AQ Consulting, LLC
Who We Are
Principal Consultant:
Paula Digby, CDIP, CCS, CPC, AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS and CDI Trainer, AAPC Approved Instructor
Founder, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Content Officer of AQ Consulting, LLC and AQ-IQ.com
Mrs. Digby has greater than 30 years experience in healthcare, which includes; medical office and health information management; billing & coding supervision and process design and implementation for healthcare providers, such as inpatient and outpatient hospital departments, inpatient rehab facilities, physician’s practices and ambulatory surgery centers.
Her expertise includes performance of compliance, revenue integrity, and medical records documentation improvement reviews; education and training regarding various compliance, revenue cycle, billing and coding topics; and, litigation investigative support services.
In 2012 Mrs. Digby founded AQ Consulting, LLC and AQ-IQ.com as outgrowth from her former companies AlphaQuest, LLC and eduTrax, LLC. She functions as the principal consultant, lead faculty, instructor, and author developing course materials approved by the AAPC and AHIMA.
Mrs. Digby also brings top talent from across the nation into AQ Consulting and AQ-IQ.com to improve and strengthen the business of healthcare.
Clinical Consultant:
Ilana Salisbury, PT, CCI
Ms. Salisbury has greater than 30 years’ experience in healthcare, which includes: management and administration of multiple acute rehabilitation facilities and planning and implementing new processes, policies and procedures. Prior to and after opening a new acute inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF); management of therapy staff for a multi-location Home Health Services Provider; and, physical therapist in multiple settings including comprehensive outpatient and acute inpatient rehabilitation, acute hospital, home health and orthopedics. Ms. Salisbury was instrumental in developing and supporting a school-based program to provide PT, OT and SLP services to multiple school districts in the Inland Counties of Southern California.
In the IRF setting, Ms. Salisbury functioned as the Program Director, PPS Coordinator, Case Manager and Clinical Liaison. Her expertise includes acute rehab CMS regulatory compliance and Medicare appeals; nursing and therapy staffing efficiency and care delivery; clinical documentation improvement; patient safety and falls management; market development; IRF-PAI coding; FIM proficiency and educator, and IMPACT Act QRP; eRehabData® and UDSMR® software proficiency and knowledge of DNV and Joint Commission standards. Ms. Salisbury has functioned as a clinical instructor, chair of Fall Prevention Committee, member of hospital Compliance and Quality Improvement Committees and PPS Coordinator educator. Her experience also includes management and delivery of rehab services, performance management, medical chart audits, clinical documentation improvement and Medicare appeals for Home Health Services.
Consultant:
Heather Bryans, CPC, CCS, AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer
Ms Bryans holds an Associates of Arts degree in Psychology and began her coding career in 2011 after attending Kennesaw State University for a Coding and Billing Certificate. She is certified through American Health Information Management Association and American Academy of Professional Coders.
Ms Bryans has greater than 8 years experience in healthcare consulting which includes billing & coding compliance reviews, revenue integrity audits, documentation improvement reviews and extensive research of coding and documentation subject matter. She has worked with multiple provider types including physician practices, acute hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Ms. Bryans research has proved beneficial to multiple healthcare organizations and legal counsel as well as device manufacturers.
Ms Bryans expertise includes a working knowledge of coding and regulatory guidelines.
Ms Bryans has also performed extensive research, created coursework and regularly presents web based training on medical coding, billing and compliance subject matter for AQ Consulting and AQ-IQ.com.
Client Services Director:
Pam Proctor
Ms Proctor joined AQ Consulting from the start to work with clients and staff administratively. She brings her background in business management and her knack for organizing to AQ Consulting.
Director of Internet Marketing and Social Media & Events Coordinator:
Kristine Speight
Ms Speight has been coordinating events for large organizations for some time and has joined AQ Consulting to manage public events. She also works diligently on Facebook and Linked In as the primary coordinator of all social aspects of the company.