Hospital Case Management 2006-04-01

Monitor observation status to make sure new codes are being used

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has created a bevy of new payment classifications for fiscal year 2006, making it more imperative than ever for case managers to make sure procedures are documented properly.

New DRGs may affect your hospital’s reimbursement

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made changes to the Inpatient Prospective Payment System which could have a major impact on your hospitals reimbursement for certain procedures.

Unit improves care for short-stay cardiac patients

Creating a special unit just for short-stay cardiac patients at Sioux Valley Hospital USD Medical Center has resulted in shorter lengths of stay and a tremendous increase in satisfaction among patients who are ready to be discharged within 24 hours from the Sioux Falls, SD, tertiary care hospital.

Navigators guide patients through the continuum

When patients are referred to the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention in East Harlem, NY, they are met on their initial visit by a patient navigator whose job is to ensure that they receive a timely diagnosis and treatment.

Critical Path Network: Case managers take the lead on quality initiatives

At El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, CA, nurse case managers, called care coordinators, often take the lead in quality improvement initiatives, working with the multidisciplinary team on the unit to come up with ways to improve patient care.

Critical path Network: Program helps to boost copay collections

An innovative program at Childrens Hospital of Alabama (Birmingham) has led to an increase in copay collections, from about $300,000 to more than $2 million.

Critical path Network: ACEP proposes plan to increase ED capacity

David C. Seaberg, MD, a board member of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), has proposed a 10-point plan to increase capacity, alleviate overcrowding, and improve surge capacity in the nations emergency departments (ED).

Discharge Planning Advisor: Letting go of the ‘that’s not how we do it here’ mindset

When it comes to discharge planning and other health care challenges, dont be afraid to rock the boat, advises Jonathan Morris, RN, bed management coordinator at Wake Forest University (WFU) Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.

Hospital Case Management – April 1, 2006

April 1, 2006