Karen Schechter

Director and Assistant Professor of Healthcare Management and Health Administration Programs
Walker College of Health Professions

Academic Bio

As director and assistant professor of healthcare management and health administration programs at Maryville, Karen Schechter, RHIA, MBA, CMPE, oversees the development and implementation of the online Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Management and the new online Master of Health Administration program. Professor Schechter is the owner and senior healthcare advisor of Schechter Healthcare Advisors, LLC, which provides physicians and hospitals with practical solutions to address the ever-changing healthcare environment.

In both this role and as a professor of healthcare management/administration at Maryville, Professor Schechter draws from her 30 years of experience in healthcare management and consulting. She has focused on operations, revenue cycle management, medical practice transitions, quality-performance measurement, and project management. Previously, she served as group administrator of medical specialties at St. Anthony’s Physician Organization in St. Louis, and she spent 14 years as director of healthcare services at Stone Carlie & Co., where she directed marketing efforts for the healthcare services group, provided consulting services, and participated in the client service planning process.

Professor Schechter earned her Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management from Saint Louis University. She has developed a deep expertise in a number of areas within healthcare, including the implementation of quality-performance metrics programs, population health management, compliance, strategic planning and physician integration, and electronic medical records systems.

Classes Taught:

HCPM 490: Healthcare Management Practicum and Seminar
HEPR 108: Medical Terminology

Areas of Expertise:

  • Strategic planning/physician integration
  • Practice management
  • Quality-performance metrics program development and implementation
  • Population health management
  • Process improvement and organizational and staffing assessments
  • Profit improvement and cost controls
  • Compliance
  • Revenue cycle reviews
  • EMR/PMS selection and implementation
  • Practice startups/transitions
  • Project management

Notable Publications and Speaking Engagements:

  • Featured in St. Louis Business Journal’s 2007 “Partners in Healthcare”
  • Guest speaker at seminars on topics including developing and implementing compliance plans, process improvement, career development, revenue cycle management, medicare fraud and abuse, what to look for when joining a new practice, E&M documentation and coding, developing referrals, internal controls, etc. for St. Louis MGMA, Missouri MGMA, National Society of Healthcare Business Consultants, Healthcare Billing & Management Association, Greater St. Louis HFMA, American Society of Appraisers, Physician Leadership Institute
  • Presenter at 2007-08 American Educational Institute Physician CPE program
  • Author of quarterly practice management column for the American Medical Association’s American Medical News from 1997-2007
  • “Case Mix and DRG Management” (1989)
  • Hospital Software Source Book (an Aspen Publication)
  • “Conversion Issues and Data Integrity: A Consultant’s Perspective” (1988)
  • Topics in Health Record Management (an Aspen Publication)
  • “Setting the Records Straight”  (1987)
  • Business Age

Contact Info

Phone: 314-529-6593

Email: kschechter@maryville.edu

Office: Walker Hall 153B