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.
QAPI Is Coming to Critical-Access Hospitals—What You Need to Know Now
Posted on February 19, 2020
It’s been more than four years in the making, but starting next year—March 30, 2021, to be exact—critical access hospitals will be required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to meet new quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI) requirements as a condition of their participation in Medicare.
Adolescents, Patient Portals and Privacy—What You Need to Know
Posted on February 12, 2020
The proliferation of patient portals may have stemmed from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Meaningful Use requirements, but their multitude of benefits, from increased patient engagement to optimized office workflows, is the real driving force behind this now-ubiquitous healthcare technology tool.
Back to the Basics: Prioritize Health Promotion for Care Coordination Success
Posted on February 04, 2020
Health promotion is something we all learned in nursing school, but in the frenzied reality of today’s healthcare setting, the concept is an easy one to forget. How can you be proactive when you’re constantly being reactive?
New Discharge Planning Rules Put the Focus on Patients
Posted on January 28, 2020
A new discharge planning rule went into effect Nov. 29, 2019. While new regulations often have providers scrambling to prepare, this one shouldn’t be too heavy of a lift. That’s because a lot of the rule is about mandating what many rural hospitals and CAHs already do as part of their discharge planning process.
The Importance of Health Literacy in Rural and Critical Access Hospitals
Posted on January 22, 2020
How well do your patients understand doctor’s orders, prescription labels and disease pamphlets? While various definitions exist, health literacy is widely considered to be the “degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.”
Recent Changes to Swing-Bed Regulations: Here’s What You Need to Know
Posted on January 16, 2020
Swing beds were first authorized by Congress in 1980. For those keeping count, that was four decades ago! Given the long-standing nature of the program, one might think it would be set in stone by now.
The 2020 Physician Fee Schedule and Care Coordination: What You Need to Know
Posted on January 09, 2020
Advancing the practice of care coordination is a vital part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)’s 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule.
How Do Emotionally Intelligent CEOs Handle Power?
Posted on December 19, 2019
Some of history’s best leaders were bold, courageous, focused and insightful. But the power that comes along with being in charge can go unchecked if those qualities aren’t balanced by a set of traits now widely known as emotional intelligence.
Mastering the Building Blocks of Team-Based Care
Posted on December 11, 2019
As more provider organizations embrace team-based care as a way to achieve their value-based care goals and provide a better patient experience, they’re also discovering that successfully implementing team-based care is easier said than done. Siloed information, conflicting cultures, competing interests, breakdowns in communication—these and other barriers can make it difficult for teams to work together in the interest of patient care.
Critical Strategies for Interim Leaders
Posted on December 03, 2019
Interim leadership: It’s a big job, but somebody has to do it. And there’s too much at stake in healthcare today for an interim leader to simply keep the seat warm. It’s not uncommon for hospital boards to charge interim leaders with much more than maintaining the status quo while they search for the next permanent leader.