Rural Spotlight

On-Demand Webinar: FY2026 IPPS/LTCH Proposed Rule Overview for Hospitals

May 28, 2025

On-Demand Webinar: FY2026 IPPS/LTCH Proposed Rule Overview for Hospitals

This webinar will provide an overview of the fiscal year (FY) 202 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS)/Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) proposed rule as it relates to the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program, Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program, Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program, and Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

This educational On-Demand event now appears on www.QualityReportingCenter.com in the Events on Demand tab.

Click Here to Access this On-Demand Webinar

Missouri DHSS Issues Emergency Waiver to Assist Missourians Impacted by Severe Weather

May 22, 2025

Missouri DHSS Issues Emergency Waiver to Assist Missourians Impacted by Severe Weather

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has issued an emergency waiver to assist Missourians in need of critical prescription medications following the devastating tornadoes and sever weather that struck Missouri on May 16.

The action comes after Governor Mike Kehoe issued Executive Order 25-24 authorizing DHSS to temporarily waive or suspend any statutory or administrative rule under its purview to allow medical professionals to better assist those affected by storms.

The provisions of §195.010-195.100 and their attendant regulations and 195.060, RSMo, are partially waived to allow pharmacists to fill controlled substance prescriptions for patients in disaster-impacted areas without the presentation of a written prescription and if the pharmacist determines within his or her professional judgment that an extended supply is needed to avoid interruptions to patient care.

This will ensure that individuals whose prescriptions or prescription records were lost or destroyed, or whose original prescribing physician is unavailable, can continue to receive needed medications even if the pharmacy has not previously dispensed or refilled the prescription.

Click Here to View the Waiver

Webinar: The High Cost of Documentation: How Top Health Systems are Fighting Back, June 10

May 22, 2025

Webinar: The High Cost of Documentation: How Top Health Systems are Fighting Back, June 10

Hospitals are facing a double bind: rising denials and razor-thin margins. At the center of both? Documentation.

Without cross-functional alignment and smarter strategies, hospitals risk missed revenue, compliance issues and burnout among clinicians and coding staff alike.

In this virtual panel discussion, health system executives will break down:

  • How documentation is evolving from back-office task to enterprise priority,
  • Tactics for uniting clinical, coding and finance leaders to reduce friction and revenue leakage, and
  • What technology and data tools are moving the needle – and what to avoid

Whether you’re looking to sharpen your denial management strategy or overhaul documentation practices, this conversation will offer tangible insights and hard-won lessons.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, June 10, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: Cybersecurity: Safeguarding Employees in the Age of Scams, June 25

May 22, 2025

Webinar: Cybersecurity: Safeguarding Employees in the Age of Scams, June 25

Are you worried about being a victim of cyber-crime? What about your employees and vulnerable elderly retirees? Each year millions of Americans are targets of financial fraud schemes that use email, text, social media, telephone calls, and other means to steal money from prospective victims. And the problem is growing, as international crime syndicates employ technological advances like AI to make their scams more sophisticated and persuasive.

Join Becker’s on June 25 for a panel discussion with CISOs from Children’s Mercy Kansas City and UAB Health System – where they’ll explore the growing sophistication of scams, break down how AI is reshaping fraud tactics and what to do now to protect your workforce and retirees.

You’ll Leave With:

  • Tips to spot and stop emerging scam tactics,
  • Insights on fraud trends targeting the elderly, and
  • Steps to strengthen organizational defense without slowing operations.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, June 25, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Policy Update: CMS Proposes Updates for FY 2026 Hospice Payment Rates, Comment by June 10

May 22, 2025

Policy Update: CMS Proposes Updates for FY 2026 Hospice Payment Rates, Comment by June 10

This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the deadline for comments on their proposed rule for Medicare Hospice Payment Rates from June 30 to June 10.

Click Here to see the CMS Fact Sheet for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update Proposed Rule for a summary. When commenting, refer to file code CMS-1835-P.

Webinar: Medicare Care Management Billing Strategies, May 30

May 22, 2025

Webinar: Medicare Care Management Billing Strategies, May 30

This webinar will discuss new Medicare care management billing codes that can support care coordination and help your organization improve quality nof care for Medicare beneficiaries. The presenters will discuss actionable steps to help your organization plan for and implement these billing codes.

Cost: Free

When: Friday, May 30, 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: How Westchester Medical Center is Reinventing Emergency Care Coordination, May 28

May 22, 2025

Webinar: How Westchester Medical Center is Reinventing Emergency Care Coordination, May 28

Facing surging EMS volumes and increasing complexity in acute care, Westchester Medical Center – the only level 1 trauma center in New York’s Hudson Valley – is rethinking how teams communicate across emergency care transitions.

Hear directly from medical leaders as they break down how the system is advancing time-to-treatment and streamlining care coordination with a tech-enable EMS-to-ED handoff model that’s already delivering results for stroke, STEMI and other time-sensitive emergencies.

What You’ll Learn:

  • How streamlined EMS registration is reducing ED turnaround time and improving 911 system efficiency,
  • Where unified communications can close gaps in patient flow across pre-hospital, ED and transfer workflows, and
  • How automated workflows are connecting clinical systems to reduce friction and clinician burden.

Cost: Free

When: Wednesday, May n28, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

 

Care Coordination Article: Hackensack’s Pediatric ED Cuts Early Walk-out Rate 82%

May 22, 2025

Care Coordination Article: Hackensack’s Pediatric ED Cuts Early Walk-out Rate 82%

Hackensack University Medical Center’s pediatric emergency department has significantly reduced patient-wait times and its left-before-treatment-complete rate through a series of targeted patient-flow improvements.

In 2022, patient volumes hit a record high at the pediatric ED – part of Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center. The waiting room was routinely full, and many lower-acuity children were not getting in front of a provider in a timely manner.

After navigating a sharp spike in pediatric visits during the 2022 virus season, ED leaders conducted a deep dive into their metrics. At the time, the average door-to-provider time was 50 minutes, and the average door-to-bed time was 52 minutes. Additionally, 4.5% of patients left the ED before completing treatment.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Whitepaper: Health Systems’ Onsite Medical Supplies Distribution Playbook to Operate More Efficiently

May 22, 2025

Whitepaper: Health Systems’ Onsite Medical Supplies Distribution Playbook to Operate More Efficiently

Grappling with ineffective operations, lack of capable logistics staff and “firefighting” day-to-day supplies issues?

Learn how leading health systems overcome these challenges by partnering with external operations experts. Discover strategies to streamline your supply chain, reduce costs and deliver consistent, high-quality care.

Gain the tools to:

  • Build a business case for third-party supply chain partners,
  • Overcome workforce shortages with scalable, expert resources, and
  • Ensure seamless supply chain transitions that protect patient care.

Click Here to Download the Whitepaper

Webinar: From Operations to Outcomes: How AI is Reshaping Healthcare RCM, June 17

May 22, 2025

Webinar: From Operations to Outcomes: How AI is Reshaping Healthcare RCM, June 17

Join Doug Hires, former COO of Optum Insight’s Provider Market, and Harpaul Sambhi, CEO of Magical, for an executive session on transforming RCM with Agentic AI.

Learn how leading healthcare orgs are using AI to drive real-world wins and bottom-line gains – cutting costs, boosting collections, and easing staffing pressure. Doug brings leadership insights from running large-scale provider ops, while Harpaul outlines how to deploy AI as a true digital teammate.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Operational insights from the former COO of Optum Insight’s Provider Market,
  • How AI boosts margins reducing denials and automating workflows, and
  • A practical roadmap to hire your first “AI employee” and future proof your org

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, June 17, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register