Archive for September, 2011
Medical billing and coding outsourcing
September 29th, 2011
Medical coding is apportioning special alphanumeric codes to medical procedures and diagnoses which are utilized by insurance agencies and other firms in compensating health care service providers. It aids in billing and coding procedure which assists in submitting and forwarding claims to the insurance companies for the ones who seek medical treatment from a particular hospital or medical agency. The work of a medical coder is to convert the diagnoses and procedures into medical codes that are reviewed by the insurance companies whereas a medical biller analysis, reviews, fills and submits the bills just to confirm that the payment reaches in time to the health care provider for their services towards the patients.
Medical billing and coding professionals also deal with disputes that may arise due to payment follow ups that are rejected or delayed. Medical coders and medical billers are trained and specialized professionals that submit their work to the insurance companies for data collection, billing, quality improvement and payment processes. They play a vital role in the financial triumph of the private agencies and other health care firms. There demand is healthcare industry is also very high because of which medical billing and coding serve as an apt career opportunity.
There are countries like India that has a team of skilled efficient and highly trained professionals that outsource their medical coding and billing services to other countries of the world. It is a cost effective measure with reduced operating cost. The knowledge and training attained by these professionals is unparalleled by any other professionals of other country in the world and thus India is providing a major portion of medical billing coding outsourcing in the world. They are dedicated towards offering best services to the insurance companies so that maximum and optimum reimbursement can be made to the health care providers.
Tags: Coding, Coding Outsourcing
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IU Launches Biz Plan Competition With Record-Shattering Prizes
September 26th, 2011
A group of investors has created a $1.1 million fund to support $250,000 in annual prize money to Indiana University Bloomington students who submit the best business plans for a student-led company focused on Internet and software technology. The annual prizes for BEST – Building Entrepreneurs in Software and Technology – will be the largest in the world offered by a university solely to its students in a business plan competition, the school announced last week.
The BEST competition, managed jointly by the Kelley School of Business and the School of Informatics, will be held in three phases over the course of two semesters each year. This year, concepts will be submitted by Nov. 15, initial business plans and presentations of selected teams will be completed by Feb. 3, 2012 , and selected finalists will deliver a final plan and a public presentation by mid-April 2012. The first-place winner will be guaranteed at least $100,000 to invest in their company, with the remaining prize money distributed among selected finalists.
“As the United States faces the highest unemployment rates in decades, we need to do all we can as a country to encourage entrepreneurs to create jobs and opportunities for all Americans,” says Matt Ferguson, head of CareerBuilder.com and one of the ten individual investors funding the initiative. “We believe this contest is an important step in unleashing the creative talents of IU students to create those opportunities in Indiana and beyond.”
Ferguson says the group of investors wanted to help create a competition rooted in technology that also stimulated creativity, offered opportunities for jobs creation and highlighted the quality of work going on at IU Bloomington.
Kelley School of Business Dean Dan Smith says he expects the competition to provide the impetus for new talents to rise from the IU student body. “We are deeply grateful to those who provided the support to make BEST happen and we fully expect this competition to be the premiere one of its kind in the nation,” he says.
“IU has an extraordinary reservoir of student talent and the BEST contest will provide the motivation to focus these incredible minds on exciting innovations that have the potential to advance society and in the process, further distinguish Indiana University as a significant entrepreneurial force. It is an honor for the Kelley School to partner with the School of Informatics and Computing to be part of this exciting new venture in education.”
Both the School of Informatics and Computing and Kelley could also benefit financially if the new businesses succeed as IU will receive an initial 10 percent equity stake in each winning company, with any returns on investment going back to the two schools. BEST winners will be selected by the investment team.
Read more about the BEST Competition here.
Tags: Biz Plan, Plan
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Steve Lefevre, who shaped CSU Channel Islands, dies of cancer
September 25th, 2011
COURTESY PHOTO Steve Lefevre, who had recently retired from CSU Channel Islands as associate vice president for academic programs and planning, died Sunday night of esophageal cancer. This is a file photo of Lefevre at CSUCI commencement when he was selected by the universitys president to carry their Light of Learning. The Light of Learning symbolizes the universitys commitment to a life of the mind and the central role played by an outstanding faculty.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Steve Lefevre, who had recently retired from CSU Channel Islands as associate vice president for academic programs and planning, died Sunday night of esophageal cancer. This is a photo of Lefevre at the universitys commencement, when he was selected by the campus president to carry their Light of Learning. The Light of Learning symbolizes the universitys commitment to a life of the mind and the central role played by an outstanding faculty. The honor marshal who carries the Light of Learning is a retiring faculty member or academic administrator who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment in the students and the university.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Steve Lefevre, who had recently retired from CSU Channel Islands as associate vice president for academic programs and planning, died Sunday night of esophageal cancer.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Steve Lefevre, who had recently retired from CSU Channel Islands as associate vice president for academic programs and planning, died Sunday night of esophageal cancer. This is a file photo of Lefevre at CSUCI commencement when he was selected by the universitys president to carry their Light of Learning. The Light of Learning symbolizes the universitys commitment to a life of the mind and the central role played by an outstanding faculty.
Steve Lefevre, who helped create CSU Channel Islands and develop its culture of civility, has died. Lefevre, 67, died Sunday night at his home in Oxnard of esophageal cancer.
Lefevre was calm, tactful and optimistic and had a great sense of humor, colleagues said Monday.
“This is a devastating loss,” said Richard Rush, president of the Camarillo university. “Steve embodied everything we value.”
Lefevre, who was teaching a few weeks ago, had been with Channel Islands from the start. He helped the campus transform from a CSU Northridge satellite to its own university.
“He had all the characteristics you would wish for in a colleague when you’re starting a challenging endeavor,” said Barbara Thorpe, a professor of nursing and former administrator. “It would not have gone as successfully or smoothly without him.”
Lefevre also could bring together polarized groups, colleagues said.
“The level of collegiality and civility we enjoy is a reflection of Steve,” said Dan Wakelee, assistant provost. “He was not overbearing even when he needed to make hard decisions.”
Lefevre’s most recent position at Channel Islands was associate vice president of academic programs and planning. He retired from Channel Islands in August but had continued teaching political science.
He enjoyed students and especially empathized with those who were transferring from community colleges, said Handel Evans, president emeritus.
“He understood what it was like to make a transition,” Evans said. “That empathy made him into a special person in academia.”
That appreciation for students extended to children, said Nancy Covarrubias Gill, director of communication and marketing. Lefevre lived in Gill’s neighborhood, and she often saw him riding his bike, followed by a trail of children on their own bikes, she said.
He also enjoyed golf and sailing, serving as adviser to the university’s sailing team.
“He was never a bystander to life,” said Maria Tauber, director of academic personnel. “He was always a full participant in living life to its fullest.”
Lefevre is survived by his wife, Susan; daughters Michelle Bishop and Rachael Lefevre; stepson A.J. (Aaron) Johnston; grandchildren Allison and Blake Bishop, and Emerson, Daschel and Elliott Cooper; and six siblings.
Services are pending, but Lefevre’s family has established a scholarship in his memory. Those who wish to contribute can contact Eva Gomez at or 437-3271.
Tags: Cancer, Channel Islands, Csu Channel, Csu Channel Islands
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Week 4: Local football results
September 23rd, 2011
Rain intruded again on the fourth week of high school football, but most games were played anyway. Here are the local results for the weekend along with postponed games listed at the end:
Aberdeen 36, Joppatowne 0
Annapolis Area Christian 35, St. Mary’s 13
Archbishop Curley 22, Boys’ Latin 7
Century 7, FSK 0
Chesapeake-BC 44, Lansdowne 0
City 20, Carver 6
Digital Harbor 22, Southwestern 0
Elkton 29, Edgewood 0
Frederick Christian 42, Friends 0
Forest Park 6, National Academy 0
Glen Burnie 22, Broadneck 0
Glenelg 41, Oakland Mills 14
Hereford 26, Eastern Tech 6
Lake Clifton 14, Southside 6
Lewis 27, Du Bois 8
Lutheran 45, Bishop Walsh 20
Manchester Valley 34, Liberty 13
Meade 15, Chesapeake.-AA 3
Mount Hebron 21, Centennial 14
Mount St. Joseph 34, Valley Forge Military, Pa. 28, OT
New Town 30, Dundalk 0
North County 18, Annapolis 7
Northwestern 44, Bluford Drew Jemison 0
Old Mill 49, Northeast 0
Overlea 12, Randallstown 8
Owings Mills 32, Loch Raven 0
Parkville 30, Kenwood 0
Patterson 20, Douglass 0
Severn 44, St. Andrew’s, Del. 23
Severna Park 52, Southern 20
Sparrows Pt. 40, Patapsco 0
Towson 15, Woodlawn 14
Western Tech 16, Dulaney 12
Westminster 42, North Carroll 14
Wilde Lake 40, Marriotts Ridge 12
The following games were postponed by rain until Monday:
Masonville Cove at Maritime Industries, 3:45
Milford Mill at Perry Hall, 6
Patterson Mill at Perryville, 6
South Carroll Winters Mill, 6
Tags: Results
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AA blog: Who’s the best defensive team?
September 22nd, 2011
Does defense really win championships? Thats the old cliché, but does it really hold water (another cliché)? Halfway through the season it definitely has some validity when it comes to pointing out the best teams in Class AA.
There are 23 teams playing a region schedule in Class AA with zero or one loss. Of that number, 14 have at least one shutout and eight have two or more. Six of the teams ranked in the top seven have had at least one shutout.
So who are the best defensive teams in Class AA this year?
The best place to start is with No. 1 Buford, which hasnt really best tested this year. The Wolves (6-0) have allowed 21 points and not allowed any opponent to score more than a touchdown. Bufords talented defense has already posted three shutouts.
No. 2 Calhoun isnt bad, either. The Yellow Jackets have allowed only 28 points and have one shutout. Fourteen of those points came in the opener against Dalton. Calhoun would no doubt like another crack at Buford in the playoffs.
A good consolation prize may go to No. 6 Elbert County, which has taken the early lead in Region 8-AA South. Elbert (5-0) has allowed 38 points and has won its last three games via shutout. The Blue Devils are off this week and will host Hart County when they return on Oct. 7.
Morgan County has four shutouts this season, but the Bulldogs arent even the leaders in Region 4-AA. Their only loss was a 38-35 overtime decision to Lamar County, a defeat that may keep them from winning the subregion. Morgan (4-1) still has some scary games on the schedule, but appears to be in good shape to make the playoffs for a second straight year.
No. 5 Brooks County (4-1) has two shutouts this season and has allowed more than two scores only once, that in the opening-night loss to mighty Valdosta. Region 1-AA prides itself on playing tough, old-fashioned football and the Trojans come right out of that mold.
North Oconee (4-0) turned back talented Hart County a week ago and remains in playoff contention in Region 8-AA. The Titans have blanked two opponents this season, although that will be a tougher task this week against a potent Jefferson team.
Laney has won four straight games, two of them by shutout. The Wildcats gave up 24 in the opener to Strom Thurmond, S.C., but has not given up more than two scores since.
As far as the fewest number of points, the answer might surprise you. South Atlanta (3-1) has given up only 17 points this season with one shutout. But the Hornets arent exactly an offensive juggernaut and are still stinging from a 3-0 loss to North Atlanta. South still has to play the meat of its schedule: Jackson, Westminster, Lovett and Blessed Trinity.
Some teams prefer to outscore the opposition. Fitzgerald, with a schedule loaded with larger schools, has allowed 140 points, but has scored 210. Gordon Central has allowed 124 points, but offset that by scoring 139. They are the only teams among the elite who have allowed more than 100 points.
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