OasisLMS

Scott Heichel

Director of Reimbursement and Education, Pathway Health

As the Director of Reimbursement and Education for Pathway Health, Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, DNS-CT, brings almost 30 years of healthcare experience and is recognized for his expertise in the RAI process and clinical reimbursement. Scott’s consulting work includes performing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement reviews and educational programs for skilled nursing facilities and multi-facility operators. Scott has experience in and has testified as an expert witness in a large Medicare dispute case. Scott is a member of the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN’s) Expert Advisory Panel, is recognized as a master teacher through AAPACN for their RAC-CT certification courses, and sits on the board of directors for AAPACN.

Jessie McGill

Curriculum Development Specialist, AAPACN

Jessie McGill, BSN, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, is a senior curriculum development specialist for AAPACN. Previously Jessie worked as the director of clinical reimbursement for a large long-term care organization overseeing 17 clinical reimbursement consultants across 21 states including nearly 300 living centers. She has more than 17 years of long-term care experience including restorative nurse, MDS coordinator, regional clinical reimbursement specialists, clinical reimbursement trainer, and director of clinical reimbursement. Jessie is passionate about developing the skills of nurse assessment coordinators, restorative nursing, and improving residents’ quality of life and care.

Lauren Stenson

Curriculum Development Specialist, AAPACN

Lauren Stenson, MSN, RN, CNDLTC, QCP-MT, DNS-MT, is a curriculum development specialist with AAPACN. Prior to joining the organization, she was a nursing administrator for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under the Department of Military and Veteran’s Affairs branch. Lauren has worked in the post-acute industry for almost 10 years in various roles including director of nursing in a LTC facility, clinical director in a sub-acute post-surgical center, and nurse educator in multiple settings. Her mission is to assist nursing leadership in advancing the field of nursing through evidence-based practice, patient-centered care, and innovative leadership with the goal of bridging the gap between research and clinical practice.

Robin Hillier

President, RLH Consulting

Robin Hillier, LNHA, RAC-CTA, RAC-MT, is the president and owner of RLH Consulting, which has provided reimbursement, operational, and accounting consulting to long-term care providers since 1998. She is also co-owner of Lake Pointe Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Conneaut, Ohio, and Quality Life Services, a home healthcare agency in southwestern Ohio. She is a certified public accountant, a state-tested nurse aide, a licensed nursing home administrator, and Resident Assessment Coordinator-Certified and a Master Trainer through AAPACN. She is a member of the AAPACN Expert Advisory Panel.

Robin has almost 30 years’ experience in cost reporting, rate setting review and analysis, and reimbursement consulting and representation for skilled nursing facilities and ID/DD providers. Prior to starting her ownbusinesses, Robin worked for several multi-facility long-term care provider sand regional accounting and consulting firms. She held a variety of positions in accounting, reimbursement, finance, and operations.

Robin received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (BSBA) with a major in Accounting from Bowling Green State University in 1986 and has worked exclusively in long-term care throughout her career. She is a member of the Ohio Health Care Association, the American Health Care Association, the American Health Lawyer’s Association, the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators, the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts, and the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Michelle Synakowski

President/CEO, ProSynk Healthcare Compliance Services, LLC

Michelle Synakowski, RN, LNHA, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, has extensive operational and clinical management experience in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, and home healthcare. Michelle has a demonstrated record of accomplishment for leveraging her unique strengths as an administrator, Certified Nurse Executive, and clinical reimbursement expert to help providers problem-solve solutions within the complicated regulatory and reimbursement systems. She is proficient in designing facility-specific quality management systems to improve care outcomes and ensure quality healthcare delivery. Michelle works closely with management and staff to succeed at clinical challenges and implement sustainable solutions. Michelle leads teams to complete mock surveys, survey turnaround, nurse executive mentoring, and clinical system design. She is also a certified AAPACN Master Teacher and is well known for her abilities in long-term care reimbursement and resource utilization analysis.