Newsletter
Q1 2025
In This Issue
Message from the CEO
Dear Providers,
I am pleased to share our ISG Newsletter for Q1-2025. Since our last update, we have made significant strides and I am eager to share the progress we’ve achieved—both in collaboration with each of you and behind the scenes.
Here are a few key highlights:
Recruitment and Onboarding: Our recruitment efforts have proven successful with new providers joining our team fully onboarded and making an impact. We continue to use all levers for recruiting including professional recruiters, Indeed paid advertising, LinkedIn posts and referral bonus. Effective today until April 30th, we will pay a $2,500 referral fee to any physician or APP that refers an experienced (2+ years), local physician. Payment will be made on the first paycheck after start date!
Market Growth: We are seeing expansion in our post-acute market and have made notable progress in returning to AdventHealth Tampa and other facilities. Additionally, we’ve strengthened our Medicare Advantage partnerships and are actively recruiting for facilities that will be impacted by the increase in volume and/or starting.
Billing Enhancements: Recent updates to our billing processes have been shared via email and I am excited to share the new company is making a difference in this short time. We expect to be fully transitioned over by April 30th. For more details, please refer to the "Important Updates" section of this newsletter.
Redefined Physician Incentive Plan: ISG has redefined our incentive program to better recognize the dedication and leadership you demonstrate daily. We have made significant progress since the beginning of the year transitioning physicians to the new plan. As part of it and effective April 1, all shifts will contribute to the new profit-sharing model versus paid out as PRN or shift bonuses (25+). If you are not on the plan, you will no longer be compensated for these shifts unless you have not had your initial meeting with me.
New APP Incentive Plan: Our administrative team is designing an incentive plan for our Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) aiming to create an achievable and measurable framework that rewards your valuable contributions. We look forward to sharing more soon!
I am especially excited to highlight two celebrations: National Hospitalist Day on March 6th and National Doctors’ Day on March 30th. On behalf of the entire administrative team, I extend our heartfelt gratitude for your exceptional commitment to our patients and facility partners. Your efforts are the cornerstone of ISG’s identity and success. As a small token of our appreciation, we are delighted to offer each of you a practical and enjoyable Doctors’ Day gift. Please see the "Upcoming Events" section for details on how to claim yours.
Your remarkable contributions set ISG apart and elevate our brand. Thank you for all that you do—both within our organization and in the compassionate care you provide to our patient community every day.
Ralph Selner, MHA, FACHE
CEOInpatient Specialists Group
Team Spotlight
ISG is pleased to welcome our newest providers who will be onboarding this spring and summer. We are excited to have them join us at various locations, enhancing our team's capabilities and ecosystem. Additionally, we have more providers in the pipeline to further expand our HCA footprint and growth in both Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Stay tuned for more updates.
Carissa Fronk, PA-C, MAPAS
(Hillsborough County)
Brian Erickson, MD
(Tampa General Hospital)
Yingge (Amy) Tang, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
(Hillsborough County)
William F. McGrogan, MD
(Tampa General Hospital)
Jill Erickson, APRN, MSN, NP-BC
(Tampa General Hospital)
Shawn Bookhammer, APRN, ANP-C
(Tampa General Hospital)
Let’s Celebrate!
Cheers to our ISG team members who have/are celebrating birthdays and work anniversaries in January, February and March! Here's to another year of success and growth together.
Landis Arroyo, APRN (January 8)
Ralph Selner, CEO (January 17)
Prasand Kesavan, MD (February 5)
Alise Singletary (February 9)
Wells David, APRN (February 10)
Christopher Dion, APRN (February 19)
Alexander Webb, MD (February 21)
Kiran Kathi, MD (February 22)
Ammar Alahmar, MD (March 11)
Baldeep Mann, MD (March 12)
Troy Thompson, PA-C (March 15)
Sarah Encinosa, ARNP (March 21)
Banjamin Shukert, MD (March 24)
Birthdays
Adam Morris, DO (6 years in March)
Jorge Capdevila, MD (3 years in February)
Stephany Baize, APRN (3 years in February)
Lubna Hooda, MD (2 years in February)
Nathan Colip, DO (1 year in January)
Manuel Lopez, MD (1 year in February)
Sheila Gachoka, APRN (1 year in March)
Anniversaries
Happy Doctors’ Day and Hospitalist Day
As we celebrate National Hospitalist Day on March 6 and National Doctors' Day on March 30, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to each of you for your dedication and commitment to our patients, community partners, and each other. Your hard work and leadership are truly appreciated and vital to ISG's success.
Each of you plays a crucial role in maintaining our reputation, growth, and partnerships at every facility. Thanks to your efforts, we have successfully expanded to over 26 facilities and continue to grow. A special thank you to our medical directors and leaders for your guidance and vision. You inspire us all to strive for excellence and make a difference every day.
In recognition of your efforts, we are delighted to offer each of you a useful and fun Doctor's Day gift that blasts our appreciation through the vibrant sounds of a JBL Clip 4 Speaker, perfect for on-the-go use. Our administrative team will make every effort to drop off your gifts at your respective hospitals. In the event that we miss you, the gifts will be available at our administrative office for you to pick up at your convenience. For additional details on how to receive your gift, kindly refer to the upcoming events section.
Thank you for being the backbone of ISG. Your contributions are valued and recognized.
Upcoming Company Events & Meetings
Town Halls
The next Town Hall meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23, at 4 PM via Teams. Invitations to join will be sent via Teams Outlook to your email. We encourage all team members to attend and participate. Your input is invaluable, and we look forward to connecting with everyone!
In Celebration of National Doctors' Day
In honor of National Doctors' Day on March 30th, we're amping up the celebrations and turning up the volume! The administrative team will be making the rounds at your facilities on Friday, March 28th, Sunday, March 30th, and again on April 1st to drop off your special gift—a fantastic speaker to help you rock your day! 🎹 🥁 🪇 🎷 🎺 🎸
If we happen to miss you or if it's your day off, just let us know, and we'll make sure to get your gift to you. And, of course, you're always welcome to swing by our offices to pick up your gift and say hello.
Save the Date
ZOLL In-Service on LifeVest Defibrillator Device
ZOLL cordially invites you to a dinner in-service on the LifeVest defibrillator device. Please join us on Friday, April 4, 2025, for an informative evening. Details regarding the speaking engagement and location will be shared at a later date.
Mark your calendars, and we look forward to seeing you there!
American Lung Association Fight for Air Climb
We're excited to share details about the upcoming American Lung Association (ALA) Fight for Air Climb, celebrating its 20th anniversary at the Bank of America Plaza in downtown Tampa. This family-friendly event invites you to bring loved ones and join the fun!
For over 120 years, the ALA has been a leader in advancing lung health, funding critical lung cancer research, and providing essential resources for lung care, with a portion of the funding supporting Moffitt Cancer Center.
Please note there’s a $100 minimum fundraising requirement per climber, but every effort counts—90 cents of every dollar raised supports the ALA’s mission to fight lung disease. This is a fantastic opportunity to give back to the community as a team.
If you're interested in participating, contact the team captain, Melinda Flynn, for more information.
Learn more about the American Lung Association and its mission
Where: Bank of America Plaza, Downtown Tampa
When: Saturday, April 5, 2025
Team Meetup: 30 minutes before our climb time (details to come)
Important Updates
Aqkode Healthcare Solutions – Billing
We are excited to announce that ISG has officially transitioned from GCS Billing Management to Aqkode Healthcare Solutions. This shift marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to grow and refine our processes. The decision to switch stems from Aqkode’s innovative approach to coding and managing a rapidly expanding group like ISG.
Effective 3/5/2025, rounding/billing sheets are required to be submitted to the following email address: isgroundingsheets@isgmedical.com. Please refrain from using the Charge Capture App or the billing share drive moving forward. Aqkode’s team of experienced coders will review your medical records and assign the most appropriate codes based on your documentation. Recent audits revealed instances of miscoding, and involving Aqkode’s dedicated coders will help us identify opportunities for improvement. Additionally, Aqkode will proactively reach out to providers with feedback on documentation, which should elevate the overall quality of our records.
To ensure a smooth process, kindly verify that your attached sheet is clear and legible (not blurry) before submitting. Additionally, please include the facility name in the subject line (e.g., Subject: Bayfront).
We value your support during this transition and will keep you informed as we implement processes that impact you. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Ralph.
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Launch
Our RPM initiative, powered by Coligo Med, is now live! We have successfully secured the first two patient consents and are in the final stages of enrollment. Our Transition Care Clinic (TCC) Provider, Sarah Encinosa, APRN, will be managing RPM patients with the support of Dr. Tewari.
To further enhance this program, we invite physicians in the acute care setting to assist in identifying suitable patients for RPM. If you have potential patients in mind, please reach out to Melinda or Hayley. Patients with multiple comorbidities, such as HTN, CHF, Diabetes, and COPD, would greatly benefit from this initiative. Additionally, we plan to appoint a Medical Director to oversee the program and support our patients. Stay tuned for more updates on this quality initiative!
Transitional Care Clinic (TCC)
We are celebrating the success of this crucial part of ISG's care continuum. ISG's TCC has played a significant role in Tampa General Hospital's(TGH) spinal fusion readmission project. Through the efforts of our TGH providers and TCC team, we have successfully reduced the return to acute rate from 12% (8 patients) in November to 7.1% (3 patients) in December. This collaboration has been recognized by TGH leadership and has opened the door to expanding ISG TCC services to new service lines, including Trauma and Transplant.
We aim to continue growing ISG's TCC program at other acute-care facilities we serve. Currently, the TCC team consistently attends MDRs at TGH and TGH IPR. We will begin attending Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital and HCA Palms of Pasadena next week and expand our reach to Baycare MDRs in the coming weeks.
Acute Care Growth
ISG has successfully secured admission agreements with two prominent Med-Advantage Primary Care practices. Chen Med and Better Health Group's VIP Care offices will now exclusively admit to ISG for inpatient admissions at our current acute-care hospitals, with plans to expand these partnerships as we grow. These relationships require enhanced communication between ISG and the PCPs we serve. Led will continue to spearhead communications between our providers and the MA clients with support from Melinda. We are currently working on developing new communication pathways that fit the needs of our providers and community partners.
A special thanks to our providers at HCA Palms of Pasadena, Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, HCA St. Anthony's Hospital, Baycare St. Joseph's Hospital, and Tampa General Hospital for kicking off each of these partnerships.
To provide greater insight into our collaboration with ChenMed, we are pleased to share their model system in the graphic shown here, highlighting how ISG's integration and care coordination can seamlessly support the navigation for each of their patients.
Quality Workforce for Enhanced Documentation and Patient Care
As we continue to strive for excellence in patient care, it is essential to build a quality workforce that supports appropriate documentation opportunities, meets metrics, and enhances the care we deliver.
Our administrative team has been working closely with Dr. Tewari and our dedicated facility medical directors to identify and support opportunities for improved documentation. This includes, but is not limited to:
Documenting specific diagnoses
Capturing comorbidities
Recording complications and risk factors
Using appropriate medical terminology
By focusing on these areas, and meeting with each of your pods, we aim to ensure accurate and thorough patient records, which will not only meet regulatory and billing requirements but also improve patient outcomes and care continuity.
We appreciate your commitment to this important initiative and encourage you to reach out to your peers, Lauren and/or Melinda, with any questions, feedback, or suggestions to help us meet our quality standards.
ISG Perks
The ISG VIP Program is a collaborative initiative designed to provide exclusive benefits to ISG employees. Through this program, we have established partnerships with various businesses committed to supporting our team. These partners have generously offered discounts on their services and products, allowing our employees to enjoy valuable savings while accessing a wide range of offerings. The program aims to enhance the overall experience of our employees by fostering community connections and promoting well-being through these special privileges.
In addition to these benefits, the organization has secured a corporate membership that includes exciting perks, such as the opportunity to receive tickets through the Lightning as a token of appreciation for your hard work.
We are thrilled to announce that more benefits are on the way as we continue to expand our networking initiatives. We will keep our staff informed about new offerings as they become available.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates!
Get in touch.
Questions about something you read in this newsletter or a topic you’d like to hear more about in a future newsletter? Let us know!