Dr. Rita Abella’s path to entrepreneurship began in healthcare years ago when she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh. After starting as a NICU nurse, she pursued her master’s degree from Duquesne University and eventually moved into healthcare management. She became the youngest Director of Nursing in the State of Pennsylvania. In 2012, Dr. Abella received her PhD in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University and began working with the World Health Organization. Her journey, marked by challenges and dedication, led her to her current role as CEO and Owner of Complete Medical Billing Solutions, LLC, located in White Plains, MD. The company recently earned recognition as one of “The Best 5 Medical Billing Solution Providers of 2024,” and plans to train others through a workforce development program in Charles County.
Dr. Abella’s journey took a pivotal turn when a motorcycle accident involving her 5-year-old son brought her family to Maryland for his treatment. While staying with relatives, she began working as a nurse at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital, quickly rising to the position of Director of Nursing.
A fascination with statistics and numbers during her studies for a master’s degree in public health led her to explore the complexities of healthcare reimbursement and the medical billing process. Later, her experience as a practice manager at a dermatology center further solidified her interest in the financial side of healthcare.
A Transition to Entrepreneurship
Dr. Abella’s entrepreneurial spirit first emerged while working at the World Health Organization, where she found herself answering doctors’ billing questions outside of regular work hours and weekends. This sparked the idea to charge a consulting fee for her expertise.
Abella says, “I was in Washington, D.C., and I was teaching because I love to teach. I was teaching medical billing and coding, and I was outside talking to one of my students, and a gentleman from CVS Pharmacy asked, ‘Do you teach billing and coding?’ I said ‘yes’. He asked me if I could give him five minutes of my time.” CVS had just started flu shots, but they didn’t know how to bill them. He had a backload of shots that needed to be billed to insurance companies, and they didn’t know what to do. He said, “Why don’t you develop a program for us. We will pay you.” She didn’t know what to charge and asked how much he thought was available. She said, “Give me 10%.” That’s how she started billing, and Abella says, “I started realizing this was something I could do,” unknowingly launching Complete Medical Billing Solutions.
In order for CVS to pay her, Abella had to formalize her business and register for a Tax ID number, which meant she had to come up with a business name. That’s when Complete Medical Billing Solutions was officially born. Despite teaching medical billing, she realized she needed formal certifications to grow her business. She focused on earning certifications specific to various areas of healthcare billing, including for hospitals, private practices, and urgent care centers.
Balancing a Side Business and Full-Time Job
While building her business on the side, Abella maintained her full-time job to ensure financial stability. Abella says, “I had to make sure I was going to make my bills. Billing was just play money.” However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the medical practice she was working for full time closed, it caused her to depend solely on the “side billing jobs” she held, transforming her business into a full-time venture. She says, “I still had doctors who were seeing patients with telehealth, and they needed billing. So, at that point, the doctors I was billing for were referring clients to me asking for help. That’s how I started building up my clientele.”
Limited internet in Hughesville led her to White Plains, where she found reliable service to manage her growing clientele. On October 1, 2024, Dr. Abella and her husband purchased a building in Waldorf, which they are currently renovating.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
One of the significant challenges Abella faced while building her company was balancing her full-time job with her entrepreneurial aspirations. She says, “The biggest challenge was trying to give 100 percent while still working full time. I knew that I couldn’t give my full attention to growing my practice because I had full-time employment.” Overcoming this challenge required immense dedication and strategic planning, ultimately allowing her to transition fully into her role as the CEO.
Abella credits much of her growth to the Charles County Economic Development Department’s BGAP program. “That program changed my life,” she says. “I learned the behaviors in myself that were holding me back from making my business better. I learned the business side of it. I started with side jobs, but when I expanded and had all these companies I was billing for, it was still not a business-focused business.” She learned how to use cash flow to increase her rates and recognize the value of her services. Instead of just saying “Oh, we can do x, y, z for you,” she learned to say, “I’m the CEO and this is what I bring to the table.”
She learned to market her business and share the value it offers. That is evident when she says, “We make doctors feel better. You do the healing, we do the billing,” reflecting the company’s dedication to supporting healthcare providers so they can focus on patient care.
The Next Chapter
Abella’s vision for the future of her company is one of continued growth and innovation. As they expand their training and certification programs, they will play a pivotal role in meeting the increasing demand for skilled professionals in the medical billing industry.
One initiative is to develop a certification course in Charles County for billing and coding. This course will be designed to be accessible to individuals participating in unemployment programs, returning citizens, and those who are underemployed. She is also developing a course for physicians, “Where Is My Money?” that will help doctors understand the business side of their practice, cash flow, and revenue management.
Her business is now fully credentialed to bid for government contracts. According to Abella, there are millions of dollars in contracts with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), which brings potential economic impact to Charles County as it helps local healthcare providers.
Abella’s journey from nurse to CEO offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs in the healthcare industry. She stresses the importance of continuing education and building strong relationships with providers and community. By staying true to their core values and embracing technological advancements, Complete Medical Bill Solutions is set to lead the healthcare billing industry and make a lasting impact on our local economy.
For information and resources that support entrepreneurship in Charles County, view our Entrepreneurship page.
