Jennifer Searfoss, Esq, CPOM, CHCI, CMCS
Full Name
Jennifer Searfoss, Esq, CPOM, CHCI, CMCS
Speaker Bio
A recovering lawyer and federal lobbyist, Jennifer Searfoss brings her experience in grassroots activism to change the healthcare world as we know it. She is the principal consultant at Searfoss & Associates.
Jennifer was the Vice President of External Provider Relations for UnitedHealthcare, a Minnesota-based health insurance company. From 2007 to April 2011, she established and led the Provider Communications & Advocacy unit. This enterprise asset reviewed and approved communications for the commercial, Medicare and Medicaid participating providers in the UnitedHealthcare network. She also solicited direct feedback on how to improve payer operations from the physician and hospital community, which resulted in higher provider satisfaction rates with the national insurance company during her tenure at UnitedHealthcare.
Before going behind the iron curtain, Jennifer served as the External Relations Liaison for the Washington, DC-based Government Affairs Department of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). As the External Relations Liaison, Jennifer coordinated MGMA advocacy efforts with other specialties and medical organizations. She also was the Government Affairs Representative for the Eastern & Southern Sections. She began her work with MGMA in August of 2001.
Jennifer is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University teaching in the graduate Health Systems Administration programs. Jennifer received her undergraduate degree in health science and policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and law degree from the University of Maryland.
In 2007, The White House Project collected essays from hundreds of young women who want to be president. These essays, including Jennifer's, are featured in the book, "She's Out There: Essays by 35 Young Women Who Aspire to Lead the Nation: The Next Generation of Presidential Candidates." Jennifer's essay details how in 2006 she put her feet to the pavement and met voters. Receiving over 4000 votes, Jennifer was elected to a local post but later faced family obligations and had to make the painful decision to leave her local elected office. She has participated in several book tours and continues to speak about how women can and should be more engaged in the electoral process.
Jennifer is a Certified Medical Coding Specialist, Certified Healthcare Coding Instructor and Certified Practice Office Manager by the Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists.
Jennifer lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and fuzzy children Sirius the black cat, Atlas the Rottie, and Pressed for Time the Quarterhorse gelding.
You can follow Jen on Twitter @jsearfoss and find her on LinkedIn.