CDME puts ‘stamp on’ Noel Neil’s hard work 

YARMOUTH, Maine – With years of experience in billing, auditing, appeals and regulatory compliance, Noel Neil, JM, CDME, says being named the 2023 Certificant of the Year by The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) is validation of his hard work – and the value of certifications. 

Neil, vice president of auditing and corporate compliance at ACU-Serve, spoke with HME News recently about the “humbling” honor and how, with a certification, “you’re starting right out of the gate.” 

HME News: Why did you decide to get CDME certification? 

Noel Neil: From the perspective of a credential, there’s certified fitters and there's ATPs and those are specific to certain product categories. When you think of the CDME, it covers the wide spectrum of things that impact billing or compliance with the intake process, and a little bit of operations. So, I aligned myself with that because I wanted to validate the knowledge that (I’ve obtained) throughout the years. I figured what better way to put a stamp on that. 

HME: Why are certifications and accreditations important? 

Neil: Anytime you're dealing with any business relationship, everyone wants to know that they're working with someone that is doing things legally, ethically and correctly in the best way possible. I think accreditation shows that a provider at least has certain standards that they're going by, with a code of ethics and conduct. You know that you're starting right out of the gate with someone that has gone through that rigorous process. 

HME: What does earning this honor mean to you? 

Neil: BOC is a phenomenal organization that is doing amazing work in the industry. It’s really a humbling feeling to be the first CDME to be selected for this prestigious award that I've always admired and never thought I'd be considered for. It invigorates me even more to continue to do more and to continue to advocate on (behalf) of beneficiaries and providers for a sustainable industry.