Increased Efficiencies and Improved Dermatology Billing Operations by Switching to an All-in-one Dermatology Suite
Case Study
The Challenges
- Needed an all-in-one solution with dermatology EHR, practice management and revenue cycle management
- EHR and PM didn’t interface well, making appointment scheduling and collecting patient payment difficult
- Outsourced billing company was not appealing denials and missing claims
- Needed an easy way to collect and track MIPS data
Key Benefits Experienced
- Saved time during exams with dermatology-specific content
- Achieved a MIPS score of 98 percent
- Streamlined workflow and efficiencies with all-in-one solution
- Improved denial rates and collections
Kappelman Dermatology shares its dermatology software success story
“The all-in-one modmed Dermatology suite, with EMA, dermatology Practice Management and RCM, is worth the investment to have the confidence that my business is taken care of. I trust that Modernizing Medicine is looking out for the financial health of my practice, and I have confidence that I am earning what I deserve.”
‒ JESSICA KAPPELMAN, MD, MPH
Dr. Kappelman Shares Her Dermatology Practice’s Success with the modmed® Dermatology Suite
Dr. Jessica Kappelman started her practice, Kappelman Dermatology, in 2012 in Plainfield, Ill., with the goal of providing the highest quality of care in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology treatments for adults, teens and children. Having an advanced dermatology electronic health record (EHR) system that could keep up with her fast pace was essential to her practice’s success. Right from the start Dr. Kappelman knew she wanted Modernizing Medicine’s dermatology EHR system, EMA™.
Been With EMA Since the Start
I saw a demo of EMA at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) annual conference when I was thinking about opening my own practice, and I was really impressed with the simplicity of the system. The built-in dermatology-specific content includes the treatment plans and patient counseling that I need. The layout of the system is very intuitive to navigate, making workflow and clinical application easy.
I opened my practice six years ago with EMA and I haven’t looked back. Unfortunately, at that time Modernizing Medicine’s dermatology Practice Management (PM) and Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) solutions were not available. In the first few years we tried a handful of different third-party PM and billing solutions, but they always fell short of my expectations. I loved EMA and knew I wanted a true all-in-one solution, so when Modernizing Medicine made its Practice Management and RCM services available, we got in line to sign up.
Implementation of the Practice Management system and RCM services was smooth from the beginning, and my staff made the transition seamlessly due to the overwhelming support provided by Modernizing Medicine. We quickly saw improvement in office efficiencies and dermatology billing operations. The move to the all-in-one modmed Dermatology suite continues to be a great decision for the clinical and financial health of my practice.
Dermatology Content Speeds My Exams
Practicing dermatologists designed EMA and the software intuitively adapts to the way dermatologists practice, allowing me to focus my time and energy on my patients. The dermatology-specific counseling and easily editable sticky notes allow me to customize my treatment plans, unlike the overwhelming process of creating templates with other dermatology EHR systems. I also love that EMA is mobile and I can use my iPad during the patient exam. In less than two minutes I can complete the skin exam, get consent for a biopsy, snap a photo of the lesion and set-up to take the biopsy.
A Dermatology EHR Prepared for Value-Based Care
Some practices struggle to meet dermatology MIPS requirements, but with EMA’s built-in MIPS solution, I submitted with ease. The MIPS solution in EMA can help me collect the relevant data during the flow of an exam and track my performance along the way.
The MIPS dashboards within EMA make it very easy to monitor how I track for my MIPS score, and the educational webinars provided by Modernizing Medicine are helpful in understanding how to increase my dermatology MIPS score. With the help from these resources I achieved a MIPS score of 98 percent last year.
Improvements in Overall Practice Efficiencies
As part of an all-in-one solution, EMA and PM work seamlessly together, streamlining my workflow and bridging the gap between the front and back offices. The switch to Modernizing Medicine’s dermatology practice management system enabled my practice to save time, improve efficiencies and create a more positive experience for my patients.
My previous dermatology practice management system was not compatible with both Mac and PC, which negatively impacted our workflow. If our clinical staff was using a Mac while discussing biopsy results with a patient and needed to schedule a follow-up appointment, they had to handwrite a note for the front office staff that use PCs to call the patient back to schedule the appointment. This was a huge waste of time for our staff and patients. With the all-in-one solution with EMA and PM, scheduling patients is a breeze for everyone.
My front office staff loves PM. The check-in and checkout processes are much easier than with our previous system. You can see chart notes to answer any patient questions and make sure the patients are up to date on any outstanding balances before the visit. The system is so easy and simple to use, it does almost everything for you. My staff is very happy we made the switch.
RCM Services Gave Me Financial Peace of Mind
My previous dermatology billing service was only doing the bare minimum for billing and collections. They weren’t making the effort to obtain medical notes to appeal denied claims and they were just writing everything off. On top of that, they were completely missing claims. Every day I would have to print out a list of my claims and compare it to my office visits. I would discover five or six claims a week that were missing that my office had to follow-up on to submit. This was a huge time commitment for my staff and me and lost revenue for my practice.
I trust that Modernizing Medicine looks out for the financial health of my practice. I have seen a decrease in my denial rate and an increase in my revenue coming in. I have confidence that I am collecting what I deserve. On top of that, with the time I save with RCM, I can get home from the office earlier to spend more time with my family.
The staff at Modernizing Medicine has been available to us at all times, even on the busiest of days. We don’t have to waste time trying to figure things out on our own. We just call or email and within five minutes we have the answers we need to keep moving along with our day. This level of service has been absolutely essential in our practice’s success.
Jessica Kappelman, MD, MPH
Physician/Owner
Dr. Jessica Kappelman is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology. Her specialties include pediatric dermatology, dermatoscopy, and skin cancer detection.
She attended University of Illinois at Rockford, at which she obtained her Medical Doctorate, graduating at the top of her class, with the distinguished honor of Alpha Omega Alpha. While in medical school, Dr. Kappelman was also awarded the Codman Health Care Evaluation Award and James Scholar nomination.
Concurrent to medical school, she pursued and attained her Masters in Public Health (MPH), with an emphasis on health policy and administration through the University of Illinois at Chicago. She was a member of Phi Eta Sigma and Golden Key National Honor Societies, as well as Phi Beta Kappa, and served as philanthropy chair for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta.
Dr. Kappelman completed her internal medicine internship at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois. She subsequently trained in dermatology at Loyola University Chicago. After praciticing in a large group dermatology practice for over two years, she decided to open her own dermatology clinic in Plainfield, Illinois.
As a practicing dermatologist, Jessica Kappelman has been serving Plainfield, Naperville and the surrounding Chicago area for her entire career. Whether treating acne, providing skin cancer screenings or performing chemical peels, Dr. Kappelman offers the highest quality of care in a welcoming environment for adult, teen and pediatric patients.
Dr. Kappelman is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and a member of the Chicago Dermatological Society.
Jessica’s most valued accomplishments are in her personal life. She is a proud wife and mother to four young children and enjoys spending all of her free time with her family.
To learn more or make an appointment, contact Dr. Kappelman.
Click here for a full range of dermatology treatment options offered by Dr. Kappelman.
