Megan Wutzke

Oversight of clinical trial projects through budget negotiation and management of protocol specifications for 8 major departments within University of Rochester research.

• Budget Development:

Develop and seek Principal Investigator approval for CTMS coverage analysis. Develop cost and time analysis for studies using established processes and in conjunction with investigators, department heads, and other stakeholders, and acquire all necessary approvals. Prepares budgets in CTMS using established processes and standards. Interpret trends and project data into the future; prepare reports for submissions to agencies regarding the status of sponsored projects. Evaluates and becomes familiar with research protocols and
objectives. Work with faculty, administrative staff, and community groups to establish plans and procedures for the conduct of studies and clarify problems as they arise. Communicate directly with investigators and department leaders about study budgets. Keep all parties apprised of budget development status.

• Budget Negotiation and Analysis:

Negotiates budgets with sponsors. Responds to queries about justification and finalize budget details with related departments. Document and finalize data in the CTMS. Devise methods for complex search strategies and collection of information, often using statistical methods and computer programming and analysis. Analyze results and prepare reports with recommendations; review reports of studies completed by staff; prepare commentary on projects in process.

• Invoicing and Reconciliation:

Support departments and guide with (a) invoicing the sponsor, reconciliation of payments received, and assuring the proper application of this data into the CTMS and (b) reconciling the study financial information in the CTMS to the study’s WorkDay account. Provide periodic written reports and analyses to present the results of billing operations and the status of receivables. Develop strategic initiatives related to invoice and reconciliation functions in collaboration with the administrator. Guides departments on managing invoices and assuring appropriate follow-up on accounts.

• Financial Oversight and Related Communications:

Assist with budget-to-actual analyses and financial projections. Communicate directly with investigators and department leaders about study budgets, study financial positions, and budget projections. Keep all parties apprised of issues related to specific study finances or related to research finance at large.

• Ancillary Responsibilities:

Build and maintain inter-departmental and stakeholder relationships. Facilitate meetings with colleagues, attend educational activities, and keep current on research industry standards. Create calendars for protocol requests, work with study teams to validate the calendar, and provide support with importing the calendar into the OnCore system.

Manage Advarra Participant Payments platform creating 240+ protocols and disseminated 7,730 debit cards to study teams. Collaborate with departments to employ OnCore Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) for billing risk studies.

• Sole enterprise liaison for Advarra Participant Payments Platform, triaging all University requests and inquiries and escalating complex issues to Advarra using Zendesk ticket tracker. Deliver presentations to study teams and new users resulting in 187 new active system users. Report monthly metrics to OCR Director and CTSI management.
• Accountant: Compose 200+ line monthly Journal Entries to debit study projects from usage-based reports and tie out to Automated Clearing House entries.
• Consultant: Build study calendars in OnCore CTMS based on sponsor protocol, budget, and informed consent documents.
• Negotiation: Bargain for favorable clinical trial billing and payment terms factoring procedure costs, coverage analysis, inflation and overhead.

• Created and maintained tracking logs to invoice customer accounts
• Updated and maintained customer information, documents and records for high-profile military customer
• Expedited requests for component pricing and communicated prospective completion dates based on lead times.
• Verified purchase order status with suppliers
• Completed data entry tasks with accuracy and efficiency.

• Greeted incoming visitors professionally and provided friendly, knowledgeable assistance. Answered central telephone system and directed calls accordingly.
• Verified policy information, processed incoming medical claims (HCFA and UB-40)
• Compiled additional pertinent information from claim processing and allocated claims to appropriate claims administrators
• Repricing claims through Multiplan, Coalition, MedCost and AHA as necessary
• COBRA additions and terminations

• Maintained and processed invoices, deposits, and money logs.
• Completed payroll for employees and maintained detailed records of procedures.
• Tracked expenses and income for businesses while organizing and maintaining bank statements for checking accounts.
• Reconciled and corrected issues with financial records.
• Identified accounting errors when cross-referencing documents and database information.
• Reduced financial discrepancies through transaction monitoring and management.
• Recorded deposits, reconciled monthly bank accounts and tracked expenses.

• Responded to patient queries and concerns concerning insurance coverages and deductibles.
• Handled prescription refill requests.
• Maintained confidentiality of patient information to comply with HIPAA regulations and protect patient privacy.
• Managed multiple schedules and prioritized tasks to meet demands of fast-paced work environment.
• Confirmed appointments one day prior to minimize missed appointments and maximize clinic utilization.
• Verified insurance coverage and eligibility for medical services prior to scheduling appointments to prevent billing issues.
• Managed patient flow and triage calls to prioritize patient needs and put efficient use of clinic resources.
• Maintained accurate patient records for proper tracking of patient history and treatment.
• Monitored patient wait times, providing updates to achieve optimal patient satisfaction.

• Verified accuracy of patient information in all submitted policies for health and behavioral risk.
• Complied with regulations and guidelines related to claims processing to maintain quality and adherence to standards.
• Reviewed applications and supporting documents to verify claims eligibility and accuracy.
• Tracked and reported on claims processing metrics for Rochester, Buffalo, Albany and Syracuse agency offices to aid senior management in making informed decisions.
• Developed financial ranking reports for agents and agencies in New York state.