Author: dianawinder

Technical Assistance Webinar – Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) – HRSA-24-018, Monday, December 11 from 2:30 – 4:00

December 11, 2023

Technical Assistance Webinar – Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) – HRSA-24-018, Monday, December 11 from 2:30 – 4:00

Don’t miss today’s Technical Assistance (TA) webinar for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.

When: Today, Monday, December 11, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

The Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) aims to have applicants maximize patient and family engagement to address care gaps and improve health outcomes for older adults by integrating geriatrics with primary care and other appropriate specialties using the Age-Friendly Health Systems Framework.

Eligible Applicants include:

  • Schools of Allopathic Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Nursing, Allied Health, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Public Health, Optometry, Chiropractic, Veterinary Medicine or Podiatric Medicine
  • Physician Assistant Education Programs
  • Graduate programs for Health Administration or Behavioral Health and Mental Health Practice, including:
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Clinical Social Work
  • Professional Counseling
  • Marriage and family therapy
  • Health care facilities
  • Programs leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant
  • Partnership of a school of nursing and health care facility
  • Partnership of a program leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant, and a health care facility
  • Community-based organization, if otherwise eligible
  • Tribes, and Tribal organizations, if otherwise eligible

HRSA anticipates awarding $43 million to approximately 43 recipients through this funding opportunity.

Applications accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET on February 26, 2024

Read More about HRSA-24-018

Register Here for TA Webinar

Get Ready for 2024 Documentation Guidelines – Training to Improve Reimbursement and Mitigate Audit Risk

December 6, 2023

Get Ready for 2024 Documentation Guidelines – Training to Improve Reimbursement and Mitigate Audit Risk

Are your providers & electronic record templates up to date and compliant to the New Evaluation & Management (E/M) Documentation Requirements?

If you are conducting audits and/or filing appeals, consider registering for the comprehensive Certified Medical Documentation Improvement (CMDP) program with emphasis on 2024 guidelines for progress notes and E/M documentation.

This program is designed for:

  • Outpatient documentation professionals
  • Nurses
  • Coders
  • Internal chart reviewers
  • Health Plans and Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Auditors

Cost: 

  • $625 Non-members
  • $375 Members

Download Information Packet

Register online for Immediate Access

Survey Results: Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation

December 6, 2023

Survey Results: Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation

The first-of-its-kind survey provides a path forward for rural healthcare organizations by outlining provider compensation trends, best practices and potential challenges leaders might face when recruiting and retaining top talent in rural healthcare.

Key Takeaways from Survey

  • The majority of provider compensation is not tied to incentives
  • Salary variability continues to increase
  • Salary increase are not necessarily tied to position shortages
  • Independent and affiliated rural hospitals may not know what they are paying providers covered under Professional Service Agreements (PSAs)

See Survey Results

Using Telehealth for HIV Care

December 5, 2023

Using Telehealth for HIV Care

It’s critical for providers to understand the complexity of a patient’s daily life and support them with quality care.

Regular appointment attendance can help patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) slow the progression of the disease, reduce risk of transmission, and improve health outcomes.

Factors like time and transportation challenges, the stigma surrounding HIV, and a shortage of HIV care providers can make following a care plan difficult.

Incorporating telehealth into a primary care practice can overcome these barriers by giving patients a sage, convenient way to access HIV prevention and care services.

In recognition of the recent World AIDS Day, HRSA’s best practice guide has resources to use telehealth for HIV.

Included in the guide:

Access Best Practice Guide

Calendar Year 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule Summary

December 5, 2023

Calendar Year 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule Summary

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Learning Network released a summary of the CY24 PFS final rule with information on key changes.

The Medicare Telehealth Services section includes information on:

  • New codes
  • Continuing flexibilities
  • Payment rate and more

Read More

Center for Rural Health Releases Communication Toolkit

December 5, 2023

Center for Rural Health Releases Communication Toolkit

The Center for Rural Health (CRH), housed within the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, recently updated its Communication Toolkit. The toolkit is designed to help Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, public health departments and other healthcare organizations in navigating the realm of communications. It has sections on communicating with a target audience, working with the media, and how to successfully use tools, such as social media and website analytics, to share information with the public.

Helpful items in the toolkit:

The toolkit is free and open to the public and may be helpful for:

  • Marketing coordinators
  • Public relations directors
  • Social media marketers
  • Communication managers
  • Foundation directors
  • Website specialists
  • And other similar positions

Access Communication Toolkit Here

NRHA Webinar – Finding Financial Support for Prescription Medications and Understanding the Medicare Reforms to Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs

December 5, 2023

NRHA Webinar – Finding Financial Support for Prescription Medications and Understanding the Medicare Reforms to Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs

The inability to pay for essential medical care is not just a significant problem for the uninsured but also for people who have health insurance. Recent polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that 47% of U.S. adults said that it is very or somewhat difficult to afford their healthcare costs, and about 50% said they would be unable to pay a $500 unexpected medical bill without borrowing money. That is where the PAN Foundation comes in—to serve as a critical safety net for hundreds of thousands of underinsured patients each year. As an independent, national organization, PAN helps people across the country get the medications and treatments they need by assisting with their out-of-pocket costs and advocating for improved access, affordability, and equity for all.

Join PAN’s Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer, Amy Niles, as she explores the important role PAN plays every day in connecting patients with the lifesaving care they need and deserve.

During this webinar, Amy will walk through how healthcare providers and pharmacists can help their eligible patients find and apply for grants through PAN’s easy-to-use application process. Finally, Amy will review Medicare reforms, now law, that will lower costs for people on Medicare.

Attendees will walk away from this webinar with a better understanding about:

  • The role of charitable foundation assistance programs and why they are needed
  • How to connect patients with assistance through PAN’s disease-specific funds
  • The Medicare reforms enacted through the Inflation Reduction Act (August 2022) that will improve access to care for millions of people on Medicare

When: Thursday, January 25, 1:00 – 3:00 pm CST

Register Here

Webinar – Safe by Design: ER Designs to Accommodate Behavior Issues

December 5, 2023

Webinar – Safe by Design: ER Designs to Accommodate Behavior Issues

Emergency rooms serve as a single entry point for a variety of patients into a hospital. From sick children and expecting mothers to victims of violent crime and traumatic incidents, the ER has to accommodate a wide range of needs, and increasingly, this includes behavioral health patients. Intentional design is critical to the overall safety of hospital staff, patients and visitors.

When designing Emergency Rooms for behavioral health patients, preserving security for patients and staff security should be the number one priority. Crucial security considerations during design include:

  • The direct linking of the ED to the behavioral health ward
  • Controlling access to all spaces, anti-ligature and tamper-proof features
  • Limiting or enhancing patient privacy with clear sight lines depending on patient acuity
  • Administration of bathroom access
  • Designing nurse stations close by the ED holding rooms

These elements and more will be discussed in this lecture by two subject-matter experts:

  • Connor Crist
  • Megan Vaeth

When: Tuesday, January 23, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CST

Register Here

Webinar – Latest CMS Updates and the Most Frequent Findings in Rural Health Care

December 5, 2023

Webinar – Latest CMS Updates and the Most Frequent Findings in Rural Health Care

CMS Certification is not only necessary for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to receive Medicare and Medicaid payments, but also for payment from many private insurers and participation in Federal grants. Preparation for a CMS survey is critically important for CAHs and RHCs, as adverse CMS survey outcomes can result in termination of your CMS Certification. Rural hospitals and rural health clinics, in particular, have unique challenges, such as limited resources.

Set your organization up for a successful survey and join this webinar to hear from a former CMS surveyor about the latest updates affecting rural hospitals and rural health clinics and the most commonly cited CMS CfCs and CoPs.

After the webinar, attendees will be able to:

  • Discuss CMS QSP Memos and Notifications affecting rural hospitals
  • Most frequent CMS findings in CAHs
  • Most frequent CMS findings in RHCs

When: Tuesday, January 16, 2024, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Register Here

New Product: A Comparison of Non-Operating Revenue between Rural and Suburban Hospitals

December 4, 2023

New Product: A Comparison of Non-Operating Revenue between Rural and Suburban Hospitals

A new product exploring non-operating revenue (NOR) in rural and urban hospitals was released by the Flex Monitoring Team. NOR is an important source of hospital revenue; some hospitals are able to use NOR to offset operating losses, improve total margins, and remain profitable overall despite experiencing negative operating incomes. NOR, defined as revenue from sources other than patient care and activities closely related to patient care, is comprised of investment income, medical office rental revenue, government appropriations (such as state and local tax transfers and grants), and philanthropic sources.

The new brief, A Comparison of Non-Operating Revenue between Rural and Urban Hospitals, compares the relative percentage and composition of NOR among Critical Access Hospital (CAHs), Rural Prospective Payment System (R-PPS) hospitals, and Urban Prospective Payment System (U-PPS) hospitals. This information may be important to hospital executives seeking to improve financial performance, and to policymakers to understand how non-operating revenue affects hospital financial performance.

Read Policy Brief