History of Billing Compliance at UT Southwestern

UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Billing Compliance Program

In July 1996, the UT Southwestern President appointed a Billing Compliance Officer.  A Billing Compliance Advisory Committee (BCAC) was appointed in August 1996, and held its first meeting on September 3, 1996. The BCAC meets monthly.

Current members of the BCAC include: Gary Cunningham, MD, Chair (Obstetrics and Gynecology); Frank Gottschalk, M.D. (Orthopedic Surgery); James Huth, MD (Surgery Oncology); Jeffrey Kenkel, MD (Plastic Surgery); Karl Kilz (Anesthesiology); Tom Kopitnik, MD (Neurosurgery); Christopher Lu, MD (Internal Medicine); James McCulley, MD (Ophthalmology); Stuart Rosenberg, MD (Internal Medicine – Rheumatology); Brent Townsend (Internal Medicine); Charles White, III, MD (Pathology); and Gordon Green, MD, (Dean, UT Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School). Ex Officio members of the BCAC include John Roan, Executive Vice President for Business Affairs, and Willis Maddrey, MD, Executive Vice President for Clinical Affairs.

UT Southwestern’s Billing Compliance Plan was originally developed by the BCAC on November 11, 1996 and distributed to all clinical departments on December 12, 1996. The University’s Billing Compliance Plan was subsequently revised in November 1998, February 2001 and February 2002. The BCAC has also developed and disseminated policies addressing medical record documentation requirements, as well as policies addressing Medicare Part B documentation and billing requirements for teaching physicians.

In January 1997, the Billing Compliance Office was established. The Billing Compliance Office currently consists of a Director (Dieter A. Lehnortt), four Billing Compliance Auditors (Rhydonia Duggan, RN, CPC, Marcie Thomas, RN, CPC, Peggy Dupont, RHIA, CCS, CPC, and Tammy Towers, CCS, CPC), one HIPAA auditor (Diane Sheppard), and a department administrator (Melanie Freeman).