SUMMER 2015 INTERNSHIP

UPSTATE CARDIOLOGY

Jack Amory

7/16/2015

Upstate Cardiology

Contact Information: 2 Innovation Drive, Suite 400

Greenville, SC 29067

(864)-235-7765

www.UpstateCardiology.com

History of the Practice In 1974, Dr. William Algary founded

Cardiovascular Associates. The practice grew until 1994 when it merged with Greenville Cardiology to form Upstate Cardiology.

Today, there are offices in Greenville, Easley, Simpsonville, and Clemson.

The practice has grown from one physician and one

employee in 1974, to now over 18 physicians and nearly 100 employees. Pictured above is Upstate’s

Greenville Office on Innovation Drive

Upstate’s MissionMission Statement

“With great care and compassion, we strive to be the cardiovascular practice

of choice”

Upstate Cardiology’s Services The practice offers a wide variety of primary,

secondary, and tertiary care. These services include, but are not limited to:Diagnostic Screenings, such as Carotid Artery

Ultrasounds, Nuclear Studies, and Echoes

Tilt Table TestsDevice and Pacemaker checksAngioplasty, Stents, and Cardiac

CatheterizationElectrical CardioversionCoumadin Clinic Pictured above is a nuclear imaging device in

the Nuclear Lab that I worked in

My Role at Upstate Cardiology I served as an

administrative intern for the months of May, June, and July of 2015 under the preceptorship of Mr. Ron Eskew, who serves as the Practice Administrator.

Mr. Eskew and I are pictured here in the front lobby of Upstate Cardiology

My Role at Upstate Cardiology Responsibilities and Projects

Relative Value Unit (RVU) ReportPhysician Referral ReportTriage Physician Rotation ReportQuality SurveyMonthly business report preparationMedical Record tasks using MISYS EMRClerical work

Relative Value Unit Report RVUs, which are calculated by the Centers for

Medicare and Medicaid, determine reimbursement for a specific service performed by a physician.

Each type of service has a designated Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code and a RVU valuation associated with it.

It was my responsibility to input total RVU productivity onto a spreadsheet for each physician in the practice on a monthly basis.

This report allows Upstate track and enumerate revenue trends month-to-month.

Physician Referral Report At the end of each month, I would receive a

document containing each referral made to Upstate Cardiology.

My responsibility was to organize and input that data onto a spreadsheet so that the practice could identify and follow trends in referrals.

This document is of high importance as it allows Upstate Cardiology to foster relationships with referring physicians and their associated practices.

Triage Physician Rotation Report

Upstate Cardiology offers triage services that allow patients to call and inquire for medical advice when they have a question or concern regarding their health.

My role with this report was to tabulate and log the number of calls each physician received to ensure fair distribution.

Quality Survey New Medicare and Medicaid standards are basing

reimbursement on quality measures. Because of this, it was determined that a patient satisfaction survey needed to be created that accurately mirrored the expectations of the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research.

I developed a survey from the ground up that aimed to do just that and presented my work to the administrative staff at the July business meeting.

The new survey was approved and will soon be mailed out to patients.

Medical Records

I gained proficiency in the use of the MISYS EMR system and understanding of medical records during my time at Upstate Cardiology through various clerical and organizational tasks.

Additionally, I spent time working in the transcription office by faxing out records to patients’ primary care physicians.

This is a photo of me working at my desk in the Nuclear Department.

The nurses, technicians, and staff here performed Echocardiograms, Nuclear tests, and a number of other diagnostic studies on patients, which gave me insight in the clinical side of the practice.

Shadowing Experience To supplement my internship experience, I was given

the opportunity to shadow with Mr. Dustin Cox, who serves as the office coordinator of Wellspring Primary Care and Traveler’s Rest Internal Medicine.

Due to the relatively small scale of operations at these sites, Mr. Cox’s role was much more hands on. Whether it was checking-in patients, resolving insurance and billing issues, or palliating payment concerns, Mr. Cox was involved in all aspects of running an office.

My time spent shadowing gave me valuable insight into what the daily expectations are of an administrator who is starting their career.

Closing Remarks

The knowledge, experience, and insight I acquired during my time at Upstate Cardiology is without equal. I was humbled by the entire Upstate Cardiology family for opening up their hearts to me and engaging me as more than just a professional. I look forward to carrying my newfound abilities into the healthcare field, and am eager to see what opportunities lie ahead.