Posts by Norwood Staffing
The time for risk adjustment coding, outpatient CDI is now
By Brian Murphy In my ACDIS days we launched the CCDS-O (outpatient) certification in 2017. The response, while positive, was not nearly the same as the CCDS (inpatient) received in 2009. In hindsight we were ahead of the curve. While risk adjustment was a concern, and a big one for some facilities, for others the…
Read MoreDon’t hate on hospitals: Navigating the complexities of healthcare reimbursement with Jugna Shah, MPH
Stop hating on hospitals. It’s a sentiment most Off the Record podcast listeners would probably agree with. But not everyone. Hospitals are under assault in some corners, including the media and in the halls of government. We need a villain and hospitals often find themselves playing the role of fall guy. For example, many blame them…
Read MoreThe “Risky Business” of Risk Adjustment
Why risk adjustment coders are more valuable than ever By Crystal May, CCS, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, AAPC Approved Instructor, Senior Risk Adjustment Consultant, Norwood If you’re of a certain age, the title of this article probably conjured up the image of a popular male actor sliding across a wooden floor in a…
Read MoreHyponatremia and the bar of query: How much evidence before you clarify the presence of a diagnosis?
By Brian Murphy How much evidence do you need, or does your organization require, before you send a query? A broad and difficult question, and obviously much depends on the diagnosis in question. But I’m interested in the big picture. (As always with these types of posts, I stress that I’m neither a clinician or…
Read MoreBuilding and Reinventing Pediatric CDI Programs
Thursday, Sept. 21, 1-2 p.m. EST. Register here: https://my.demio.com/ref/Bvi1r8BxSduVGq0b It’s frequently been said (in the context of clinical medicine) that children are not just little adults. You can’t treat them the same way, even with a similar diagnosis. So why should pediatric CDI programs be any different? Pediatric CDI brings with it a unique array…
Read MoreImprove outpatient CDI outcomes, risk adjustment metrics with Owl by Norwood
The cat is out of the bag—or more appropriately, the Owl has flown the coop. The team at Norwood has been working behind the scenes on a piece of assistive software, and we’re ready to give it flight. Owl by Norwood was born out of a need we saw while performing chart audits…
Read MoreFinding your Ikigai: Nicole Fox on the art of balance amidst trauma
During my last conference as ACDIS Director in Oct. 2021 I had the pleasure of introducing Dr. Nicole Fox as our opening keynote. Nicole is not a professional lecturer but delivered one of the most impactful and inspiring speeches I’ve seen, covering her work as a pediatric trauma surgeon and her challenges as a single…
Read MoreCutting through the confusion of CMS-HCC version 28 implementation date
By Jason Jobes When does CMS-HCC V28 take effect? Confused? You are not alone. I am going to break it down to ease some of the confusion around the new risk model. Thanks for reading. If you find this helpful, please reply with a comment, follow me on LinkedIn, or share this email as that…
Read MoreSepsis-2, sepsis-3, or sepsis-2.5? Varying definitions lead to denials
By Brian Murphy Sepsis is back in the news. I doubt many in the CDI and coding communities are surprised. Sepsis remains at the most frequently posed query among CDI professionals. The most recent ACDIS CDI Week Industry Overview Survey had sepsis topping the list, followed by respiratory failure and malnutrition. Sepsis a difficult condition…
Read MoreCMS Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: Inadvertent cause of patient harm?
By Brian Murphy Financial incentives are a powerful tool. If you want someone to perform in a certain way, you can encourage, threaten, or cajole them to do so… or you can tangibly reward them with payment for good outcomes, or penalize them for poor behavior. CMS understood this when it implemented the Hospital Readmissions…
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