Rose T. Dunn, RHIA, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA
Chief Operating Officer

Ms. Dunn is the "nuts & bolts" member of the firm. Her health information management and senior administrative experience in a large teaching hospital and chief financial officer background in a multi-hospital system coupled with her national managed care position with a large health care insurance company allows her to see the health care industry from many perspectives.

Rose is a nationally recognized professional in the health information industry and has served as President and Board member of the American Health Information Management Association, the national association for health information professionals. During her career of more than thirty (30) years she has spoken publicly on numerous occasions, held adjunct faculty positions in baccalaureate and master degree programs, and has authored a prolific list of publications. In 1997, Rose was awarded AHIMA's highest honor--the Distinguished Member Award and 2008 AHIMA's Legacy Award.

Rose has written or edited several texts including The Legal Manual for Missouri published by the Missouri Health Information Management Association, Supervisory Management for Healthcare Organizations published by W.C. Brown, Haimann's Supervisory Management for Healthcare Organizations published by McGraw Hill, Finance Principles for the Health Information Manager published by AHIMA, Haimann's Healthcare Management published by Health Administration Press, Guide to Release of Information, More with Less: Best Practices for HIM Directors, Coder Productivity and published by HCPRO, and in Health Information: Management of a Strategic Resource, the Finance chapter of a text published by W.B. Saunders.

She has served in temporary HIM and Patient Account management positions resulting in successfully reducing accounts receivable; eliminating backlogs; reducing incomplete records; improving department image; creating climates of cooperation between medical records, patient accounts and registration; and, often, creating climates of collaboration between the HIM/medical records staff, medical staff and administration. Rose has extensive experience involving staff in and effectively implementing work restructuring and reengineering projects.

Rose also has facilitated strategic planning sessions and provided Performance Improvement training for hospital boards and medical staffs. Her knowledge of the computer-based patient record has allowed her to initiate the planning for paperless environments at her clients.

Ms. Dunn is instrumental in establishing refined managed care networks based on qualitative measurements and credentialing efforts. She has directed provider relations, customer service, utilization management and outcome profiling activities for third party payers.

In addition to the Eastern Missouri, Missouri and American Health Information Management Associations, Rose is a Fellow in the Health Care Financial Management Association and American College of Healthcare Executives, a Certified Managed Care Professional, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Ms. Dunn holds a B.S. and M.B.A. from St. Louis University.

Jane E. Werner, RHIT, CCS
Vice-President
Healthcare Compliance and Classification Services and Certified ICD-10 Trainer

Jane is our seasoned diplomat. Her experience in health information services spans all aspects of medical records including department management, coding, and classification, release of information, quality assurance and transcription. In addition, Jane has been extensively involved in physician practice management services including compliance coding audits, documentation reviews, and managed care activities.

Proficient in ICD-9-CM and CPT-4 coding systems, Jane has performed DRG validation services and serviced coding staffs in areas that require modification to meet fiscal intermediary requirements. Jane serves as a lead Team Member in our Operational Assessment activities and focuses on record processing activities to optimize coding and reimbursement, reduce accounts receivables, and reduce incomplete records. Jane has acute and ambulatory facility management experience. She served in temporary management capabilities for several organizations ranging in size from 200-900 beds and has in-depth Joint Commission experience. At one of our largest acute care, tertiary, teaching facilities, Jane took the department through the accreditation survey and received no recommendations!

Her excellent physician relations skills is the trait that gives her the reputation as "diplomat" by our clients. Jane is an active member of the Eastern Missouri, Missouri and American Health Information Management Associations. She also is a member of HFMA.

Pamela L. Scott, RHIT, CCS
Senior Compliance and Classification Consultant and Certified ICD-10 Trainer

Pam is one of our coding and classification consultants who also routinely leads and/or participates in Coding Compliance Reviews. Our clients often compliment her on her caring attitude and quality of her work. In the past, she has served as a Financial Data Manager, participated in Quality and Performance Improvement programs, and has expertise in all types of inpatient and outpatient coding activities. Pam also is experienced in Tumor, Myocardial Infarction, and Head and Spinal Cord Injury Registries. Ms. Scott has experience with alternative care facilities such as dialysis centers and long term hospitals, has provided on-site and off-site one-on-one training/oversight for new coders, and assists clients with inpatient and outpatient coding support. Ms. Scott obtained her RHIT in 1990, has coursework in business, accounting, management training and nursing. She is a member of AHIMA, MoHIMA, and EMoHIMA. She has spoken on a variety of coding related topics.

Susan Begemann-Kassebaum, RHIA, CCS
Senior Consultant

Susan has extensive experience in all aspects of clinical coding and classification. She has worked at large and small acute care facilities. She is an active member of the American Health Information Management Association and Eastern Missouri Health Information Management Association. Susan's extensive experience with DRG coding has allowed her to serve as one of our Coding and Compliance Auditors. Susan provides coding support to many of our clients.

Susan graduated from St. Louis University's Health Information Management Program. She achieved Dean's Honor List status three consecutive years at St. Louis University.

Bill Remmich, MBA, FHFMA,CPC-H
Senior Compliance and Classification Consultant and Certified ICD-10 Trainer

Bill is a seasoned executive with 25 years in senior leadership positions. He has held positions of Interim Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Controller/Director of Finance in major affiliated catholic systems, small to middle market health organizations, stand-alone and government health providers, profit and non-profit.  Since 2007, Bill has been a principal member of coding compliance teams. He also has strategic, facility and financial planning, revenue cycle, and information management skills. Bill is a member of AHIMA, HFMA, and KSHIMA.

Janice Noller, RHIA, CCS, CPHQ
Senior Coding Consultant

With 35 years of health information management experience including department leadership and corporate roles, Janice’s 8+ years performing coding reviews allows her to provide excellent guidance to our clients.  She also has experience in assessing and establishing documentation improvement programs.  Janice is active in AHIMA and MHIMA, certified in Healthcare Informatics, and known for her clinical coding presentations.  She received her bachelor of science degree from Oklahoma Southwestern State University and is currently working on her masters from College of St. Scholastica.

Jennifer Null, BS, RHIT, CPUR
Consultant

Jennifer is a Californian with experience in Health Information Department management, Quality Management, Case Management, Utilization Management and Managed Care. She has worked in acute care and ambulatory settings as well as at the PRO. She's been through many Joint Commission surveys at both the acute care and ambulatory survey levels. Since 1998, Jennifer has been assisting our clients in assessing the performance of their Utilization Review and Case Management Departments, has provided interim assistance to managed care firms, and provides temporary HIM Director services to both small and large acute care facilities.

Ms. Null has her health administration degree from San Diego State University and is a member of AHIMA, CHIMA, and California Association for HealthCare Quality.

Kathy Murphy, RHIA, CCS
Consultant

A St. Louis University, Bachelor of Science degree (Medical Record Science) graduate Kathy Murphy is one of our most experienced MS-DRG gurus. She graduated Magna Cum Laude. In addition, was awarded the Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. She has worked with First Class Solutions, Inc.sm since 1990 conducting and managing coding proficiency audits and providing temporary coding assistance to clients. She has served in several managerial capacities in large acute care organizations including Coding/Reimbursement Coordinator and Coding and Analysis Supervisor. Kathy is active in education serving as an adjunct faculty member for St. Louis University and participates in various community and professional associations including American, Missouri and Eastern Missouri Health Information Management Associations.

David Vence, RHIA, CPC
Consultant


David has experience in just about everything! Filing, analysis, training physicians, and coding are just a few of his skills. He is one of our in-house E&M coding experts. David's audit experience includes being an auditor for an over 400 Academic medical practice group. His expertise in E&M compliance issues allows him to provide advice to our clients. He has worked with First Class Solutions, Inc.^SM since 1996 and has never hesitated to travel to clients to help them with their coding backlogs. A graduate of St. Louis University's Health Information Management program and holds both a bachelors and masters degree. Mr. Vence is active in AHIMA and local associations.

Elizabeth Giustina, BA, CCS-P
Consultant

Ms. Giustina's career in healthcare dates to the early 1980s at a large East Coast teaching hospital as the billing manager for a 400 physician practice.
In her patient financial services career, she developed a coding quality check for the clerical staff in five outlying sites, performed Evaluation and Management audits and PATH audits, and implemented a charge capture process for the OB department. For clients she provides compliance reviews and education on the documentation required to support E&M levels, conducted OIG response audits and developed coding policy manuals and coding education. Additionally, she has held HIM management positions. Ms. Giustina is an active member of AHIMA and MGMA. Elizabeth obtained her degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Deanna McCarty, MHA, BS, RHIA
Consultant

Deanna holds experience in regulatory and compliance, quality improvement, document imaging, release of information and department management.  Her education and experience give her the skills to recognize the impact of health information upon other departments and facilitate necessary changes.  She has worked in short term acute care, ambulatory and long term acute care settings.  In particular, her experience in long term acute care serves as the basis for her launching long term care HIM consulting services.

Deanna received her B.S. in Health Information Management and M.H.A. from Saint Louis University.  She is a member of the Eastern Missouri, Missouri and American Health Information Management Associations.

Jean Riley, RN, MHSN, CNA
Affiliate Management Consultant

Jean Riley is a seasoned senior patient care executive with experience in a large (400+ beds) integrated group practice teaching clinic/hospital with progressive research environment. She has been directly accountable for $50+ million in expense management and 1000 FTEs within the nursing and emergency services division. Jean has experience in negotiation and care delivery within a managed care and group practice structure and has skills in risk management, medical record review, arbitration participation, and legal issues. She serves our clients in a variety of areas including Patient Care Interim Leadership, Patient Care Consulting, and JCAHO preparation. Jean is an active member of ACHE, ANA, AONE, TxONE, and TxNA.

Janice R. Lyons, BS, RHIT
Consultant

Jan's 20 years of experience includes extensive coding experience for hospitals (inpatient and outpatient services), urgent care centers, and clinics. Additionally, she has served as an HIM Director for both acute care hospitals and for an emergency medical services organization. Ms. Lyons has worked in Performance Improvement (directing several quality improvement departments in her career). She is an active member of AHIMA, IHIMA, and the National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Barbara Reynolds, BS, RHIA, RN
Consultant

Barbara's extensive experience includes serving as a Utilization Review Specialist, DRG Consultant, Coding Specialist and Medical Chart Auditor. She has worked in hospitals and coding educational settings. Most recently, Barbara has been providing RAC Readiness assistance and coding support for our clients. She is a graduate of St. Louis University's Nursing program and University of Kansas's Health Information Management program. Barbara is a member of AHIMA and MoHIMA.

Anita Stackhouse, CCS
Consultant

Anita is our newest team member. Originally from Florida, Anita now resides in the "cold" Northeast. She has extensive inpatient coding skills. Anita has served as a Coding Coordinator and posesses a comprehensive knowledge of ICD-9cm Guidelines, MS-DRG Reimbursement Methodology and CMS Reporting Guidelines. She experienced the RAC demonstration project first hand, has experience in HPMP reviews,and computerized coding and abstracting systems.