Inspiration comes in many forms, like a sprawling vista, music, or one’s faith. It often comes when you least expect it. Sometimes, inspiration comes from a person’s roots — how they were raised and what they grew up around. Family history can run deep, influencing life and career choices for years to come. The past has great power over the present and future.
Michelle Seba has forged her own path through the medical industry, participating in laying the groundwork for credentialing processes in Oklahoma and those used in Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services. In this company, she served as Director of CVO Services during their formative years. Where did she find her inspiration?
It Runs in the Family
Michelle’s father inspired her from a young age. Her dad was a family physician and surgeon after serving in the Army in World War II. Michelle witnessed him working around the clock, making rounds at the hospital, and attending committee meetings. She also saw his dedication shine when he would get up in the middle of the night to deliver babies or make house calls — sometimes 2 or 3 times a night!
“That was a different world then,” Michelle says. “But the reality of the time and sacrifices required to care for patients is not lost on me.”
Michelle’s early career consisted of working for her father and the State of Oklahoma Physician Manpower Training Commission (PMTC). The Oklahoma PMTC placed new doctors in rural communities in exchange for education loans.
From there, Michelle accepted the role of Medical Staff Coordinator. Her professional experiences up to this point made it clear that physicians spent too much time dealing with credentialing. She began to make efforts to ease that burden, freeing up doctors to administer care to the sick.
Making a Difference for Providers
Being a hospital’s Medical Staff Coordinator meant handling all the administrative duties for a 300-member medical team. During this busy time, along with others in similar positions, she became a consultant to the Tulsa County Medical Society helping to establish a centralized credentialing service for the city’s hospitals. She assisted in the development of the credentialing application that they used in this service.
In the 1990’s, Michelle added a new title to her growing list when she became the Director of Oklahoma Centralized Verification Services in Tulsa. In this position, she designed a centralized recredentialing program that added practitioners from all across the state. As a result, the program saw ten times the number of applications in just over a year. This service, along with a managed care program Michelle designed, held the highest certification offered by the National Commission for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Michelle’s mission to improve medical credentialing continued to drive her when she moved on to Physician Credentials Verification Services, where she served as its director. Michelle was responsible for transitioning the credentials verification services from ownership by Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA) to private ownership by CompONE Services. Under her leadership, the company raised hospital, surgery center, and managed care client base by 250% in just over a year. Coordinating data base software she had designed with programmers along with new imaging software, Michelle also managed staffing and processes.
New Horizons
2011 saw another professional change in Michelle’s life. She joined Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services, a collaborative group of start-up companies that specialize in credentialing (5ACVO), medical malpractice insurance solutions (Fifth Avenue Agency), and provider enrollment (Primoris Credentialing Network). She helped lay the foundation for the 5ACVO credentialing policies and procedures the company still uses today.
As Director of CVO Services, Michelle enjoyed success when her work achieved common 100% audit results for policies and procedures as well as file audits. She worked with hospital and surgery center administrators and department directors from various states to develop processes for credentials tracking services that meet legal and accrediting body requirements.
Michelle has been grateful for such an accomplished career, saying, “I’ve been privileged to work with talented leaders in this company (Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services) medical societies, national organizations and accrediting bodies, lawmakers, and software developers. I discovered that I like to analyze and organize and work with others in the process to make whatever it is, the best.”
Deeply-Held Beliefs
Creating and streamlining credentialing systems isn’t all Michelle lives for.
A long-time Christian, she enjoys bible studies, get-togethers with friends and family, card games, decorating and traveling. Having traveled to most states, San Diego, Vancouver and the Oregon Coast are among her favorite places to visit. Sedona, AZ and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia are among her more unique and treasured travel locations.
Michelle’s inspiration has served her and the people she’s worked with well. It’s been said that Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services wouldn’t be where they are today without her. Her 30+ years of industry experience have affected credentialing processes in the state of Oklahoma and across the country. Along the way, Michelle has become an inspiration to others and an example to follow in this industry.
Michelle Seba has been an inspiration and selfless leader to the credentialing industry.
More information about Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services
Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services is a NCQA Credentialing Accredited family of healthcare companies. Sister companies include 5ACVO (credentialing and primary source verification specialists), Fifth Avenue Agency (MPLI and medical malpractice insurance specialists), and Primoris Credentialing Network (credentialing and provider enrollment specialists with 54+ health plan and network provider enrollment options).
For information on Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services, please visit FifthAvenueHealthcareService.com or Contact Us.
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