HP3 Leadership Team

Ruthann Russo, JD, MPH, RHIT
Chief Executive Officer

Ms. Russo is founder and CEO of HP3, dedicated to consulting, education and systems development in the health care reimbursement process. Under her direction, HP3 has developed educational programs dedicated to increasing accurate and compliance reimbursement for healthcare services including the nationally renowned Coding Lunch & Learn CD training programs, the Reimbursement Video Series, the Documentation Improvement Video Series, and JustCoding.com. Ms. Russo has also been instrumental in guiding the development of Documentation Improvement, APC, and CDM products. Since its founding in 1999, the firm has grown from a staff of 6 to a staff of over 100 health care credentialed professionals servicing over 600 healthcare organizations.

Previously, Ms. Russo founded Cabot Marsh Corporation. She created the specifications for RAMS, the firm's proprietary software and ComplySourceÔ, its interactive Internet resource for health care legal and regulatory issues to ensure correct coding. In addition, Ms. Russo designed a due diligence program for over 200 primary care practices acquired by a large east coast integrated delivery system as part of their managed care initiative. She has designed health information auditing systems. She has created and conducted physician education programs designed to combat fraud and abuse through complete and correct documentation practices. She initiated the health information coder-training institute, which successfully graduated over 50 students.

From 1987-1991, Ms. Russo was Director of Health Information Services for Aspen Systems Corporation. She was responsible for developing a data quality program and implementing it throughout the nation.

Ms. Russo also designed and won initial accreditation by the AMA/AHIMA/AHA accrediting body for the Health Information Technology Program at Lehigh County Community College in 1989. As Director and Associate Professor of Health Information Technology from 1988-1990, Ms. Russo designed and taught every course in the HIT Program. Ms. Russo also served as Director and Assistant Professor of Health Information Technology at Prince George's Community College from 1986-1988.

Ms. Russo assisted in the design of a large scale Federal Government DRG Audit (over 9,000 records) while a Health Information Analyst with Systemetrics-McGraw Hill from 1985-1986. She also functioned as the DRG and Health Information Coordinator for George Washington University Hospital from 1983-1985. She also consulted with the Health Care Financing Administration on the content and revision of DRGs in MDC 19 and 20.

Ms. Russo earned her Juris Doctorate Degree from the American University in Washington, DC. She also graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude from Dickinson College with a degree in Liberal Arts.

She earned her Masters degree in Public Health at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She is an Accredited Record Technician with the American Health Information Management Association and a licensed member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey State Bars.

Ms. Russo is currently a doctoral candidate in the DBA program at Nova Southeastern University. She is completing her doctoral dissertation on "Physician Attitudes and Opinions about Documentation."

She is also a member of the "Birthing of Giants" class of 1998, a professional education program for 50 young entrepreneurs selected from applicants throughout the nation and cosponsored by Inc. Magazine and MIT.

Books:

Guide to Inpatient Clinical Documentation Improvement: Strategies to Ensure Compliance and Correct Reimbursement, Opus Communications, 2002

Coding Compliance: A Practical Guide to the Audit Process, Opus Communications, 2000.

Seven Steps to Health Information Management Compliance, Opus Communications, 1998.

A Guide to Auditing Health Care Billing Processes, Atlantic Information Services, 1999.

Articles:

A Clean CDM is the First Step to Compliant APC Coding and Billing, Journal of Health Care Compliance, March, 2001

Education on Sample Selection Methodology is Essential for Compliant Auditing, Journal of Health Care Compliance, February, 2000.

Objective Tests Improve Effectiveness of Education Programs, Journal of Health Care Compliance, August, 1999.

An Assessment of Health Information Compliance Issues, February 1998.

Health Care Compliance Plans: Good Business Practice for the New Millennium, Journal of the American Health Information Management Association, January 1998.

Implementing Centralized Fee Abstracting in the University Teaching Setting, Journal of Health Care Financial Management, June 1997.

Using Health Information Data for Financial Modeling, Advance Magazine.

Physician Fee Abstracting: Preventive Medicine for Fraud and Abuse, Patient Accounts, December 1996.

Using Medical Record Data for Financial Modeling, Advance Magazine, April 1995.

ICD-9-CM Coding and DRG Assignment Manual, prepared for the Civilian External Peer Review Program of the US Department of Defense, 1988.

An Analysis of Fiscal Year 1988 Changes to the Prospective Payment System, St. Anthony's Hospital Publications, 1987.

Protecting the Privacy of Computerized Health Information, American University School of Law, Final Thesis, 1987.

Presentations:

"The Evolution and Implementation of Clinical Documentation Improvement", San Francisco, CA, AHIMA - September 23, 2002

"Strategic Management Tools: Contrasting profit vs. Not-For-Profit Companies", Seattle, WA, HFMA - June 19, 2002

"Clinical Documentation and its Role in Insuring Accurate CMI", Branson, MO, HFMA - May 23, 2002

"E&M Update", Melville, NY, HCCA Region II Compliance Seminar - October 12, 2001

"Auditing for Coding Compliance", Philadelphia, PA, AHIA - August 21, 2001

"HIPAA Compliance Presentation", Baltimore, MD, MDHIMA - June 8, 2001

"Health Information Intensive Compliance Training", Easton, PA, (February 1999)

"Legal Concerns and the Confidentiality of Patient Records", Easton, PA, (February 1999)

"Compliance Concerns in Health Care Billing", Virginia HFMA, (June 1998)

"Current Issues in Health Information Management Compliance", AHIMA, (October 1998)

"Recent Developments in Health Care Fraud and Abuse", AHIMA (October 1997)

"Health Information Compliance Concerns", Association of Health Care Internal Auditors, (December 1998)

"Teaching Physician Documentation Guidelines for Medicare Part B Billing - July 1, 1996 Regulations", University Hospital, Newark, NJ

"Integrating the Professional Billing Component with the Inpatient Coding Function to Prevent Medicare Fraud and Abuse", Massachusetts Health Information Management Association, (January 1996)

"Fiscal Year 1996 Prospective Payment System Updates", Lehigh Valley Health Information Management Association, (September 1995)

"Using Medical Record Data for Financial Modeling", Maryland Health Information Management Association, (March 1995)

"Data Quality Issues in Health Information Management", Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Information Management Association, (November 1994)

"Beyond Prospective Management for Prospective Payment" Health Care Financial Management Association, National Meeting, Nashville, TN, (1992)

"Physician Fee Abstracting: Preventive Medicine for Fraud and Abuse", HFMA Patient Accounts, (December 1996).

"Coding for Compliance", Allentown, Pennsylvania, (October 7, 1997)

Video:

Documentation Improvement for the Hospital, Speaker and scriptwriter, 2001.

Documentation Improvement for the Physician Office, E&M Coding Overview, speaker and scriptwriter, 2001.

The Healthcare Reimbursement Video Series (Volumes I - V) Speaker and script writer, 2000.

Seven Steps to Health Information Management Compliance, (Video Program Host), The Greeley Education Company, 1999

Audio Conferences:

Interpreting the DHHS's Office of the Inspector General's Compliance Guidance for Health Care Compliance Association, Third Party Billing Companies, January 1999.

Compliance Concerns in the Physician Office Practice, Health Care Compliance Association, January 1999.

Compliance Concerns in the Acute Care Facility, Health Care Compliance Association, January 1999.