KarenZupko & Associates, Inc.
Advising Physicians to Succeed in the Business of Medicine

Running a medical practice is complex. From correct coding and revenue cycle management to hiring, training, risk management, and referral building, physicians and practice leaders face many business challenges and constant change. Meeting these challenges requires ongoing improvements, new skills, and new ways of thinking. That’s where Karen Zupko, president of KarenZupko & Associates, Inc. (KZA), and her colleagues step in. Headquartered in Chicago with more than a dozen consultants nationwide, KZA is a leading consulting and education firm that works with physicians and healthcare organizations to increase revenue, optimize efficiency, reduce risk, and improve the patient experience.

For more than 30 years, Zupko and her team have advised physicians to solve and manage business problems. The firm’s success has been built on consistently delivering sound advice over time, Zupko says, adding that many physicians have “grown up with” the KZA team. From guiding their practice start up and fine-tuning operational efficiency, to providing coding and documentation reviews, coaching managers and physicians, and supporting strategic and succession planning, “our 360-degree skill set makes us unique and effective,” she explains.

Customized, Real-World Advice

KZA has delivered customized, practical guidance to more than 3,250 clients. The company primarily focuses on practice management, revenue cycle improvement, and coding and documentation review. “We are not ‘cookie-cutter,’ and our guidance is based on actual results, achieved in real practices,” Zupko says, adding that the consulting team includes nurses, former practice administrators, and physicians who have led practices and delivered patient care. Most have been with the firm for a decade or more. “Ours is not a ‘consultant du jour’ model,” Zupko insists. “Our client base has been built over the long-term through relationship marketing and a long standing commitment to the physicians we serve.”

We are not ‘cookie-cutter,’ and our guidance is based on actual results, achieved in real practices

KZA primarily works with surgical specialties, including orthopaedics, otolaryngology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, general surgery and vascular surgery. The firm also works with dermatology, interventional pain, and critical care providers. In addition to their advisory work with physicians, Zupko and her colleagues are frequently invited to speak at national meetings. “We don’t bore people into learning!” she quips. “Our entertaining, solution-focused sessions cover topics that range from practice technology and marketing to strategies for developing a profitable practice.”

Trusted Coding Educators and Auditors

KZA is trusted by specialty society partners, physicians, health systems, and academic medical centers to deliver ethical coding and documentation courses. Whether it’s a regional workshop or an on-site course, KZA coding programs are led by nationally recognized educators. The firm’s high ethical and quality assurance standards ensure physicians and their teams receive the most complete and accurate advice available. KZA is also a trusted choice for documentation review and auditing services.

A Bias for Action

Clients appreciate the KZA team’s ability to zero in quickly on problems and provide an action-oriented approach to addressing them. As one administrator put it, “KZA opened our eyes to a lot of things that we didn't know. And, they brought more awareness to things that we probably did know, but didn't realize the importance of. KZA really helped reshape the way our practice runs on a daily basis.” A mainstay of the firm’s advice is its delivery of tools and action plans, and consultant accessibility during the throes of change. “We don’t abandon our clients,” Zupko says. “We’re available to support their implementation and success.”

KZA works with physician groups of all sizes, including private practice, hospital employed, and and academic practice. The company is also engaged by hospitals, healthcare attorneys, and industry to work with or educate physician constituents and clients.