Guest Editorial: A Worthwhile Learning & Collaboration Experience Awaits at Wound Clinic Business

The entire editorial board of Today’s Wound Clinic (TWC) is celebrating the journal’s 10th anniversary in 2017. As one of the founding editorial board members, I am so proud of TWC and the work we have all produced over the past decade. Likewise, I am also very proud of the reimbursement-focused seminar Wound Clinic Business, which is celebrating nine years of education in 2017 and for which I serve as an educator and lecturer. Although this seminar may appear on its face to be the same every year, the agenda and syllabus actually varies significantly with each passing calendar year due to its interactive format and design to instruct wound care clinicians and program managers on the most current reimbursement information. I am personally appreciative that HMP Communications has given me the opportunity to help oversee this seminar all these years. Additionally, because of the generous support of multiple industry vendors and exhibitors that have committed their time to providing reimbursement education onsite during our classes, attendees are able to receive a full day of education for the same price as a typical one-hour reimbursement webinar. Our day starts at 7 a.m. with a lovely continental breakfast followed by a full morning of reimbursement education, opportunities to learn about exhibitor products and services, a sit-down lunch with exhibitors, and an afternoon of more reimbursement education. This year’s format is modeled after the formerly long-running TV game show “Truth or Consequences.” Attendees have the opportunity to respond to actual scenarios pertaining to discussed topics by voting on whether they believe the scenario is true or if it would cause negative consequences.  Throughout the day attendees also have multiple opportunities to ask questions specific to their practice. This year, I have been fortunate to be joined by faculty member Jolayne (Jo) Devers, MBA, CPC, COC, CPC-H, CPC-P. Jo is an excellent certified coder with a string of coding credentials after her name. Most importantly, like me, Jo is passionate about the success of wound care businesses throughout the country.  Therefore, we both are very excited when we wake up early in a new city and know it is “Wound Clinic Business Day”! We enjoy watching the attendees having those “ah-ha” moments as they learn new coding, coverage, and payment information throughout the day. We also enjoy seeing how their to-do lists look at the end of the seminar compared to when they arrive. Jo and I personally read every evaluation collected during these events, and we are always humbled by the attendees’ feedback and comments. Jo and I are always thrilled when the attendees say that their day away from their actual work is worthwhile and that they plan to attend every year. Jo and I are always surprised at how many attendees mention that they wish their entire wound care and revenue cycle teams could also experience Wound Clinic Business with them and that they plan to bring more of their team members to a future seminar. 

A Special Seminar for Wound Care

If you’ve never been to our event, you may be asking yourself, “Why is Wound Clinic Business so special?” The answer is actually quite simple. Jo and I discuss reimbursement topics that are new, revised, frequently misunderstood, and often highly scrutinized by the payers. There are no “off-limits” topics or questions. In fact, Jo and I always tell our attendees that the only poor questions are those that don’t get asked. We work very diligently to make Wound Clinic Business a “safe” learning environment where everyone feels comfortable discussing situations that occur in their wound clinics. That safe environment begins with two faculty members who really care about the business success of the attendees and emphasize that no audio or video recordings of any type be permitted. If you and/or your team members have not yet attended Wound Clinic Business 2017, there are opportunities in September to do so. Visit www.woundclinicbusiness.com and select the date that is most convenient for you. Also, mark your calendar to visit the website in January to access the list of dates and cities for Wound Clinic Business 2018. Believe it or not, Jo and I have already begun to plan the seminar for next year. We have so much new information to share with you. Please plan to join us this year and every year thereafter!

Kathleen D. Schaum, MS, is president and founder of Kathleen D. Schaum & Associates Inc., Lake Worth, FL; and director, medical products, reimbursement, at Smith & Nephew, Fort Worth, TX.