Authors

Aliea Strader, RHIT, CCS, Client Success Advocate Aliea Strader joined Libman Education after graduating from Waukesha Community Technical College in Pewaukee, Wisconsin with an associate’s degree in health information technology. For 16 years, prior to returning to school for HIT, Aliea was a healthcare lab tech where she saw firsthand the importance of continuous education and skill development. After discovering her love of medical coding and an intensive practicum spent learning the intricacies of ICD-10-PCS coding with Lynn Kuehn, Aliea has turned her attention to the challenge of upskilling and cross-training current HIM teams for the challenges they face. As

Cheryl A. Cyrus serves as Director of Quality and Education at ComforceHealth where she is responsible for overseeing the organization’s robust program of internal audits to ensure coding quality and regulatory compliance.

Kathy Fennick is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 30 years of experience in coding operations and revenue management.

Therese (Teri) Jorwic is Libman Education’s AI Workforce Development Strategist, leading the effort to recreate medical record coder training for the new requirements of an AI-supported healthcare industry.

Mary Beth Haugen is the founder and CEO of Haugen Consulting Group and Haugen Academy. She has more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry.

Darin Challacombe is director of talent development at Verisma. He has worked in the health information (HI) and release of information (ROI) fields for eight years and has been in education for 20+ years. Darin’s vast experience includes work in nonprofit, government, and private business spaces.

Dawson Ballard Jr. is a coding auditor and educator for the Physician Revenue Cyle for Rush University Medical Center. Dawson is an accomplished coder and educator with 20+ years in coding, auditing, and provider education on CPT®, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS codes.

Melanie Kiss is a seasoned Health Information Management (HIM) professional turned entrepreneur, with over 25 years of experience in medical coding, clinical documentation improvement, and healthcare education.

Kimberly Maupin is a Coding Content Specialist for Revenue Cycle Coding Strategies. As part of the Client and Corporate Services team, she is responsible for providing coding and reimbursement support to vendors, clients, and members of RCCS.

Joseph L. Rivet, Esq., CCS-P, CPC, CEMC, CPMA, CICA, CHRC, CHPC, CHEP, CHC, CAC, CACO Principal Attorney, Rivet Health Law, PLC, is committed to representing physician practices in reimbursement matters.

Lindsay Carvalho, Manager of Publishing As Manager of Publishing, Lindsay Carvalho is both steward of the legacy content in Libman Education’s extensive catalog, keeping it up-to-date and relevant; and a champion of our mission to provide new and expanded top tier training materials for HIM and RCM professionals. Overseeing product development, Lindsay improves course form, content, and delivery; assures the user’s experience is engaging; and that the training is effective. Lindsay coaches and supports the nationally recognized experts partnering with Libman Education to deliver their unique insights with impactful materials. Lindsay received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

Mattie Doran, Manager of Market Discovery As Manager of Market Discovery, Mattie Doran works to enhance Libman Education’s ability to anticipate and support the evolving needs of healthcare organizations. With a focus on using data analytics to identify emerging trends and enhance client engagement, Mattie ensures that Libman Education continues to provide the accurate, timely, and high-quality professional development resources needed by HIM and RCM teams. Mattie holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Butler University and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Mattie brings a unique blend of

Mary Ann Sullivan, MA, CCMP Healthcare Planning & Strategy Leader For 15+ years, Mary Ann has partnered with Association and Healthcare Executives to help organizations with leading organizational change management efforts, driving strategic planning processes, executing professional development & education strategies, developing strategic partnerships, managing operations and staff, increasing efficiency with process improvement efforts, and driving complex projects. All in an effort to transform the organization to meets its mission and achieve measurable outcomes.

Ara Balkian, MD, MBA Ara Balkian is the founder and CEO of Pediatric Resource Group (PRG). The driving force for starting PRG is his desire to leverage his experience and team of experts to positively affect pediatric organizations around the country with the ultimate goal of expanding and improving the care provided to children. Dr. Balkian was the first hospitalist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and was the Associate Head of the Division of Hospital Medicine and the Associate Chair for the Department of Pediatrics until he took on his current role of Chief Medical Director of Inpatient

Tammy Cartiglia, RHIA As Client Success Manager, Tammy Cartiglia supports healthcare organizations nationwide with training resources carefully selected to meet an individual’s requirement for professional development while aligning with the broader organization’s objectives for quality and productivity. Working closely with team managers, Tammy assesses their staff’s training requirements, identifies targeted training materials to address specific goals, and reports on team engagement. As an HIM professional for more than 25 years, Tammy understands the essential value of efficient and effective training to improve the skill levels and performance of staff on whom the organization depends. Tammy

Julie Larsen, MS, RHIA, CCS, CDIP Julie Larsen (she/her) is a skilled educator and self-proclaimed ‘nerd,’ obsessed with discussing all things coding and health information. In her nearly 30 years experience in various healthcare roles that include inpatient coding, data analytics, and education, Julie is recognized for her innovative approaches to professional development, always thinking outside the box. Julie has dedicated her energies to guiding students and emerging professionals in health information and medical coding by helping them explore the many opportunities available in the field. www.linkedin.com/in/julie-larsen-rhia-ccs-cdip

Charlie Eckert, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives Charlie’s role with Libman Education is twofold: to understand the needs of our healthcare clients and their staff members to help them stay ahead of the changing regulatory and operational challenges of the revenue cycle; and building on this understanding, to position Libman Education as the go-to resource for innovative and insightful training materials delivered in accordance with client requirements, exceeding their expectations. Charlie’s in-depth knowledge of healthcare organizations gained through previous experience working closely with some of the most innovative healthcare organizations in the country, will ensure Libman Education provides

Paula Akialis brings an extraordinary background to Libman Education and her role as Workforce Transformation Strategist. Paula works to ensure Libman Education courses achieve impactful results in skills training for healthcare organizations and individuals seeking career advancement.

Teri Bedard Teri Bedard, BA, RT(R)(T), CPC, is Executive Director for Client & Corporate Resources at RCCS. Teri is on the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists (AAMD) Board of Trustees, Society for Radiation Oncology Administrators (SROA) Editorial Panel, participates with the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) ACRO insights team, and works as the American Medical Association (AMA) Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) staff consultant for the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR). At RCCS, Teri works with her team to provide solutions for consulting, auditing, coding, revenue optimization, education, resources, and custom services across most

Kristin L. Spraggins Kristin Spraggins is Managing Director of The Band Consultancy, a woman-run research consulting firm specialized in qualitative research and insights for technology brands. Kristin’s ten years’ experience in planning and implementing research studies for Fortune 500 companies has led to innovation in services, products and brands. Kristin encourages others to embrace change: “With any technology disruption, there is a learning curve, but the opportunities to use technology to better our everyday lives are really exciting.” Kristin is co-host of The Research Inclusion Project podcast and can be reached through her website at www.thebandconsultancy.com. Courses available by