Blog
Through our blog we hope to provide information and insight to assist leadership in the overall strategic direction and execution of operations, particularly as it applies to community healthcare providers.
Cultivating Trust: Why This Is the Most Important Job of Any New Hospital Leader
Posted on December 01, 2020
Whether a hospital leader’s exit is expected or not, uncertainty is sure to follow. While the new leader, either an interim or permanent executive, will likely have numerous issues to deal with right from the start, there’s one that rises above the rest in importance, and that’s cultivating trust.
Do’s and Don’ts for Managing a Regulatory Survey
Posted on November 17, 2020
On top of all the other challenges rural hospitals face is a surprise survey. On any given day, a regulator from CMS, OSHA, the Joint Commission, or the state can show up unannounced at a hospital or other healthcare facility to conduct a survey.
Getting Ready for E/M Coding Changes
Posted on November 11, 2020
The coding and documentation requirements for evaluation and management (E/M) of office and outpatient services are set for a big change. Starting Jan. 1, 2021, physicians can decide whether to code E/M visits by medical decision-making or by total time, including nonpatient-facing activities, such as looking at past medical records, talking to other physicians and even talking to the patient’s family.
Is Your Rural Hospital Ready for a Disaster?
Posted on November 02, 2020
Since 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requires healthcare facilities to comply with certain emergency preparedness requirements. These were revised in 2019, and the revisions were a net positive for hospitals and ambulatory treatment locationsthat now have fewer paperwork requirements related to their emergency preparedness plans and drills.
What Should Rural Hospital Boards Be Doing Now?
Posted on October 29, 2020
The challenge of the ongoing COVID-10 pandemic adds to many well-entrenched challenges that rural hospitals face, including a patient population that typically skews older and shows higher incidents of heart disease, cancer, and addiction to opioids.
Tips for Keeping Your Swing Bed Program Survey Ready
Posted on October 21, 2020
Despite the fact that swing beds were first authorized in 1980, there have been considerable changes to the program in just the past few years. The Conditions of Participation (CoPs) changed substantially in October 2018, a new reimbursement model for PPS hospitals with a distinct part swing bed unit was released in 2019, followed by more changes just this past February.
Why Rural Practices Need to Think Outside the Box for Care Coordination Staffing
Posted on October 13, 2020
Chronic care management is care coordination services done outside of a regular office visit for Medicare patients with more than one chronic condition. These services, which are typically not face-to-face, allow medical practices to bill for at least 20 minutes or more of care coordination services per month. There are two sets of billing codes for CCM
Understanding the Hospital Board’s Role in the Credentialing and Privileging Process
Posted on September 30, 2020
Do you know who’s responsible for determining if a physician is qualified to practice at your hospital? If you’re scrambling trying to think of one person’s name, you’re on the wrong track. The reality is, credentialing and privileging is a mutual process, and it takes a strong partnership of the medical staff, the medical executive committee and the hospital board to get right.
Innovations in Treating Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Areas: The Team-Based Model of Care
Posted on September 10, 2020
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has spurred the healthcare industry toward more innovative ways of providing patient care. Telehealth, for instance, has seen strong adoption rates in recent months, thanks in part to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ investment in telehealth services as part of the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations (CARES) Act.
5 Ways a Hospital Can Help—or Hinder—the Interim Selection Process
Posted on August 31, 2020
A “right fit” interim often is offered the permanent position—but rarely do they take it. Mike Lieb, vice president, interim services, for HealthTechS3, estimates fewer than 5% of interim leaders choose to stay in their roles: “Most of these leaders enjoy the flexibility of interim work.”