Healthcare Operations Training – Plano, TX – November 12-13, 2013

Mark your calendar, this healthcare training will revolutionize your operations management processes and improve your collections and accountability. We have limited seating available for this intense training on managing the healthcare office environment more efficiently during the trying times of reimbursement cuts, commercial contracts being closed to new providers, audits and investigations from every corner. We know these two days will be intense, but you will leave with viable information and forms to put in place on Thursday upon your return. All speakers have many years experience in the DME and Physician market from operations to audits and investigations.  Lunch is included both days.

Topics to be covered:  Start-ups, ICD-10 preparedness, Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), audits and how to prepare, retail selling, contracting, monitoring billing/revenue reports weekly, monthly, yearly, getting the most out of your EMR or billing software system, employee accountability, and more.

November 12 – Is designed to be applicable to any healthcare provider, physicians, dentist, DME, or Home Health. All providers can benefit from the training to have a more efficient office.

November 13 – Is designed specifically to address billing and collection problems in the DME industry.  We have a program on commercial insurance contracting, system reports, new start up DME process and more.  The building does have wi-fi, bring your computers for interactive sessions.

Read the full program here at this  Healthcare Operations Training Dallas TX Nov 12 13 2013

We are still working out a discount with the hotel and transportation company, so please register below as soon as possible and return the attached Healthcare Training Dallas TX Registration Nov 12 13 2013 packet completed by 10/30/13. In order to get the best discount possible, we need head count. We have worked out some discounts for coding books and such for those that register, with additional information coming in.

Register below for Training Nov 12- 13 2013 to pay by credit card all other payments may be made by mailing the Registration Packet to our office. If your are only registering 1 attendee, please register at the link below. If you have more than 1, please contact us so discount is calculated appropriately.

Health care Training November 2013

Sponsors include:

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Webinar on What is a Compliance Program 101!

Medical Auditing Solutions is providing a webinar in conjunction with The Cornerstone Insurance Group (Cornerstone) to discuss the Basic Compliance Program Requirements.  We will learn what a compliance program is, what laws require it, the elements of a compliance program, and how the program can be beneficial to the healthcare provide.

Any and all healthcare providers (medical and dental practices as well as ancillary providers such as DME, Home Health, Hospice, etc.) taking Medicare and Medicaid should attend.

No CEU credit is formally given, but you will be welcome to send the handout received post attendance to your accrediting agency and ask for credit.  Some will provide and the worse they can do is say no.

The Cornerstone Insurance Group (Cornerstone) in no way endorses the accuracy of the information being provided.  In registering for this program, you will release and hold Cornerstone harmless of any and all actions you take as a result of this call.  This call is basic information and is simply an avenue for you to educate yourself on compliance program requirements.  This call in no way provides legal advice or provider specific advice without adequate documentation to review.  This is informational purposes only.

Cornerstone providers Total HR management & products including benefits management, Total Insurance products, Wellness Management Services.  Read more about the services Cornerstone offers you may find services that could benefit your organization.  They are primarily in Missouri and surrounding states but do cover additional states.

Program Title:  Compliance Program Basics and Elements

Date:                     July 24, 2012

Time:                    11:30 am-12:30 am CST

Cost:                      Complimentary

Register:              https://cc.readytalk.com/r/yhypbz3hj2p

About more about the speaker and Medical Auditing Solutions LLC:

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller is Certified in Healthcare Compliance.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

Texas Dental Providers – Take Aways from HHSC Committee Meeting 3/20/12

I listened to the live Texas Senate Committee meeting regarding the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Charge 4 (dental & orthodontics) yesterday 3/20/12.  Unfortunately, this Senate Committee is concerned about the amount of money paid for orthodontic services and convinced Orthodontic services were provided at an abusive level and they want this money back.  I am providing what I took away from this meeting and we will discuss how to protect yourself.

1. Senator Jane Nelson is willing to push thru legislation to allow parents in the treatment room.  I didn’t understand this…I suspect she has received a complaint from a parent where the Dental Provider refused to allow the parent in the treatment room.  My opinion is, this is one thing if the room has a door or if the patient is sedated because you do not want to add liability to your business.  Having a second company staff member in the room present will reduce risk as well.  As for HIPAA, what are your privacy and security policies for this situation?  If you do not have policies, they have been required since 2003 and 2009 respectively so very important to get this done.
2. They want to go after dentist for the unlimited orthodontic visits.  Policy said “unlimited”!  Keep in mind if the Dental Provider was racking up unnecessary visits, it doesn’t matter if it is unlimited visits in policy, the visits were unnecessary therefore a potential fraud and abuse overpayment.  If these were legitimate visits and necessary, you should not pay that money back.  So policy for this is being reduced to 12 visits, they say.
3. They pay for transportation to the dentist if the patient cannot afford it.  At present the patients are paid upfront or MCD pays the transportation company.  In the future, they will have to provide proof of visit and proof they used the transportation to be reimbursed.
4. They are looking at bundling orthodontic rates versus per visit rate.
5. More talk of suspending provider numbers based on allegations of credible fraud.  This is huge and critically important to include exit interviews with staff that is leaving the company.  You also need to have a compliance program with reporting mechanism in place.  If you collect $5M or more in Medicaid funds you were required to have a healthcare compliance program in 2007.  All other Medicaid providers are required to have a compliance program by 2013.
6. Inspector General has 31 current investigations of Orthodontic practices at this time.
7. Senator Jane Nelson and the committee want the business to have to be licensed and registered with the dental board similar to a pharmacy with the pharmacy board.  I suspect changes will follow for a proposal of such.  This will bring additional revenue into the Dental Board but it will permit investigations into complaints of ABC Dental versus the need for a dental providers name which is the current requirement.
8. Expect audits to pick up on Orthodontic services.  They noticed as of 10/1/11 when the requirement to send molds went into place, request dropped and PARs were denied.  If you provided orthodontics to children under 13 or now 12, those are especially at risk for audit.
9. They put a lot of emphasis on HLD Scores.  Where do you record these and how you measure to get the score?
10. The TMHP Medicaid contractor responsible for reviewing this information basically rubber stamped requests.  They did not review for “medical necessity;”  it was primarily to make sure the form was completed and the HLD Score was >=26.  The Dental Director was terminated and they have hired a replacement.  They HHS/IG will be auditing the approved PARs (Prior Auth Requests) and recouping money.  The debate is if they will recoup from TMHP or from the provider.  Again, if the services were fraudulent and dishonest it, I fully expect they will go after the provider.  There is always a possibility if TMHP didn’t review and it did not meet the coverage criteria, they will try to recoup from the provider as well.  They expect these audits to be complete in 6-12 months and they have already started.
11. By using Dental Managed Care Payers, these organizations have experience in other states and they have ideas on how to reduce Fraud & Abuse (F&A).  They think by using someone with experience to review and process these claims will reduce F&A.
12. On the federal level, in 2010 Office of Audit Services contacted Texas inquiring about Orthodontic billing and providers.  So the federal government has taken notice of Texas and since they provide funding to the medicaid program, Texas has to respond to the concerns.
13. No recruiting clients in parking lots….…this seems to be an issue.
14. The HHSC office admitted the policies were such that it didn’t catch issues and the department processing was not staffed properly.
15. I would expect a tremendous increase in audits and policy changes.
16. Texas spent as much as 49 other states total from 9/1/08-5/28/11 on Orthodontic services.  An additional 500,000 kids were seen for checkups after the rates increased in 2008 by 50-100% than in previous years.
17. The committee suggested HHSC do a Cost Benefit Analysis on providing orthodontic care to children and if that prevented excessive spending later if it were not done.

Now, what should you do?  I strongly recommend the following and sometimes it is good to get an outside consultant to review because of objectivity and the familiarity with issues being identified.

1. Make sure you have HIPAA policies in place that are applicable to your business.
2. Assess whether you need a healthcare compliance program now (because you were required in 2007) or if not make a plan to get this done.
3. Items 1 and 2, a vital if you are investigated now even if not required.  Corporate culture is first questions the government asks.
4. A sample audit of claims.  This is critical because you need to assess your risk as a company.  Assess the documentation versus coverage criteria.
5. If audited, NEVER just cut a check for the overpayment requested!  Why, you ask?  The payer sees this as admission of guilt and if they haven’t extrapolated already they are more likely to do so.  This is not a good surprise to get in the mail6-12-14 months later!!  I have seen this happen.  Get a consultant and attorney and prepare a defense.  It will be less expensive to do when you get the audit than after the appeal process has started.

We work with several dental practices and the goal is to educate providers so they reduce risk and pass audits.  We also work with Looper, Reed, and McGraw LP, a law firm with attorneys that specializes in dental practices.  We work as a team with our practice and emphasize “proactive”operations.  We will be happy to schedule

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

Training for Compliance & HIPAA Privacy and Security

Medical Auditing Solutions LLC launched the Compliance University in September 2011 and is please to announce that for 6 of the programs we have received Continuing Education Credits by Texas Occupational Therapist Association (TOTA) (15 hours) , Texas Board of Professional Counselors (6 hours minimum) , and BOC USA (9.5 hours).

What are you waiting for?  You have to train staff annually on compliance program requirements, fraud and abuse, billing,privacy and security. You have to be able to prove this training was given.  Does your staff have time to develop, track and update?  Did you know the OIG is auditing for these policies, training, sanction checks, and more in 2013 for providers that $5M in annual collections from Medicaid programs?  Did you know that OCR is auditing all types and sizes of healthcare providers from HIPAA privacy and security in 2012 and years to come?  Did you know the state inspector generals and health and human services will be auditing for these policies as well?  We can help you will all aspects of your compliance and HIPAA programs.

These requirements apply to all healthcare providers, DME, home health, physicians, and dental providers.  The size of your business does not matter for HIPAA.  As of  February 2013 for Compliance applies to all as well.

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

OIG Work Plan 2012

I participated in a call on Thursday January 19, 2012, on the OIG Work Plan for 2012.  Please reference the link for the full OIG Work Plan spelled out by provider type.  Many items on the Work Plan never change but there were a few points I felt important to draw your attention to for risk management purposes.  Here are a few notes I made because I think the audit risk is high since the result can be subjective:

1.  Outpatient Observation Billing

2.  Critical Access Hospitals:

A.  Distance to nearest, non-critical access hospital

B.  Herceptin and other Chemo Drug quantity

3.  Hospice because 82% of patients do not meet criteria to be admitted to hospice.

4.  Incident to Services by non-qualified personnel.  Even Blue Cross and Blue Shield is recouping and extrapolating on commercial claims for mid-level practitioner billing.  Make sure modifier is used when appropriate and the mid-level meets the licensing requirements to provide the services billed.

5.  Off Label Prescriptions.  Physicians ordering a drug that is approved for Diagnosis A but the drug is used for diagnosis B.

6.  Home Health-but not specific because they are going to review 2010 billing before they decide.

7.  Dialysis and ESRD Drug costs.  What is the drug cost to the provider versus the reimbursement.

8.  Contracts providers have with other providers/facilities.  Make sure you have a health care attorney to review the contract before executing because the health care attorneys are familiar with the Stark and Anti-Kickback provisions which typically the corporate business attorney does not have to consider.

9.  Checking employees, vendors, and providers against Sanction Databases MONTHLY.  You may find the federal links on my website.  The states have their own links.

10.  NY Medicaid reduced the annual revenues to $500K in Medicaid/Medicaid HMO/Managed Care Organizations (MCO) funds for compliance program requirement.

11.  Compliance Program Requirement under Federal Deficit Reduction Act that required all healthcare providers to have a compliance program in place by 2007 if their annual collected revenue of State reimbursement was $5M or more.  This would include Medicaid and respective Medicaid HMO or MCO.

12.  As of 2013 a healthcare compliance program is required for all providers billing Federal or State plans no matter what the annual billing revenue may be.  This would include dental practices because they bill Medicaid!

13.  Overpayments must be disclosed and refunded within 60 days of identification that it is an overpayment.  Failure to refund this money can result in “False Claims” charges and penalties.  Ensure you have someone that is accountable for working your credit balance reports monthly.  Keep documentation of these reviews and refunds issued as a result in a manner that can easily be explained and found.

The OIG Work Plan can be used to determine risk analysis, structure audit plans, and determine growth opportunities.

Do you have a Healthcare Compliance Program?

Do you review the OIG Work Plan Annually?

What else do you review to determine your audit plan?

We can help you analyze the status of your healthcare compliance program and ensure you have focused on the correct risks for your business model.  We are the compliance expert with a vast history and a cost effective way to ensure your compliance program is operating and managing your risk.

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

PRESS RELEASE: Compliance University Rollout

September 9, 2011

Medical Auditing Solutions LLC is excited to announce the release of our new service called “Compliance University.”  The Compliance University focuses on the healthcare regulatory compliance annual training requirements for all employees.  HIPAA requires annual privacy and security training for all employees (2003 & 2010) respectively.  Compliance (billing, contracts, and relationships) is required as part of the Healthcare Reform Act and the Patient Protection Accountability and Affordable Care Act due 2013.  This training is only one aspect of an effect Compliance program.  Privacy and Security is primarily monitored, audited and investigated by HHS and Office of Civil Rights.  Compliance is primarily monitored, audited, and investigated by CMS, OIG, HHS, FBI.  The monitoring, auditing, and investigation may start in other federal and state government areas.

All programs are general in nature and meant for any type of health care providers.  They are between 40 minutes and 1 hour.  Each program is followed by a test of comprehension, an evaluation that is required to receive the completion certificate.  The Compliance University will provide the company with status, completion, grade reports.  We have additional programs to be released within the next few weeks as well to complete the set.  The programs contain examples and explanation for various health care industries so the knowledge obtained can be applied in any setting.

We look forward to helping you with your compliance program training as well as other areas of development and tracking that you may need to complete.  Check out our website at www.MedicalAuditingSolutions.com and Compliance University.  Mention this press release “PRESS” and receive 10% discount.

FBI-Federal Bureau of Investigation

HHS-Health and Human Services

OCR-Office of Civil Rights

OIG-Office of Inspector General

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

Compliance Program Development Required by 2013

Have you started developing your compliance program yet?  Do you have a compliance program that is incomplete or not as active as it should be?

The Health Care Reform Act and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act require a compliance program be implemented by 2013 for all health care providers and dental providers that bill Medicare and Medicaid or any federal and state funded programs. The OIG (Office of Inspector General) has had suggested compliance program guidance for several years for hospital, physicians, DME and home health. I would recommend health care providers start planning by using these OIG guidelines because it will take at least 9 months to have a program implemented completely. A compliance program will also help your business run more efficiently if the program is managed correctly.

Compliance programs focuses business operations & management, contracts, relationships, billing, and the laws associated with each. Two key components to ensure success for the program is executive support and employee participation.   A compliance program  is more than policies.

The elements of a compliance program include:

1. Compliance Officer, which may hold several positions in smaller agencies.

2. Compliance Committee, best to have managers or supervisors from various departments to be a solid advisory committee.

3. Standard of Conduct covers various topics from Stark Law, Antikickback statute, Company funds, Investigations & legal matters, billing expectations, complaint reporting, and much more.

4. Policies and Procedures expand some sections of the standards of conduct such as the billing section.

5. Training of at least 5 hours per year, in addition to the training for privacy and security annually.

6. Auditing and Monitoring help ensure the risk areas for the company and identified by the OIG stay within the regulations and coverage criteria, prevents fraud and abuse or at least early detection, and training to prevent the repeat of erroneous actions.

7. Hotline for reporting,even if it is a local phone number for small companies with 1 to 2 locations. Complaint reporting should not be limited to a hotline.  Complaints should be allowed by email, mail, and fax as well. You need a hotline poster, but it does not have to be elaborate or expensive.

If you can you help with your compliance program, we have extensive experience in health care compliance program development and management.

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

Speaking Engagements 2011

March 1, 2011
California Association of Medical Providers & Suppliers

Angela Miller speaking for Zirmed Financial Workout Webinar Series

April 20, 2011

VGM’s Heartland Conference

June 8 – 9, 2011

Texas Osteopathic Medical Association

June 17, 2011  10am-noon

Medtrade Fall 2011

October 26 & 27

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KY Medical Equipment Suppliers Associate (KYMESA)

November 9, 2011 – Compliance Program Implementation

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Paychexs – Irving Texas office contact Christina Rossini to register.

December 6, 2011 – Compliance Program Requirements

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Medtrade Spring 2012

April 10-12, 2012

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American Association of Osteopathic Executives

May 20-22, 2012

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Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

Compliance Programs Required 3/25/2013

Well, we thought with Health Care Reform Act of 2010 that providers had 3 years from the signature date to have a plan implemented. With the final provisions of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act, you have until 3/25/2013…less than 2 months to have a compliance plan in place.   They make reference to the 7 element compliance program currently recommended as a basis for the program structure. The final rule has language that reads as though they will withhold payment to providers that do not have compliance program in place.  Don’t worry, we can help you with a simple compliance program that is affordable.

A few other items that impact business decisions. This takes effect 3/25/2011 for all new providers and March 2012 for all existing providers.

1.  Moratorium on Medicare, Medicaid & CHIP provider numbers based on products and number of suppliers in the area.  This may not be as easy anymore.

2.  Application fees of $500 each for all providers excluding physicians and nurse practitioners and their group practices. If a provider applied for Medicare and Medicaid then only one fee will be required, but proof of Medicare application may be required.

3.  New screening and Fingerprinting requirements. Note Florida has had fingerprinting in place for over 8 years. You have to have a criminal record and there are many fraudulent providers that currently do not have a record. This applies to owners of 5% or more of the company, directors and officers.

4.  Unscheduled & unannounced visits to check up on suppliers.

5.  Re-enrollment for Medicare every 3 years and Medicaid annually and fees will apply plus inflation rate for CPI.

6.  New state licensing requirements to come from this also.

If you do not have a compliance program or haven’t taken your seriously, it is a requirement that could result in suspended payments.

With proven experience in the health care compliance, We can help you with a compliance program policies and procedures as well as teach you to manage your program or help you manage the program to ensure you pass the government inspection to ensure effect within 3 years of implementation. They can request random audits for privacy and security to ensure you are meeting requirements and now they have added billing compliance.

We can also help you with provider applications to ensure they are done right the first time.

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

Happy Holidays!

Warm Holiday Wishes to You

Happy Holidays!  May you be blessed with the riches of life.  As we wind down the year, the holidays are a time to spend with friends and family sharing joy, laughter, and love.  The holidays are also a time of reflection and gratitude.  I want to thank each of you for making this a successful happy year, it has been a true gift in my life.  So many of you are friends, business advisers, business partners, clients, and maybe all of these, but you are truly appreciated.  Some of you make me reflect more often than I might like but I’ll keep you anyway..LOL.  I wish each of you a happy and safe holiday that is a road to a successful new year for you, your family and business.   I look forward to you being a part of my life in 2011 too.

Remember to pray for our soldiers and their families during the holidays, and if you see them during travels thank them.