This year’s event promises to be bigger & better than before so make plans to attend this year’s holiday party!

Please extend this invitation to all others in your office who are members or might be interested in joining the GPCA in 2011.

Who: All GPCA members & their significant other (We also welcome any claims professional that is thinking about joining the GPCA next year!)

When: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 | 5:00 – 8:00 pm — or beyond!

Where: Martini’s on the River – 212 SW Water St, Peoria, IL – (309) 655-5003

This is a happy hour party to allow everyone to come and go as they need – come for a ½ hour or all three!

• Drink tickets will be handed out upon arrival to all GPCA members and their guests.
• We will have fabulous  hors-d’oeuvres from The Rhythm Kitchen.
• There will also be fabulous door prizes from the GPCA for those members attending the party.
• LIVE MUSIC by Doug Brod’s band, The Corn Wolves, will enhance the party
• This year from 6- ?

We hope you can join in the fun!

Please RSVP with Donna Totton at 309-208-9795 or dxtotton@cvty.com by December 10, 2010 so we can make sure we have enough food!

Tips to Identify Healthcare Fraud in a Workers’ Compensation Setting

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now!

Date:         Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
Time:        11:30 AM – 12:45 PM CDT

CCMC and Texas CEU Credits Available*

Woodlake Medical Management is excited to offer this free educational webinar.

Risk Managers, Claims Managers, Attorneys, Claims Adjusters, and Case Managers are all encouraged to register due to the importance and impact of healthcare fraud within the workers’ compensation setting.

Rebecca Busch, President and CEO of Medical Business Associates, Inc will be presenting on the following:

• Overview of healthcare fraud
• Tips to identify healthcare fraud
• Examples and case studies of types of fraud found in a Workers’ Compensation setting
• Tips to mitigate fraud, waste and abuse in Workers’ Compensation
• Healthcare Fraud in Workers’ Compensation overview: Legal implications for prevention, detection and implementation

An opportunity to ask questions at the end will be available for those interested.

Rebecca formed Medical Business Associates, Inc. with the vision of delivering a multi-disciplined approach to conducting comprehensive audits for employers, hospitals, and insurance companies. A pioneer in conducting technology and process enabled audits of healthcare claims and processing, Rebecca has developed patent-pending proprietary data analysis tools, including a data anomaly system that profiles and tracks medical and financial errors. Her proprietary methodology employs statistical analysis of claims and procedural data – specifically targeted to identify the most probable areas of operational breakdowns, medical and financial errors, exposure to fraud, waste and abuse, and cost savings.

An accomplished educator, Rebecca is currently a faculty member at ACFE. She has published more than 100 articles and presentations and authored two published books.  Her first book, Health Care Fraud and Detection Guide is a comprehensive guide for auditing and detecting healthcare fraud.

There is limited capacity for this webinar, so please register today!

*1 hour of CCMC CEU credits approved and 1 hour of TX CEUs (applied for)

Questions can be directed to Chris Rocks (chris@woodlakemedical.com).

Registration Link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/901540897

Sponsors:

In 1994 Woodlake Medical Management was created with one simple concept: To give you quick IME appointments scheduled with a wide variety of doctors, while efficiently delivering well-explained, definitive medical opinions. We are a group of dedicated, friendly people who strive to consistently treat you so well that you look forward to doing business with us. We’re now offering FCEs in Illinois!

Date & Time: Thursday, November 4th at 5:30PM
Cost: Members – $15 | Non-members – $25
Location: Bucca Di Beppo | Lombard, IL
Registration: Go Here
Meeting Topic: A Primer on the Efficient Use of Legal Resources
Speakers: Mike Geary and Mark McAndrew (Partners at Hennessy & Roach, P.C.)

Mr. Geary concentrates his practice in the defense of Workers’ Compensation claims and Mr. McAndrew concentrates his practice in civil litigation.

These seasoned lawyers will tell us how to prepare the files that we refer and the questions that we ask to maximize the efficiency of the services that they give adjusters.  The presentation will be a great review for the experienced adjuster and a wonderful introduction for the inexperienced adjuster.

Where: Doubletree Hotel | 9599 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, IL 60077
When: Thursday November 18, 2010 from  3:30-8:30 PM
Registration: Click Here
(Continuing Ed credits now available: Attending the entire seminar will earn nurses 3.25 contact hours (.325 CEU units) and nurse case managers  3.25 CEUs.)
Seminar Schedule:

3:30-4:00 – Registration and Automatic Entry for Prize Drawings

4:00-4:40 – Cervical Disc Arthroplasty: An Appropriate Option for Management of Cervical Herniation by Stanford Tack, MD (Illinois Bone and Joint Institute)

4:40-4:50 – Questions and Discussion

4:50-5:20 – Getting the Injured Worker Back to Work:  A Rehab Perspective by Joe Castronovo, DPT, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

5:20-5:30 – Questions and Discussion

5:30-6:30 – Heavy Appetizers and Open Bar

6:40-7:00 – Occupational Therapy Interventions for Work-Related Injuries by Laura Kearney, OT, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

7:00-7:05 – Panel Introduction

Craig Williams, MD, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Taizoon Baxamusa, MD, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Laura Kearney, OT, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Joe Castronovo, DPT, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Antonio Romanucci, Romanucci and Blandin

7:05-7:45 – Common Upper Extremity Disorders in the Workplace, with Case Study by Serafin DeLeon, MD, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

7:50-8:25 – Panel Discussion

8:25 – Prize Drawings

Contact Cindy Malarstik with questions. (CMalartsik@ibji.com or 847-324-3091)

Date: Thursday, November 4th
Time: 7:30AM – 4:00PM
Location: Grotto | 3011 Butterfield Rd, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Registration Info: Click Here
Cost: Free

**7.0 CEUs available

Speakers/Topics:

“To Be a Spine Care Expert, Starts with Accurate Diagnostics” – How to Grade and Measure Soft Tissue Damage According to AMA Guidelines – By Dr. Jeffrey Cronk (National Injury Diagnostics)

“Updates  for a Clinically Proven Non Invasive Treatment Modalities” – By Dr. Jimmy Diaz (Internal Medicine, Kingsland GA)

“Recent Advances in Integrative Pain Management” – By Dr. John Prunskis (Illinois Pain Institute)

“Medical Treatment for Back Pain, a View from the Trenches …a Litigation Perspective.” – By Christopher Gibbons (Attorney | Nyah, Bambrick, Kinzie & Lowry, P.C.)

“Newest Statistics on Outcomes for Rotator Cuff Repair in Work Comp Patients” – By Dr. Nikhil Verma (Midwest Orthopaedics)

“Most Common Work Place Hand Injuries” – By Nabil Barakat (Midwest Hand Surgery)

“Case Based Occupational Evaluations/ Shoulder and Knee” – By Dr. Brian Cole (Midwest Orthopaedics)

Save the Date

November 10th, 2010, 8am – 3pm

Orthopedic Building at RUSH University Medical Center

CEUs, continental breakfast and lunch provided.

Presenters: MOR Physicians – Dr. Kathy Weber, Dr. John Fernandez, and Dr. Walter Virkus. Novacare Clinicians – Brian Kilbane, Dain Hampton, Courtney Porter, and David Hoyle.

Current concepts in the treatment of work related musculoskeletal injuries (trauma and upper extremity). Break out sessions to include demonstration of rehabilitation procedures.

Register by contacting Kindal Wernz @ kwernz@rushortho.com

FCEs | The Inconvenient Truth

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now!

Date:         Friday, October 15th, 2010
Time:        11:15 AM – 12:30 PM CDT

CCMC and Texas CEU Credits Available*

Woodlake Medical Management and Triune Health Group are excited to offer this free educational webinar.

Are the FCEs you obtain legally defensible in 2010?

Do they objectively measure function and sincerity of effort?

Darrell Schapmire, MS will break down how traditional FCEs test validity and function while reviewing what the research has to say. Some of the research covered has been accepted for publication but is not yet publicly available — it will change the FCE industry moving forward.

This information is essential to all risk managers, claims managers, case managers, claims adjusters, and attorneys who would like to ensure they are controlling costs, obtaining the most accurate and objective information from which to make decisions, and best positioning themselves should a claim be litigated.

An opportunity to ask questions at the end will be available for those interested.

Darrell Schapmire has a graduate degree in exercise physiology from Benedictine University. He conducts FCEs in 13 locations in Illinois (scheduling is handled through Woodlake Medical Management by calling 800-804-4008).

His interest in improving the assessment of effort led him to develop the X-RTS Hand Strength Assessment and obtain two pro se patents, one of which is for the X-RTS Lever Arm, a product that is now in use in 25 states. He is an organizer of a research initiative and a contributing author in the publication of six primary research studies related to the objective classification of function and validity of effort.

There is limited capacity for this webinar, so please register today!

*1 hour of CCMC CEU credits and TX CEUs (applied for)

Questions can be directed to Chris Rocks (chris@woodlakemedical.com).

Registration Link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/572645825

Sponsors:

In 1994 Woodlake Medical Management was created with one simple concept: To give you quick IME appointments scheduled with a wide variety of doctors, while efficiently delivering well-explained, definitive medical opinions. We are a group of dedicated, friendly people who strive to consistently treat you so well that you look forward to doing business with us. We’re Now offering FCEs in Illinois!

TRIUNE Health Group was established in 1990 by Christopher and Mary Anne Yep, emphasizing a philosophy of respect for each individual injured worker, customer, or co-worker. This simple philosophy provides for the highest quality of services with superior results, performed in a timely and cost effective manner. Respect for the individual also attracts the best and most qualified professionals, who dedicate their best efforts, with a goal of minimizing the effects of injuries and disabilities which maximizes each individual’s ability to live and be productive. In reaching its fifth major expansion, which includes a second location in the Chicago Land area, the company has introduced its multifaceted approach to Health and Productivity by providing programs to meet the needs of the total person. The administrative and nursing staff  have a proven track record with experience in managing absences for large municipalities, hospitals, insurance carriers and self insured employers.

When: Thursday, October 14, 2010 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Where: Maggiano’s | 1847 Freedom Drive, Naperville, IL 60563
Cost: Free (Lunch & Dessert will be served)
RSVP: Lori Hesser – lhesser@encoreunlimited.com or Jacki Greve-Bollendorf – jacki.greve@cypresscare.com
CEUs offered: CCMC & CDMSC
Speakers & Topics:

Douglas L. Johnson, MD, PhD | Dupage Neurosurgery, S.C. – Cervical Spine Injuries

Edward N. Tuder, M.D. – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Veronica Fedjur | V2 OrthoCare – The Efficacy of Bone Growth Stimulation