APMA News - January/February 2025 - 8

of the most dedicated and hard-working professional
individuals I have ever met. Being able to partake in the
committee discussions really opened my eyes. I now
understand how different policies are drafted, and how
they might impact members' practices, and how I can
help fight egregious policies. I am able to explain how
and why such policies exist to my staff and patients in
a much better fashion. Being involved simply made
me practice better, especially with regard to the nuances
of [a local coverage determination] that affects
patient care and billing/coding.
You are also on the APMA DEI
Committee. As APMA president, how
will you ensure DEI remains a central
focus of the association's agenda?
DEI is hard to fully grasp for most (myself included),
as it can hold different meanings for different individuals.
DEI is not one exact check-off box; it is actually
a concept integrated into the culture, structure, and
operations of an association. It is woven into the
fabric, one might say. The make-up of our profession
and association is ever-changing, and we need to
continue to build on the work the DEI Committee
has begun, recognizing the diverse growth of the
profession, and be inclusive and equitable when
carrying out the business of our association.
Talk about your participation in the
AMA RUC. How has it enriched you
professionally?
The detailed work that goes into creating the value
of a code cannot be summed up easily, but being
involved with RUC allowed me to really get an
understanding of just how important every minute
of a patient visit is (staff work included), and how
important it is to account for every supply: every
inch of tape, every [milliliter] of an injectable, and
every gauze, for example, as all of that figures into
the value of a code. I am pretty conservative financially
by nature, but being part of the RUC team
really made me look differently at every cent spent
and earned-especially because I am the owner
of a private practice that is responsible for 11 other
people's livelihood. Being an APMA liaison/alternate
to the RUC certainly provided an insight to the
nuances of proper coding, billing, and reimbursement
that cannot be learned anywhere else.
Beyond the nuances I learned that certainly provided
me a better understanding of running my
own practice, the collaboration I was afforded with
other medical associations has been quite rewarding.
We often are defending our members and
the profession against egregious and erroneous
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
insurance/CMS policies. As a member of the APMA
team to RUC, I had the opportunity to work alongside
and fight with other medical professionals
to show the value of our work. The orthopedists,
vascular and general surgeons, rheumatologists,
radiologists, and others with whom we presented
viewed us as equals-we were often the leaders
of codes with them as supporters. Liaisons to the
RUC see a whole other side of what it means for
all of medicine to be working together, supporting
each other. Through the relationships we were
able to build, APMA found huge support for fighting
the proposed G-codes (to replace E/M [evaluation
and management] for podiatrists) from CMS.
Those same relationships afforded me the honor
to be one of seven presenters for the entire house
of medicine with the new E/M codes in 2021 when
we presented those to the RUC panel for valuation.
How has service on committees and
the board prepared you to lead the
association?
I have a much better grasp of how many moving
parts it takes to truly have a fully functioning
organization that exists to provide value to its
members. I have a much better understanding of
the governance of APMA and have helped develop
changes when appropriate as we advance our
association. I have been able to work with members
from diverse backgrounds, different regions
of the country, and every type of practice. While I
will always strive to continue to grow, my service
thus far has strengthened my leadership skills, and
improved my global strategic thinking, and I listen
and collaborate better with stakeholders in our
profession.
We ask each cohort of the Emerging
Leaders Program to define their leadership
philosophy. What is yours?
Lots of really smart folks have labeled different
types of leadership philosophies. I'm not sure I fit
into just one of those philosophies. What I can tell
you is that I am a leader who has high expectations
of those who commit to serve (it's not just about
having the title-one must work), and I hold people
accountable. I encourage teamwork and collaboration,
and understand that often compromise wins
the day (a stalemate because no one will budge
does not do any good for our profession). I absolutely
value others' opinions knowing we all come
from different stations in life, and I find energy in
positivity and looking for solutions to the opportunities
in front of us.
APMA News - January/February 2025

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