Steven Meyerson, MD, CHCQM-PHYADV

Dr. Steven J. Meyerson is a nationally recognized expert in care management and physician advisor education. He is an internist and geriatrician by training. He has served as medical director of care management at Baptist Hospital in Miami, FL, as well as SVP of education and regulations at R1 (formerly Accretive) Physician Advisory Services. He currently heads SJM Consulting, a Medicare compliance consulting firm. For his distinguished service to physician advisors for many years, he received the inaugural ACPA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. He currently lives with his wife in Asheville, NC.

Observation in the Two-Midnight Rule Era

Edward Hu, MD, CHCQM-PHYADV

SYSTEM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INPATIENT PHYSICIAN ADVISOR SERVICES, UNC HEALTH

PAST PRESIDENT, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIAN ADVISORS

Dr. Edward P. Hu completed his medical education at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, and went on to complete his residency in internal medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC. Dr. Hu is board certified in internal medicine and health care quality and management, with a subspecialty certification as a physician advisor.He practiced as a hospitalist for 14 years and served as a Medical Director of Case Management at UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh, NC. Currently, he serves as the UNC Health Care System Executive Director of Physician Advisor Services, supporting the development of PA programs at 10 system hospitals. His areas of interest include Medicare regulations, revenue cycle, compliance, patient safety and quality, and risk adjustment.

Overview of Utilization Management Committee

Clarissa Barnes, MD, FACP

PHYSICIAN ADVISOR, AVERA

VICE PRESIDENT MEMBER ENGAGEMENT, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIAN ADVISORS

Clarissa Barnes, MD, is a physician advisor for the Avera Health System and Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center. She is the vice president for member engagement for the American College of Physician Advisors. In her clinical role, she is an internist currently practicing as a hospitalist. Barnes comes to the role with an interest in creating new ways to educate physicians and CDI/UR staff, as well as an enthusiasm for bringing people together to learn from each other and create system initiatives.

Denials and Appeals

Ron Hirsch, MD, FACP, CHCQM-PHYADV, FABQAURP, CHRI

VICE PRESIDENT REGULATIONS AND EDUCATION GROUP, R1 RCM, INC.

MEMBER, ADVISORY BOARD AND EDITOR, ACPA UPDATE, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIAN ADVISORS

Dr. Hirsch is vice president at R1 RCM Inc. He certified in Health Care Quality and Management by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians, certified in Revenue Integrity by the National Association of Healthcare Revenue Integrity, and on the Advisory Board of the American College of Physician Advisors. He is on the editorial board of RACmonitor.com. He is the co-author of The Hospital Guide to Contemporary Utilization Review, with the third edition due at the end of 2021.

NCDs and LCDs

Timothy Brundage, MD, CCDS

CEO & MEDICAL DIRECTOR, BRUNDAGE GROUP

CO-CHAIR, CLINICAL DOCUMENTATION INTEGRITY COMMITTEE, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIAN ADVISORS

Dr. Timothy Brundage is chief executive officer and medical director of Brundage Group. He is a past board member of the Association of Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialists (ACDIS) and is co-chair of the CDI committee for the American College of Physician Advisors (ACPA). Dr. Brundage travels educating physicians, with a focus on breaking down departmental silos in hospital organizations by unifying clinical documentation across quality, utilization, denials and CDI. He is passionate about increasing the value of the physician advisor role within hospital organizations. Dr. Brundage is a frequent presenter at the ACDIS conferences and its state chapter meetings. He is a speaker for AHIMA at its annual meeting and its CDI Summit, as well as ACMA state chapter meetings and the national ACMA Leadership and Physician Advisor Conference. Dr. Brundage is a presenter at the RAC Summit National Physician Advisor and Utilization Review Boot Camp.

Encephalopathy/Acute Respiratory Failure CDI

Neil Parikh, MD, MPH, MS, CPE, CCDS, CHCQM-PHYADV

CMIO, Dignity Health’s Greater Sacramento

Dr Neil Parikh, CMIO of Dignity Health’s Greater Sacramento market within our Northern California Division, provides leadership across six hospitals. He is responsible for the advancement of clinical excellence by improving efficiencies of scale across the care continuum. Specifically his role is focused on transformation and innovation, and using information technology to drive high-value within the organization. In his current role, Dr. Parikh also provides clinical and operational leadership to our Physician Advisors / Medical Directors of Utilization Management. This has led to effective change management across multiple value-streams under his leadership. While these initiatives often result in significant operational savings, Dr. Parikh places greater emphasis on achieving improvements incorporating the quality of care. Keeping the patient’s well-being in the forefront remains a privilege and priority for Dr Parikh across any initiative he helps to lead.

Integrating Innovation Into the Role of the Physician Advisor