Practice Management Institute (PMI) today announced new participation in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Provider Partnership Network.

San Antonio, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/28/2010 -- Practice Management Institute (PMI) today announced new participation in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Provider Partnership Network. The goal of the partnership is to ensure that the Medicare provider community has the information needed to effectively navigate the Medicare program.

The Provider Partnership Network reaches out to Medicare Fee for Service Provider community with timely information about Medicare. It provides user-friendly educational tools and resources for physicians and their staff via the Medicare Learning Network, Open Door Forums, quick reference charts, and provider pages on the CMS Web site, www.cms.hhs.gov/center/provider.asp.

"PMI has always integrated current Medicare guidelines into its training classes," said Douglas O'Dell, President and CEO of PMI. "Taking part in the CMS Provider Partnership Network will further enhance our communication efforts with Medicare providers and their staff and enable PMI offer feedback directly to CMS on the Medicare program."

As part of the new partnership, PMI will have better access to an array of training tools and resources. PMI's National Conference attendees will receive an array of useful tools from CMS with their conference materials. Links and resources will be posted on the PMI web site later this month.

"Our goal is to educate the Medicare FFS provider community with timely information that is clear, concise and accurate," said Valerie Haugen, Director, Division of Provider Information Planning & Development, CMS. "The feedback we receive from our provider partners is a tremendous benefit to our work at CMS and, as a result, many new and exciting educational tools are being developed."

Practice Management Institute® (PMI) is the training, networking and credentialing source for medical office professionals. For more than 25 years, physicians and their staff have looked to PMI for skills that contribute to a more efficient, profitable and compliant office. Classes are hosted in 400 of the nation's leading hospitals, medical societies and colleges. PMI awards certification by exam to accomplished medical office coding, reimbursement, and management professionals. In all, more than 14,000 medical office professionals have earned their credentials through PMI. For more information, visit http://www.pmiMD.com.

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San Antonio, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/11/2010 -- Practice Management Institute will host a Healthcare Reform "Town Hall" Panel at its national conference in San Antonio, May 20. The panel will feature representatives from the American Medical Association, The Texas Medical Association and the University of Texas Pan American. The panel will address questions from physician practice professionals about the changes that can be expected in the coming months and years to their profession due to the recent passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act.

Panelists:
Cyril M. Hetsko, MD
Member, Board of Trustees, American Medical Association
Cyril M. "Kim" Hetsko, MD, is an internist from Madison, WI, with subspecialty interests in infectious disease and laboratory medicine. He has been a member of the AMA Board of Trustees since 2003. He was elected to a second term in 2007. A clinical professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Hetsko is also the chief medical officer for COLA, a clinical laboratory education, consultation, and accreditation organization in Columbia, MD.

Dan Finch
Director, Legislative Affairs, Texas Medical Association
Dan Finch is Director of Legislative Affairs for the Texas Medical Association in Austin. Prior to this he served 24 years as the Associate Director and Director of Public Affairs for the Harris County Medical Society in Houston.

Frank Ambriz, PA-C, MPAS
Chair and Program Director UTPAPA Program, Clinical Assistant Professor
Mr. Ambriz has been a practicing physician assistant for over 30 years. He currently teaches Health Management, Health Policy among other courses at the UTPA PA Program. In 1994 he was appointed by Governor Ann Richards to the Texas State Board of Medical Examiner Physician Assistant Board. During his six year term with the board he was chair of the Licensing committee for physician assistants.

Moderator: Regina Mixon Bates, IRO, TPA, CMC, CMIS, CMOM, CPC, CPC-I
Director of Associate Faculty Development, Practice Management Institute
Regina is CEO of The Physicians Practice S.O.S. Group Inc. and has over 20 years of medical management and education experience. Regina and her Atlanta-based company are approved through the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) as an Independent Review Organization (IRO). She is licensed as a Third Party Administrator (TPA) and holds certifications in medical practice management, physician practice coding and medical insurance billing.

What: 2010 National Conference for Medical Office Professionals Health Care Reform Town Hall Panel. This is an opportunity for media representatives and conference participants to ask questions and receive answers from a panel of experts on the current status of healthcare reform in the U.S. This session is intended to help health care professionals plan for the changes ahead. Up-to-date, interactive discussions of recent governmental recommendations and their impact on physician practices. This session will be an interactive Town Hall format. Bring your questions on future physician reimbursement and insurance reform.

Where: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 200 E. Market Street, River Level, Room 007,
San Antonio, TX 78205

When: May 20, 2010, 2:45 to 4:15 p.m.

Practice Management Institute® (PMI) is the training, networking and credentialing source for medical office professionals. For more than 25 years, physicians and their staff have looked to PMI for skills that contribute to a more efficient, profitable and compliant office. Classes are hosted in 400 of the nation's leading hospitals, medical societies and colleges. PMI awards certification by exam to accomplished medical office coding, reimbursement, and management professionals. In all, more than 14,000 medical office professionals have earned their credentials through PMI. For more information, visit http://www.pmiMD.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

San Antonio, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/05/2009 -- Practice Management Institute (PMI), today announced that its three certification programs have received approval for Individual Training Account (ITA) eligibility through a local Michigan Works! Agency, a division of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth.

Tuition assistance for these medical office certification programs may be available through the state agency for those who meet predetermined criteria.

The Certified Medical Coder (CMC), Certified Medical Insurance Specialist (CMIS), and the Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM) certification courses are now listed on the statewide eligible training provider list, located on the Career Education Consumer Report System (CECRS) Web site (www.mycareereducation.org). Classes will be offered at various locations in Michigan this summer and fall.

"Highly trained medical practice personnel are better equipped to communicate with physicians, third-party payers, patients and business associates," said Douglas O'Dell, President and CEO of Practice Management Institute. "Certified coding, billing and management staff help guard the practice against risks, contribute to a more efficient and productive work environment and improve overall practice profitability."

Health care spending today represents one-seventh of the overall U.S. economy with spending totaling more than $2 trillion annually. In just eight years, that figure is expected to double, rising to 21 percent of gross domestic product, according to a news release issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of Media Affairs, in January.

"The recent General Motors bankruptcy filing further underscores the rapid need to retrain Michigan workers in high demand occupations and emerging industries," said O'Dell. "Each of PMI's three certification programs offers a rigorous curriculum designed to help job candidates master the skills necessary for employment in a medical office."

Those who wish to take part in the certification training this summer and fall should contact their regional Michigan Works! Agency for details on how to request federal funds to help cover the cost of tuition.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) named PMI's Certified Medical Coder program as an example of coder certification programs that could be utilized to fulfill its coding certification requirement of Medicare Contractors. The requirement stems from implementation guidelines for the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). This recognition reinforces PMI's position as a top provider of certification for medical office staff.

Michigan's CECRS is an integrated, electronic gateway to the labor market for job seekers and employers. The system is a database of more than 3,600 training programs. The CECRS allows the user to compare program tuition rates, job placement rate, and graduates' average hourly wage. This will help prospective students select the educational and training opportunities that best meet their needs. The general public has access to the CECRS directly through the Internet. Individual Training Account (ITA) eligible participants, employers, and other interested individuals will have access to the CECRS through the Michigan Works! Agencies.

PMI has certified more than 14,000 medical office professionals. Programs are currently presented in 400 of the nation's leading hospitals, health care systems, colleges and medical societies. For more information, visit http://www.pmiMD.com or call 800-259-5562.

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