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In an effort to improve transitions of care, the nurse care coordinators at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston make follow-up calls to patients who have been discharged, identify problems and solve them, and answer questions the patients may have about medication, symptoms, or their discharge plan.
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If you aren't complying with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements for issuing Hospital Issued Notices of Noncoverage (HINNs) and documenting them well, your hospital could face severe repercussions down the road, according to Jackie Birmingham, RN, MS, CMAC, vice president of regulatory monitoring for Curaspan Health Group, a Newton, MA, health care technology and services firm.
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A researcher and pediatric physician who has studied insurance and immigration issues related to medical care has found that several myths create an emotional response that complicates the medical and political issue of who should pay for health care for undocumented immigrants.
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An effective and simple discharge checklist is the ideal tool for hospital nurses and others who handle the patient discharge process.
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When its population of uninsured patients increased as more people lost their jobs, Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, MI, developed a program to provide medication for people who can't otherwise afford it.
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Before the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) issued its first requests for data, Sharp HealthCare in San Diego assembled a committee of stakeholders to determine what the process would probably be like, how to track requests, how to ensure that the health system responded in a timely manner, and what the appeals process should be.
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After the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) demonstration project ended, participating hospitals began looking for ways to minimize their risk and resources when the permanent RACs are rolled out.
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Stephen A. Frew, JD, vice president and risk consultant with Johnson Insurance Services, a Madison, WI-based company specializing in risk management for health care professionals, says shift changes or "handoffs" in care often are associated with malpractice claims, typically for these three reasons:
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The electrocardiogram (ECG) and X-ray of a chest pain patient in his mid-50s were both normal when examined by the treating ED physician. However, the physician's shift ended before the patient's lab results were back.
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The ED at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, KS, has virtually eliminated ambulance diversion; there were two diversions in June. It also has reduced its rate of patients leaving without being treated from 12% to 4%.