Hospital Case Management – February 1, 2007
February 1, 2007
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Help your patients make decisions about end-of-life issues
Hospital case managers and social workers are in a perfect position to help patients and family members come to terms with end-of-life decisions before they are in a crisis situation, asserts Catherine M. Mullahy, RN, BS, CRRN, CCM. -
Take stock of successes, avoid compassion fatigue
Health care professional who work with dying patients should be protective of themselves, take comfort in how they have helped patients and families, and seek support from their coworkers in dealing with the emotions that death and dying stir up, says Elizabeth Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, based in Washington, DC. -
Patients flow seamlessly from hospital to hospice
Summa Health System in Akron, OH, takes an interdisciplinary approach to the care of terminally ill patients, providing seamless support across the continuum of care, says Diane Siddall, RN, CHPN, case manager with Hospice of Summa. -
Palliative care addresses medical, emotional issues
A palliative care program has resulted in better symptom control and pain management, decreases in length of stay for patients, and potential cost savings for Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, TN. -
Critical Path Network: Central admissions process improves patient care
At Central DuPage Hospital, a dedicated team of nurses, called patient admission coordinators, manage the admission of all patients. -
Critcal Path Network: Help your hospital with CMS' 'inpatient only' list
As a hospital-based case manager, you're in a position to help your hospital avoid possible revenue loss by ensuring that Medicare patients who receive surgery at your facility are scheduled as inpatients if the procedure is on the "inpatient-only" list developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). -
Critical Path Network: Watch for Medicare discharge notice change
Beginning on July 1, hospitals will be required to give Medicare patients a notice of their right to appeal their discharge within two days of admission, answer any questions, and then obtain the signature of the patient or his or her representative. -
Critical Path Network: CMS expands preventive service coverage
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has expanded coverage for preventive services such as diabetes screening. Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, CMS is increasing payments for services that affect people with diabetes. -
Critical Path Network: Joint Commission posts potential NPSGs for review
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has posted potential 2008 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) requirements and implementation expectations for field review by home care agencies. -
Palliative care unit tailors care to whole patient
The acute palliative care unit at Summa Health System's Akron City Hospital takes a holistic approach to meeting the needs of patients with advanced complex illnesses and their families. -
Access Management Quarterly: ED, primary care clinic pilot program for uninsured
A pilot program under way in Tucson, AZ, aims to direct uninsured patients who show up for care in the hospital emergency department to a nearby primary and specialty care clinic where they can find an ongoing medical home, says Nancy Johnson, RN, PhD(c), executive director of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Clinic. -
Access Management Quarterly: Hospitals told: Don't delay in getting ready for NPIs
Failure to adequately prepare for the advent of the National Provider Identifier (NPI) will have a significant impact on provider reimbursement, says Beth Keith, CHAM, senior management consultant for ACS Healthcare Solutions.