Healthcare Financial Management articles from December 2007

Healthcare Financial Management archives from December 2007

State-by-state study on women's health finds small gains, key setbacks.(Women's Health)(Report)
December 1, 2007... Although some states made some small gains in critical indicators for improving women's health, the nation as a whole and most states are falling behind in their quest to meet national goals for women's health, a comprehensive analysis of state...

But two states still don't have parity laws.(NEWS WATCH)(Survey)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... BUT TWO STATES STILL DON'T HAVE PARITY LAWS: An estimated 26.2% of American adults over age 18 have diagnosable mental disorders, and mental disorders are the leading cause of disability for those ages 15-44, according to the National Council...

RAND study finds serious gaps in healthcare quality for America's children.(Healthcare Quality)
December 1, 2007... Children in the United States fail to get recommended health care more than half of the time, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation, Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute, and the University of Washington School of...

CMS.(NEWS WATCH)
December 1, 2007... HFMA staff review CMS notices regularly for transmittals that affect healthcare financial managers, and post links to those transmittals on HFMA's web site. For links to these and other key transmittals, bookmark HFMA's Regulatory Updates...

Lots o' docs I.(NEWS WATCH)(medical school enrollment)(Survey)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... LOTS o' docs I: The 2007 entering class to U.S. medical schools is the largest in the nation's history, according to new data released by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The number of first-year enrollees totals almost 17,800...

Provider-to-provider telehealth technologies could save more than $4 billion annually: study.(Healthcare Technology)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... In a study of the benefits and costs of provider-to-provider telehealth technologies, the findings conclude that robust telehealth systems--nationally implemented with a five-year roll-out in emergency departments (EDs), correctional...

Lots o' docs II.(NEWS WATCH)(medical school enrollment of black and Hispanic male)(Survey)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Lots o' docs II: The numbers of black and Hispanic male applicants to medical school both increased this year by 9.2%, and the number of black males who ultimately enrolled this fall increased by 5.3%.

Federal register.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... HFMA staff review the Federal Register daily for information that affects healthcare financial managers, and post links to the Federal Register on HFMA's Regulatory Updates (www.hfma.org/news/reg). ... CMS has issued an interim final rule...

We're going to need those docs.(NEWS WATCH)(american adults of age 65)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... WE'RE GOING TO NEED THOSE DOCS: According to Health Leaders Media, the number of U.S. adults age 65 and over will grow to 86.7 million by 2050.

Making a difference: Miccole Bowen.(Member Spotlight)(use of healthcare bill)
December 1, 2007... Miccole Bowen has always had an interest in community service. When she joined the patient financial services team at St. Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, she began to understand the difference she could make in health care. "A healthcare...

Overheard.(ETCETERA)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... "These trends document the consequences of inaction. The number of uninsured has reached crisis proportions that must be addressed by the president and Congress to ensure that health coverage is available and affordable for all" --Ron...

HIPAA: a practical guide to the privacy and security of health data.(Book Shelf)(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) introduced into law sweeping reforms regarding the management and security of patient medical information by healthcare organizations. HIPAA: A Practical Guide to the...

Going to a buffet? If you're eating at an unbussed table, you'll eat less.(Strange, but True)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... When it comes to how much food we're likely to consume when dining out, seeing is believing. A Cornel/University study found that people who eat at buffets consume less when their tables are not bussed than those whose used plates are...

What's new on our web site.(ETCETERA)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... HFMA Executive Roundtable: Quality- and Severity-Based Payment: Will You Receive What You Earn? See "Resource Library," then "Reimbursement," then "Medicare," and click on the title of the document. Cost Report Changes to Improve the...

This cell phone could help you stay fit.(From the Headlines)
December 1, 2007... Imagine a cell phone that could measure your pulse, keep track of the number of steps you take in a day, and even tell you whether you need a breath mint. NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Japan's largest ceil phone provider, has come up with a "fitness...

Nurse satisfaction: the real key.(VIEWS)
December 1, 2007... As a nursing education administrator married to a healthcare finance man, I look forward to reading hfm when it arrives. Over the years, I have been disappointed by how little attention nursing issues get in journals focused on the financial...

Reaching out to different cultures: one of the most successful approaches to helping our diverse patient populations is to understand their culture.(FROM THE CHAIRMAN)
December 1, 2007... When we are Better able to help our patients, we're also helping our organizations. One organization that is reaching out to meet the cultural needs of its patients is the New York Downtown Hospital, a 150-bed hospital in Lower Manhattan....

Compression and expansion: we've all heard that tiny piece of music that plays when Windows 95 boots up. Sometimes it's called "The Microsoft sound.".(FROM THE EDITOR)
December 1, 2007... That tiny piece was composed by electronic-music guru Brian Eno. (And no, he doesn't make a royalty every time you boot up. He was paid a fiat fee of $35,000.) In a 1996 interview in the San Francisco Chronicle, Eno recalled the assignment...

HFMA addresses Senate Finance Panel on tax-exempt policies.(HFMA NEWS)(Healthcare Financial Management Association)(Conference news)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... On Oct. 30, HFMA participated in a roundtable convened by the Republican staff of the Senate Finance Committee. The roundtable included representatives from health care, academia, and patient advocacy groups brought together to discuss the...

Revenue cycle community of practice launched.(HFMA NEWS)(Healthcare Financial Management Association to relaunch in to new name Revenue Cycle Community of Practice)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... HFMA's PFS Forum was recently relaunched under its new name: the Revenue Cycle Community of Practice. HFMA's Revenue Cycle Community of Practice addresses issues of primary importance to the business office, including revenue cycle...

Notice.(HFMA NEWS)(Healthcare Financial Management Association's Michael Patrick Brunton to get 16 month imprisonment for email fraud)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Notice: HFMA has been informed that in 2005 Michael Patrick Brunton agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. [sections] 1341. He was subsequently sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution...

Medicare margins trending downward.(MEDICARE/MEDICAID)(Clinical report)
December 1, 2007... A recent study of hospital margins indicates Medicare margins for services paid under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) are declining precipitously. The study found that Medicare inpatient margins have dropped from 12.8 percent to...

Employer-based health insurance past, present, and future.(BUSINESS TRENDS)
December 1, 2007... Employers have voluntarily provided health insurance to U.S. workers and their families for more than half a century. Is that likely to continue? Despite mounting rhetoric that employer-based coverage is on the brink of extinction, nearly...

Finding time for KPI initiatives.(REVENUE CYCLE)(key performance indicators )
December 1, 2007... Use of key performance indicators (KPIs), or performance metrics, has become a standard method for reporting ongoing performance within the revenue cycle. Few patient financial services (PFS) professionals would argue about the value of...

Gail R. Wilensky, PhD: the future of Medicare.(Q & A)(Interview)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Improving the quality and cost of health care requires an ongoing commitment that would start in areas where we have better clinical information, such as hospitals. That's the thinking of Gaff R. Wilensky, PhD,...

Surviving Medicare's IPPS changes what you need to know: the most important changes in the Medicare inpatient prospective payment system in nearly a5 years are here. Are you ready?(inpatient prospective payment system)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The year 2008 promises to be a challenging year for hospitals as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) takes steps to strengthen the long-term financial security of the Medicare program and to ensure...

Mending holes in the Medicaid safety net a strategy for state healthcare reform: as a healthcare financial manager, you can do several things to help keep the holes in your state's Medicaid safety net from getting larger.
December 1, 2007... Imagine, if you will, the following remarks by hypothetical Gov. Stretched at the opening of his state's 100th legislative session: Ladies and gentlemen: Welcome to this legislative session. It promises to be our most ...

A happy new year for ASCs? A new payment system, with new rates, awaits ambulatory surgery centers on Jan. 1, 2008.(ambulatory surgery center)
December 1, 2007... Come New Year's, some ambulatory surgery center (ASC) owners will be popping champagne to celebrate a new Medicare payment system and rates for ASC services that will substantially improve their bottom line. Others will be nursing a hangover...

ED performance improvement process changes hospitals can make now: hospitals can improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and enhance revenue by making a few process changes to improve ED performance.
December 1, 2007... Your emergency department (ED) is filled to capacity. Again. Ambulances are being rerouted to other hospitals. Several acute patients are waiting for inpatient beds to become available. A number of patients, however, have nonurgent medical...

Breathing easy: auditing your anesthesia practice revenue cycle: for hospitals that own or subsidize an anesthesia practice, ongoing auditing is essential to maximizing revenue and minimizing risk.
December 1, 2007... As the national shortage of anesthesiologists grows more severe, hospitals across the country are taking steps to protect themselves. Many hospitals now employ an anesthesia group, and an increasing number subsidize a group in exchange for full...

Your communication strategy for effective receivables management.(hfma roundtable)
December 1, 2007... Current levels of outstanding debt for hospitals are astoundingly high. According to the American Hospital Association, the nation's hospitals provided approximately $28.8 billion of uncompensated care in 2005, a greater than 25 percent...

Key health IT applications for Medicaid.(hfm TOOLBOX)
December 1, 2007... Making Medicaid Work: A Practical Guide for Transforming Medicaid--a joint publication from SHPS, a provider of health advocacy and health benefits solutions, and the Center for Health Transformation, a collaboration of leaders dedicated to...

Leadership self-audit 4 ways to hardwire quality to boost financials: what have you done to hardwire quality lately at your organization.(LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT)
December 1, 2007... The stakes for quality continue to climb with CMS's move toward pay for performance and refusal to pay for hospital-acquired preventable conditions. In the face of a continuing payment squeeze, financial leaders should play offense. Because...

Cross-industry collaboration: a critical step to better serve patients: "we must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately," said Benjamin Franklin at the signing of America's Declaration of Independence. The same could perhaps be said today of two huge but troubled industries: pharmaceuticals and health care.(INSIDE IT)
December 1, 2007... The mandate facing each industry is clear: The pharmaceutical industry needs to develop safer and more efficacious treatments, and the healthcare industry needs to consistently deliver evidence-based, high-quality care. The realization is...

What would you do? Should this successful integrated system divest one of its business units?(STRATEGY CHALLENGE)
December 1, 2007... The Problem Midwest Integrated Health is experiencing intensifying competitive pressures and declining financial performance in its regional pharmacy business. Midwest's management team has solicited offers to purchase the business from...

National events.(Calendar)
December 1, 2007... NATIONAL EVENTS January 22-25, Seminars will cover financial and healthcare February 5-8, business management, revenue cycle March 3-6, May 5-8 improvements, consumer-focused practices, and HFMA's Spring...

Charles Brown.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Brown has been named associate administrator, University of Washington Medicine, Seattle. He had been revenue cycle administrator, MultiCare Health System, Tacoma, Wash.

Ramona Hernandez.(PEOPLE)(appointment at California Service Bureau/True North AR)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hernandez has been appointed director, business development, California Service Bureau/True North AR, Novato, Calif. Previously, she was regional sales manager, Medical Reimbursements of America, Nashville, Tenn.

Patricia Robertson, CPA.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Patricia Robertson at West Virginia University Foundation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Robertson has joined West Virginia University Foundation, Morgantown, W.Va., as CFO and vice president of finance. Formerly, she was CFO, vice president, finance and information services, Oklahoma Hospital...

Amy Tepp, CPA.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tepp has been named director of reimbursement, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis. She had been reimbursement/compliance manager, LarsonAllen, LLP, Minneapolis.

John Calandriello, FHFMA, CPA.(PEOPLE)(Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association)(appointment of Palisades Medical Center)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Calandriello has been named vice president of finance and CFO, Palisades Medical Center, North Bergen, N.J. He had been senior vice president of finance and CFO, Saint Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick, N.J.

Julie DiGiroloma.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Julie DiGiroloma at Wadsworth Rittman Hospital)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... DiGiroloma has been appointed director, patient financial services, Wadsworth Rittman Hospital, Wadsworth, Ohio. Previously, she was assistant director, patient financial services, Barberton Citizens Hospital, Barberton, Ohio.

Brian J. Eufinger.(PEOPLE)(appointment at Emory Healthcare)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Eufinger has been named planning associate, Emory Healthcare, Office of Strategic Planning, Atlanta. He had been Frank S. Groner administrative fellow, Baptist Memorial Healthcare Corporation, Memphis.

Tyler Felt, CHFP.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Tyler Felt)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Felt has been appointed assistant CFO, The Medical Center of Southwest Texas/IASIS Healthcare, Port Arthur, Texas. Previously, he was controller, Mountain West Medical Center/ Community Health Systems, Tooele, Utah.

Lynne Fritz.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... Fritz has been promoted from director of revenue management, to vice president, revenue management, Arehbold Medical Center, Thomasville, Ga.

Susan May, CHFP.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... May has been named manager, patient financial services, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego. She had been director, business office, Western Missouri Medical Center, Warrensburg, Mo.

Helen Young.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... Young was promoted from regional manager, medical eligibility program, Tenet Patient Financial Services, Alpharetta, Ga., to director of patient services, Atlanta Medical Center/Tenet Health, Atlanta.

Medicare's leadership in payment reform: the current funding and payment systems for Medicare are unsustainable and need reform, according to Gail Wilensky in an interview in this issue of hfm.(FROM THE PRESIDENT)
December 1, 2007... Wilensky identifies key issues facing the Medicare program and potential changes to address those issues. As former HCFA (now CMS) administrator, and chair of both the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the Physician Payment Review...