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Case Management Weekly

Case Management Weekly is a free e-mail newsletter that offers news, resources, and Q&As to help case managers from all settings find ways to enhance quality and reduce legal and compliance risks.

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Case Management Weekly

Issue 23, June 7, 2005

• Biomedical ethicists call for new protections for stem cell research-related egg

  Biomedical ethicists at the Stanford University School of Medicine are calling on researchers to...

Issue 52, December 28, 2005

• CMS helps drug plans prevent fraud

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is creating a fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA...

• CMS helps drug plans prevent fraud

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is creating a fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA...

• New bill means payments by Medicaid recipients

  With the intent of reining in the soaring cost of Medicaid, states now have sweeping authority to...

• Medicare Part D delays creating potential problems

  Governmental delays in filing Medicare Part D applications will likely create problems for some...

• Tip of the Week: Avoiding discharge confusion

  A recent study in Mayo Clinical Proceedings, published by the Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic, revealed...

• Tip of the week: Avoiding discharge confusion

  A recent study in Mayo Clinical Proceedings, published by the Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic, revealed...

Issue 51, December 21, 2005

• House Democrats seek Medicare Part D extension

  House Democrats are attempting to force the chamber to vote on legislation (H.R. 3861) extending...

• Uncompensated care is rising for U.S. hospitals

  U.S. hospitals provided $26.9 billion in uncompensated care in 2004, up from $24.9 billion in 2003...

• Hospital recognized for improving flow in the ED

  Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, located in Rockville, MD, is being recognized for its initiative to...

Issue 50, December 14, 2005

• State of the art surgery center debuts

  While off-site surgery centers have become popular, Mount Clemens General offers patients the...

• Community case management more successful in insuring Latino patients

  Community-based case managers are much more effective than traditional government outreach and...

• Tip of the week: Medicare rights center launches free hotline

  Do your patients need assistance with the prescription drug benefit?

Issue 49, December 7, 2005

• Hospital pays special attention to patient comfort

  Inviting colors, suite-like patient rooms, natural light, and a family/visitors lounge are just a...

• Patient tracking system can improve flow

  Using software to track open beds and patient movement within a hospital can reduce waits and...

• Going digital: PDAs increase efficiency

  Physicians at Lakeland Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Lakeland, FL, recently took part in a...

Issue 48, November 30, 2005

• Baltimore hospital cuts patient LOS

  By arranging shorter waits for procedures and tests and improving discharge planning, the Johns...

• HIV patients report discrimination by healthcare professionals

  Twenty-six percent of HIV-infected adults have experienced discrimination by a healthcare provider...

• New campaign persuades seniors to enroll in Rx benefit

  Last week, the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) and the Access to Benefits Coalition (ABC...

Issue 47, November 28, 2005

• Report addresses Illinois nursing shortage

  A new report from the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council predicts the Illinois’ shortage...

• Michigan project improves patient safety

  Researchers estimate that a two-year project to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety...

• Study: Outpatient angioplasty safe as inpatient stay

  A new Canadian study finds that advancements in angioplasties can allow for same-day discharge for...

Issue 46, November 16, 2005

• Post-discharge calls improve patient care

  Data collected by Cogent Healthcare, a hospital services provider, has revealed that one in six...

• U.K. goes digital with medical records

  Healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom have stepped into the electronic age, replacing the...

• Bad penmanship outlawed in Montana

  A new Montana state law makes it illegal for physicians to write illegible prescriptions. The aim...

Issue 45, November 9, 2005

• PA clinic plans to cater to patients from all walks of life

  A new rural health clinic offering primary and preventative healthcare services for patients...

• JCAHO vs. OSHA

  Healthcare administrators can’t choose between Joint Commission on Accreditation of...

• Track DRG changes the right way

  Since 2002, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has adopted a system that flags designated...

Issue 44, November 2, 2005

• Case management accreditation for BCBSA plan

  The Service Benefit plan under The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) received Case...

• Company clinics boost bottom line

  In an effort to save money in light of increasing healthcare costs, some large companies are...

• Improve waiting room flow

  Many organizations look to facility renovations to improve patient flow, but how do you know where...

Issue 43, October 26, 2005

• IL governor proposes plan to insure more children

  A new plan to offer health insurance to uninsured children in Illinois is being proposed by...

• Congressman seeks to rebuild Gulf hospitals with technology

  U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) wants the federal government to help the Gulf region...

• Survey: Billing errors common, hit patients hard in the wallet

  A recent Consumer Reports survey reveals that 5% of medical bills contain "major" errors...

Issue 42, October 19, 2005

• University health center awarded for case management practices

  The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Student Wellness Center (SWC) is at the top of the class...

• $350 million heart center set to beat in Massachusetts

  Construction of a state of the art cardiovascular center began this month in Boston, where the...

• Maine tries long-distance medicine

  Maine Medical Center in Portland has started using cameras, computers, and other apparatus to check...

Issue 41, October 12, 2005

• Celebrate National Case Management Week

  National Case Management Week is being celebrated from October 9-15. The week recognizes the...

• ’Evidence-based design’ intended to decrease LOS

  Florida Hospital Flagler, located in Palm Coast, FL, has employed evidence-based design to create a...

• Longer stays don’t mean better care

  Johns Hopkins Hospital has implemented a program to increase patient care, but reduce the average...

Issue 40, October 6, 2005

• Two facilities receive "Innovation in patient safety and quality" awards from JC

  New Jersey-based Meridian Health and Virginia and North Carolina-based Sentara Healthcare are this...

• Managed care has not improved patient flow

  The past decade of managed care has not brought the expected improvements to patient flow. Instead...

• Survey: In face of rising costs, fewer companies offer health benefits

  As health insurance costs rise, the number of companies offering health benefits to employees is on...

Issue 39, September 28, 2005

• Shorter ED waiting times for Illinois hospital

  Staff at the Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, IL, were once embarrassed by their...

• Make AOBs part of your registration process

  Make AOBs part of your registration process

• ED redesign with patient comfort in mind

  Officials at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca, NY, are keeping patient flow and comfort in mind as...

Issue 38, September 21, 2005

• Certified Psychiatric/Mental Health and Gerontology Registered Nurses needed for

  In response to a request from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration...

• EMR systems could save billions

  A new study estimates that adopting a standardized electronic medical records (EMR) system over the...

• HHS awards $600,000 to states devastated by Hurricane Katrina

  Emergency response grants totaling $600,000 were given to Louisiana, Alabama, Texas and Mississippi...

Issue 37, September 14, 2005

• Scripps and Kaiser step up to help Hurricane Katrina victims

  On Monday, teams of volunteers were sent by the Department of Health and Human Services to assist...

• Study: Birth control may reduce risk of MS

  Women taking oral contraceptives for more than three years may be less likely to develop multiple...

• Workplace ethical climate linked to nurse retention

  A new study published in the June 2005 issue of the Journal of Nursing Scholarship found that the...

Issue 36, September 7, 2005

• Move back to managed care will hurt patient flow

  Move back to managed care will hurt patient flow

• Legal health record defined by AHIMA

  Legal health record defined by AHIMA

• Nursing organizations step up to help hurricane victims

  Nursing organizations step up to help hurricane victims

• Tip of the week: Interdisciplinary communication

  Tip of the week: Interdisciplinary communication

Issue 35, August 31, 2005

• The ANA backs depression screening day

  The ANA backs depression screening day

• FL hospital employs kiosks to improve flow

  FL hospital employs kiosks to improve flow

• Q & A column helps providers wrap heads around Section 1011

  Q & A column helps providers wrap heads around Section 1011

• Tip of the week: Dig deeper into your data to receive better reimbursement

  Tip of the week: Dig deeper into your data to receive better reimbursement

Issue 34, August 24, 2005

• Hospitals may struggle to comply with DRG increase

  Hospitals may struggle to comply with DRG increase

• Kaiser refreshes Medicaid benefits database

  Kaiser refreshes Medicaid benefits database

• Study: Triage program reduces patient wait

  Study: Triage program reduces patient wait

• Tip of the week: Smooth out the flow in your obstetrics unit

  Tip of the week: Smooth out the flow in your obstetrics unit

Issue 33, August 17, 2005

• Study: Staph infections lead to threefold increase in length of stay

  A study at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago has found that staph infections cause serious...

• Judge approves class-action settlement between Tenet Healthcare, uninsured patie

  An LA-based judge approved an agreement by Tenet Healthcare Corp. to settle a class-action lawsuit...

• Why shifting boarders to the inpatient unit is a good idea

  Just because it’s a long-standing "tradition" to keep boarded patients in the emergency...

• Tip of the week: Three ways to get started using physicians in a denial program

  If you decide to make physician participation an integral or more regular part of your denial...

Issue 32, August 10, 2005

• LOS included on TN insurance company’s hospital quality comparison

  LOS included on TN insurance company’s hospital quality comparison

• CMS: It’s the HIPAA way or the highway

  CMS: It’s the HIPAA way or the highway

• Study questions economic benefit of disease management programs

  Study questions economic benefit of disease management programs

Issue 31, August 3, 2005

• Health plans seek top honors for wellness and prevention, and case management ef

  Health plans seek top honors for wellness and prevention, and case management efforts

• More hospitals move to palliative care for terminal infants

  More hospitals move to palliative care for terminal infants

• New program seeks to improve RNs’ competence in elder care

  New program seeks to improve RNs’ competence in elder care

Issue 30, July 27, 2005

• Group seeks solutions for ED overcrowding

  Group seeks solutions for ED overcrowding

• Study: ’Hospital-at-home’ concept doesn’t save time or improve outcomes

  Study: ’Hospital-at-home’ concept doesn’t save time or improve outcomes

• Many patients sent home before tests are in

  Many patients sent home before tests are in

Issue 29, July 20, 2005

• ED patients with untreated addictions result in higher costs

  ED patients with untreated addictions result in higher costs

• Move over, ladies--More men enter SNFs

  Move over, ladies--More men enter SNFs

• CMS increases home health payments

  CMS increases home health payments

Issue 28, July 13, 2005

• Coronary bypass 80% more costly in US than in Canada

  Coronary bypass 80% more costly in US than in Canada

• Indiana plans to move seniors out of SNFs

  Indiana plans to move seniors out of SNFs

• Two-thirds of uninsured women delay or skip needed care

  Two-thirds of uninsured women delay or skip needed care

Issue 27, July 6, 2005

• 18% of population uninsured at some point in 2004

  18% of population uninsured at some point in 2004

• Hospital admissions for stroke decline

  Hospital admissions for stroke decline

• Mississippi ponders aging RN workforce

  Mississippi ponders aging RN workforce

Issue 26, June 29, 2005

• VA healthcare costs increased faster than expected, says department

  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says it's short $1 billion in its healthcare budget.

• More women than men afflicted by strokes

  Many people believe that strokes affect primarily men, but an increase in their occurrence in women...

• Senate approves 'patient navigator' for chronically ill patients

  The U.S. Senate recently approved a bill that would create a program to assist chronically ill...

Issue 25, June 22, 2005

• OIG looks at consecutive inpatient hospital stays

  OIG looks at consecutive inpatient hospital stays

• More immigrants contributing to increase in uninsured population

  More immigrants contributing to increase in uninsured population

• Stealth case managers conduct behind-the-scenes handwashing compliance audits

  Stealth case managers conduct behind-the-scenes handwashing compliance audits

Issue 24, June 16, 2005

• Obese women with breast cancer may be undertreated

  Obese women with breast cancer may be receiving lower doses of chemotherapy-putting them at...

• Longer stays have negative effect on heart patients

  A new study shows that heart patients with long stays in the ICU are more likely to die or have...

• Quality of care not always better in hospitals participating in a QIO program

  Hospitals that participate in quality improvement organization (QIO) programs are not more likely...

Issue 22, May 31, 2005

• CMS proposes new hospice care rule

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed a new rule for the hospice...

• ED visits climb to record highs

  A record number of patients are visiting U.S. EDs, while the number of EDs across the country...

• Hospitals receive high rating in consumer service survey

  In the latest Harris Poll, which asks consumers if selected industries "do a good or bad job...

Issue 17, April 29, 2005

• Document helps low-literate patients understand advance directives

  In an effort to help all patients make their healthcare preferences known, the Institute for...

• Hospital prices remain stable in March

  The price of hospital services stayed the same in the month of March, according to the Bureau of...

• Post-menopausal women don't stick with home plans

  A French study involving osteoporosis prevention in post-menopausal women found that many...

Issue 14, April 7, 2005

• Hospital Quality Alliance launches 'Hospital Compare' Web site

  Healthcare consumers can now compare hospitals' performance on 17 key measures of care for heart...

Issue 7, February 16, 2005

• Florida physicians write prescriptions for information

  Along with prescriptions for medication, Florida physicians are writing patients prescriptions for...

• Flu vaccination benefit vastly over-estimated, says study

  Studies that estimated the flu vaccine reduces death in the elderly by 50% over-estimate the...

• Cleveland Clinic pays $2.75 million to settle observation suite

  Cleveland Clinic Florida Hospital paid $2.75 million to the federal government to resolve a case in...

Issue 4, January 28, 2005

• Cancer surpasses heart disease as leading killer

  The leading cause of death for Americans under age 85 is no longer heart disease but cancer...

• Heart failure registry illustrates disparities in Hispanics' health

  The world's largest heart failure registry shows that Hispanic Americans admitted to the hospital...

• Seventeen percent of Oregon residents are uninsured, says study

  More than 600,000 Oregon residents are without health insurance according to a report from the...

Issue 3, January 20, 2005

• Drug companies offer discount card to uninsured

  A group of drug manufacturers announced it will provide the uninsured with a free prescription drug...

• Tennessee announces overhaul of Medicaid managed care program

  The state of Tennessee plans to restructure its Medicaid managed care program by adding limits on...

• CMS to help pay for flu antiviral medications

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) recently launched a demonstration project to help...

Issue 1, January 5, 2005

• Collaboration between hospitalists and pharmacists reduces LOS

  Collaboration between hospitalists and clinical pharmacists results in shorter LOS, reduced...

• Pharmacy group submits final list of covered drugs for Medicare benefit

  The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) recently gave the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) its...

• CMS gets tough on SNFs with Special Focus Facility Program

  State surveyors got notification from CMS in December, informing them that the agency is...