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When Mendocino Coast Hospital in Fort Bragg, CA, recently underwent its accreditation survey by The Joint Commission, the biggest surprise was the scrutiny on and large amount of time spent in the operating room in the surgery area vs. the nurses' floor, says Susan Bivins, RN, the director of quality and risk management.
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Rhode Island Hospital, the teaching hospital for Brown University's Alpert Medical School in Providence, is facing unprecedented sanctions from the state health department after its fifth wrong-site surgery since 2007.
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The ICD-10-CM code set is scheduled to replace ICD-9-CM, the current U.S. diagnostic code set, on Oct. 1, 2013. While that date is in the far future, you should prepare now, coding experts warn.
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Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) undergoing Medicare accreditation surveys under the new Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) that took effect in May 2009, are reporting that the surveys are longer than in the past, have more surveyors, and put a much stronger emphasis on infection control.
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Not long ago, the ED at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, NJ, was struggling with waiting times hovering at about four hours.
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In just four months after the launch of an intensive compliance documentation management program (CDMP) Bon Secours St. Francis Health System's Medicare case mix index increased significantly.
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If the experiences of the first hospitals targeted by the Zoned Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs) are any indication, at some point this year, your hospital may receive a surprise visit from an investigator with a law enforcement background who will request medical records to be examined for possible waste, abuse, or fraud.
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No one likes change, and ED managers often face a tough challenge when introducing new processes to their staff.
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Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC, has teamed up with seven employers in the community to provide face-to-face disease management for chronically ill employees.
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Whether patients are being discharged from the hospital to home, another level of care, or transferred to the care of another health care provider, communication is crucial to ensure a safe discharge or transition, says Hussein Tahan, DNSc, MSN, RN, CNA, executive director, international health services at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.