Melissa Calkins, BS, CSSBB

Compliance and Process Excellence Manager

With 17 years of experience in hospice care, 12 of which have been dedicated to quality and compliance, Melissa Calkins is a seasoned expert in regulatory adherence, policy development, and process improvement.  As part of Teleios Collaborative Network and Teleios Consulting Group, she has spent the past year and a half helping members and clients achieve excellence in quality and compliance. 

Melissa is a mentor to emerging quality and compliance professionals, coaching alongside subject matter specialists to provide strategic insights on regulations, policy changes, and project management.  She designs tailored resources for clinical and management teams, advocates for hospices in their interactions with EMR providers, and develops expertise in various EMR systems and hospice software solutions.

Highly experienced in external audits and all stages of appeals, Melissa reviews clinical eligibility summaries and offers best-practice feedback to enhance submissions and appeals.  She has been instrumental in helping hospices safeguard reimbursements and prevent recovery of previously reimbursed funds.  Passionate about clinical documentation, she spends significant time reviewing records and educating teams on regulatory requirements and best practices for eligibility documentation.

Committed to ongoing research in hospice regulations and policy shifts, Melissa stays attuned to the rapidly evolving landscape of hospice care. She remains a steadfast advocate for nonprofit organizations and a champion of preserving the original hospice philosophy, ensuring that compassionate, high-quality care remains at the forefront of the industry.

When she's not immersed in the world of quality and compliance, Melissa finds joy in spending time with her husband and their three children, whose ages range from toddlerhood to young adulthood.  Living in South Carolina, she embraces the natural beauty around her, enjoying kayaking, hiking, swimming, or simply soaking in the warmth of the sun and the lush greenery of the South.