MDHBA Awards First CPAS Certification; 17 Individuals Now Certified

Elmhurst, Ill.—In September 2008, the Medical-Dental-Hospital Business Associates (MDHBA) announced a new certification program tailored for healthcare collection agency clients or agency personnel working in a first party capacity for their clients. The Certified Patient Account Specialist (CPAS) program focuses on providing education and recognition for personnel who are involved with patient balance accounts.

MDHBA is pleased to announce that the first CPAS certification was awarded in February to Andrea Duplesys of Valley View Hospital, an 80 bed acute care hospital located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Since then, an additional 16 individuals have earned CPAS credentials, with eight of them being employed by Valley View Hospital.

Valley View is a client of MDHBA Agency Member BC Services, Inc. of Longmont, Colorado. It was BC Services that brought the program to the hospital’s attention, and then provided a seminar to prepare hospital personnel to take the online CPAS exam. BC Services is currently developing this seminar so that other MDHBA agencies can teach it or hire a trainer, through MDHBA, to facilitate the program.

CPAS was created by MDHBA to help those who deal with patient account balances. It’s difficult to find training and education for this specific job function. CPAS provides educational material to help train patient balance account representatives. The program also provides professional recognition through CPAS certification.

To receive the CPAS designation, candidates must successfully complete an online exam. To help individuals prepare, MDHBA provides a study guide that is available for download on the association’s web site. Certification is good for two years, and candidates must then take another exam to maintain their CPAS status.

For more information on the CPAS program, visit www.mdhba.org, or call 630.941.8100.

Medical-Dental-Hospital Business Associates is the healthcare ARM community for accreditation and networking. Formed in 1939, MDHBA and its members set a tone of collaboration and continuous improvement within the demanding and competitive world of healthcare financial services. MDHBA provides a nationwide forum for idea exchange, continuing education and certification. For more information, contact: MDHBA, 350 Poplar Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60126. Telephone 630.941.8100; Fax 630.359.4274; E-mail info@mdhba.org; www.mdhba.org.