Tampa, FL (July 8, 2011) — Sandra Cadena, PhD, ARNP, CS, CNE of the University of South Florida College of Nursing, has been appointed to the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel on Psychological and Psychiatric Services. This panel, along with other specialty panels, is charged with recommending CPT changes to the American Medical Association.

Dr. Cadena, assistant professor and director of the Center for Global Health, was nominated to sit on this national body as the nursing member by both the American Nurses Association and the America Psychiatric Nurses Association. The CPT codes for psychological and psychiatric services have not been updated since 1995.

Dr. Sandra Cadena

“I am very proud that Dr. Sandra Cadena, a USF nursing faculty member, was chosen to serve on this CPT panel,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, RN, PhD, FAAN, senior associate vice president for USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing. “This is great recognition of Dr. Cadena’s expertise in psychiatric mental health to be chosen to represent the nursing profession on this important national committee. Health care reform is a reality in this country, and Dr. Cadena will be on the front lines with other national leaders helping us to make the right choices.”

The American Medical Association is the official source for CPT, the industry standard for medical nomenclature used to report medical procedures and services under public and private health insurance programs. CPT is maintained by several specialty editorial panels that meet three times a year to discuss issues associated with new and emerging technologies as well as difficulties encountered with procedures and services and their relation to CPT codes.

“CPT codes may be more familiar to people as the five digit codes healthcare providers use when billing to your insurance companies,” Dr. Cadena said. “Their use mandates uniformity in naming medical procedures and services that is so important to insure that billing is done correctly. I am deeply honored to be chosen to be a part of this important effort.”

As health care changes new codes are developed for new services and current codes may be revised or removed as recommended by the CPT Editorial Boards. Thousands of codes are in use, and they are updated regularly. The AMA publishes guides and manuals that are used by insurance companies, clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare providers nationwide.

USF Health

USF Health is dedicated to creating a model of health care based on understanding the full spectrum of health. It includes the University of South Florida’s colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. Ranked 34th in federal research expenditures for public universities by the National Science Foundation, the University of South Florida is a high impact global research university dedicated to student success.

Media contact:
Ashlea Hudak, USF College of Nursing Communications
(813) 396-9642, or ahudak@health.usf.edu