Posts by Norwood Staffing
Revka Stearns: Eight months later (and wiser)—Part 1 of 2
Listen to the episode here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/EBiWUwjOmNb Back in January I hosted newly minted medical coder Revka Stearns. For someone so new to the industry, Revka has made a big impact by the act of sharing–documenting her journey in detailed and open fashion on LinkedIn and Facebook, and a half dozen podcasts and programs. At the…
Read MoreCompliant capture of SDOH and chronic conditions a healthy imperative
We know about the bad examples. Insurance companies adding diagnoses solely to inflate risk scores and payment. We’ve seen the Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit reports, and a recent damning story in the Wall Street Journal (see below). Fraud should be called out, fined, and punished, when it occurs. But let’s…
Read MoreOutpatient CDI adoption, denials prevention and risk adjustment trending high in CDI
By Brian Murphy CDI Week might be winding down … but I’m keyed up for the ACDIS Industry Overview Survey. This annual “state of the industry” special report is worth reading, providing both the big picture of the profession and interesting year-over-year trends so you can see how the times are a-changing. …
Read MoreStudy of housing instability ICD-10 codes a call to arms for improved capture of social determinants of health
By Brian Murphy Z59 and other social determinants of health (SDOH) are difficult to capture in ICD-10. How are you doing it? A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrated that housing instability, as captured with the Z59 series, is not being accurately assigned. At all. The JAMA…
Read MoreMalnutrition a major factor in readmissions; make compliant CDI and coding capture your priority
By Brian Murphy File this under reason 1,227 to diligently work to capture malnutrition. Medscape recently covered a study published in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. The study followed 319 patients aged 65+, hospitalized for the first time with COPD in Southwest China. Median age was 76 days and patients averaged five comorbidities.…
Read MoreTonya Motsinger: Surviving and thriving in an evolving CDI landscape
Listen to the episode here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/c6FFYxoXZMb With 25 years’ experience in medical/surgical, critical care, and emergency department medicine, Tonya Motsinger has seen her share of crises. COVID-19 was a crisis of a far larger scale. The pandemic wreaked havoc not only on patients, but her CDI department, resulting in staff shortages. Today OhioHealth’s System…
Read MoreThe ROI of Staffing—How one organization made the case
High-quality coding and CDI professionals are costly. Labor expenses as a whole comprise over 50% of a facility’s expenses. But strategic staffing can actually boost your ROI. One of our partners saw a significant return by optimizing coverage rates. Download the full article and uncover the secrets to maximizing your staffing investment.
Read MoreBridging divides: Leif Laframboise on merging the clinical and financial through data
Listen to the episode here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/n2tsZSPmCMb Bridging the gap between clinical and financial worlds is the goal of CDI and coding, but it’s much easier said than done. One way to reconcile this schism is through data—objective numbers that don’t lie, but can speak to both sides of this seemingly irreconcilable chasm. Associate Director of…
Read MoreNorwood MS-DRG audit results in substantial DNFB reduction, missed revenue opportunities
Even with the rapid growth of risk adjusted payments, Medicare Severity DRGs (MS-DRGs) remain the principal reimbursement mechanism for most healthcare organizations. But despite their relative maturity there is always room to improve MS-DRG assignment. Missed complications/comorbidities (CC) and major CCs, inaccurate principal diagnosis assignment, and non-specific/symptom DRGs lead to underreported severity of illness.…
Read MoreNew CMS FAQ sheds additional light on compliant use of new HCPCS add-on code G2211
By Brian Murphy Attention coders and mid-revenue cycle professionals: CMS has released a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document for new HCPCS add-on code G2211. Link below. My colleague Crystal May wrote an article about this interesting but troublesome new code (which went into effect Jan. 1), summarizing the guidance we had to…
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