AMS Management Provides Decades of Top Level Industry Experience and National Gainsharing Policy.
Each member of AMS management is an expert in health care policy and operations and our IT team has broad and extensive experience in technical aspects of health care data and analysis. Together with our hospital association partners, participating hospitals and health systems, we work collaboratively to provide the best product and services possible. The AMS team brings innovative thinking, attention to detail and the ability to respond to client needs to every project.
Jo Surpin
President | Download vCard
As hospital reimbursement will continue to be cut for Medicare and commercial payors, hospitals have to focus on reducing costs. It’s great to be able to offer hospitals a solution to help improve quality and efficiency. AMS PBIS® provides a tool to engage physicians and, for the first time, to align their incentives with the hospital – the piece of the equation that has been missing.
Seasoned healthcare executive and entrepreneur.
Jo has extensive healthcare finance, regulatory and reimbursement experience. She has been involved in the development of the AMS PBIS® methodology and has coordinated all AMS Gainsharing Programs. As Assistant Project Manager for the New Jersey Department of Health Case Mix (DRG) Project, she was instrumental in the development and implementation of New Jersey’s reimbursement system, which later served as the foundation for Medicare’s Prospective Payment System. After starting her own consulting business in 1982, Jo served as a special consultant to the New Jersey Department of Health on health care financing policy matters. She continued her consulting career in hospital strategic planning and reimbursement and brings that orientation to all AMS projects.
Ms. Surpin has lectured and written extensively on planning and reimbursement issues. She has published numerous articles on strategic planning initiatives, managed care strategies, gainsharing, physician incentive plans, community health centers and new service development for hospitals.
Boards & Memberships
- Salus University (formerly Pennsylvania College of Optometry), Board Chairperson
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry Foundation, Chairperson
- University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Health Policy Program Advisory Board
- Home Care Associates, Board Member, Chair, Finance Committee
- Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)
- American Hospital Association (AHA)
- Society Healthcare Strategy Market Development (SHSMD)
Awards
- Power 50 Health Care — NJBIZ
- ACHE Regent Award for Innovation
- Woman of Distinction — Philadelphia Business Journal
- Follmer Bronze Merit Award — Healthcare Financial Management Association
- Reeves Silver Merit Award — Healthcare Financial Management Association
Publications
- Surpin, Jo and Weidman, Geri. Outsourcing in Healthcare – The Administrator’s Guide, American Hospital Association, Wiley, 1999. Print.
- Founded the DRG Monitor, a national newsletter on prospective payment issues
Education
- Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. BA and MA in Economics
Michael Kalison
Chairman | Download vCard
AMS principals have pursued the objective of aligning provider incentives for over 35 years; it is our life’s work. This began in 1976 when we pioneered payment by DRG for hospitals; our work in New Jersey provided the model for the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System. Incorporating physicians into the framework has proven more challenging. The issue is sensitive because it touches on patient protection, quality of care and changes in physician referral patterns. But our history, our experience and our perseverance have enabled us to establish and maintain credibility with three groups. By patiently addressing the legitimate issues of hospitals, physicians and regulators, we were ultimately able to implement the country’s first large scale, comprehensive gainsharing system. After these many years, it is gratifying to see our initial idea get results and to spread.
National leader in prospective payment systems; widely recognized for his knowledge of healthcare policy.
Michael is Founder of AMS and has been involved in development of the AMS PBIS® methodology since it was formed in 1993.
In 1976, he was recruited by the NJ Department of Health to lead the technical team developing a prospective payment system for acute care hospitals based on patient case mix. After implementation, this NJ hospital financing system, which utilized DRGs as the basis for compensating hospitals, became the model for the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (“IPPS”). Subsequently, he was involved in design of IPPS’ capital payment component.
Michael also was senior partner at the law firm of Kalison, McBride, Jackson and Robertson, P.C., New Jersey’s most prominent health care boutique, which merged recently into McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney and Carpenter LLP. Since 1993, he has been named consistently to the Best Lawyers in America and similar publications.
A frequent national lecturer on financial and corporate issues affecting providers, Mr. Kalison has testified before congressional committees on prospective capital payment and health care policy.
Education
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. BA, the Wharton School, JD, School of Law
Geri Weideman
Vice President, Quality Improvement | Download vCard
My 20+ plus years of experience as a nurse and as a hospital materials manager have shown me that quality and reduced cost can go hand in hand – I work with AMS clients to identify opportunities where savings can be achieved and quality enhanced.
Experienced administrator, quality improvement leader.
Geri has long been involved in initiatives focusing on operational efficiency and cost reduction.
As Vice President for Quality Improvement, Ms. Weideman’s role is fundamental to the AMS Gainsharing Program success. She is responsible for client support during the initial phases of implementation and for oversight of ongoing activities which monitor client quality improvement efforts. She leads clients through program applications. Using a variety of tools, Geri manages the firm’s data analytics, providing clients with analysis and reports for use in cost reduction and care redesign. She also works with hospitals to insure that their quality initiatives are successfully incorporated into the AMS Gainsharing Program.
Prior to joining AMS, she was a non-salary cost reduction consultant, Materials Management Director and a Nurse Manager. She has written articles on outsourcing in healthcare, group purchasing organizations and managing materials in physician practices.
Boards & Memberships
- Library Company of Hatboro, Board Member
- Zoning Hearing Board of Hatboro, Member
- Alumni Association of Albert Einstein Medical Center School of Nursing
- Friends of the Totem Pole Theater
Publications
- Surpin, Jo and Weidman, Geri. Outsourcing in Healthcare – The Administrator’s Guide, American Hospital Association, Wiley, 1999. Print.
Education
- Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. MBA
- Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bachelor of Science in Health Management
- Albert Einstein Medical Center School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Diploma in Nursing
Patricia Lee
CPA, Senior Analyst | Download vCard
I provide a further level of QA for our clients through proactive data analysis and guidance. Clients view my work as quality assurance from the financial standpoint. I review the AMS PBIS® reports created from hospital data before they’re summarized for the doctors and the hospitals. I use analytical skills to create summary charts and to verify the accuracy of the dashboards generated from the source data.
Providing quality assurance for AMS clients based on deep financial expertise.
As a Senior Analyst with AMS, Pat provides financial analysis and oversight for client reporting.
Her responsibilities are supported by considerable experience in healthcare finance operations. She has been actively involved in providing financial services to healthcare organizations including preparing monthly financial statements, reviewing accounts payable and payroll, reconciling billing and cash receipts and analyzing accounts receivable. Ms. Lee has been involved with the preparation of third-party cost reports, monthly operating reports, annual budgets, financial projections and the maintenance of fixed assets.
Boards and Memberships
- Healthcare Financial Management Association
Education
- Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey. MBA
- The American University, Washington, DC. BS, Business Administration
- Certified Public Accountant