An Interview with David Womack, Lynn Vi and Hazel Williams
David: Welcome everyone, thank you for joining me. Today is a little bit different for Jan and I. First of all Jan, I believe this is now the PMI shorts number three and today is a little bit different because I'm typically talking and asking Jan questions today Jan and I are asking the questions. We are joined by Rachel Bomar. Rachel is with Tidal Health, a Health Care system in Salisbury, Maryland and Tidal Health has just recently made the decision to bring CMOM on board in house however we want to phrase that for some of their personnel and we wanted to visit about that today, so having said that Jan welcome Rachel thanks for being here!
Jan: Thanks David, good to be here with you today, and welcome Rachel.
Rachel: Well thank you both for having me!
David: Absolutely. Rachel, I wanted to start off by having you just give a kind of a brief overview of Tidal Health and then also your role within the company.
David: Having said all that, let's jump into getting to know Lynn and Hazel and talk about their CMOM journey. Hazel, one of the first questions I had for you both is: what motivated you to pursue the CMOM credential in the first place?
Hazel: So, what motivated me? It was really to be a resource for my practices. We’ve been receiving the PMI flyers year after year, and initially, if I’m honest, I was really interested in your coding courses. But often when we go into practices, especially on the managed care side, part of the ACL is covered. But sometimes questions arise about the staff. I felt the CMOM course would better equip me to answer those questions, especially when they’re having challenges with staff, credentialing, or managed care contracting.
David: Overall operations, right?
Lynn: Yes, and of course, having a better understanding of how everything works in the office—the ins and outs. I used to be a manager in my previous role and I never got the certification and I never got encouraged to get the certification until I got here.
David: Right, and I should have mentioned this earlier. In your old role, you worked with a lot of independent providers in the Houston area, right? You were a liaison between the practice and the system, helping that practice function and thrive.
Lynn: Absolutely. We try to learn everything we can to assist them. We have departments within Memorial Hermann that help with issues outside our primary function, like credentialing or claims being rejected.
David: Right.
Hazel: We facilitate many things, and if we don’t have the answers, we direct those to other teams within the system. We know a little about everything to have informed conversations, but we rely on specialized teams for resolutions.
David: You two know just enough to be dangerous!
Lynn: Just enough!
David: How did going through the CMOM curriculum change your perception, if at all, about the overall workings of a medical practice?
Lynn: Oh, it made a huge difference. We manage a lot of the staff functions, but the budget aspect was eye-opening. I worked in a hospital where JCAHO was big for me, but the financial piece was tough since it wasn’t something I handled regularly.
David: Got it. I hear that a lot—the financial management part of the class is often eye-opening. Hazel, were you going to add something?
Hazel: Same for me. I love math, but creating and managing a budget was still challenging. It made me realize how much managers are responsible for—the staff, providers, and the overall workings of the practice.
Lynn: It’s a lot more than I realized.
David: Absolutely.
Hazel: In my previous practice, we had different departments handling billing, coding, and scheduling, which gave us more time to focus on patient care. It was more like an employee group rather than a smaller independent practice.
David: Right, right.
Lynn: That’s what I was used to. We had departments that helped facilitate everything, so we had more time to care for patients.
David: I hear from many that CMOM is incredibly comprehensive. It gives a perspective on everything and opens your eyes to things you might not have been aware of before.
Lynn: Absolutely.
David: What were some of the main takeaways from the class that stick with you today, besides the financial component?
Lynn: Since we’re in a hospital system, JCAHO is a big thing. The course went more in-depth than I expected. Managed care was also a focus. Learning about contracts and how certain phrases affect providers was really valuable for answering questions about fee schedules.
David: Right. Hazel?
Hazel: The course and the book did a great job of breaking things down. There was a lot of vocabulary we’ve taken for granted over the years, and it was a good refresher. The book touched on so many areas, and I could see where I had some background knowledge and where I needed a refresher.
David: Yes.
Hazel: It was eye-opening. I want to use what I’ve learned to be a resource for my practice and encourage managers to get the certification or help them with questions if they come up.
David: That’s great. One takeaway from doing these interviews I hear often is that the CMOM manual lives on people’s desks, within arm’s reach. One of our trainers who teaches CMOM today took the class 15 years ago and still uses the manual!
Hazel: Oh yeah. I told Lynn, “I’m keeping the book because it’s a great reference tool.” While studying for the test, I knew everything wouldn’t stick, but I can always go back to the book when I need it.
David: Absolutely. In closing, what advice would you give to someone considering the CMOM journey?
Lynn: If you’re thinking about it, just do it. We thought about it for a while before we finally took the step. It’s worth it. We’re all busy, but we found time to make it work. There’s so much information that can help you be a better manager.
David: That’s awesome. Hazel?
Hazel: Definitely. I’d suggest partnering with someone who has gone through the journey to gain some insight. Step out on faith and take the course. There are so many resources available to help you succeed—whether you prefer listening to audio, live sessions, or studying on your own with the book and practice tests. The course caters to different learning styles, so there’s no way to fail.
David: Great advice.
Hazel: Lynn and I actually took all five practice tests before we started studying, just to see where we stood and what areas we needed to focus on.
David: That’s a smart approach.
Lynn: We quickly realized the finance section was where we missed a lot of questions. But the instructor explained things so well, especially in the videos, that it made it easier to remember. I listened to the financial section videos twice to prepare for the exam.
David: You also participated in the live sessions, right?
Hazel: Yes, we did multiple times. It was interactive, and you could put your answers in the chat, which made it a little competitive. That was fun and added to the learning.
David: Sounds like you used all the resources—the book, videos, live sessions, everything.
Hazel: Absolutely. We even created our own tips for the final exam. We were really successful in passing.
David: That’s fantastic. I know how busy you both are, so I appreciate you taking the time to do this interview. I think people will find it extremely helpful. Thank you!
Lynn: Thank you. It was a great journey.
David: Absolutely. Have a great day!
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