Fargo based Eide Bailly, LLP, one of the Top 20 CPA firms in the U.S., is expanding its health care practice by adding hospital billing services to its service mix. The new service area comes from acquiring an arm of Banner Health Systems, which closed its Fargo operations in March, 2002.

Similar to the services currently provided to physician clients, Eide Bailly's Hospital Billing Service line acts as a back office billing center for hospitals that do not have their own internal business office.

Services to be performed by the new Hospital Billing Service area include:

• Billing collections
• Insurance processing
• Administration of self-pay, patient statements, electronic claims and billing inquiries

"This is an excellent opportunity for us," says Chris Champ, director of the Firm's Health Care practice. "... it was a natural extension for our practice.

In acquiring the new practice area, the firm also acquired the related Patient Information & Control System (PICS) software system, and adds sixteen new staff members to its team.