Critical Path Network: Relive Saint Vincents' experience in audio replay
On Sept. 11, Saint Vincents hospital in Manhattan, NY, a Level 1 trauma center located two miles from the World Trade Center, found itself at the center of an unthinkable tragedy. A Code Three was called after two hijacked airliners slammed into the twin towers, ultimately destroying both buildings, as well as other buildings in the surrounding area.
The tragedy put Saint Vincents’ staff and its disaster plan to the ultimate test. Physicians and nurses scrambled to treat the flood of injured who were brought in. Many were rescue workers, who were treated, released, and then returned to the World Trade Center site.
Nov. 14, American Health Consultants offered "Responding to the Unimaginable: How Saint Vincents Hospital Coped With the World Trade Center Attack," a 100-minute audio conference presented by four clinicians from Saint Vincents who were there as the crisis unfolded. They discussed in-depth how they coped, where their disaster plan worked, where it didn’t, and the lessons they learned. Representatives from the emergency department, case management, and supportive care services shared unique insights from their different perspectives. Hospital physicians and nurses encountered documentation nightmares when cases were not properly recorded. Hear how staff were cut off as communications went down and how the hospital successfully used its supply of two-way radios to bridge the communications gap.
Case managers scrambled to discharge patients in order to free up beds for the anticipated on-slaught of injured victims. Learn how supportive care stepped in to treat the emotional scars for the injured, the community, and hospital employees.
If you missed it, the complete audio conference will be available for replay at your convenience Wednesday, Feb. 20 and Thursday, Feb. 21. The cost is $249 per facility, which includes 2 nursing contact hours or 1.5 AMA Category 1 CME credits for every participant. Call customer service at (800) 688-2421 to get the dial-in number, special access code, and directions to download handouts and CE materials. Don’t miss out on learning lessons from valuable firsthand experience. Use Saint Vincents’ experience to reevaluate your current disaster plan so that you’re ready if the unimaginable happens in your community. n
Hospitals get help with veterans’ bills
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that it will begin reimbursing non-VA hospitals for emergency care when it’s obvious that a delay in care would be hazardous to the veteran’s health and when no other VA or federal facility is available.
This is true for veterans who are enrolled in VA health care; have been seen by a VA health care professional within 24 months; and carry no other form of health insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid. The VA pays 70% of the applicable Medicare rate, the veteran pays nothing, and the VA payment is considered payment in full. The VA will pay for private-sector emergency care only until the veteran can be safely transported to a VA facility. Under the new rules, civilian hospitals should report to the VA within 48 hours of treating a veteran who has no other means of payment. If any third party pays all or part of the bill, the VA will not provide reimbursement. To obtain payment or reimbursement for emergency treatment, within 90 days of discharge, a claimant must submit to the VA medical facility of jurisdiction a completed standard billing form, such as a UB92 or a HCFA 1500. A signed, written statement certifying that the claim meets all the conditions for payment must accompany the completed form.
[For more information, call (877) 222-8387.]
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