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Tip of the week: Train staff to prepare for new CMS regulation

Infection Control Monitor, May 2, 2008

A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) regulation will reduce payment for serious preventable events at hospitals starting this fall, including a number of hospital-associated infections.

To help prepare, healthcare organizations should offer training to help nurses identify preexisting conditions and to ensure that physicians understand proper documentation, says Terry Burger, BSN, RN, CIC, CNA, BC, director of IC and prevention at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA.

Lehigh Valley selected a physician leader to train its physicians to use consistent language, such as “UTI present on admission” or “pressure ulcer present on admission,” to help coders and billing staff members file claims correctly.

To learn more on how your hospital can prepare for the new regulation, go to www.hcpro.com/content/210694.cfm. The cost is $10. Briefings on Infection Control subscribers received this story with their subscriptions.

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