AUGUST 28, 2013

Longtime Rural/Metro Billing Supervisor to be honored for saving lives in Arizona

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SCOTTSDALE – Rural/Metro’s Paramedics, EMTs and Firefighters are often recognized for the life-saving services they provide to patients throughout the nation.  It’s not often, however, that we make the connection between the Company’s billing teams and lives saved.

Wanda Tharp, Southwest Zone Prebill Supervisor, will accept a very special award next month when she is honored as Outstanding Medical Records Partner by the Donor Network of Arizona.
“We are so proud of Wanda for making such a wonderful contribution toward saving lives in Arizona,” said Kym Clift, Vice President, Revenue Cycle Management. “Her tireless work to help the Donor Network of Arizona identify viable organs makes it possible for transplant recipients to live.”

Donor Network of Arizona is the federally designated, not-for-profit, organ procurement organization for the state of Arizona and a tissue and eye recovery organization.  It serves five organ transplant centers in Arizona with the combined capacity to perform heart, lung, kidney, pancreas and liver transplants.

Rural/Metro Compliance Officer Brandy Miller explained that Donor Network of Arizona approached Rural/Metro several years ago for assistance in accessing critical patient care and treatment information necessary to evaluate potential candidates for organ or tissue donation.  Without a quick response to these requests, transplants may not take place.

“Wanda has been very important to this process, and her efforts have been part of numerous transplant procedures,” Miller continued. “She has really taken this to heart, and the partnership with Donor Network of Arizona continues to work because she knows that when requests are received, they are critically time-sensitive.  She stops what she’s doing every time to identify a record and provide it quickly to the transplant evaluation team.”

Tharp, who has been a member of the Rural/Metro team since 1995, said she is deeply honored to receive the award.  “I was very surprised and very appreciative to be recognized for what I do. I know the Donor Network’s priority is to locate vital organs quickly, that’s why I go above and beyond. Someone’s life depends on it.”