Recognizing our fallen fellow healthcare workers.
Today I would like to take a moment to recognize Jacqueline Pokuaa and Annette Flowers, who were shot and killed at Methodist Dallas Medical Center on Oct. 22. Jacqueline was a social worker covering the women and infant unit, and Annette was one of the mom-baby nurses. My heart goes out to their families and staff at Methodist Dallas who continue to come to work in the aftermath of such a tragic event.
On social media you can see various healthcare workers placing the RN symbol with a line through it, as a recognition of and honor to our fallen fellow healthcare workers. This event is tragic, and unfortunately, no longer unique. In June, a disgruntled patient opened fire in a Tulsa, Oklahoma hospital, killing three healthcare workers and a relative of a patient.
This past March, the American Hospital Association (AHA) published an open letter to the Attorney General requesting support and additional protections, in response to increasing violence against healthcare workers. At that time, 44 percent of nurses reported physical violence and 68 percent reported verbal abuse since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The AHA pleaded for federal regulations to support healthcare workers, which would place them under similar protections as flight crews and airport workers.
On June 7, U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) and Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) introduced to the House Judiciary Committee the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act, H.R. 7961. This Act would establish legal penalties for assaulting or intimidating hospital employees. In particular, the SAVE Act would establish federal criminal penalties for those who knowingly assault and intimidate hospital employees. Additionally, the bill authorizes $25 million in grant funding over 10 years to reduce violence and intimidation in hospitals. These funds would be approved to be used for training, law-enforcement coordination in healthcare settings, and technology support, such as cameras or metal detectors. To date, this bill is still sitting at the House of Representatives awaiting a vote.
Today I ask, have you seen a change in security presence at your organization since the increased violence in hospitals across the country unfolded? Â Â The responses from the Monitor Mondays Listeners Survey may surprise you; they can be viewed here.
Programming Note: Listen to Tiffany Ferguson’s live reporting on the SDoH every Monday on Monitor Mondays at 10 a.m. EST.
References:
https://www.aaos.org/globalassets/advocacy/action-center/2022-issue-one-page—save-act.pdf
Imagine receiving notice that your healthcare organization faces a potential multimillion-dollar repayment demand based on the review of just 100 claims. This scenario, playing out
Some of you may have read my article from last week kindly published as a special bulletin. For those who did not, let me recap.
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Physician queries are essential for accurate documentation and claims data, but they are increasingly scrutinized by payors, leading to denials and revenue leakage. This webcast, led by industry expert Cheryl Ericson, RN, MS, CCDS, CDIP, provides actionable strategies to craft compliant queries, reduce denials, and enhance revenue integrity. Attendees will gain insights into clinical validation queries, how to avoid common pitfalls, and learn best practices to defend against query denials. Don’t miss this opportunity to refine your query process and protect your organization’s financial health.
Master the complexities of heart failure coding with this expert-led webcast by Emily Montemayor, CCS, CMBCS, COC, CPC, CPMA. Discover strategies to ensure compliance with ICD-10-CM guidelines, documentation integrity, and capture comorbidities like CKD and hypertension. Learn how to resolve coding challenges, improve documentation practices, and submit clean claims to minimize denials and safeguard your organization’s financial health. With practical insights and real-world examples, this session equips you to prevent revenue leakage, enhance compliance, and secure optimal reimbursement—all while supporting better patient outcomes.
Prepare your organization for the 2025 OPPS updates with expert insights from Tiffani Bouchard, CCS, CRCR, a Revenue Integrity Professional with over 30 years of experience. This webcast will address critical challenges in charge capture and coding, providing clarity on APC policies, C-APC packaging, exclusions, and payer-specific requirements. Attendees will learn actionable strategies to ensure compliance, optimize reimbursement, and mitigate risks of claim denials. Gain the knowledge needed to implement updates effectively, educate your team, and maintain seamless revenue cycle operations in the face of evolving OPPS complexities.
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Dr. Ronald Hirsch dives into the basics of Medicare for clinicians to be successful as utilization review professionals. He’ll break down what Medicare does and doesn’t pay for, what services it provides and how hospitals get paid for providing those services – including both inpatient and outpatient. Learn how claims are prepared and how much patients must pay for their care. By attending our webcast, you will gain a new understanding of these issues and be better equipped to talk to patients, to their medical staff, and to their administrative team.
Hospitals face growing challenges in measuring observation metrics due to inconsistencies in classification, payer policies, and benchmarking practices. Join Tiffany Ferguson, LMSW, CMAC, ACM, and Anuja Mohla, DO, FACP, MBA, ACPA-C, CHCQM-PHYADV as they provide critical insights into refining observation metrics. This webcast will address key issues affecting observation data integrity and offer strategies for improving consistency in reporting. You will learn how to define meaningful metrics, clarify commonly misinterpreted terms, and apply best practices for benchmarking, and gain actionable strategies to enhance observation data reliability, mitigate financial risk, and drive better decision-making.
The 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule brings significant changes to payment rates, coverage, and coding for physician services, impacting practices nationwide. Join Stanley Nachimson, MS., as he provides a comprehensive guide to understanding these updates, offering actionable insights on new Medicare-covered services, revised coding rules, and payment policies effective January 1. Learn how to adapt your practices to maintain compliance, maximize reimbursement, and plan for revenue in 2025. Whether you’re a physician, coder, or financial staff member, this session equips you with the tools to navigate Medicare’s evolving requirements confidently and efficiently.
Dr. Ronald Hirsch provides critical details on the new Medicare Appeal Process for Status Changes for patients whose status changes during their hospital stay. He also delves into other scenarios of hospital patients receiving custodial care or medically unnecessary services where patient notifications may be needed along with the processes necessary to ensure compliance with state and federal guidance.
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