ACNM News Release: ACNM Launches Coding Workshops

ACNM Launches Workshops on Billing and Coding For Women’s Healthcare Services

For Immediate Release -- March 5, 2008

SILVER SPRING, MD – The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) announces the roll-out of regional workshops designed to help coding professionals and health care providers build their knowledge, accuracy and performance in billing and coding for women’s health care services.

At this unique all-day workshop, Joan Slager, CNM, CPC, MSN, FACNM will use real life case studies to provide participants with tools needed to improve their knowledge of the nuances of billing and coding for women’s health services. Accurate and legally compliant coding is essential to the financial health of all health care practices.

The billing and coding workshop series is specifically designed for certified nurse-midwives, certified midwives, nurse practitioners, professional coders, and anyone coding for women’s health services.

Slager will lead the workshops at five regional locations throughout 2008. A member by invitation of the ACOG subcommittee on billing and coding, Slager is an actively sought consultant and speaker. Her long-standing career in nurse-midwifery in a variety of health care settings ranging from independent practices to large health systems translates into clinical examples that apply to obstetrics, gynecology, inpatient, and outpatient settings.

“Correct coding captures all of the hard work health care providers do, translates that work into revenue, and demonstrates the value contributed to the practice by the health care provider,” says Slager.

Workshop participants will learn how to ensure compliance with the law, document productivity, increase revenue, reduce denials, downgrades, and penalties, and solve individual practice problems.

The Billing and Coding workshops are approved for 7 CEUs by the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Look for the workshops at these locations:

Albuquerque, NM: April 11
Boston: May 23 at the 53rd ACNM Annual Meeting and Exhibit
Minneapolis, MN: September 12
Orlando, FL: October 3
New York City: October 10

To register, visit http://www.midwife.org/Coding_Workshops.cfm. Discounts are available for ACNM members and students.

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For more information, please contact Rebecca Jacob, ACNM Communications Manager at (240) 485-1822 or via email at rjacob@acnm.org.

About ACNM

With roots dating to 1929, the American College of Nurse-Midwives is the oldest women's health care association in the U.S. ACNM's mission is to promote the health and well-being of women and infants within their families and communities through the development and support of the profession of midwifery as practiced by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives. Midwives believe every individual has the right to safe, satisfying health care with respect for human dignity and cultural variations. More information about ACNM can be found at www.midwife.org.

8403 Colesville Road, Ste. 1550, Silver Spring, MD 20910-6374 • Phone: (240) 485-1800 •

Fax: (240) 485-1818 • www.midwife.org