February marks Black History Month. As a news provider and publisher in the medical field for more than thirty years, we at MedLearn wish to seize upon the occasion to reflect on medical milestones and contributions from Black Americans.
The first Black American to practice medicine with a license was Dr. James McCune Smith, who earned his degree in 1837 and had to travel to Scotland for an education. He returned to the United States to practice medicine where he had been denied training. This remarkable man went on to publish a variety of articles in medical journals, including some refuting pseudoscientific racial theories. The first Black woman to practice with a license came a few decades later. Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler spent ten years as a nurse before becoming a physician. In 1883, she wrote the Book of Medical Discourses, a medical text considered to be the first of its kind written by a Black doctor, which focused on health and disease prevention in women and children, written specifically for nurses and mothers.
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, an early adapter of Lister and Pasteur’s sterilization techniques, performed one of the first successful open-heart surgeries in 1893. He did this to repair a stab wound. Dr. Williams did so without the benefit of blood transfusion technology. That technology, which is now common, began with the work of another Black American, Dr. Charles Drew. Dr. Drew, who went on to be a professor at Howard University, developed the storage of blood plasma in the beginning of the Second World War. Every year, four and a half million Americans now receive a transfusion. The work of these two visionary and incredibly skilled men has saved literally millions of lives.
The study of degenerative neurological conditions in America began in the 1890s, with the work of Boston University’s professor of pathology and neurology, Solomon Carter Fuller, the first Black psychiatrist in the United States. Dr. Alois Alzheimer selected him to work in his laboratory in Munich. Not only did Dr. Fuller translate Alzheimer’s work into English, he also authored the first comprehensive overview of what is now known as Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Jane Cooke Wright made history in many ways, but perhaps most of all by developing chemotherapy treatments for leukemia and lymphoma in the 1950s and 1960s. She also pioneered cancer research centered on tissue samples.
While not a physician, Otis Boykin’s work in electronics changed the world several times over, and without his research, the first implantable pacemaker would have been impossible.
The list of significant advances in medicine led by Black doctors and nurses is a long one, and a short article such as this can barely scratch the surface of the history. Learn more by clicking any of the above links to informative resources on this topic.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the healthcare industry, bringing significant advancements in clinical applications, patient care, and administrative efficiency. However, while much of the discussion
Last week I mused about how clinical validation queries do not appear to be keeping up with the volume of clinical validation denials. Perhaps one
Please log in to your account to comment on this article.
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.
Join Beth Wolf, MD, CPC, CCDS, for an in-depth webcast on the FY2025 spinal fusion MS-DRG updates. Discover key changes in DRG classification, understand impacts on documentation and CMI, and learn strategies to ensure compliance.
Join Angela Comfort, DBA, MBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, as she presents effective strategies to strengthen collaboration between CDI, coding, and quality departments in acute care hospitals. Angela will also share guidance on implementing cross-departmental meetings, using shared KPIs, and engaging leadership to foster a culture of collaboration. Attendees will gain actionable tools to optimize documentation accuracy, elevate quality metrics, and drive a unified approach to healthcare goals, ultimately enhancing both patient outcomes and organizational performance.
Optimize your outpatient clinical documentation and gain comprehensive knowledge from foundational practices to advanced technologies, ensuring improved patient care and organizational and financial success. This webcast bundle provides a holistic approach to outpatient CDI, empowering you to implement best practices from the ground up and leverage advanced strategies for superior results. You will gain actionable insights to improve documentation quality, patient care, compliance, and financial outcomes.
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.
Healthcare organizations face complex regulatory requirements under the No Surprises Act and Price Transparency rules. These policies mandate extensive fee disclosures across settings, and confusion is widespread—many hospitals remain unaware they must post every contracted rate. Non-compliance could lead to costly penalties, financial loss, and legal risks. Join David M. Glaser Esq. as he shows you how to navigate these regulations effectively.
Protect your facility from unwanted audits! Join Becky Jacobsen, BSN, RN, MBS, CCS-P, CPC, CPEDC, CBCS, CEMC, and take a deep dive into both the CMS and AMA guidelines for reporting post operative pain blocks. You’ll learn how to determine if the nerve block is separately codable with real life examples for better understanding. Becky will also cover how to evaluate whether documentation supports medical necessity, offer recommendations for stronger documentation practices, and provide guidance on educating providers about documentation requirements. She’ll include a discussion of appropriate modifier and diagnosis coding assignment so that you can be confident that your billing of post operative pain blocks is fully supported and compliant.
Copyright © 2025 RACmonitor. Powered by MedLearn Media.
Get 15% OFF on all educational webcasts at ICD10monitor with code JULYFOURTH24 until July 4, 2024—start learning today!
Happy National Doctor’s Day! Learn how to get a complimentary webcast on ‘Decoding Social Admissions’ as a token of our heartfelt appreciation! Click here to learn more →
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24
