Hospice Management Advisor articles from February 2007

Hospice Management Advisor archives from February 2007

Prison hospices are thriving due to greater acceptance, older population.
February 1, 2007... Prison hospices are thriving due to greater acceptance, older population First U.S. prison hospice founded in 1987 It's been 20 years since Springfield, MO, Medical Centers Hospice Program became the first U.S. prison hospice program,...

Angola prison shows how TLC makes a difference.
February 1, 2007... Angola prison shows how TLC makes a difference Inmates initiated rituals around death In at least one way, the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, LA, is an ideal setting for a hospice: It's an encapsulated village in which 90...

Concerns allayed for hospice patients given opioids.
February 1, 2007... Concerns allayed for hospice patients given opioids Opioid use is not the bogey man feared by some Opioid use for patients with advanced illness has been the focus of controversy and misconceptions, even among health care practitioners,...

Complexity of coding requires coding staff.
February 1, 2007... Complexity of coding requires coding staff Education for entire staff essential for accuracy With an average of 300 new codes, and the development of guidelines that change the way old codes are applied each year, it is critical that...

Coding expert must be a master at solving puzzles.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Coding expert must be a master at solving puzzles Designating a staff member as the "coding expert" for your agency is one way to ensure accurate reimbursement; but the person does not have to be a certified coder to help your agency...

Don't forget hospitalists in your marketing plan.
February 1, 2007... Don't forget hospitalists in your marketing plan Make good impression with research (Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series that looks at marketing in home health. This month we look at the importance of marketing to...

Attorney: 'Rotation' referrals may compromise care.
February 1, 2007... Attorney: 'Rotation' referrals may compromise care DPs also cautioned about legal risks Patients' right to freedom of choice of providers has been a source of continuing conflict, especially between hospitals and post-acute providers...

IOM report: Medicare should switch to P4P.(Institute of Medicine)(pay for performance)
February 1, 2007... IOM report: Medicare should switch to P4P A recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report recommends that Medicare gradually replace its current fee-for-service payment system with a new pay-for-performance system for its 42 million...