Sandi Hill

As a Communication Specialist II, working at a level 1 trauma hospital, I activate LifeFlightt for 911 calls in four counties. In direct communication with the pilot and flight crew responding to critically ill/trauma patients coordinating patient care to appropriate hospitals.

• Managed hospital-to-hospital patient transfers by conducting initial telephone intake, confirming bed availability, obtaining financial clearance, arranging teleconference calls to seek physician acceptance, and coordinating transportation logistics
• Coordinated transfers for multiple Sutter hospitals while simultaneously providing security dispatch at a 423 bed regional hospital
• Demonstrated ability to work with minimal supervision, exercise independent judgement, demonstrate time management, multitask in a high stress environment, and review chart information to formulate patient acuity
• Additional responsibilities included training new employees, generating daily reports, and auditing compliance
• Collaborated with leadership at both Sutter Health and American Medical Response in the launch of the Sutter AMR concierge ambulance system.

• Designated the appropriate ICD-9-CM and CPT codes to diagnoses and procedures documented in medical records
• Posted payments and adjustments to accounts, communicated with insurance providers regarding submitted invoices, and examined denials to ensure they were properly re-submitted with accurate information within the allowable time limit
• Required extensive knowledge of medical billing requirements for CMS and all Medicare Replacement payers to ensure the highest level of billing compliance, including authorizations, payer specific codes for claims submission, timely filling limits, and coverage limitations.

• Utilized knowledge of CPT and ICD-9-CM to properly translate performed services into numerical code for insurance company reimbursements
• Completed statistical analysis based on that data
• Engaged in provider education as the primary liaison for clarification of documentation and coding
• Demonstrated extensive knowledge of medical terminology across a broad range of medical practice areas and maintained strict patient and provider confidentiality in compliance with all federal, state, and hospital laws and guidelines for release of information.

• Oversaw billing for 3 hospitals and supervised 9 employees
• Oversaw the start-up of the Payment Department, developing department strategy and procedures along with supervising a 10 member team
• Responsible for team productivity in providing accurate diagnostic and procedural coded data
• Ensured that all charges, payments, and follow up occurred on a timely basis and that the month end close met all deadlines
• Resolved issues in a real-time environment, including but not limited to employee relations, patient satisfaction, and provider satisfaction
• Led team performance management activities include coaching, education, cross-training, and evaluating performance in order to drive an increase in physician satisfaction
• Worked closely with hospital medical directors in disseminating coding training and recommendations to improve performance efficiencies
• Additional responsibilities included overseeing all fee schedule and billing system updates, performing compliance audits, annual contract reviews, and monitoring reimbursements.