Hospital Access Management articles from March 2008

Hospital Access Management archives from March 2008

Call centers have key role to play in pandemic planning.
March 1, 2008... Call centers have key role to play in pandemic planning Non-clinical staff would handle 'education' calls Call centers will be the first line of defense for the hospitals they serve if a pandemic -- such as an outbreak of avian flu --...

Script 'introducing' DPs aids in 'Message' delivery.
March 1, 2008... Script 'introducing' DPs aids in 'Message' delivery Two audits also part of process Two new auditing processes and a script for "introducing" discharge planners to their patients are the latest innovations at Stevens Hospital in...

Director creates script for use in bed control.
March 1, 2008... Director creates script for use in bed control Aim is to avoid 'negative connotation' At California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles "we never want [staff] to say, 'We do not have any beds,'" says Elizabeth Oliver, director for...

Incident highlights lack of HIPAA understanding.
March 1, 2008... Incident highlights lack of HIPAA understanding CM denied police access to victim A 2007 lawsuit involving an incident at a Louisiana hospital illustrates the lack of understanding among providers regarding the provisions and...

Security at U.S. hospitals called 'growing concern'.
March 1, 2008... Security at U.S. hospitals called 'growing concern' Prepare response, lawyer advises A recent security-related incident at a U.S. hospital is of "significant concern" and should serve as a wake-up call to health care leaders, suggests...

News Brief: Longer ED waits highlighted in study.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Longer ED waits highlighted in study Emergency department patients waited an average of 30 minutes to see a physician in 2004, eight minutes longer than in 1997, according to a study of U.S. ED visits published on-line recently by Health...

News Brief: '50-mile rule' does not cover where patients can go.
March 1, 2008... '50-mile rule' does not cover where patients can go A fee schedule change affecting payment for ground ambulance charges under Section 414 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 provides...

News Brief: Hospitals, health systems on 'Best Companies' list.
March 1, 2008... Hospitals, health systems on 'Best Companies' list The 2008 Fortune magazine list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" includes 11 hospitals and health systems, including Methodist Hospital System in Houston, which placed 10th. That...

News Brief: CAHs can participate in OP quality reporting.
March 1, 2008... CAHs can participate in OP quality reporting The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has granted a request from the American Hospital Association (AHA) to allow critical access hospitals to submit and publicly report outpatient...