VGM Speaker Bureau

Mike “Ike” Isaacson is the Senior Vice President of Government Relations for VGM Group. In his role, he focuses on advocating for and elevating the DMEPOS industry. Ike is a consummate coach who excels at mentoring others to serve as grass root champions for a better climate to serve customers. Working with the Government & Regulatory Team, healthcare providers, and other industry advocates, Ike is dedicated to advancing the life changing work that our members do in their communities. 

Prior to joining VGM Group in 2017, Ike spent 23 years as a state and national leader in not-for-profit community-based healthcare settings. His work advocating alongside individuals, families, communities, and healthcare partners at the state and federal levels centered on providing access to high quality healthcare and consumer choice.  

Staying true to his service roots, Mike sits on the Board of Directors for several non-profit agencies in his local area, assisting them in fund development, legislative initiatives, and community outreach. Over the years, Ike has become a sought-out speaker on leadership and employee development. Utilizing his “student of the game” approach, he has helped to guide and develop leaders across the country. His real-world delivery, using his personal and professional life experiences, provides entertaining and thought-provoking presentations. 

Ike and his wife Teresa spend their time raising and following their four children in all the activities and directions they take in life. 

He has a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s in public policy from the University of Northern Iowa. 

Topics

• Professional Development
• Customer Obsession
• Authentic Leadership
• Coaching
• Motivation & Engagement

Adam Miller is the Vice President Of Government Relations. Prior to joining the Government Relations team, Adam served as President Of Orthotics Prosthetic Group of America (OPGA) within VGM & Associates, a membership organization that provides comprehensive business services to more than 1,200 independent O&P practitioners nationwide. Adam began his career at VGM in 2014, serving most recently as the Director Of National Accounts for VGM Insurance, which afforded him in-depth knowledge to the challenges and issues HME providers face.   

Adam currently serves on several boards and committees within various DMEPOS industries related to state and federal advocacy to further legislation designed to help providers.

Alan Morris is the SVP, Strategy for VGM & Associates. Alan brings over 15 years of experience as a consultant in the healthcare space to VGM. With a background in industry analysis, research, and regulations, he has extensive knowledge he can use to ensure that VGM’s members and vendors are kept up to date on all industry trends, regulations, and legislation at the state and federal levels. Alan worked for VGM & Associates from 2007 – 2014 where he delivered multiple keynotes, seminars, and webinars on industry regulatory impacts and market trends.  Prior to re-joining VGM, he led a team of internal consultants and analysts in the healthcare sectors of strategy, finance, clinical, operations, and value-based contracting for a multi-state midwestern health system. He also obtained expertise in healthcare policy, strategic partnership management, and performance management.

Topics

• Industry trends and the future of DME
• DME's role and opportunities in the healthcare ecosystem
• Business strategy
• Financial and operations benchmarking
• Regulatory updates and navigation

As a VGM employee owner since 2012, Ronda specializes in the billing and reimbursement. She managed a hospital-based DME in Illinois for 12 years, and handled sales and marketing. Ronda is a respiratory therapist as well as a certified mastectomy fitter. She assists VGM members with review of claims and all types of audits, and educates members on medical policies in the respiratory and all other general DME products. She serves on the Jurisdictions B and D respiratory team, is a member of the Provider Outreach and Education teams with the Jurisdictions, and attends the council meetings with Jurisdiction B, C, and D. She is also on the Great Lakes Home Medical Services Association Board of Directors and a member the National Supplier Clearinghouse Advisory Council. Ronda has presented at the VGM Heartland Conference as well as the Medtrade and state association meetings, and has conducted webinars and on-site education with VGM Members.

Topics

• Reimbursement and Billing
• Any respiratory equipment, general DME, wound, etc.  (Everything but complex rehab and PMD)
• Face to Face Ruling
• How to respond to audits and work audits
• Being proactive with audits
• Denials
• Educating referrals
• Appeals Process
• Intake processes
• Documentation Review

Wayne van Halem founded The van Halem Group in 2006. The Atlanta-based firm merged with VGM Group in 2014 and Wayne currently serves as its President as they assist providers navigate complex issues related to audits, appeals, enrollment, and compliance. As a CMS contractor for 10 years, he spent a majority of that time as a fraud investigator and national Appeals Director. Wayne is also a published author and well-known lecturer. He is an Accredited Healthcare Fraud Investigator through the National Health Care Anti-fraud Association (NHCAA); a Certified Fraud Examiner through the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), and an active member of the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA). He has served on the faculty for each of these national organizations. He also sits on the American Association for Homecare’s Regulatory Council, Medtrade’s Educational Advisory Board, Medicare DME MAC Jurisdiction D Advisory Council, Advisory Board for HME Business Magazine, and Board of Directors for Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC) and the Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers. He has also served as an expert in various criminal and civil proceedings. Since 2006, his company has saved clients over $100 million in overpayments and denial recoveries.

Topics

• Audits
• Appeals
• Compliance Programs
• Compliance Issues
• Regulatory Issues
• Enrollment Issues
• Medicare Policy
• Industry Updates
• Alternative Payment Arrangements

Kelly Grahovac serves as General Manager for The van Halem Group where she focuses on audits, appeals, education and training, and business development. Kelly is a known lecturer in the DME industry, speaking at national conferences, state associations, and for private events. Kelly has nearly 10 years of experience at one of the nation’s leading Medicare contractors where she worked for the Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carrier (DMERC), Qualified Independent Contractor (QIC), and A/B Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). Her various roles with Medicare include working as a senior provider relations representative, QIC Adjudicator and Training Specialist. Kelly has in-depth knowledge in Medicare appeals, policy and education and training. In addition to her client work at The van Halem Group, Kelly is also a contributor to several industry publications nationally.

Topics

• Audits
• Appeals
• Compliance Programs
• Compliance Issues
• Regulatory Issues
• Enrollment Issues
• Medicare Policy
• Industry Updates

Emily Harken serves on the Government Relations And Regulatory business unit of VGM. Emily’s career at VGM began on the managed care side when she worked for HOMELINK in 2001. During her time there, Emily was a Patient Care Coordinator, where she spent her time coordinating DME, O&P, urology/ostomy supplies, and complex rehab for work comp patients. She also spent five years on the HOMELINK Training And Development team. In 2014, she transitioned into her current role as Operations Manager for VGM Government Relations.    

Topics: 

• Federal and State Legislative Updates 
• Advocacy 

Jeremy Kauten, Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President Of Information Technology at VGM Group, has spent his entire career in the cyberworld. He currently focuses on protecting computers, networks, programs, and data from unauthorized access, change, or destruction. In addition, he coordinates the optimization of technology throughout VGM’s business units. Jeremy's involvement at VGM started in 1997, when he committed himself to growing VGM Forbin and positioning the organization as a leader in healthcare web development and online security. He is a regular contributor to the trade press and is a frequent technology speaker at industry events. Jeremy earned a bachelor's degree in marketing and business management from Upper Iowa University with additional credits from the computer information systems program at the University of Northern Iowa. He also holds an AAS in law enforcement and an MBA from the University of Iowa Executive Master of Business Administration Program.

Dave Lyman, BA, RRT-SDS is Executive Vice President of VGM & Associates. Dave’s experience as a respiratory therapist coupled with his knowledge of clinical, operations, billing, management, and sales in the DME industry has been instrumental in overseeing several of VGM’s programs. Dave started his career as a respiratory therapist at the Cleveland Clinic and has more than 20 years of experience in the DME industry. Along with guiding VGM’s Member Success Team, he also serves on multiple committees dedicated to patient outcomes and care including co-chair for the education committee for OAMES and AAHomecare Respiratory focus group. 

Cassi Price is the President of VGM Forbin. Cassi joined VGM in 2007 after earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations from the University of Northern Iowa. Throughout her professional career with VGM, she has been instrumental in developing strategic web marketing services and leading creative teams to bring maximum exposure to businesses of all sizes through social media marketing, search engine marketing and search engine optimization. Today, Cassi is responsible for collecting, structuring, managing and prioritizing a wide range of business needs across all VGM business units. With her strategic and service-oriented approach, Cassi works with the executive management of VGM and VGM business units to bring the company forward through initiatives in software, facilities, training, and process.

Topics

• Project Management
• Servant Leadership
• Promoting Your Brand Online

Dan serves as a compliance specialist for U.S. Rehab members. He is a graduate of Penn State University where he earned a BS in Economics with a Business Minor. Dan joined VGM in 2014 and before that, was the Director of Education and Compliance for Pride Mobility Products Corp for 13 years. Prior to joining Pride, Dan served as a Senior Manager for Professional Relations and Electronic Data Interchange for the Jurisdiction A DME MAC (United Healthcare) for 6 years. Dan has presented at numerous local and national events regarding Medicare reimbursement including, Medtrade, state association meetings and at multiple rehab facilities. In addition, Dan was a guest lecturer for a funding class at the University of Pittsburgh and has testified at several hearings regarding Medicare reimbursement.

Topics

• Medicare Reimbursement for Mobility Products
• Medicare / Medicaid Compliance
• Billing
• Medicare Standard Operation Procedures (SOP)
• Medicare Updates
• Clinician Education on Medicare Documentation Requirements

Ryan Ball has worked in the healthcare industry for VGM Group for more than a decade as director of VGM Market Data and various analyst roles within VGM Government Relations. Prior to working as a regulatory analyst, Ryan worked as a political campaign consultant, focusing primarily on developing and analyzing data to identify statistically-significant market trends and make recommendations on efficient resource allocation. In his role as VP of VGM Market Data, Ryan works with VGM members to provide market intelligence data to identify key referral source opportunities in their markets and provides tools to provide actionable intelligence to post-acute health care sales/marketing teams.

In today's high tech world, data is being utilized to increase efficiencies and identify new opportunities for growth. The Affordable Care Act allocated billions of dollars to incentivize health care providers to utilize electronic medical records over the past several years, and that investment has led to a technological boom in data available to target key physicians. It seems everyone is utilizing "big data," so why aren't HMEs? This presentation will identify healthcare claims data that is available on DME products and traditional referral sources. 

Topics

• Identify opportunities within HME industry to obtain targeted claims data
• Demonstrate specific examples of how HME's can use data to grow their referral base
• Discuss current referral source management techniques
• Discuss strategies to effectively and efficiently engage referral sources

Bill Wilson is Senior Vice President for VGM Insurance Services and has been with the company since 2015. In this role, Bill oversees all strategic growth and retention initiatives for the organization. Prior to joining VGM, Bill served as Vice President for the commercial division of one of the largest property-casualty brokerage firms in Iowa, serving the Midwest. In 2013, Bill was recognized as one of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier’s ‘20 Under 40’ community leaders in the Cedar Valley. He is a Waverly, Iowa native and graduate of the University of Northern Iowa.

Topics

• Enterprise Risk Management
• Insurance and Risk Management for the HME Provider
• Insurance and Risk Management for the O&P Practitioner
• Medicare / Medicaid Surety Bonds
• Updates on Insurance Regulations
• Updates on Insurance as it relates to an industry
• Risk and Reward - Helping providers evaluate the products and practices from a risk vs. reward perspective. 

Mandi Rodgers is the Vice President of Marketing at VGM & Associates. Prior to joining VGM in 2017, Mandi worked at an AV/IT company to help build their customer engagement and communications structure. Her background includes a unique combination of broadcast, public relations, and marketing in healthcare, sustainability, and consumer products, providing her with valuable insights into the marketing industry. Mandi is driven to help companies accelerate their marketing initiatives and reach their goals, and has her BA in Mass Communications. 

Heather Trumm is the Partner Account Manager at VGM. Heather educates VGM members about the importance of diversifying product selection and incorporating aspects of wound care into their product mix. She also educates members in caring for the patient with wounds. Heather’s past nursing experience encompasses medical/surgical nursing, community and public health nursing, home health care nursing and she also worked in sales for major health care corporations.

Heather has lectured at conferences, trade shows and seminars all across the country. She is a member of the National WOCN Society, current Public Policy Committee Member for the WOCN Society, President for the Iowa Affiliate of the WOCN Society, and a supporter of the National Nurses Association.

Lindy Tentinger is the President of VGM & Associates. She was previously President of VGM Forbin and the Senior Vice President Of Marketing for VGM & Associates. Prior to joining VGM in 2017, Lindy worked at a global Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company for 11 years. She built the company’s marketing department from the ground up, and led both sales and marketing through a digital transformation and a re-branding/positioning launch. Her marketing leadership helped gain global exposure and year-over-year revenue growth for the company’s multiple business units. She is well-versed in many industry verticals including healthcare, financial services, utilities, government, telecommunications, and higher education. Lindy has a BA in Electronic Media, as well as an MBA.

Nikki Jensen is Vice President of Wellness within VGM & Associates. In her role, she oversees women’s health and wellness growth opportunities. With her combined years of VGM experience (1995-1999; 2009-present), she’s had the opportunity to work in several business units including, equipment finance, HOMELINK, VGM Insurance, Essentially Women, and VGM & Associates. Prior to VGM, Nikki spent six years in pharmaceutical sales and four years in the insurance industry. She’s passionate about helping our membership communities thrive and seeks opportunities to advance women’s health and wellness.

Sara Laures is the Chief People Officer for VGM Group where she oversees people and culture strategy, human resources, talent acquisition, organizational development, and facilities management, and manages corporate projects that support the success of VGM’s business units and its employees. Sara has held roles in multiple VGM business units during her career. She began at VGM’s HOMELINK business units in 1998 and spent five years developing a foundational knowledge of care coordination and its impact on patients’ access to quality healthcare. For 14 years, she was responsible for leadership of VGM Education, spearheading the development of its robust virtual education platform and content. In her current role, she worked to expand workplace flexibility guidelines when VGM transitioned to a work-from-home policy, improving the work-life balance of all employees – especially working mothers.

Sara has a bachelor’s degree in health services administration from Upper Iowa University. Because of her experience working her way up the corporate ladder, Sara advises and mentors many other aspiring female leaders. And as an associate certified coach through ICF, iPEC certified professional coach and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner, she is a knowledgeable resource for women in the workplace. To further support and recognize employee owners at VGM, Sara has grown Women in Leadership (WIL) at VGM, helps guide the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, and emcees the VGM Award ceremony. She also serves on a number of boards and task forces in the Cedar Valley community.

Topics:

• Employee Engagement
• Culture
• Leadership
• Coaching
• People Strategy

Jeff Kessler has been with VGM Group since 2013. In his current role, Jeff helps clients understand the impact that market intelligence can have on business growth and expansion efforts. Starting his career in VGM’s HOMELINK business unit, he was responsible for coordinating DMEPOS for patients. As an Operations Specialist, he worked with leadership to ensure team member success and companywide adherence to system and organization controls. He held a seat on the compliance and cyber security committees, helping to maintain their impeccable track record of compliance to contracts and regulations, as well as helping the company understand and mitigate cyber related security threats. A role on the provider relations team gave him a greater understanding of the challenges providers and clinicians face in an ever-evolving healthcare industry.

Topics:

• Physician referral development strategy
• Interpreting and using claims data for efficiency in business development

Kelsey Burke is the Vice President of Human Resources for VGM Group. She has been with VGM since 2007.  In her role, Kelsey develops and facilitates strategic initiatives to support achievement of the organization’s goals, particularly from the perspective of the impact on people.  Kelsey consults with leaders and maintains a knowledge base of progressive HR practices and key trends.  She is responsible for creating, evaluating, and implementing policies that align with the company’s culture.  She oversees employee relations, onboarding, employee engagement, legal compliance, risk mitigation, as well as benefit and wellness initiatives and strategy.  She provides analytical oversight of workforce data to inform business decisions. 

Topics:

• People, Processes, and Mitigating Risk
• HR Trends
• Feedback and Effective Performance Management
• Crucial Conversations
• Using Data to Drive People Decisions
• HR Compliance (FMLA, ADA, PWFA, and more!)
• Navigating Difficult People Scenarios
• Mental Health in the Workplace

With an impressive 24 years in healthcare, Kim has dedicated her career to the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) industry since 2010. Prior to joining VGM as the Director of Business Optimization, she owned a comprehensive medical billing company catering to a diverse clientele of family practitioners, rehab centers, orthopedic surgeons, pediatricians, emergency room physicians, and urologists. As the managing partner of a small full-service DME company in 2010, she orchestrated remarkable revenue growth from through a strategic blend of organic expansion and targeted acquisitions. In 2011, she was sought after by a large provider to provide consulting services, addressing reimbursement challenges for healthcare practices. Her expertise in Revenue Cycle Strategies,  analyzing workflow processes, policies, compliance, company structure, reimbursement, and denials culminated in the development of a successful restructuring plan, including the creation of new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and the establishment of performance benchmarks. Notably, she has served as the Director of Operations and Director of Reimbursement and Payor Relations for very successful DME companies. Her commitment to the industry extended to board service with several state associations.   

Topics:

• Billing and Reimbursement
• Revenue Cycle Operations
• Operational Efficiencies
• Re-Structuring
• Standard Operating Procedures
• Software Optimization
• Policy Education
• Team Education

Nick Dideriksen is the VP of Operations and Business technology for VGM Forbin. Nick started at VGM in 2012 and his main responsibilities include leading the Managed IT Team, along with overseeing the technology stack at Forbin. Nick has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa, and held IT positions in corporate IT, and now the managed service space.  As an original member of the VGM Forbin Managed IT business unit, Nick has played a pivotal role in navigating the complexities of the digital landscape.  With a focus on business technology, he brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table, helping organizations leverage technology to drive innovation while protecting their business.

Whether discussing the future of work, the impact of technology on society, or strategies for leveraging business technology effectively, Nick brings a unique perspective and contagious enthusiasm to every speaking engagement. With a focus on practical strategies and actionable takeaways, he empowers audiences to embrace change, seize opportunities, and create a brighter future.

VGM Forbin is a leading provider of comprehensive IT solutions, offering services such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, managed services, and digital marketing. Nick's deep understanding of these offerings enables him to provide valuable insights and guidance to clients seeking to optimize their technology infrastructure and digital presence.

Topics:

• IT Strategies
• Customer success within an IT Environment
• HIPAA Compliance IT Auditing
• Cybersecurity Landscape

Ann Thomas is the Manager of Learning and Development at VGM. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role, holding a master's degree in education and informational resources, a graduate-level computer science endorsement, and two undergraduate degrees in education, along with a minor in United States and world history.

In addition to her formal education, Ann has earned several certifications. She is a Microsoft Innovative Educator, certified in Google Gemini AI, and holds a Civic and Online Reasoning certification from Stanford University. She also has certifications in Agile Leadership from the Scrum Alliance and Social and Behavioral Research from the CITI Program. Furthermore, Ann is a certified practitioner of Insights Discovery, a certified trainer of Cloverleaf AI, and has obtained her Gallup global coaching certification.

Ann's primary focus is on professional development and strategic planning, aiming to help businesses achieve their goals for employee retention and development while driving organizations' initiatives forward. She is passionate about building high performing teams and providing differentiated and targeted educational experiences that advance employees' skills, address skills gaps, and foster true cultures of learning throughout all levels of business.

Brooke Kraft is the Vice President of Talent Management at VGM Group, where she leads the strategic direction of recruiting, hiring, and learning and development (L&D). With a strong focus on leadership training, career pathing, and skills-based recruiting, Brooke plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s talent strategy to support organizational growth and employee success.

She holds a master’s degree in Industrial-organizational Psychology, which underpins her data-driven and people-centric approach to talent management. Brooke is also deeply committed to community impact and serves as the Board President of Inclusion Connection, a local nonprofit dedicated to fostering inclusive opportunities for individuals of all abilities.

With a passion for empowering people and building strong, future-ready teams, Brooke continues to drive innovation in talent development and organizational effectiveness.

Topics: 

• Talent management and leadership development 
• Recruiting and the value of the candidate experience 
• Hiring efficiencies 
• Learning ecosystem 
• Skill-based hiring 
• Building high-performing teams based on role objectives 

Kayla Mahler is the Director of Marketing. She previously served as the Marketing Manager for Digital, Systems, and Data at VGM & Associates, where she managed all aspects of digital marketing, data, and marketing systems. Kayla also held the position of Operations Manager at Essentially Women for 1.5 years and at U.S. Rehab for 4.5 years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Central College in 2009 and her Master’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Northern Iowa in 2017. In her free time, Kayla enjoys running, biking, kayaking, and singing.

As a payer relations and regulatory expert, Melanie Ewald has honed her skills in payer contracting, enrollment, credentialing, compliance, and audits. Her ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes and optimize payer relationships has earned her recognition as a leader in the field.  

Melanie's commitment to the healthcare industry extends beyond her professional roles. She has been actively involved with several durable medical equipment (DME) associations, including serving as a former board member of the Ohio Association of Medical Equipment Services (OAMES) and participating on the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) Payer Relations Council.  

Melanie is also an attorney specializing in health law with a career deeply rooted in the healthcare industry. Her extensive experience includes roles in a holistic hospital-based clinic, the Minnesota Hospital Association, and the DME sector. Melanie's contributions have consistently focused on improving healthcare systems and operations, making her an asset to the VGM Government Relations team and our industry partners.