Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Coding classes – sign up now!!

Meet your coding, reimbursement and compliance goals in 2013.
Topics covered include the following coding manuals:- 2013 CPT Professional - 2013 HCPCS - 2013 ICD-9 -

Coding Certificate Bootcamp in Alamosa, CO
March 19, 20 & 21, 2013
Ramada Inn & Conference Center/333 Sante Fe Ave, Alamosa, CO
Click here to register


Billing and Coding Workshop in Rifle, CO.
May 21, 22 & 23, 2013
Grand River Hospital Conference Center/501 Airport Rd, Rifle, CO
Click here to register

Questions? Contact Danette Swanson ds@coruralhealth.org
Registration Assistance: Samantha Hiner at 720.248.2757

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Attention: CAH EHR Survey!

HIMSS Analytics would like to collect data regarding the challenges that critical access hospitals face in implementing electronic health records to achieve meaningful use.

Click HERE to complete this important survey!

This brief survey focuses on the following topics:
  • challenges your hospital is experiencing related  to electronic health record implementation (e.g. access to capital, IT workforce, and broadband),
  • participation in Federal and State broadband assistance programs,
  • current and planned Health Information Technology capabilities, and
  • internet access, speed, and monthly costs.
The results of this survey will be used for Federal programs to support enhanced outreach, to better understand the needs of critical access hospitals, and to assess the effectiveness of current health IT programs and grants.

Upon completion of the survey, HIMSS Analytics will send a document referencing Federal broadband funding opportunities designed specifically to fund projects that improve health and development in rural areas by increasing access to internet technologies. If you have any questions, please contact Patti Harris, Senior Director, Data Collection and Quality at patti.harris@himssanalytics.org.

CME/CNE Credits Available! Web Conference on Practical Models to Improve Patient-Clinician Communication Using Health IT

This Webinar will identify ways health IT can be used to support the delivery of patient-centered care by supporting more effective patient-clinician communication within the medical encounter.

Date:  December 18, 2012
Time:  2:30-4:00 p.m., EST

To Register:
2. Select "Register."
3. On the registration form, enter your information and then select "Submit."

Once the host approves your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to join the event. For assistance:  Contact Jennifer Webb by email at jrwebb@rti.org or by phone at
(919) 541-6746.


Overall Purpose:
Through multiple mechanisms, including the judgment of the continuing education (CE) planning group, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has identified a gap in a health care/public health practitioner’s competency within the health IT environment. This series of Webinars is designed to increase practitioners’ competencies to improve health care decisionmaking, support patient-centered care, and improve the quality and safety of medication management. This Webinar will identify ways health IT can be used to support the delivery of patient-centered care by supporting more effective patient-clinician communication within the medical encounter. The projects presented will discuss how these approaches impact care delivery including preventive care, cancer survivorship planning, and medication management.

Confirmed Speakers:
William Adams, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, Director of BU-CTSI Clinical Research Informatics, Boston University School of Medicine
Dr. Adams has no conflict of interests to report.

Elizabeth Hahn, M.A., Associate Professor, Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Ms. Hahn has no conflict of interests to report.

Michael Wolf, Ph.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor and Associate Division Chief, General Internal Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Dr. Wolf has no conflict of interests to report.

Moderator:
Teresa Zayas-Cabán, Ph.D., Senior Manager, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Dr. Zayas-Cabán has no conflict of interests to report.

Learning Objectives:
1)      Describe how use of an interactive voice response system can impact patient-clinician communication in pediatric care settings.
2)      Discuss how use of a low literacy multimedia information system can enhance the quality of communication between cancer patients and their providers.
3)      Identify health IT strategies that impact medication management through enhanced patient-clinician communication.

Target Audience: ambulatory care practices, physicians, nurses, government agencies, health IT vendors, patients and consumers, health care policymakers, and researchers interested in patient-clinician communication

How to Obtain CME/CNE Credit
Participants will earn 1.5 contact credit hours for their participation if they attended the entire Web conference. Participants must complete an online evaluation in order to obtain a CE certificate. A link to the online evaluation system will be sent to participants who attend the Web Conference within 48 hours after the event.

There is no involvement of commercial or sponsor support for this Web conference series.

Disclosure Policy
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality strives to ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all of its educational programs. All planners, faculty members, moderators, discussants, panelist and presenters participating in this program have been required to disclose any real or apparent conflict(s) of interest that may have a direct bearing on the subject matter of this program. This includes relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers or other corporations whose products or services are related to the subject matter of the presentation topic. The intent of this policy is to identify openly any conflict of interest so that the attendees may form their own judgments about the presentation with full disclosure of the facts. In addition, faculty is expected to openly disclose any off-label, experimental and/or investigational uses of drugs or devices in their presentation. Disclosures, Conflict of Interest (COI) and Resolution of COI policies are available here.

Physician Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The APHA is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The APHA designates this web-based educational activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit (s).  
Nurse Accreditation Statement
This continuing nursing education activity was approved by APHA/PHN, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Non Endorsement and Disclaimer
As an Accredited Provider of Continuing Education (CE) Credits for Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Medicine (CME), and Public Health (CPH) the American Public Health Association Learning and Professional Development Programs (LPDP) Unit and its respective Continuing Education accrediting organizations do not endorse any products or services that are displayed or referred to in conjunction with this activity and are not responsible for the actual presentation of content during scientific sessions.  The APHA education planning committee has determined that CE sessions meet the accreditation criteria for all four disciplines

Planning Committee for this Webinar Series CE activity:
Angela Nunley, AHRQ - Ms. Nunley has no conflicts of interest to report.
Jonathan Wald, M.D., M.P.H., CME planner, RTI - Dr. Wald has no conflicts of interest to report.
Carolyn Padovano, Ph.D., R.N., CNE planner, RTI- Dr. Padovano has no conflicts of interest to report.
Stephanie Rizk, RTI- Ms. Rizk has no conflicts of interest to report.
Jennifer Webb, RTI- Ms. Webb has no conflicts of interest to report.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

HRSA presents a HITQ Webinar

Health Resources and Services Administration 
Health Information Technology and Quality Webinar 

“Meaningfully Using Computerized Order Entry for Safety Net Providers” 
Friday, December 14, 2:00 PM ET

This webinar provides an understanding of how inpatient and ambulatory safety net providers can meaningfully use computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) defines CPOE as “the provider’s use of computer assistance to directly enter medication orders from a computer or mobile device. The order is also documented or captured in a digital, structured, and computable format for use in improving safety and organization.”

CPOE, a mandatory core measure for meaningful use for the CMS Electronic Health Record Incentive Program, can provide many benefits and challenges to safety net providers. These include increased patient safety, accurate communication between healthcare providers, and greater capturing of services for billing. Webinar speakers will discuss how they successfully implemented CPOE in their provider settings and how they overcame CPOE challenges in order to reap its benefits. (Registration Below)

Presenters Include:

· Raymond Parris, Chief Information Officer of Golden Valley Health Centers, Merced, CA
· Robbie Dewberry, Chief Executive Officer of Mitchell County Hospital District, Colorado City, Texas

Register here: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=3b12yzdojkqz

Questions for presenters are welcome ahead of the event and may be emailed to healthit@hrsa.gov

Previous HRSA Health IT and Quality Webinars can be access at HRSA Health IT and Quality Webinar website:  http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toolbox/webinars/index.html