“The purpose in our nature of business is to constantly evolve with knowledge, not just to be better, but to deliver excellence and accuracy in our services to our clients,” Vilma Zeledon stated when discussing the CPAR certification that she earned last week. Vilma, a Collection Manager in the Training and Development Department at Hollis Cobb, earned her Certified Patient Account Representative (CPAR) designation last week, after sitting for the annual test on November 3, 2017. Following two months of intensive study, Vilma earned 96% on the exam – one of the top scores in the State of Georgia.
The CPAR Program was developed in 1982 by the Georgia Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), a national organization dedicated to providing education and support to Hospitals and other healthcare providers in the U.S. The annual exam covers the revenue cycle from start to finish, with additional focus on payer sources and government regulations. The certification is designed to equip healthcare professionals with knowledge needed to be high achievers within their organizations, and also give them a competitive edge in the healthcare industry. Although CPAR is a Georgia-based program, each year students from other states, who do not have a certification program in their own state, participate in the Georgia program.
Matt Fisher, a Hollis Cobb client, and the incoming Georgia HFMA CPAR Committee Chair, encouraged Vilma to move forward to work on the Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) next. Matt holds that certification and stressed to Vilma the importance of continuing education in order to stay on top of the constantly changing world of healthcare finance. Floyd Lawson, Hollis Cobb COO, expressed pride in Vilma’s hard work and accomplishments on behalf of the company’s leadership.
Vilma officially received her certification at a GA HFMA ceremony last Friday, March 23 in Atlanta. The certificate was presented by Bridget Cutchen, GA HFMA Program
Chair. The state chapter hosted the annual banquet and ceremony to recognize the year’s CPAR graduates as well as those who achieved their Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) designation. Also attending the event, to cheer Vilma on, was Hollis Cobb’s Human Resources Director, Mitzi Burks. While attending the ceremony, Vilma had the opportunity to sit with and get to know Hollis Cobb clients from Navicent, Emory and Piedmont Healthcare systems.
“I personally feel extremely rewarded with the vast knowledge acquired during my study and preparation for the test,” Vilma said, adding that what she learned in her CPAR study and testing will help her as she develops updated training materials for Hollis Cobb staff. Vilma started with the company seven years ago as a manager at the Nicaragua office. She transferred to the Mobile, Alabama office when Hollis Cobb acquired another company, and she relocated to the Atlanta office two years ago. “I have seen the growth of the company from 53 employees to over 326 now,” Vilma stated, going on to say, “I feel fortunate and blessed at the same time to be part of the diverse family of Hollis Cobb Associates.”
