What does the accounting department do for you and your programs?
Through the years many staff have wondered, “What does the accounting department do?”
The only relationship the majority of staff has with the accounting department is in regards to their paycheck and mileage and expense reimbursement. If you don’t receive either one of these and you are expecting it, then you make a call to us. But we do so much more! We perform many functions that are integral to your program and contribute to the agency’s success.
There are 3 separate areas under the accounting umbrella:
- General accounting
- Revenue cycle (billing)
- Facilities
Of the three areas, Facilities is likely the one with which you are most familiar. This group of employees is charged with keeping our facilities and grounds clean, and in good repair as well as purchasing products for use by clients and staff in our facilities. Our facilities manager, Peter Ziegler, also handles and serves as the general contractor on some of our major projects such as the Level 5 TFC shift staff home. FCC owns 6 buildings and 3 rental locations and Peter and his team manages all of these sites. Even with approximately 8.0 (FTE’s) facility staff, all our locations and vehicle management keeps them quite busy as evidenced by the work orders that continually roll in.
The Revenue Cycle or billing department consists of a group of 4.0 (FTE’s) staff, responsible for daily, weekly, and monthly billing of program services and the corresponding follow up as needed to ensure we receive the maximum payments allowed. Becky Lubinsky, our Revenue Cycle Supervisor, built the billing component in Procentive and works not only with her staff, but others to learn and use the system. With all of our programs plus constant changes in billing regulations, this is no easy feat!
The accounting department consists of 3.6 (FTE’S) staff. (I have included myself in this number although I work within, and oversee, the above areas as well.) This group of staff handles any and everything related to the financial matters of the agency. The following is in no particular order:
- Process bi-weekly payroll, HSA (Health Savings Accounts), 401K, cafeteria and state withholding payments
- Quarterly Payroll and Unemployment Tax Reporting
- Year end W2 and 1099 Reporting
- Process weekly agency Accounts Payable
- Process Accounts Payable several times monthly for the La Crosse Community Support (CSP) program
- Daily Cash/Check/EFT (Electronic Funds) Deposits – both to the bank and posting activity to our financial software system
- Prepare financial reports for several agency programs
- Prepare monthly financial statements for management and Board
- Prepare annual agency program budgets with supervisors
- Manage agency general, property, liability, and Worker’s Compensation insurance
- Prepare budgets for RFP’s(Request for Proposal) from various funding entities
- Responsible for the annual agency, 401K, and Worker’s Compensation audits
- Responsible for other audits as they arise; LAB (Legislative Audit Bureau), and SSA (Social Security Administration) to name a few
- Rate Regulation Reporting and compliance for our Wisconsin Out of Home Care programs (Residential, Group Home, and Treatment Foster Care)
- Rate Regulation reporting and compliance for Hiawatha Hall, a treatment facility in Winona for chronically mentally ill adults
- Reconcile bank accounts and agency asset and liability accounts monthly
- Ongoing assessments of programming with agency supervisors
- Maintain compliance with GAAP ( Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), OMB (Office of Management and Budget) federal regulations as well as any state requirements such as the Wisconsin Allowable Cost Policy
- Manage submission of Program Contracts
- Work with development for proper recording of all agency donations
This list is not all inclusive but gives you a general idea of what we do. We are always available to answer questions that program staff have about any of these functions so that programs operate successfully. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact me at extension 293.