeps into then
underground caverns making it one of the only natural
vapor caves in North America. The temperatures in these
geothermal steam baths range from 110- 112 degrees. Guests
relax and breathe in the steam from “untreated therapeutic
water enjoying high levels of potassium, zinc and sulfate with
34 other minerals and trace elements.” (Yampah Spa and
Vapor Caves 2015)
HANGING LAKE
Declared a National Natural Landmark in 2011 by Ken
Salazar, the popularity of Hanging Lake is at risk of harming
the fragile ecosystem. This astounding example of Mother
Nature’s geological wonder is susceptible to harm from
swimming, fishing, and standing in and around the waterfalls.
“Hanging Lake is an example of a travertine deposition.”
(www.VisitGlenwood.com 2015) This is basically a form of
limestone that is carried in the water, and then deposited as
layers along the logs and rocks. This is a one of a kind lake,
waterfall and thriving hanging plant garden but parking is
limited and so is cell service. Come prepared with lots of
water and great walking shoes- you are in for a two to three
hour moderate ascending climb. “By designating these
remarkable sites in national natural landmarks, we help
establish and pass down to future generations those awe-
inspiring places that make America truly beautiful.” Ken
Salazar (Denver Post 2015)
STATEWIDE PRIDE
Stay and Play the Great
Fall Conference Way!
By: Cally Christensen
18. PAGE | 3332
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PEAKS
&
FIRST QUARTER 2015-2016 | JULY
COMMONYM
ANSWERS
1. wheels
2. letters
3. types of dogs
4. they are laid
5. they have stories
6. names of soap brands
7. prizes
8. fights
9. jackets
10. days
EXTREME ADVENTURES
Anyone who wants more extreme adventures may
choose to navigate a vertical playground, (Ropes
Course) and challenge their nerves and perceptions
in a safe environment. Glenwood Springs is also
host to the first of its kind anywhere along the
Colorado River, the Whitewater Activity Area. This
is a favorite of paddlers who want to learn or hone
their skills on the water the most renown feature of
the park is called the “G-Wave or a standing wave
that can flow between 4,000 & 22,000 cubic feet
per second.” (whitewater-park 2015)
Finally for those of us who are “kids at heart”
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park offers a unique
opportunity to “let your hair down” and enjoy a
theme park (Western) and nail biting adventure rides
that are sure to make a memory for you or someone
you love. This park celebrates the “Cliffhanger
Roller Coaster.” This is the highest elevation full
sized coater in the country; it is perched on the
edge of the canyon and looks over the Colorado
River. Another hit for those in search of adrenaline
is the “Soaring Eagle” Zip ride or the “Giant Canyon
Swing” which launches riders 1,300 feet to provide
breathtaking views of the canyon and river.
Glenwood Springs leverages over 200 years of
healing waters and history to provide visitors today
with a truly therapeutic and rejuvenating experience.
Whether you want to take the route of relaxation or
ride the rush adrenaline there are memories to be
made in Glenwood Springs.
http://www.visitglenwood.com
http://www.denverpost.com/
http://www.ironmountainhotsprings.com/
www.yampahspa.com
STATEWIDE PRIDE continued
Platinum Sponsors
■■ Xtend Healthcare
■■ PFS Group
■■ Professional Finance Company, Inc.
Gold Sponsors
■■ BESLER Consulting
■■ BKD CPAs & Advisors
■■ Clifton Larson Allen
■■ COPIC
■■ CSC – Credit Service Company,
Inc.
■■ Edge Process Consulting
■■ Eide Bailly, LLP
■■ EKS&H
■■ Hall, Render, Killian, Heath &
Lyman, PC
■■ Kahl Insurance
■■ Key Bank
■■ McGladrey
■■ MMIC
■■ Revenue Enterprises, LLC
■■ The SSI Group, Inc.
■■ Western Healthcare Alliance
Silver Sponsors
■■ AppRev
■■ ASG Management Company/Array
■■ Avectus Healthcare Solutions
■■ BC Services, Inc.
■■ BOK Financial
■■ Caplan & Earnest
■■ Cirius Group
■■ Cleverley + Associates
■■ Colorado Health Facilities Author-
ity
■■ Craneware
■■ Cyberscience
■■ Ernst & Young LLP
■■ Healthcare Outsourcing
Network, LLC
■■ Healthcare Resource Group
■■ iNLINE Healthcare Consulting
Group
■■ Integral Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
■■ J.P. Morgan Chase
■■ MDS
■■ Paragon Audit & Consulting, Inc
■■ Passport/Experian Health
■■ Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting
■■ Recondo Technology
■■ Rocky Mountain Microfilm &
Imaging
■■ The MASH Program
■■ TransUnion
■■ U.S. Bank
■■ UMB Bank
■■ Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
■■ Wells Fargo Bank
Bronze Sponsors
■■ Aspirion Health Resources
■■ RevClaims
■■ Woodruff-Sawyer Colorado
Provider Sponsors
■■ Vail Valley Medical Center
■■ Valley View Hospital
THANK YOU!
We’d like to recognize and thank all of our annual sponsors. Your generous support enables the chapter to provide
and enhance the quality of education programs on healthcare financial issues, as well as management, technical topics,
communications, and social events. Many of the members reached by their support are key decision-makers within their
own organizations and we encourage our members to utilize our sponsors’ services. A big WELCOME goes out to our
new sponsors.
Editor’s Disclaimer
PEAKS & plains is published quarterly and provides general information for
the entire Colorado HFMA Chapter. Opinions expressed in articles are those
of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Chapter and its
members. It is not designed to provide authoritative advice. Please consult
with an appropriate expert if issues confront your business. Members are
encouraged to submit articles or other information. Articles may be edited
for clarity, grammar, and length. The editors reserve the right to accept or
reject any submission.
Information to be considered for publication may be submitted to Pilar Mank
at pilar.mank@wha1.com.
