Left to right: Savannah May, Anna Johannes, Brandon Ambrose, Pam Ott, Cedrick Antonio, Kaohli Yang, Kathleen Olewinski

You should be recognized for extensive knowledge in your field!  HFMA offers a number of certification programs for varying levels of career development.  Here’s a summary of HFMA certification!
The longest standing certifications through HFMA are the CHFP and FHFMA.  The Certified Healthcare Finance Professional (CHFP) is the starting point to recognition as an expert in your field.  With further education and volunteerism, the Fellow (FHFMA) credential can be earned.  Both of these designations highlight a commitment to this field and an in-depth knowledge of today’s issues in healthcare finance. 

In recent years, HFMA has created additional educational programs for some credential programs that are equally as relevant, but more specifically focused for other areas of non-clinical healthcare realms, including revenue cycle, IT and auditing.  These credentials are:
CRCR – Certified Revenue Cycle Representative
CICA – Certified Inpatient Coding Auditor
CSBI – Certified Specialist Business Intelligence
CSAF – Certified Specialist Accounting & Finance
CSMC – Certified Specialist Managed Care
CSPPM – Certified Specialist Physician Practice Management
 
Can you become certified? Yes! Simply browse the HFMA Certification page (http://www.hfma.org/certification/) to learn about the costs and requirements!
We look forward to adding your name to the list of our chapter members who have also completed certification in the last year!

• Doreen Brecheisen, CHFP
• Matthew Clark, CHFP
• Jesse Smith, CHFP
• Christopher Lembcke, CRCR, CHFP
• Rachel Grulke, CHFP
• Katie Boelter, CHFP
• Michelle Murphy, CHFP
• Tanya Holcomb, CHFP
• Mark Bledsoe, CHFP
• Brian Swain, CHFP

Matthew Streeter, FHFMA

​The 2018 – 2019 WI HFMA Chapter year is under way and I am truly honored to be the President of the best and most vibrant Chapter in all of HFMA. I look forward to working with you to build on our chapter successes (Thank You Pam!) and Imagining Tomorrow. Tomorrow can be scary, but HFMA is our constant, critical resource, supporting us as healthcare finance leaders and helping us overcome the challenges and shape our own tomorrows.
 
Members, business partners, and chapter leaders and volunteers are the lifeblood of HFMA. Each of us has a unique story about HFMA and what it means to us as members and as a healthcare community. The list of stories is endless. I look forward to listening, sharing, and learning from all of you over the next year. I believe it is through this communication and shared experience that we build a stronger community and grow as individuals, as the Wisconsin Chapter and as HFMA.
 
We need you: get involved, volunteer, and share your story!  

​Tell us a little about yourself:

My wife, Bethany, and I have been married for 6 years and are enjoying being new parents to our 4 month old son, Isaiah.  I’m a big Green Bay Packer and Milwaukee Bucks fan. I enjoy running, swimming, and fishing in the summer, along with deer hunting in the fall. Most of all I enjoy quality time with my wife and son, and big get-togethers with our extended family.
 
What are 3 words to describe your company?

Innovative, Community, Driven
 
What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day for me involves managing daily operations of our Insurance/Reimbursement group. This includes managing staff attendance, staff meetings, work group meetings, leadership meetings, reviewing our oldest outstanding claims, addressing payer-specific issues with staff, insurance companies, and our managed care department, and overseeing the billing process for transplant patient’s claims.
 
What is on you wish list for the next 10 years?

I’d like to complete the MBA program I’m currently enrolled in, buy a house, have another baby, advance in my learning, development, and career, go hunting in the Western US, and travel with my family.
 
If you were stuck on an island what three things would you bring? 

A fishing pole, sun glasses, coffee
 
Any random facts you could share with us?

I got my Bachelor’s degree in pastoral theology and I’m an ordained minister. I’ve never broken a bone in my body. I’ve traveled to Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Argentina. I like to
 
You’re happiest when…

I’m on a boat early in the morning fishing, with a Thermos of coffee
 
Why did you join HFMA Wisconsin?

​ I joined HFMA because of the resources it provides and the networking potential that is there. Seeing how other, more experienced leaders deal with similar challenges and issues has been very beneficial to me.

For the last few years, the chapter has recognized and awarded the sponsor of the year to a deserving sponsor that supports the overall operation of the chapter. 

This year's winner is State Collection Service Inc.! State Collection Service has been dedicated to healthcare receivables since 1949. A company based in Madison, WI has had a long tradition of supporting WI HFMA, not only with their financial support, but with volunteer hours from many employees over the years. Martha Henes and Tracy Quinn, employees of State Collection, accepted the award at the annual meeting. The award was presented by Art Mertig, Sponsorship committee co-chair.

Left to right: Martha Henes, Tracy Quinn, and Art Mertig

​For the last several years, WI HFMA has supported students in their pursuit of healthcare finance education. Our 2018 Scholarship winners are Kaohli Yang and Courtney Kloehn Other students that submitted applications and were awarded free one-year memberships to the WI HFMA Chapter were Anna Johannes, Nancy Cooper, and Brandon Ambrose (All were invited to attend the Annual Spring Conference Dinner) 

At the annual meeting last week in Milwaukee, the new slate of officers and directors were installed for the 2018-2019 HFMA year. David's day job is Vice President of Business Development for MedData and he is based and lives in the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Past President, Kevin Boren presided over the installation. Good luck David, we look forward to you leading our chapter!

The four part webinar series to help members prepare for the CHFP exams wrapped up on 3/29/18. . It was a great collaboration with other HFMA chapters. 

Congratulations to three of our members who have recently gained CHFP status since mid-March: 1) Tanya Holcomb 2) Mark Bledsoe 3) Brian Swain

Did you know you could get certified and have WI HFMA pay for a portion of your certification cost?