Speaker: William V. Walker, MD, FACP
William V. Walker, MD, FACP, is a board certified internist practicing in the intensive care
unit setting. As a hospital employed physician, he was often asked to assist with appropriate
translation of clinical concepts to reporting code sets. Recognizing clinical and administrative
functions intersect in the coding department, he understood physicians are not adequately involved
in this final step of patient care. Accurate, complete and compliant databases are necessary for
meaningful clinical and administrative evaluation.
Focusing on medical records as the crucial link, he came to understand the scope and complexity
of translation errors and shortcomings. His desire to clarify communications and establish equity in
this vital area led him to found Midwest Healthcare Coding (MWHC) with the premise fluent
translation requires physician involvement.
Dr. Walker is a graduate of Washington University at St. Louis. During his residency at the
University of Missouri – Columbia, Dr. Walker was named 'Resident of the Year' each year, but his
most treasured awards are for 'Excellence in Education' received from the Medical Student Affairs
Council and 'Best Bedside Manner' from the ICU staff where he currently practices. Memberships
include AHIMA, American College of Physicians, Society of Critical Care Physicians and Alpha
Omega Alpha. He has made numerous national / regional and local presentations to physicians,
coders and administrators. Dr. Walker has presented his communication concepts to the medical
students at his alma mater. He also holds CCS and CHC credentials.
Moderator: April Robertson
April Robertson, MPA, RHIA, CHPS, FAHIMA is the Compliance Officer for HealthPort;
a leading national healthcare technology company, with corporate offices in Alpharetta,
Georgia. Before joining HealthPort, April was the Corporate Compliance Officer for
ChartOne, and has been HIM director for a number of California healthcare organizations,
including the Golden Gate Service Area of Kaiser Permanente, and Vice President of
Ambulatory Services for the QuadraMed Corporation.
April holds RHIA, RHIT and CHPS credentials, and is a Fellow of AHIMA, in addition to
a Master's degree in Public Administration and Health Services Administration. Ms. Robertson
speaks nationally on the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, Best Practices for Regulatory
Compliance, AHIMA's E-HIM® Vision and the Legal Electronic Health Record, and other topics
as required. April is the recipient of AHIMA's Legacy Award, CHIA’s Distinguished Member
Award and Literary Award, and the Outstanding Service Award from the state of Maine’s HIMA.
Ms. Robertson is past president and director of the California Health Information Association,
and has just completed a 3-year term as an AHIMA Director. In her spare time, Ms. Robertson
is an adjunct professor for DeVry University Online - teaching Healthcare Law and Accrediting
Agencies.