For many who are working today, Thanksgiving Day is just another holiday in which they finds themselves on duty.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Hall is the chief medical officer at rural Midwest hospital. Dr. Hall is a prominent panelist on Monitor Monday, and he shares his observations about the observance of Thanksgiving at his facility.
Today, Thanksgiving Day at the hospital will be predictable. It will be like most Thanksgiving Days, indeed most holidays, before. The parking lot will be mostly empty except for the staff parking lot and around the emergency department.
No one wants to be a patient on a holiday. The docs have discharged as many patients as possible. Most of the remaining patients are too sick to go home. Some need post-acute care that’s not available- the nursing shortage hasn’t ended yet. A few don’t have family who can, or will, take them. Almost all of the patients would rather be anywhere but here.
The staff mostly fall into three indistinct groups with some overlap. For one group today, Thanksgiving, is just another day. They have come in to take care of patients and go home. They won’t think about the holiday until all the work is done and their patients are safely transitioned to someone else. They’ll quash the occasional thought about festivities they might miss. Then, they’ll go home, usually exhausted, and revel in the remainder of the holiday. Many families will delay the celebrations until after work. Their families understand and often embrace the commitment that goes with being on a healthcare “team.”
Another group will be here, begrudgingly. They’ll resent being away from their families. They’ll be annoyed they’re caring for someone they don’t even know. But they’ll deliver the best care possible. Then, they’ll finish the day and head home to family and friends.
Finally, there’s a small group who are glad to be at the hospital today. The patients invigorate them. They know they’ll work hard. They’ll be short-staffed. But they’ll find the work gratifying- fulfilling even. Some in this group are relieved they don’t have to sit around a table pretending to enjoy quais-political arguments disguised as conversation. Some will be glad they don’t have to listen to the “odd” uncle who asks all the kids to “pull my finger.”
Small rural hospitals build more intimate kinships within the staff. These are more than co-workers caring for generic patients. These are friends working together to help friends heal. Each day I marvel at their tenacity, integrity, and resilience. Like big-city hospitals, food services will serve up something resembling a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The skeleton kitchen crew won’t be able to open the cafeteria. But patients will eat well. In some cases they’ll eat better than if they were home.
I’ll wander through the units stopping to talk for a bit. Every unit is trying to be festive. There’s usually lots of food. Everyone is nice. Most are happy. This will be the third “COVID Thanksgiving” and the wear on the team is obvious. They’re worn down, frazzled, but coping. Thanksgiving Day marks the traditional start of the holiday season. This has lifted spirits even amongst those who would rather be home.
After I make rounds, I’ll return to the mostly empty parking lot and head home. “Black Friday,” will be slightly busier. A sense of normal won’t return for three days. Few people at work will recognize “Cyber Monday” as anything but another Monday. The holiday season will be an added stress for everyone at the hospital until the first week of January. COVID, flu, and myriad other maladies are going to make the holiday season more stressful than usual.
I’m fortunate to serve here.
The Medicare Advantage (MA) program has grown significantly over the past two decades, becoming a popular alternative to traditional Medicare fee-for-service (FFS). As of 2023,
The Medicare and Medicaid provider auditing process is about to get a makeover in 2025. I am talking about artificial intelligence (AI), which may be
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.
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
