A Nephrology Fellow’s Guide to Billing/Coding

Nephrology fellows - you don’t want to miss the Siegfried & Roy of Billing & Coding @ParinMakadia @drirfanagha at Nephrology Business Leadership 2018 https://t.co/2GtrF6hBCM @NBLUniv @Nephro_Sparks @DiMiRenalMD @DallasRenal pic.twitter.com/XaD2gmuJ1U

— Samir Nangia MD CPE (@SamirNangia) January 19, 2018

I'm a second year Nephrology fellow and have been very fortunate to receive dedicated education on the business of medicine. During my time at Baylor, I was the inaugural fellow of the business track; a track designed by our program director Dr. Raghavan for fellows interested in learning key concepts of business of nephrology.

A part of the business track curriculum, it requires fellows to attend a national conference on the topic of business. I chose to attend to Nephrology Business Leadership University (NBLU) in August of 2017. This conference is a crash course into understanding key concepts on how to be a successful nephrologist in private practice.

Personally, one of the most interesting courses at NBLU was on Billing/Coding taught by Dr. Parin Makadia and Dr. Irfan Agha. This course was effective and unique as it was taught from coder’s point of view. After returning from my time at NBLU, I was inspired to write a billing/coding guide as my scholarly project for the Baylor Business Track. Using this link below - you will be able to view each section of a physician note and the necessary documentation needed to bill at an appropriate level.

Click here for the document

I hope this guide help all graduating fellows/residents going into practice, good luck!

Natasha N Dave
Baylor Nephrology Chief Fellow
Houston, TX

Fellow's perspective: 5 reasons why you should attend NBLU

What is this? NBLU: Nephrology Business Leadership University
Who should apply: US Nephrology Fellows who will be second year in August of 2018
When: August 6th to August 10, 2018
Where: Plano, Texas.
How much will this cost: It is free

link to register--> here

1.  Learn about private practice nephrology- This conference happens when many fellows are beginning to think about or are applying to post-fellowship nephrologist positions. It's great to have an overview of what it's like in private practice, and many of us learned a lot of "things we didn't know that we didn't know". Panel discussions were great for learning from what experienced nephrologists considered to be their past mistakes in regard to joining the right practice.
2. Learning what it takes to start a nephrology practice, and how to evaluate a practice when you're considering joining- Even though most fellows won't start their own practice, it's eye-opening to see what the process is like, and can really change the outlook and conversations you have when you are interviewing and considering joining a group. 
3. Inspiration and tips for making connections and developing as a leader- Prior to attending NBLU, I was weary of my own use of social media. However, as soon as I engaged in the process, I made connections that changed the course of my career. Nephrology Social Media Collective, GlomCon, NephJC, and NephMadness have all made a huge impact on me, and in time I hope to make a meaningful contribution to give back to these excellent communities.
4. Meeting senior nephrology fellows from all over the country (and realizing we have been through a lot of the same successes and struggles)- Getting to spend a week with nephrology fellows from different parts of the country, different sizes/types of fellowship, and with various future plans was one of my favorite aspects of the entire week. Many of us remain in contact, helped each other through the job hunt, and will continue to re-connect at future conferences. 
5. It was a fun week!- We had a great time! The location of the hotel is super convenient not only for attending the daytime sessions but also for food, drinks, and shopping in the evenings. Some nights there were happy hours and other nights we were free to explore. One word: karaoke! 

If anyone has questions, you or your program director can reach out to me
Diana Mina (diana.mina@ucsf.edu), any other NBLU alumni, or Cindy Miracle, program director at UCSD (cmiracle@ucsd.edu).

take a look at the other posts on RFN about NBLU

another perspective from NBLU grads Mona Shaban (UNC) and Natasha Dave (Baylor Houston)

program announcement from Cindy Miracle

Diana Mina
Clinical Nephrology Fellow
UC San Francisco

Register for Nephrology Business Leadership University (NBLU)

Nephrology Fellows - Nephrology Business Leadership University (NBLU) is in its 3rd year. This is a must for graduating fellows.

Read this review from Mona Shaban and Natasha Dave from RFN from last years.

NBLU is a unique week long program that brings together a diverse faculty of practicing Nephrologists, hospital and dialysis provider executives, and other healthcare professionals who will share their insights on leadership, the business of nephrology, and the evolving healthcare landscape. 

Most sessions are held in a workshop format and are highly interactive and individualized.

Fellows attending a NBLU rotation can expect to leave with:

1. Ability to evaluate potential employers for the ultimate fit 
2. Enhanced leadership and business understanding to bring to potential employers 
3. An understanding of the ever-changing payment / reimbursement landscape 
4. The know-how to embark as a solo practitioner or as a high impact member of a group practice  
5. Confidence approaching the interview process 
6. Knowing you have the tools to start your career in the right direction 

Topics Covered:

• Billing and Coding Workshop
• CV and Interview Workshop
• ACOs, ESCOs Basics
• How to find the right job
• Growth Strategies for your practice
• Marketing 101
• Practice Management
• How to Review Employment Contracts 
• Financial Planning
• POC Ultrasound
• Much Much More....... 

When: August 6th to August 10, 2018
Where: Plano, Texas.

Since we would like to keep the sessions very interactive space is limited.
Registration is free and can be done on the website NBLuniv.com

Travel support, hotel accommodations, and most meals are provided to all fellows that are attending. There should be little to no out of pocket expenses to the fellow or their training program.

Program Organizers -
University of California San Diego Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
Dallas Renal Group
US Renal Care

View the testimonial videos from prior years 

The NBLU team looks forward to seeing you in August!

Cindy Miracle

Nephrology Business Leadership University – A Fellow's Review.

Small Group Los Angeles Dialyspa NBLU 2017

In any academic fellowship, fellows receive excellent clinical training. However, the business aspect of practice often gets less attention. Before you know it you are scrambling to understand contracts, negotiate for a job, figure out billing/coding/reimbursement, understand market trends/growth, and figure out how to market your practice. Nephrology Business Leadership University or NBLU, aims to fill in this gap with a comprehensive 5-day course on understanding the business of Nephrology.

During our five days at NBLU, we learned the basics of insurance, 'red flags' of practices, the future of reimbursements, different practice environments (ie. academic, private, rural) and how to effectively interview/network among a variety of business related topics. Fellows were broken up into small groups and learned concepts in a variety of different teaching environments utilizing multiple interactive tools. In our small groups, we were assigned to a city and came up with a practice name as well as a mission statement. We were provided with an interactive map of our practice area and assessed growth rates to determine where we would open a clinic, which hospitals and dialysis units we planned to affiliate with. By far our favorite session was on billing/coding. This was an interactive session in which fellows were taught to 'think like a coder'; where we critiqued and assigned a level notes of other physicians.

By the end of NBLU, we were both feeling much more at ease about transitioning from fellowship to practice. I am ready to begin interviewing to find a practice that fits my needs. We highly recommend this conference to all freshly minted 2nd year Nephrology fellows interested in learning more about business and Nephrology.

However, the best part of NBLU is meeting and interacting with fellows from all over the country. We gained so much knowledge and now future friends and colleagues. How could you miss this opportunity? It is so much different than a brief meeting at Kidney Week or NKF as this is a 5 day immersion.

If you are interested in attending NBLU, pre-registration is now open for August of 2018, apply here

take some time to listen to the video testaments from this year’s attendees

Natasha Dave, Nephrology Fellow, Baylor Houston

Mona Shaban, Nephrology Fellow, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill