Valerie Watzlaf, PhD returns for a second appearance tomorrow during the live broadcast.
Valerie J. Watzlaf, PhD, MPH, RHIA, FAHIMA, recently elected American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) President/Chair of the group’s 2019 Board of Directors, will be the special guest today on Talk Ten Tuesdays, according to Chuck Buck, ICD10monitor publisher and broadcast executive producer and co-host.
Dr. Watzlaf is vice chair of education and an associate professor within the Department of Health Information Management (HIM) in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) at the University of Pittsburgh. She also holds a secondary appointment in the University’s Graduate School of Public Health. In those capacities, she teaches and performs research in the areas of HIM, epidemiology, quality improvement, statistics, and long-term care.
Dr. Watzlaf has served or chaired many AHIMA committees, including the Data Quality Task Force, the Coding, Policy, and Strategy Committee, Research Committee, Council on Accreditation, Council for Excellence in Education, Board of Directors, and the Foundation Board of Directors, according to an AHIMA news release. She is also on the editorial advisory board for the Journal of AHIMA and Perspectives in HIM. Watzlaf has published extensively in the field of HIM, delivering more than 100 presentations and authoring more than 50 publications.
Dr. Watzlaf has received the AHIMA Research Award, the Pennsylvania Health Information Management Association’s Distinguished Member Award, and the University of Pittsburgh’s SHRS Distinguished Alumnus Award, according to AHIMA.
“We are honored that Dr. Watzlaf will be returning to Talk Ten Tuesdays,” Buck said. “In her last appearance on the broadcast, she and Patty Sheridan, senior vice president at Ciox Health, jointly presented what was considered to be the largest ICD-10 coder productivity research study – which was, at the time, a serious issue.”
Ciox Health had partnered with the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Health Information Management to examine inpatient coding times. The university provided the research design and statistical analysis. Both Sheridan and Watzlaf appeared on the aforementioned June 20, 2017 broadcast.
Participating in the broadcast along with Dr. Watzlaf will be Laurie Johnson, Timothy Powell, and Stanley Nachimson. Holly Louie will co-host, sitting in for Erica Remer, MD.
“Laurie Johnson, who is a Fellow of AHIMA, will be reporting on what are considered to be the 10 most expensive chronic conditions with regards to ICD-10 codes, as well as clinical documentation and HCC impacts,” Buck said. “Nachimson, a former career professional with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), will be reporting on the latest healthcare regulations coming out of Washington, while Powell will be reporting the latest healthcare news.”
Recent guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Medicaid State Directed Payments (SDPs) has been widely interpreted as a tightening of
Last week I read a research letter dealing with family physician burnout published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine. It
Please log in to your account to comment on this article.
Gain clarity and confidence in OB‑GYN coding with this expert‑led webcast featuring Sherri L. Clayton, RHIT, CSS. You’ll learn how to apply global maternity package rules accurately, select the right CPT codes for procedures and visits, and identify documentation gaps that lead to denials. With practical guidance and real examples, this session helps you strengthen compliance, reduce audit risk, and ensure accurate reimbursement for women’s health services.
Uncover essential coding insights with nationally recognized coding authority Kay Piper, RHIA, CDIP, CCS. Through ICD10monitor’s interactive, on‑demand webcast series, Kay walks you through the AHA’s 2026 ICD‑10‑CM/PCS Quarterly Coding Clinics, translating each update into practical, easy‑to‑apply guidance designed to sharpen precision, ensure compliance, and strengthen day‑to‑day decision‑making. Available shortly after each official release.
Uncover critical guidance on the ICD-10-CM/PCS code updates. Kay Piper reviews and explains ICD-10-CM/PCS coding guidelines in the AHA’s fourth quarter 2026 ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic in an easy to access on-demand webcast.
Uncover critical guidance on the ICD-10-CM/PCS code updates. Kay Piper reviews and explains ICD-10-CM/PCS coding guidelines in the AHA’s third quarter 2026 ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic in an easy to access on-demand webcast.
Federal auditors are intensifying their focus on inpatient psychiatric facilities, using advanced data analytics to spotlight outliers and pursue high‑dollar repayments. In this high‑impact webcast, Michael Calahan, PA, MBA, Compliance Officer and V.P., Hospital & Physician Compliance, breaks down what regulators are really targeting in IPF-PPS admissions, documentation, treatment and discharge planning. Attendees will learn practical steps to tighten processes, avoid common audit triggers and protect reimbursement and reduce the risk of multimillion-dollar repayment demands.
In this timely session, Stacey Shillito, CDIP, CPMA, CCS, CCS-P, CPEDC, COPC, breaks down the complexities of Medical Decision Making (MDM) documentation so providers can confidently capture the true complexity of their care. Attendees will learn practical, efficient strategies to ensure documentation aligns with current E/M guidelines, supports accurate coding, and reduces audit risk, all without adding to charting time.
Join Ronald Hirsch, MD, FACP, CHCQM for The PEPPER Returns – Risk and Opportunity at Your Fingertips, a practical webcast that demystifies the PEPPER and shows you how to turn complex claims data into actionable insights. Dr. Hirsch will explain how to interpret key measures, identify compliance risks, uncover missed revenue opportunities, and understand new updates in the PEPPER, all to help your organization stay ahead of audits and use this powerful data proactively.
Stay ahead of the 2026-2027 audit surge with “Top 10 Audit Targets for 2026-2027 for Hospitals & Physicians: Protect Your Revenue,” a high-impact webcast led by Michael Calahan, PA, MBA. This concise session gives hospitals and physicians clear insight into the most likely federal audit targets, such as E/M services, split/shared and critical care, observation and admissions, device credits, and Two-Midnight Rule changes, and shows how to tighten documentation, coding, and internal processes to reduce denials, recoupments, and penalties. Attendees walk away with practical best practices to protect revenue, strengthen compliance, and better prepare their teams for inevitable audits.
Prepare for the 2025 CMS IPPS Final Rule with ICD10monitor’s IPPSPalooza! Click HERE to learn more
Get 15% OFF on all educational webcasts at ICD10monitor with code JULYFOURTH24 until July 4, 2024—start learning today!
BLOOM INTO SAVINGS! Get 25% OFF during our spring sale through March 27. Use code SPRING26 at checkout to claim this offer.
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 1 with code CYBER25
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24
