Hospital Access Management – January 1, 2006
January 1, 2006
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Access department's CDM analyst is ‘next step' to ensure clean claim
A newly created position at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center-Presbyterian in Philadelphia is helping the access department take "that next step" toward reducing denials and ensuring proper reimbursement, says Raina Harrell, CHAM, director of patient access for business operations. -
Sutter access nurse targets unscheduled admissions
A patient access nurse charged with getting a handle on unplanned admissions at Sacramento, CA-based Sutter Health is working collaboratively with case managers and proactively with referring physicians to ensure proper patient placement. -
Access gets little action in recent JCAHO surveys
Access directors at two facilities recently visited by surveyors from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) reported little or no contact with surveyors, and an overall experience that was decidedly different from previous visits. -
JCAHO gets praise for new survey style
Two years into using the "tracer methodology" of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) to survey accredited facilities, the agency is receiving "a constant stream" of positive feedback, says Joe Cappiello, BSN, MA, vice president, field operations, for the Oakbrook Terrace, IL-based organization. -
‘Accent reduction' class gains kudos for hospital
"Accent reduction" classes at Swedish Covenant Hospital are giving employees who speak English as a second language the chance to improve their communication skills while helping the Chicago-based facility fulfill its commitment to providing patient-centered care, says Joanne Shearer, RN, MSN, director of educational programming. -
Veteran CM keeps focus on cases he can impact
At the busy Massachusetts General Hospital emergency department, which sees between 200 and 250 patients a day, case manager Peter Moran, RNC, BSN, MS, CCM, says his focus is always on these questions: Why is the patient here? Why is the patient being admitted? What needs to be done, and is there a possibility it can be done in a [less acute] setting? -
Report links ED expansion, increase in insured patients
Given the high rates of admission through emergency departments, having a large or full-service ED is one way to ensure a steady flow of insured inpatients and make a hospital appealing to clinicians and patients, according to a recent report from the Center for Studying Health System Change. -
Cost called impediment to broader IT adoption
While nine out of 10 hospitals are using or considering using health information technology for clinical uses, most cite cost as a major impediment to broader adoption, especially for small or rural hospitals, according to a recent survey by the American Hospital Association (AHA). -
Broader use of EHR pushed in CHT report
The Center for Health Transformation has released a report outlining recommendations for spurring adoption of electronic health records based on the successful practices of health data exchanges known as regional health information organizations (RHIOs). -
Final rule published on electronic claims
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published a final rule on electronic submission of Medicare claims under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, identifying the circumstances for which mandatory submission of electronic claims to the Medicare program is waived.