Welcome to the September Edition of the MRC Insider Newsletter!
Hello colleague,
September is here, and it is shaping up to be a busy and exciting month!
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Labor Day and found some time over the long weekend to rest, recharge, and enjoy the unofficial close of summer. As we settle into September, there is a lot to look forward to, including one event I am especially excited about.
The e4health team is headed to San Antonio for AHIMA26! 🤠 We will be at Booth 1040, and our theme this year is all about finding your break, resetting, and recharging. In an industry that moves as quickly as ours does, sometimes taking a moment to recharge is exactly what we need to come back with fresh ideas and new energy.
I am especially looking forward to this year's conference because San Antonio takes me back to my Texas roots. As a Texas native, I am always happy for an excuse to return to the Lone Star State! More importantly, I am excited for the opportunity to connect face to face with colleagues, customers, partners, and friends from across the HIM and revenue cycle community. If you will be at AHIMA, please stop by Booth 1040 and say hello. I would love to see you!
Of course, October 1 is also just around the corner. For our coding professionals, that means the annual ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS changes take effect, and teams are busy preparing for another new code year.
October also brings the beginning of Q4, and we all know how quickly the calendar moves from there. Before long, the holidays will be upon us. There is still a lot of 2026 ahead, so let’s finish the year strong while remembering to make a little room to recharge along the way.
Here’s to a great September, and I hope to see many of you in San Antonio!
Warm regards,
Are You Ready?!?
The e4health team is heading to AHIMA26, and we’re excited to bring something a little different to the show floor this year! Step into the e4health Oasis at Booth #1040 for a refreshing change of pace and a few surprises you won’t want to miss.
📅 Book time with our team and make room for a little recharge in San Antonio!
🔥 Hot Off The Press!
💡 e4health's Nicole Langevin breaks down why mastery in coding is never a finish line. She covers where the best education actually happens, outside the classroom in the difficult operative report or the audit finding, and what leaders can do to help their teams keep growing.
🔎To read, please click here.
Did You Receive Our Latest Start Smart?
📚 Our latest Start Smart landed in inboxes Friday, and we’re kicking off a series on pediatric diagnoses with a topic that reaches well beyond childhood: congenital anomalies. This edition explores why current documentation matters, what to consider when a condition has been repaired or corrected, and how a patient’s history can inform coding without telling the whole story.
👉 Click here to download the latest tip sheet about Congenital Anomalies and subscribe for future editions!
💡 Looking for customized coding education for your organization? We'd love to help. Reach out toeducation@e4.healthto start the conversation.
Recent MRC Article!
💡 Most quality programs stop at finding the error. Michele Logue, Director of Coding Operations, makes the case that the real work starts after the finding — and offers a five-step loop for getting from an audit result to improvement you can actually measure.
🔎To read, please click here.
Team Spotlight
Arielle (Ari) M
Outpatient Coding Specialist
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Who makes up your family (spouse, partner, children, pets, etc.)? I'm from Portsmouth, VA. Its a small city, but its close to Va Beach/Norfolk if you heard of those cities. Now I live in Concord, NC 30 mins outside of Charlotte I have a 8-year daughter , she's my heartbeat in human form.
What are some of your hobbies or interests outside of work? In my free time, I go back home to visit my Mom and family, travel with friends, and create experiences with my daughter
What attracted you to this field? Coming from a clinical side, I realized I did my best work working behind the scenes. When I found out about coding, it allowed me to still work in healthcare but not on the frontline.
What roles or experiences led you to where you are today? I first started in healthcare in 2011 working as a Medical Assistant for a Cardiologist office. I worked there for 6 years before deciding I wanted to venture into the non-clinical side of healthcare. I work as a scheduling coordinator, where I found out about coding. Once I completed coding training, I wanted some hands-on experience, so I started working as a Claims processor for a short time before an opportunity presented itself to be hired as a new grad coder for a hospital based in VA in 2018. I started as a diagnostic/recurring coder, then an ED coder, and now as an Outpatient Coding Specialist for SDS and Observation coding.
What is your current role, and what do you enjoy most about it? I've been working at e4health since 2024 as a prn SDS/OBS coder. I love the leadership and the flexibility that e4health provides. I'm very blessed to be a part of this amazing company!
Share something interesting, unique, or surprising about yourself. I hate to admit this, but I binge watch The Office monthly, all nine seasons.
Check out our latest Coding Tip!
🧠Our Education Team wants to make sure you're "In The Know" with our Coding Corner tip series.
🔎 Click here to read this valuable Coding Tip!
Looking Beyond the Finding
Quality reviews do more than identify what happened—they help us understand why. While a single finding may be an oversight, recurring trends can reveal opportunities for education, clarification, or workflow improvement.Approach findings with curiosity. Each discussion, rebuttal, and educational moment supports consistency, collaboration, and continuous learning.
This month, look beyond the individual edit and ask:
- Is this isolated or part of a larger trend?
- What guidance or documentation influenced the outcome?
- What can we share to improve team consistency?
- How can this help prevent similar errors?
Quality is not perfection; it is a commitment to learning, collaboration, and continual improvement. Every review strengthens the coded record and the value we provide to clients and patients.
Have a topic you’d like to see covered in a future section of "Quality with Chelsea" in the e4health MRC Insider? Send your ideas to ccouperthwaite@e4.health. The Internal Quality Audit team welcomes opportunities to learn together and strengthen coding quality across the revenue cycle.
Employee Engagement Tip!
Brought to you by e4health's Sr. Director, Solution Design, Coding Audit and Education, Melanie Hunley
Change Is a Chance — Not a Challenge
Fall reminds us that change is constant — and often, it's exactly what sparks growth. New projects, new clients, shifting priorities, evolving teams: these moments can feel unsettling, but they're also where some of our best ideas and opportunities take shape.
Think about a time you were asked to take on something unfamiliar — a new tool, a new process, a new role. It may have felt uncomfortable at first, but chances are it also taught you something you wouldn't have learned otherwise. That's the thing about change: it rarely feels convenient at the moment, but it often leaves us better equipped than before.
The next time something shifts, try asking "what could this make possible?" instead of "why is this happening?" That small shift in mindset can turn uncertainty into momentum, and it can make the difference between feeling stuck and feeling ready.
And you don't have to navigate change alone. Check in with a co-worker who's adjusting to something new, sharing how you've grown through change before, or simply offering encouragement as someone steps into the unknown. Supporting each other through change makes it easier for all of us to grow from it — and reminds us that we're stronger facing it together than apart.
Our Latest e4health TAlks Podcast
🎙️ You know the CEO. But do you know the man behind the title? 🤔🌟 In this brand-new episode of e4health TAlks,Lauren Alston, PRCsits down with e4health CEODavid Van Doren RHIA, CCS, FACHDMfor a candid conversation that goes beyond business. From his life outside of work to the experiences and people that have shaped him along the way, this episode offers a more personal look at the man behind the CEO title.🎥 Click here to watch the latest episode of e4health TAlks and get to know David from a whole new perspective.
📰 Industry News: Coding & Auditing Updates
🧾 CPT 2027 Brings Nearly 300 New Codes and Major Coding Changes
The AMA has released the 2027 CPT code set, featuring 299 new codes, 74 revisions and 80 deletions that take effect January 1. Key changes affect maternity care, hernia repair, radiology, sleep medicine and other services, while continued expansion of codes for emerging technologies reflects how quickly clinical practice and healthcare technology are evolving.
Source: American Medical Association (AMA)
💸 Automatic E/M Downcoding Could Be Quietly Draining Practice Revenue
As more payers adopt automatic E/M downcoding policies, physician practices may be losing significant revenue without realizing it. Even relatively small reductions per claim can add up quickly, particularly when payer algorithms automatically lower E/M levels based on documentation, utilization patterns or proprietary payment edits.
Source: Medical Economics
🏥 Medicare Payment Reform Bill Targets the Cycle of Annual Physician Payment Fixes
New bipartisan legislation in the House aims to address longstanding structural problems with Medicare physician reimbursement and reduce the need for recurring congressional payment patches. The proposal comes as physician practices continue to face rising operating costs, with AMA analysis showing inflation-adjusted Medicare physician payment has fallen 33% since 2001.
Coding Humor
Looking to enhance operational efficiency, maximize reimbursement, and reduce denials? Schedule a brief discovery call by clicking here to fill out a short form, and our team will reach out to assist you!
Check out some of our latest blog posts, articles, and education from our other services:
Health IT: AI in the Revenue Cycle - What Actually Works
HIM:: Case Study: Rapid, Multi-Service Data Integrity Support for a Regional Health System
CDI: Click here to register for the upcoming CDI Roundtable!
The Door's Open!
🚀 Interested in joining our team? We're currently hiring across a variety of roles nationwide.🔎Browse our open positions by clicking here.Have questions about a position or want to learn more about life at e4health? Connect with our Talent Acquisition team today. We'd love to start the conversation.
e4health is a Great Place To Work® for the 5th Consecutive Year!
Five years of certification isn't just a milestone. It's a reflection of the incredible people who make e4health what it is every single day. 🏆
Our culture is built on collaboration, trust, innovation, and a shared commitment to supporting one another while making a meaningful impact for our clients and the communities they serve. This recognition comes directly from our team, making it one of the achievements we're most proud of.
To every member of the e4health family: thank you for helping create a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to do their best work. This recognition belongs to all of you.
Here's to five years of Great Place To Work® Certification... and to an even brighter future ahead!
🔎 Click here to read the press release for more information!
Our Core Values
e4health, 3202 McKnight East Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15237, United States, 8884434782