Author: dianawinder

Could Rural Fire Departments Bridge the Telehealth Gap?

April 2, 2024

Could Rural Fire Departments Bridge the Telehealth Gap?

As part of Washington State University’s Rural Health Initiative, pharmacy student Amanda Whitehead is exploring the feasibility of setting up telehealth stations in rural fire stations to help bring many health care services closer to rural residents.

Additionally, using telehealth to provide palliative care support to rural family caregivers is a low-cost, feasible strategy for transitioning patients from hospital to home-based care, new research reveals.

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Calling RHC, CAH experts: Present at NRHA’s hometown event

April 2, 2024

Calling RHC, CAH experts: Present at NRHA’s hometown event

The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is now accepting presentation proposals for the Rural Health Clinic and Critical Access Hospital Conferences.

The goal of NRHA’s RHC and CAH Conferences is to share effective practices, policies, and information and provide insights and best practices addressing many of the access, quality, and patient safety issues confronted by CAHs and RHCs.

Five interest tracks are available for CAH Conference submissions:

  • Innovation
  • Financial
  • Leadership
  • Quality
  • Best practices

Deadline submission: May 28

Conference Dates: September 24 – 27

Learn More

Submit Proposal Here

Funding Opportunity: Maternal Health Training and Resource Center (MHTRC) – HRSA-24-050

March 28, 2024

Funding Opportunity: Maternal Health Training and Resource Center (MHTRC) – HRSA-24-050

The purpose of this program is to support Maternal & Child Health Bureau’s (MCHB’s) maternal health recipients, with a primary focus on the State Maternal Health Innovation (State MHI) program, to improve maternal health and to respond to the needs of populations impacted by maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (SMM). The MHTRC will also provide limited support to MCHB’s  maternal health recipients with the implementation of maternal health projects, innovations, and initiatives in their respective states, where funds are available.

You can apply if your organization is in:

  • The United States
  • The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
  • The Northern Mariana Islands
  • American Samoa
  • Guam
  • The U.S. Virgin Islands
  • The Federated States of Micronesia
  • The Republic of the Marshall Islands
  • The Republic of Palau

And is:

  • Public or private
  • Community-based
  • Native American tribal governments
  • Native American tribal organizations

Applications due by May 2, 2024

Learn More

Apply Here

 

On-Line, On-Demand Training w/Option to Certify

March 27, 2024

On-Line, On-Demand Training w/Option to Certify

This is an online, on-demand course, with no scheduled classes to attend during your 3-month access to course materials.

Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to Denials, Appeals and Revenue Cycle Management
  • Clean Claims Lead to Prompt Payments
  • Understanding Medicare’s Claims Review Program
  • Audit before the Appeal
  • Medical Necessity
  • Appealing Medicare Denials
  • Appealing ERISA Denials
  • Appeal Consequences, Investigations & Probes
  • Creating an Appeal Program

This course is recommended for individuals working in:

  • Patient Financial Services Office
  • Revenue Cycle Management
  • Accounts Receivables
  • Medical Billing and Collections

Cost:

  • $750 – AIHC Members
  • $1,259 – Non-Members

Register now through April 1, 2024

Upcoming Webinar – Hospital Price Transparency: What Hospitals Need to Know

March 27, 2024

Upcoming Webinar – Hospital Price Transparency: What Hospitals Need to Know

This webinar discusses the latest hospital price transparency policies effective January 1, 2024. The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) subject matter experts will review the latest policy requirements and enforcement actions for hospital price transparency.

Cost: Free of Charge

When: Thursday, April 4, 12:00 p.m. CT

Register Here

AIHC Training Opportunity Capturing and Coding Social Determinants of Health for Physicians and Hospitals

March 15, 2024

AIHC Training Opportunity Capturing and Coding Social Determinants of Health for Physicians and Hospitals

Are you up to date on coverage changes in Medicare? Consider registering for this short course, offered by the American Institute of Healthcare Compliance (AIHC).

Among several important coverage changes, Medicare now covers a Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Risk Assessment at no cost to the patient, when it’s provided as an optional Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) element as part of the same visit with the same date of service as the AWV.

Computer Requirements and Time Limits:

  • You will need high-speed internet, email and Adobe Reader
  • You will have access to the online AIHC course page for 90 days starting on your enrollment date
  • Course tuition includes access to the training page for 90 days
  • Online quizzes throughout the training
  • Certificate of completion is awarded with a minimum score of 80%

Cost: $45

Learn More

New Dashboard Helps Families and Health Care Workers Determine Bed Availability in Long-Term Care Settings

March 13, 2024

New Dashboard Helps Families and Health Care Workers Determine Bed Availability in Long-Term Care Settings

A new dashboard has been developed to assist Missourians in locating long-term care facilities with bed and service availability.

“This resource will assist individuals looking for long-term care placement options specific to their needs in their desired area of the state,” said Missouri Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Director, Jenny Hollandsworth.

Long-term care facilities, including all levels of care, are strongly encouraged to complete an electronic survey weekly to report how many beds they have available, and which resident needs they can serve, i.e., memory care, behavioral health, bariatric, etc.

The survey and dashboard can be found on the Long-Term Care Ombudsman website, along with instructional videos. Questions can be directed to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at LTCOmbudsman@health.mo.gov.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Updated Toolkit

March 12, 2024

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Updated Toolkit

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated their toolkit for states on telehealth coverage policies in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) so that it is relevant now that the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) has ended.

The toolkit provides insights into:

  • Telehealth platforms
  • Effective billing practices
  • Lessons learned from states amid and post COVID-19 PHE
  • Approaches to ensure accessible and culturally sensitive care delivery through telehealth.

The toolkit outlines:

  • Strategies for telehealth within value-based care frameworks
  • Evaluation methodologies to gauge its impact on quality
  • Outcomes
  • Costs
  • Initiatives for effectively communicating, training, and equipping both providers and beneficiaries with telehealth resources

Information included in Toolkit:

  • Detailed description of the common telehealth modalities
  • A section for frequently asked questions
  • A description of Medicaid trends throughout recent years
  • Strategies for delivering services via telehealth to specific populations
  • Operational consideration of implementing telehealth

Click Here to Access the Toolkit