-
Frustrated patients, core measures that require timely intervention, and optimizing house beds. Those are the issues Bay Medical Center in Panama City, FL, decided it was going to deal when it hired a consultant in 2008.
-
As a result of a joint initiative to improve bed capacity, Fort Sanders Regional Hospital and Parkwest Hospital in Tennessee reduced discharge delays, increased discharges between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. by 8%, and consequently reduced the amount of time patients in the emergency department wait for inpatient beds from 70 minutes to less than 30 minutes.
-
Cuts in reimbursement and new reporting of quality measures contained in the proposed rule for the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) make it more important than ever for documentation to be accurate and complete, says Deborah Hale, CCS, president of Administrative Consultant Services LLC, a health care consulting firm based in Shawnee, OK.
-
Improved communication, coordination, and collaboration among all members of the treatment team is the key to improving patient throughput, says Roxanne Tackett, RN, MBA, vice presidential of clinical services for Compirion Healthcare Solutions, a health care consulting firm with headquarters in Elk Grove, WI.
-
As hospitals face cuts in reimbursement and patients who become insured under health care reform legislation seek care, moving patients safely and quickly through the continuum of care is going to become important, experts say.
-
Have you ever been put into the uncomfortable position of being asked for confidential health information about an employee by a senior leader or administrator? Be ready for this "sticky situation," as it may violate patient privacy regulations, says Patricia B. Strasser, PhD, RN, COHN-S/CM, FAAOHN, principal of Partners in BusinessHealth Solutions in Toledo, OH.
-
Depression isn't typically the first complaint a worker presents to their occupational health professional. In fact, an employee is likely to conceal this from you.
-
When patients do not have a payer source for the post-acute services they need, you may be putting providers at risk of fraud if you work with them to provide free or voluntary services, warns Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq.
-
A collaborative effort between Keystone Mercy Health Plan and local hospitals to provide care coordination for Medicaid members is helping reduce health care gaps and emergency department and inpatient utilization.
-
The unauthorized release of employee health information can result in civil, and sometimes criminal, liability under both federal and state laws. For example, covered individuals under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) face civil fines ranging from $100 to $25,000, depending on one's level of intent. Criminal penalties include fines ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to 10 years.
