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What exactly is the job outlook for nurses?
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareAs 2014 begins, there is a great deal of discussion regarding the job prospects for nurses, especially those just entering the profession. With confusing opinions and projections about the reality of a nursing shortage in the United States, nursing students and recent graduates are understandably concerned.
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Stage 2 meaningful use readiness a growing concern
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationA survey recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found there has been tremendous growth in electronic health record use in the U.S. over the past several years, thanks in part to the meaningful use incentive program. But there may be a speed bump in the road to a connected healthcare system as the meaningful use program enters its second stage.
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Clinical performance measures and the locum tenens physician
Di Hall Medical & Allied HealthcareThe Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, is not only changing how the American public accesses health insurance, but also how healthcare services are reimbursed. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has responsibility under the law to lower Medicare reimbursement to hospitals based on quality measures — moving from "fee-for-service" to "pay-for-quality." This is done not only to improve the quality of care to patients, but also to increase savings and decrease unfavorable clinical outcomes.
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Resistance is futile: Why you should embrace ICD-10
Charlotte Bohnett Healthcare AdministrationThe thought of transitioning to ICD-10 and its 68,000 diagnosis codes might have you shaking in your boots. You might also be doing anything in your power to deny the inevitable — possibly to the point of eschewing any of the noted benefits of ICD-10. But before you pooh-pooh 10 and say ICD-9 is just fine, hear me — and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — out. Look at all these drawbacks of ICD-9.
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Emergency department observation units: A double-edged sword?
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareWhat emergency department (ED) wouldn't like millions of dollars in cost savings? Theoretically, this could happen by keeping selected patients under observation in a dedicated hospital unit with defined protocols. The issue has been that many patients seeking ED treatment are clearly not well enough for immediate discharge yet are not sick enough to be admitted.
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Corporate asset protection: Shielding your practice from lawsuits, threats…
David B. Mandell, JD, MBA, and Jason M. O'Dell, MS, CWM Healthcare AdministrationAs we discussed in Part I of this article, in attempting to protect an ongoing practice or healthcare business against lawsuits and potential creditor threats, most leave much to be desired. They may rely too heavily on insurance, have suboptimal corporate structures in place and even unknowingly miss out on significant tax advantages.
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Drug information education for practicing physicians: Part II
Mike Wokasch PharmaceuticalAs mentioned in my previous post, the recent announcement that GlaxoSmithKline would no longer pay physicians to do educational or promotional speaking about disease and prescription drugs got me thinking about the state of physician education, especially as it pertains to drug information. We talked about eliminating the potential for drug company bias and influence on physician prescribing practice by essentially "cleansing" the drug information development process of any financial support from drug companies.
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How to navigate the politics of medicine
Karen Childress Healthcare AdministrationThere are plenty of doctors who willingly — even excitedly — take on leadership roles that land them squarely in the middle of all kinds of interesting and challenging encounters within an organization. Thank goodness for them, because someone needs to be on the front line advocating for patients and members of the medical staff.
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New contractor for insurance exchange website faces quite a challenge
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationAfter its three-year contract to build the federal health insurance exchange website culminated in a launch full of glitches and bad press, CGI Federal did not receive a contract renewal. Instead, the federal government is putting its faith — and more than $45 million — in Arlington, Va.-based Accenture Federal Services to oversee the HealthCare.gov website.
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Survey: ICD-10 preparedness lacking
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationAs the deadline for switching to ICD-10 code sets inches closer, concern is growing that neither healthcare organizations nor insurers will be ready to go live by October. A survey by KPMG, a New York-based healthcare advisory firm, found the majority of health plans and providers have allocated budgets toward ICD-10 readiness and had completed impact assessments. But most had not yet conducted testing on their systems or determined how the conversion would impact revenue cycle and cash flow.
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