​Rising Costs in Healthcare – not just the consumer perspective!
We all hear in the news about the rising cost of healthcare from a consumer perspective, but what about the cost to collect from a provider perspective?  During the Mega Conference Patrick Maurer of Apex Revenue Technologies and Abby Abongwa of UW Health will share their journey to reduce this important metric – using a comprehensive approach.  Not looking solely at cost-cutting measures, they will provide some essential strategies to consider!  Be sure to attend session 4 on Tuesday to learn more!

​As we head into 2018 – an Olympic year, I can’t help but think about the prize of Sponsorship and what a great honor it is to work in a HFMA chapter with such great sponsors.  Here are some key facts about our Sponsorship. 

• There are four sponsorship levels – Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.
• Revenue from sponsors has been as high as $84,000 and as low as $76,000 in the last five years.
• We have more than 10 sponsors who have renewed sponsorship each of the last five years – MMIC and ProAssurance have been Platinum sponsors for at least the last five years.
• Sponsorship revenue is used in many ways, but the key benefit is that the chapter has been able to keep the cost for educational offerings consistently low.  It has also allowed the chapter to add webinars and other educational events at little or no cost to members.  

​The heart of a leader in an organizational strategy – but how?
During session 2 on Tuesday, Jane McLeod and Sue Tetzlaff of Capstone Leadership will share their framework for engaging leaders to create balanced strategies, create alignment to those strategies and creating ownership for those strategies – all which will lead to ensuring that the organizational strategy is at the heart of the work of the leaders.  Attend this session to hone your leadership skills and take away activities you can do to drive improvement – organizationally and personally!

​During this time of year, it is not only a wonderful time to reflect on the year that is just ending, but also to look forward to the upcoming New Year.  As I look back at this Chapter year, I see all of the many accomplishments that make the WI Chapter stand-out as an exceptional HFMA Chapter!!  First, the WI Chapter has many dedicated, passionate, hard-working, and fun-loving volunteers.  Without these volunteers, we could not accomplish our annual strategic goals, plus all of the high-quality core programs and benefits that WI HFMA is known for.  In addition, WI HFMA members continue to develop new friendships and professional relationships that are known to last a lifetime.  The education, professional development, and camaraderie are beyond compare!
 
If you have not experienced all of the best of WI HFMA, I hope you will make WI HFMA a part of your New Year’s resolutions.  This could include attending one of our webinars, conferences, or networking events in 2018.  Or you might consider volunteering, which is a great way to become involved and to meet other outstanding WI HFMA members!  Also, if you haven’t considered certification in the past, 2018 may be the year to consider becoming certified so you can continue to advance your career.  As you can see, there are many ways you can connect with WI HFMA in 2018!
 
As 2017 winds down, I would like to sincerely thank each and every Board member, Committee Chair/Co-Chair, and volunteer for their time and commitment to WI HFMA.  Also, my wish for 2018 is every member has an opportunity to experience the greatness of the WI HFMA Chapter!  I hope to see many of you at our upcoming 2018 MEGA Conference, which begins on January 15th.  Next, we will be offering our Healthcare Finance 101 sessions beginning in February and will be hosted across Wisconsin by three of our provider members.  We will host our Annual Spring Conference in May, plus the Region 7 Conference in September.  In addition, there will be webinars and networking opportunities for you to participate in.  Watch for details of each of these exceptional programs and opportunities in upcoming issues of our weekly emails!
 
My very best wishes for a happy, healthy, HFMA-filled 2018!!
 
-Pam

​Each year, the Wisconsin Chapter honors members and vendors with a variety of honors, including scholarships, awards and special designations.  In the spring and summer months the Awards & Recognition Committee is busy tabulating points, reviewing applications and conferring these awards.  What are these awards and how are they earned?
There are a number of awards conferred on members and sponsors.  Member awards are based on a collection of points for various activities within the chapter, including volunteering, committee membership and other activities.  The bronze, silver, and gold awards are earned with 25, 50 and 75 points respectively.  Additionally, the prestigious Founders Medal of Honor award is by nomination from the chapter Board of Directors and conferred on a member who has already earned a gold award recognizing continued commitment to the chapter. 
Scholarships (up to two each year) are awarded based on an application process to college students who work in or have worked in a healthcare setting.  The purpose of the scholarships is to encourage healthcare finance and increase the visibility of HFMA in healthcare. 
Lastly, the Sponsor of the Year award recognizes a sponsor who goes above and beyond their sponsorship - supporting the chapter and educational opportunities to members.  

​The Mega Conference closing keynote session will have plenty of humor as David Glickman pokes fun at all the various aspects of healthcare finance. You didn’t think there was anything funny about CMS? How about HIPAA? David will take an entertaining look at Joint Commission, Patient Relations, healthcare regulations, healthcare reform and more. Don’t miss this entertaining, non-offensive and clever presentation. Register today. 

​Women in Healthcare Leadership Conference – LLAG 4.0
HFMA Wisconsin held their fourth annual Women in Healthcare Leadership Conference on November 10th at the Sheraton in Brookfield.  The year’s conference was well received with the highest attendance since the conference began in 2014 at 241 attendees or an approximate 20% increase over 2016.
We began the day by recognizing a veteran, Dr. Marie Dominguez, who described her journey through bias to achieve her goals.  Attendees were able to hear both personal stories of achievement from Carol Friesen, current HFMA National Chair, as well as Kathrine Switzer, the first female to officially register and run the Boston Marathon.  We heard how career success is dependent not upon big decisions but numerous small decisions we make along the way.
We also had several speakers provide insight on executive presence, communication and team engagement.  All speakers assisted participants in reflecting on their own strengths and weaknesses and how to accomplish their goals while also enjoying the journey.  This was a lively active conference leaving participants with inspiration to accomplish their own personal goals.  The conference concluded with a networking event and book sale/signing by the various authors presenting.  This conference was a huge success and would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors.  We would like to thank Von Briesen, US Bank, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, Simplee, Kinex and JP Morgan for sponsoring the event. 
We would also like to thank all of the organizations who supported the event through table sponsorship.  This conference was a success because of all of your continued support.  Thank you to all of the committee members as well as the UW-Milwaukee’s Future Healthcare Executives for donating your time and talent in creating an awesome event.
 We look forward to seeing everyone next year!

​Highlight what your team or department is doing! What great things are you doing to help patients? What problems have you solved? What improvements have you made that others could learn from? Go to the WI HFMA website and fill out the member spotlight form and talk about what your colleagues are doing. Submit a group photo and show off your team.  You can also do an individual spotlight on yourself.

​Are there topics that you are struggling with? What type of programs and educational sessions would you like to see WI HFMA provide for you? We need your input as we plan for future conferences. We want to bring you the education that will be valuable to you and your team.. Please contact anyone on the board or program committee. We want your ideas!

​Attend the Mega conference and get the inside scoop from Joe on why your co-workers act like they do! You’ll gain insight into why some employees give their all and others not so much…
This funny and compelling keynote speaker will give you strategies for getting your team all moving in the same direction together. Don’t miss it.