Since its founding, Physicians’ Service Center has assembled a strong management team with decades of experience in healthcare financial management, as well as a unique understanding of the needs of hospital-based specialty practices. To find out more about the members of this dynamic team, please click on the link(s) below.

Meet the team:

Kathryn J. Canny, CHBME
President

Patricia K. Kagebein, CHBME
Vice President, Operations

William M. Wheeler
CFO and Vice President, Administrative Service

Elizabeth Giordano
Director, Anesthesia and ER Services
Corporate Compliance and Privacy Officer

Mikke Mikkelsen, CPC, RCC
Director, CPT and Fee Analysis

Laurie L. Krachenfels, RCC, CMBA
Manager of Operations

Deanna Gill
Client Service Representative


Kathryn J. Canny, CHBME – President

Kathryn J. Canny is PSC’s founder, owner, and President. In 1966, she started the company as a three-person medical billing service for a large Chicago suburban hospital radiology department. Since then, she has led the corporation’s growth to make it what it is today – an organization with more than 120 employees serving more than 400 physicians. With an enormous capacity to comprehend medical information, regulatory mandates and procedures, and ever-changing healthcare delivery structures and procedures, Kathryn has been the chief architect of the firm’s strategic direction.

Drawing on her rich background and wealth of experience, Kathryn is a charter member of the Radiology Business Managers Association and, most recently, the International Billing Association, now known as the Healthcare Business Management Association, for which she has served as National Director as well as a senior consultant and executive committee member. Currently, she is President of the regional chapter. She is also an active member of several other national and regional professional groups.

Kathryn sees it as her personal mission to educate healthcare providers and consumers and to help them sort out the increasingly complex world of medical billing regulations, procedures, and compliance. She frequently addresses physician audiences, offering guidance for structuring their practices to serve patient needs within the realities of restrictive economic pressures.

Both Kathryn and the company have been recognized by the industry in recent years in a variety of ways, including:

• Kathryn was nominated for the Annual Achievement Award by the DuPage Area Association of Business and Industry in 1996
• Kathryn was inducted into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame by the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Business in 1998
• Kathryn was named one of the most “Influential Women in Business” by the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and The Business Ledger in 1999
• In 2003, Kathryn was awarded for her “Outstanding Contribution to the RBMA and the Business of Radiology” by the Radiology Business Management Association.
• Most recently, Kathryn was nominated for the 2005 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Patricia K. Kagebein, CHBME – Vice President, Operations

Patricia K. Kagebein began her career tenure with PSC began in 1986. Today, as Vice President of Operations, she is responsible for all of PSC’s system development and internal operations, including the departments of Coding, Billing, Payment Posting, Insurance Data Management, Communication Center, and Information Systems.

Patricia began her career at PSC in the Information Systems Department, working with PSC’s programmers to institute enhancements and changes to the current billing system. She headed the project of acquiring and implementing a new billing and telephone system, as well as the development of the corporate compliance plan. She has been instrumental in managing the growth and ever-changing challenges of the healthcare industry.

In 1994, Patricia received a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Illinois. She also received the title of Certified Healthcare Billing Management Executive (CHBME) from the Healthcare Billing Management Association (HBMA), and regularly attends classes and seminars to maintain her certification. Patricia continues her healthcare education and training by attending additional seminars throughout the year.

William M. Wheeler – CFO and Vice President, Administrative Services

William M. Wheeler has been a member of the PSC management team since 2003. As PSC’s Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Administrative Services, he plays a critical role, leading all aspects of the company’s finances and administration services – client services, managed care strategies, and new client development.

William comes to PSC with more than 30 years of financial and executive management expertise, most recently as CFO and Corporate Vice President of Finance for Provena Health, an integrated healthcare system serving northern and central Illinois. Prior to his tenure at Provena, he held CFO positions at Ingalls Health System, EHS Health Care (currently Advocate Health Care), and Victory Health and Human Services.

William holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Governors State University and a Masters of Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management.

Elizabeth J. Giordano – Director, Anesthesia and ER Services, and Corporate Compliance and Privacy Officer

Elizabeth Giordano joined PSC in 2001, when her company, EJG Services, a billing service company specializing in serving the Anesthesiology specialty, merged with PSC. As PSC’s Director of Anesthesia and ER Services, Elizabeth’s responsibilities encompass the total management of client accounts. She also serves as PSC’s Corporate Compliance and Privacy Officer, serving as a liaison between executive level management and support staff in the development and implementation of the HIPAA Compliance Program.

Elizabeth brings to PSC more than 30 years of healthcare industry experience in the area of Anesthesia billing, as well as a deep commitment to maintaining the quality of service in the billing industry. Her background in serving the needs of Anesthesia clients has included financial analysis and benchmarking of managed care contracts under fee-for-service and capitation payment methodologies, meeting and exceeding targets for collection and quality data management. Prior to her tenure as President of EJG Services, Elizabeth spent nine years as Manager of the Anesthesiology Billing Department at Loyola University Hospital.

Elizabeth is a charter member of the Healthcare Billing and Management Association (HBMA) and is an active member of the Health Care Compliance Association.

Mikke Mikkelsen, CPC, RCC – Director of CPT and Fee Analysis

Mikke joined PSC in 1981 bringing extensive medical knowledge and experience gained from fifteen years at a local Emergency Room working in Minor Surgery, Orthopedic Cast Rooms, and Out Patient Services and receiving a certificate as a National Emergency Medical Technician. In 1983 she became Supervisor of the Coding Department and continued to advance to the position she holds at present.

In 2001 Mikke was certified as a Professional Coder and is a member of the Academy of Professional Coders and serves as President of the Midwest Regional Chapter for 2005. She was certified as specialty coder for radiology through the Radiology Business Management Association

As Director of CPT and Fee Analysis, Mikke Mikkelsen works with the coding and billing departments to ensure that PSC upholds the guidelines of CPT and ICD-9 coding and follows government rules and regulations.

Mikke also presents fee analysis for clients, providing updated information for Nation-wide percentiles, the Nation-wide low and high fees, the current Medicare fee schedules, the client’s current fees, and yearly usage of CPT codes.

Other responsibilities include communication with clients regarding changes, additions, and deletions of CPT or ICD-9 coding, required documentation, updates on Local Medical Review Policies, National Decision Coverage, and Local Decision Coverage which help to ensure clients receive appropriate reimbursement for services rendered.

Laurie L. Krachenfels, RCC, CMBA – Manager of Operations

Laurie Krachenfels has been a member of the PSC coding team since 1991. In 2002 Laurie was promoted to the Coding Manager and was responsible for managing PSC’s coding staff, ensuring that all coders and billers at PSC uphold the guidelines of CPT and ICD-9 coding and follow government and insurance carrier rules and regulations.

Laurie also provides educational updates to clients along with the Coding Manager regarding changes to coding and billing rules, documentation requirements and an annual coding in-service to introduce new CPT codes and review deleted or revised codes.

In 1985, Laurie received an Associates of Arts degree in office management from Triton College. In 2002, she received certification in the specialty of Radiology through the Radiology Business Management Association. She also received the title of Certified Medical Billing Associate (CMBA) from the Healthcare Billing Management Association (HBMA). Laurie has been trained extensively in anesthesia, pathology and radiology coding (including interventional radiology). In addition, she regularly attends coding seminars for the introduction of new CPT coding and interventional radiology coding.

In June 2005 Laurie was promoted to Manager of Operations. Her current duties include working closely with the Vice President of Operations to oversee all internal operations including the departments of Coding, Billing, Payment Posting, Insurance Data Management, Communications Center and Information Systems.

Deanna Gill –Client Service Representative

Deanna Gill joined the PSC team in 2006. Deanna brings to PSC more than 15 years experience in the healthcare business environment.

Deanna has a broad range of managed care experience which includes physician and hospital recruitment, strategic account management and development, new client implementation and relationship building. Most recently, Deanna has held positions as a National Account Manager for two national carriers. She possesses a strong customer service background and is dedicated to providing world class services to PSC clients.

Deanna holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Concordia University. She is a licensed insurance producer in Accident/Life and Health.