Author: dianawinder

Webinar: UAMS’ AI Playbook for Capacity Lift & Fewer Cancellations, January 21

January 7, 2026

Webinar: UAMS’ AI Playbook for Capacity Lift & Fewer Cancellations, January 21

Manual, fragmented pre-admission testing strains perioperative teams and the operating room. Phone tag for histories, missing documents and late risk discovery all drive day-of-surgery delays, idle rooms and staff burnout. Leaders need a faster more reliable way to prepare patients without adding FTEs.

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) reworked its pre-admission testing model with AI-enabled workflows to give each nurse an assistant for information gathering, risk flagging and follow-up tasks. The result: a 50% increase in PAT nurse capacity, a 25% reduction in surgical cancellations and a 60% drop in manual document processing time.

In this session, Tammy Jones, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer and associate vice chancellor for patient care services and clinical operations at UAMS, will detail how her team changed the work, not just the tools. She will be joined by Andrew Fisher, MD, assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Medical University of South Carolina to discuss perioperative governance, clinical criteria and integration considerations.

Learnings include:

  • How to supercharge pre-admission testing programs with AI,
  • How to successfully implement an AI solution, ensuring staff and integration into existing workflows, and
  • How to use AI to enhance staff productivity and optimize patients before surgery.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, January 21, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Five Healthcare Policies Affecting Physicians in 2026

January 7, 2026

Five Healthcare Policies Affecting Physicians in 2026

Several federal and state healthcare policies are taking effect in 2026, bringing major changes to the physician workforce, hospital operations, reimbursement, insurance and medical school.

  • Affordable Care Act enhance subsidies expire: Enhanced premium tax credits expired December 31, leaving missions of marketplace enrollees facing higher premiums in 2026.
  • CMS final physician fee schedule for 2026: CMS released its final rule for 2026 Medicare payments under the physician fee schedule.
  • One Big Beautiful Bill Act: President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4, which included historic cuts to Medicaid and other significant shifts to healthcare policy.
  • Changes to prior authorization: starting in 2026, CMS will implement key provisions of the Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule to help modernize prior authorization and reduce administrative burden.
  • Changes to visa restrictions and their impact on the workforce: Immigrants make up 27% of physicians and surgeons, 22% of nursing assistants and 16% of registered nurses in the U.S. Foreign physicians and clinicians are an important part of the healthcare workforce, often working in underserved and rural areas.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Rural Medicine Lecture Series, January 20

January 7, 2026

Rural Medicine Lecture Series, January 20

Join the Rural Health Lecture Series on January 20, at 6 p.m. The topic will be Rural Health Research Center: Missouri Practice-based Innovations Network.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, January 20, 6:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

On-Demand Webinar: The Road to ROI in Revenue Cycle: What the Data Says about AI

January 7, 2026

On-Demand Webinar: The Road to ROI in Revenue Cycle: What the Data Says about AI

AI has moved from pilot to payoff in the revenue cycle. A new Forrester Consulting study of 300-plus healthcare leaders shows how AI is driving measurable gains across claims, denials and staffing.

This webinar breaks down what health systems are doing today and what’s actually working. It explores how trust in AI is growing, why adoption is accelerating and where leaders plan to invest next.

RCM leaders face familiar pressures: rising denials, staffing constraints and accuracy gaps that slow cash and increase rework. Point solutions help, but fragmented deployment can stall progress. Executives need clear use cases, credible benchmarks and a path to scale without adding headcount or disrupting operations.

In this session, you’ll get a data-backed view of AI’s influence on revenue cycle performance.

Learnings include:

  • Where AI is improving eligibility, coding, denials and payment posting,
  • How leaders set guardrails, KPIs and oversight to scale safely, and
  • How to build an AI investment roadmap for 2026.

Cost: Free

Click Here to Access this On-Demand Webinar

Webinar: AI that Delivers: Drive Savings, Optimize Technology Resources, and Ease Staff Workloads, January 27

January 7, 2026

Webinar: AI that Delivers: Drive Savings, Optimize Technology Resources, and Ease Staff Workloads, January 27

Discover how AI is creating new opportunities for cost savings and efficiency in healthcare technology management (HTM). Register for this upcoming webinar where the discussion will center on new technology-driven strategies to tackle your healthcare technology challenges – from managing growing medical equipment inventories to streamlining supply chains and boosting workplace efficiency.

Learn how AI-native solutions can help your health system improve accuracy, reduce costs, and empower HTN teams to maximize equipment uptime.

Learning Points:

  • Identify common pitfalls in HTM that create operational inefficiencies and how access to reliable data can determine success in these areas.
  • Learn how the unique characteristics of modern medical equipment inventories position AI to effectively assist HTM teams.
  • Understand the criteria for evaluating AI solutions in healthcare to keep organizational priorities in focus.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, January 27, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: From Repetitive to Real-Time: AI That Lightens the Back-Office Load, January 22

January 7, 2026

Webinar: From Repetitive to Real-Time: AI That Lightens the Back-Office Load, January 22

While clinical AI gets the spotlight, back-office operations are quietly being reshaped by automation, data intelligence and workflow tools that ease burdens across finance, HR, administration and more.

The result? Leading health systems are improving efficiency, reducing burnout and building a more sustainable workforce behind the scenes.

This session explores how AI is actively solving pain points in non-clinical areas, unlocking time, insights and morale. From automating the repetitive to providing real-time insights, AI is helping back-office teams work smarter and stay longer.

Key Takeaways

  • Where AI is driving immediate gains in operational efficiency and workforce morale,
  • Case-based lessons on easing burnout and improving retention, and
  • How to strategically apply AI without adding complexity or cost.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, January 22, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

37th Rural Health Policy Institute – Register by January 18

January 7, 2026

37th Rural Health Policy Institute – Register by January 18

Our communities need federal policy to be rooted in rural health experience. Join fellow rural health advocates from your state to speak in person with the 119th Congress and the current administration.

Take the next step with NRHA and hundreds of rural health advocates from across the nation February 10 – 12 in Washington, D.C. o bring your message to the Capitol at the National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA’s) 37th Rural Health Policy Institute.

Early registration before January 18 saves you hundreds and includes access to NRHA’s full advocacy resources and a complimentary one-year membership for first-time non-industry NRHA members.

At this event, you will have the chance to:

  • Hear rural health policies from your elected officials,
  • Understand how to successfully engage in NRHA’s advocacy,
  • Develop rapport with your Congressional delegation,
  • Learn how to put rural policy into practice, and
  • Advance NRHA’s rural health policy agenda.

Cost:

  • NRHA Members – $709
  • Non-members – $809
  • Students – $360

When: February 10 – 12, 2026

Click Here to Learn More and Register

 

 

Whitepaper: From Manual to Manageable: How AI and Partnerships are Transforming Urology RCM

January 5, 2026

Whitepaper: From Manual to Manageable: How AI and Partnerships are Transforming Urology RCM

Staffing shortages, rising denials and growing patient payment burdens are hitting urology practices especially hard – and outdated revenue cycle models are making things worse.

But a growing number of providers are taking a new approach to coding and revenue cycle management: pairing specialty-specific AI with expert coders to reduce denials, improve accounts receivable performance and relieve pressure on staff.

This whitepaper offers an overview of how practices are evolving their strategies to simplify workflows, improve accuracy and capture more revenue without overhauling everything at once.

Learnings Include:

  • How some groups are achieving 98% clean-claims rates and 99% net collections,
  • The impact of AI-assisted coding tuned for urology workflows, and
  • Best practices to cut denial rates by half and reduce manual rework.

Click Here t0 Download this Whitepaper

MRHA Webinar: Beyond Broadband; Uncovering the Hidden Barriers to Rural Telehealth Equity, January 22

January 5, 2026

MRHA Webinar: Beyond Broadband; Uncovering the Hidden Barriers to Rural Telehealth Equity, January 22

Telehealth has transformed rural healthcare by expanding access and reducing travel barriers, but not all communities benefit equally. Persistent socioeconomic and infrastructural challenges continue to limit who can fully participate in telehealth services.

This session, presented by Southern Illinois University, explores findings from a comprehensive narrative review examining how broadband access, digital literacy, and affordability shape telehealth adoption in rural areas.

Participants will gain insight into successful models such as Project ECHO and Avera eCARE, which demonstrate practical, evidence-based approaches to improving access and outcomes. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for strengthening telehealth equity and closing the digital divide in Missouri’s rural healthcare systems.

Target Audience:

  • Rural Health professionals,
  • Hospital and clinic administrators,
  • Public health practitioners,
  • Researchers,
  • Policymakers,
  • Health equity advocates, and
  • Students in health-related disciplines.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, January 22, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

MRHA Webinar: Human Trafficking & Exploitation, January 15

January 5, 2026

MRHA Webinar: Human Trafficking & Exploitation, January 15

Human trafficking affects communities across Missouri including rural areas where awareness and resources may be limited. This introductory session provides participants with a foundational understanding of human trafficking and exploitation through a trauma-informed, survivor-centered lens.

Attendees will learn to define both sex and labor trafficking, recognize common indicators, and identify barriers that prevent detection and reporting. The training will also dispel common misconceptions about trafficking and explore the demographics and prevalence of survivors in Missouri and beyond.

Target Audience:

Anyone with an interest in serving survivors in rural areas.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, January 15, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register