Author: dianawinder

Article: Senate Passes Bill with Key Healthcare Extensions, no Medicare Physician Pay Fix

March 17, 2025

Article: Senate Passes Bill with Key Healthcare Extensions, no Medicare Physician Pay Fix

The Senate voted March 14 to approve a government funding bill that extends key healthcare provisions, delays Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts and provides additional support for rural hospitals.

The legislation passed the Senate in a 54 – 46 vote and president Donald Trump signed it into law on March 15.

The House had earlier passed the bill on March 11 in a 217 – 213 vote, ensuring government operations continue through September 30. Key healthcare provisions in the bill include:

  • Elimination of Medicaid DSH cuts through September 30,
  • Extension of telehealth waivers and the hospital-at-home program through September 30,
  • Expansion of the enhanced low-volume adjustment program through September 30 and the Medicare-dependent hospital program through October 1,
  • Continuation of add-on payments for rural ambulance services through October 1

However, the bill does not address the 2.83% Medicare physician pay cut, a major setback for physicians and medical groups. A temporary 2.5% Medicare physician pay bump that took effect January 1 is absent from the funding package. The legislation does, however, review a boost to the Medicare work geographic practice cost index, which benefits rural physicians.

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WhidbeyHealth Averts $220 Revenue Leakage per Emergency Department Patient

March 17, 2025

WhidbeyHealth Averts $220 Revenue Leakage per Emergency Department Patient

Numerous factors contribute to revenue leakage in Eds, including ineffective charge capture practices, inadequate billing processes, and challenges in accurately coding services provided.

WhidbeyHealth Medical Center used Ventus Intelligent Coding to transform their ED coding processes, streamline operations, and ensure more accurate charge capture. As a result, they achieved a remarkable 21% increase in revenue per patient visit within just 90 days of implementation.

Click Here to Learn More

Webinar: Win the War for Talent: Proven Strategies to Recruit and Retain Exceptional Leaders, March 21

March 17, 2025

Webinar: Win the War for Talent: Proven Strategies to Recruit and Retain Exceptional Leaders, March 21

Hospitals are no longer battling mass resignations, but hiring complexity, leadership turnover and staff burnout continue to pose serious challenges.

Short-term hiring fixes aren’t enough. Health systems need a sustainable, holistic workforce strategy that develops and retains top leaders – not just fills vacancies.

Join this webinar to hear directly from HR leaders at health systems nationwide as they share real-world strategies to:

  • Strengthen leadership pipelines for long-term stability,
  • Reduce reliance on costly contingent staffing, and
  • Build a culture that retains top talent and prevents burnout.

Cost: Free

When: Friday, March 21, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

Webinar: Privileging, Simplified: A modernized approach for healthcare teams, March 20

March 17, 2025

Webinar: Privileging, Simplified: A modernized approach for healthcare teams, March 20

Traditional privileging processes are slow, manual and overly complex. These inefficiencies delay provider onboarding, increase compliance risks and burden administrative teams.

This webinar offers actionable strategies to streamline privileging workflows through automation and technology. Learn how to reduce administrative overhead by up to 30% and accelerate provider onboarding by 40%.

Key Learnings:

  • Speed up privileging with automated workflows that replace manual processes – without compromising quality.
  • Ensure seamless compliance to meet The Joint Commission’s standards and ensure patient safety.
  • Standardize and scale operations using centralized data management for greater efficiency and control across locations.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, March 20, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

Healthcare Quality Trends: 45 Key Stats

March 17, 2025

Healthcare Quality Trends: 45 Key Stats

A March 11 report from the Peterson Center on healthcare and KFF tracks the performance of healthcare systems over the last few decades. The report lists 45 statistics you need to know about:

  • Treatment outcomes
  • Appropriate treatment
  • Patient Safety
  • Preventive Services
  • Health System capacity and workforce shortage

Click Here to Read Report

Americans’ Self-reported Mental, Physical Health at 24-year low: Gallup

March 17, 2025

Americans’ Self-reported Mental, Physical Health at 24-year low: Gallup

Americans’ self-reported physical and mental health ratings have reached their lowest levels in more than two decades, according to a March 13 Gallup report.

The survey, conducted in partnership with West Health, is based on responses from 1,001 U.S. adults collected from November 6 – 20, 2024.

Three Takeaways:

  • Americans’ assessments of their health have trended downward since about 2013, with a sharp decline seen during the pandemic.
  • In the latest survey, 75% of adults described their mental health as “good” or excellent,” a decline from 89% in 2012. Meanwhile, 76% rated their physical health positively, down from a peak of 82% in 2003.
  • Gallup noted that fewer Americans are ranking their health as “excellent,” which represents the main driver of these decreases. Just 24% of Americans rated their physical health as “excellent,” alongside 31% for their mental health. In 2001, 29% of Americans reported “excellent” physician health and 43$ reported “excellent” mental health.

The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have been a turning point in Americans’ perceptions of their mental and physical health, compounding declines already underway,” Gallup said.

Click Here to view full report

NRHA Webinar: A 180-Degree Turn in One Year: How a CAH went from the Brink of Closure to Expanding Services

March 17, 2025

NRHA Webinar: A 180-Degree Turn in One Year: How a CAH went from the Brink of Closure to Expanding Services

In one year, Monroe County Hospital went from financial instability to expanding services and strengthening its role in the community. This transformation wasn’t the result of new funding or external support – it came from a strategic leadership shift and operational changes that stabilized finances, improved efficiency, and positioned the hospital for long-term success.

In this session, Kerry Trapnell will share the key actions that made this turnaround possible, drawing from his 25 years of experience guiding rural hospitals through financial and operational improvements.

In this session, attendees will learn:

  • How Monroe County Hospital pinpointed critical risks and addressed them,
  • Key operational and financial changes that led to measurable improvements,
  • Challenges the leadership team navigated – and what made the difference, and
  • Strategies rural hospitals can apply to strengthen financial sustainability.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, March 25, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

NRHA Webinar: Improving Outcomes for Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Patients in Rural EDs, March 20

March 17, 2025

NRHA Webinar: Improving Outcomes for Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Patients in Rural EDs, March 20

Rural emergency departments need practical, proven strategies to improve care for behavioral health and substance use disorder patients. This educational presentation delivers actionable solutions you can apply immediately. Carla Wilber, a rural healthcare leader with extensive experience in emergency care, quality im0provement, and care transitions, and Lindsay Hunt, a healthcare transformation expert who has designed national programs to improve behavioral health care in rural EDs, will share targeted approaches to strengthen patient care and streamline ED processes.

In this webinar you will learn:

  • Best practices to strengthen behavioral health care in rural EDs,
  • 1-2 immediate actions your hospital or health system can implement, and
  • How a new three-month virtual program can support your team in optimizing care.

This session is built for hospital and health system leaders ready to take the next step in improving emergency behavioral health care.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, March 20, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

Webinar Series: Building Rural Health Resilience through cybersecurity and AI: The Cyberlandscape, Starts March 19

March 14, 2025

Webinar Series: Building Rural Health Resilience through cybersecurity and AI: The Cyberlandscape, Starts March 19

Microsoft is hosting a webinar series on building rural health resilience through cybersecurity and AI starting at noon CDT, March 19. This webinar series was designed to empower rural healthcare organizations with the knowledge and tools needed to enhance cybersecurity and AI capabilities. Hosted by industry experts, each session will provide valuable insights into how technology can be leveraged to protect and innovate within rural health settings.

Webinar Series Schedule:

  • Rural health resilience through cybersecurity and AI: the cyberlandscape

Gain practical insights and strategies to manage user identities, secure access, and protect your hospital’s data through identity and access management (IAM)using Microsoft Entra ID. Learn how to implement multifactor authentication, conditional access policies, and continuous monitoring to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to critical systems and information.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, March 19, 12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

  • Understanding the security features of Microsoft Business Premium and Microsoft 365 ES and Microsoft 365 E5

Join this webinar to discover how Microsoft Business Premium, Microsoft 365 E3, and Microsoft 365 E5 can support your hospital’s cybersecurity through advanced security features, built-in compliance tools, and seamless integration capabilities to safeguard your organization against cyberattacks.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, April 9, 12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m.

Click Here to Register

  • Best practices in identity and access management using Microsoft Entra ID

Gain practical insights and strategies to manage user identities secure access, and protect your organization’s data through Identity and Access Management (IAM) using Microsoft Entra ID.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, May 14, 12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

  • Next level innovation for rural health: A CIO’s real-world example

Tune in to hear a rural chief information officer (CIO) share firsthand experiences in driving innovation with limited resources to help their organization achieve next-level innovation and improve patient outcomes.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, June 11, 12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

  • Lessons from a CAH cyberattack: Best practices for cybersecurity

Gain insights from a CIO’s real-life experience responding to a cyberattack at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH). This session will bring valuable lessons learned, best practices in cybersecurity incident response, and practical steps to improve your organization’s cyber resiliency.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, July 9, 12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

  • Best practices in endpoint management using Microsoft Intune

Join this webinar to learn how to plan, deploy, and operationalize device management, enforce security policies, and ensure compliance at your hospital with Endpoint Management using Microsoft Intune. By the end of this session, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to create a robust and secure device management strategy tailored to the unique needs of your hospital.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, August 13, 12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

  • Supporting rural health through AI innovation

Boost your hospital’s ability to adopt and use AI innovation to improve care delivery and operations. Hear from a Microsoft expert about the free AI training designed to equip both frontline and IT workers with the skills needed to fully harness the power of AI in their roles.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, September 10, 12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m.

Click Here to Register

  • Security transformation is cloud transformation

Learn about the benefits of moving to cloud-based security solutions and how to implement a successful cloud transformation strategy to provide robust protection against cyberthreats.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, October 8, 12:00 – 12:40 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

Informational Webinar: New Accreditation for Hospitals in Rural Counties, March 24

March 14, 2025

Informational Webinar: New Accreditation for Hospitals in Rural Counties, March 24

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) has developed a NEW accreditation for hospitals located in rural counties. This new opportunity offers the proven benefits of CoC accreditation in a package tailored for the unique aspects of taking care of cancer patients in a rural setting.

In this 30-minute webinar, attendees will learn:

  • What CoC accreditation is and how it impacts care for patients with cancer,
  • Why CoC accreditation is important for hospitals in rural areas, and
  • About a new set of CoC accreditation requirements designed for hospitals in rural counties.

To learn more, please join this information webinar.

Cost: Free

When: Monday, March 24, 11:00 a.m.

Click Here to Register

Questions? Please email CoC@facs.org