Hospital Access Management articles from March 2002

Hospital Access Management archives from March 2002

High-tech solution provides Aurora with real-time bed management system: IS went `three steps beyond' initial ideas, AM says.(Aurora Health Care)(information systems)
March 1, 2002... A new bed management system in place at Aurora Health Care's Milwaukee-based hospitals is eliminating the need for daily meetings, saving untold numbers of phone calls, and "doing things we never even anticipated," says Marne Bonomo, PhD,...

With diversions, ED is just a symptom of inefficiency: check bed life cycle, physician says.(emergency department)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Although the emergency department (ED) is a popular scapegoat when it comes time to assign blame for hospital diversions, it is just the symptom of an inefficient hospital, says John Whitcomb, MD, medical director of emergency services for St....

Access department takes action to avoid bed crunch: communication with the ED is key.(emergency departments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Like many hospitals, Philadelphia's Presbyterian Medical Center actively is engaged in the challenges of bed management, particularly with the cold-and-flu season putting an extra strain on resources, says Anthony M. Bruno, MPA, MEd, director...

Successful recruiting is key to access creation: goals, objectives viewed weekly.
March 1, 2002... One of the first milestones Anthony M. Bruno, MPA, MEd, reached in his mission to create a brand-new department of patient access and business operations at Philadelphia's Presbyterian Medical Center was the successful recruitment and hiring of...

Keep up-to-date portfolio that includes clinical skills: AM nurses have advantage.(access management)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Access managers continually need to refine the contents of their career portfolios to rise to the challenges of today's health care environment. That's the suggestion of Jack Duffy, FHFMA, director and founder of Integrated Revenue...

Is the access name game due for new installment? Name `hasn't carried weight'.
March 1, 2002... Is there about to be a big push to return patient access departments to those names -- such as admitting and patient registration -- that many hospitals dismissed several years ago as being outdated? "There's a renewed interest in calling...

Number of CAH hospitals sees big jump in past year.(critical-access hospitals)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... The number of critical-access hospitals (CAH) increased 69% in 2001, as struggling rural hospitals identify the program as a means toward financial viability. The number of CAHs jumped by 211 in 2001 to a total of 526, according to...

HIPAA is top concern, say hospital IT leaders.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)(information technology)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Information technology (IT) leaders at health care institutions say their top priorities for the next year are upgrading security to meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements and building systems that promote...

Software vendors say they'll be ready for HIPAA.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Most of the leading health care information technology (IT) software companies expect their products to be Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant by the October 2002 deadline. That's the conclusion of a study...

Occupancy at five-year high for psychiatric hospitals.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Access to psychiatric and addictions services may be a growing challenge, according to a report from the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems. Psychiatric hospital occupancy increased 11% between 1999 and 2000, reaching its...

Lab payment edits apparently working.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Claims processing edits to the CMS Common Working File (CWF) designed to detect and prevent payment of certain unauthorized laboratory tests appear to work well, according to a recent inspection report from the Office of the Inspector General...

EMTALA: Q & A.(Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Question: When may a patient be transferred to a physician's office for definitive care? Answer: When the physician's office has necessary equipment that is not available anywhere in the hospital, such as eye equipment, and all other...