Episode 133: Optimizing Medical Billing, Data, Documentation, and Best Practices

Welcome to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast!

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Smith is joined by Dr. Heather Signorelli—pathologist, business leader, and founder of a medical billing company—to dive into the practical side of billing, optimizing clinical workflows, and turning inefficiency into sustainability.

Together, they tackle one of medicine’s most vexing issues: how to make sure you’re getting paid for the important work you do—all while reducing frustration and freeing up more time for life outside medicine. Dr. Signorelli shares her journey from clinical pathology to the business end of healthcare, drawing on years of experience in workflow optimization and billing stewardship across the U.S. and Canada.

Tune in as they break down key points about revenue cycles, documentation, avoiding common billing mistakes, tackling administrative burdens, and leveraging teamwork for better compliance and less personal stress. Whether you’re struggling to keep up with billing, navigating complex healthcare systems, or just looking for actionable tips to make your practice more efficient and financially sustainable, this conversation is packed with real-world insights and resources.

Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode:

1. Understand the "Language" of Billing: Mastering billing is about learning a new language that isn’t taught in medical school, but is essential for ensuring you’re paid appropriately for your work—whether salaried or fee-for-service.
2. Optimize Workflow and Delegate: Sustainable and efficient practices rely on setting clear priorities, leveraging team members’ strengths, and building strong processes—especially for things like data collection, documentation, and patient billing.
3. Audit and Education Matter: Regular internal audits and ongoing education around coding, compliance, and payer rules can save you from costly errors, denials, or paybacks—and reduce the administrative overwhelm over time.

Meet Dr. Heather Signorelli:

Dr. Heather Signorelli is a board-certified pathologist and physician executive with over a decade of experience leading healthcare teams. She co-founded NatRevMD, a physician-led medical billing company that's been in business for 3 years, now supporting 26 practices with a team of over 65 billing and coding experts. NatRevMD helps private practices increase revenue by 25–30% through smart, data-driven billing, coding, and operations support.

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*** Learn more about Dr. Signorelli at https://natrevmd.com/ 

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