I worked for business-to-business publisher HCPro, Inc., the parent company of these trade journals as an Executive Editor from October 2002 through July 2007. For details about my work there, go to the Experience page. Since 2007, I’ve been freelancing for the company. Note: These articles are available to subscribers only. To view the full text of any of these samples, contact me at michele [at] wilsonjournalist [dot] com.
Residency Program Alert – Directed at residency program managers in all specialties, this monthly newsletter offers tips on how these hospital staff can most effectively run their programs.
Healthcare Marketing Advisor - This newsletter, for those on the marketing and advertising side of a hospital’s business, offers successful campaigns, tips from pros in the field, and information about incorporating marketing into a hospital’s strategic mission.
Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies - This healthcare newsletter focuses on hospital inpatient coding rules and regulations. As a freelancer, I wrote this newsletter from December 2008 through August 2009.
Briefings on APCs – This healthcare newsletter helps outpatient facilities understand the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and APCs, and their effect on hospital coding, documentation, and billing.
Clips
2011
Set boundaries early on and stick to them during crises, Residency Program Alert, September 2011 issue
PIF 101: Simplifying the Program Information Form process, Residency Program Alert, September 2011 issue
August 2011 Residency Program Alert (4 articles)
July 2011 Residency Program Alert (4 articles)
June 2011 Residency Program Alert (4 articles)
May 2011 Residency Program Alert (4 articles)
New Campaign Illustrates Health System’s Positive Outlook, Healthcare Marketing Advisor, March 2011 issue
Signature Healthcare in Brockton, MA, recently went through a metamorphosis, a story it’s now telling through uplifting, graphics-based ads.
Mother-Doc Blogger Knows Best, Healthcare Marketing Advisor, March 2011 issue
On one Seattle Children’s Hospital blog, a pediatrician writes from her experience as both mother and doctor.
Handheld Cams Make Video Stars, Healthcare Marketing Advisor, February 2011 issue
Hospitals marketing departments are employing Flip Video™ cameras for everything from press releases to physician directories.
Facebook Gives New Life to Old Video, Healthcare Marketing Advisor, February 2011 issue
Oakland, CA–based Kaiser Permanente reposted a one-minute spot about preventive medicine, to much acclaim.
2010
Look for Medical Necessity, Signs and Symptoms, and Time Units When Coding SBIRT, Briefings on APCs, November 2010 issue
“SBIRT is an early intervention approach that targets those with non-dependent substance use to provide effective strategies for intervention prior to the need for more extensive or specialized treatment,” states the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In other words, bring a patient teetering on the substance-dependency brink back to solid ground before it’s too late.
2009
What would you do? Know your ethical obligations, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, August 2009 issue
In June 2009, one Maryland medical center agreed to pay $3 million to settle allegations by two of its inpatient coders that the hospital’s physicians reported secondary diagnoses they had not identified or treated. Would coders know how to behave in a similar situation? A look at coding ethics.
Improve documentation with strong CDI specialist, program, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, August 2009 issue
It’s crucial to hire the right person for the role of Clinical Documentation Improvement specialist. But who should it be? A coder? A nurse? Someone with experience in both? The answer will determine how effectively your hospital’s CDI program runs.
Dissect documentation for psychiatric inpatients, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, August 2009 issue
To make sure facilities receive proper reimbursement for psych inpatients, their coders need a solid understanding of what documentation paints the clearest clinical picture, what they should look for in each chart, and what changed in the payment system from 2009 to 2010.
Quick list: Eight tips to better understand CMS’ GEMs, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, August 2009 issue
Eight tips to help coders and others better understand the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs), a bidirectional tool to aid providers in the switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10 coding systems.
Uncover this helpful GEM to assist with ICD-10 transition, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, July 2009 issue
In July 2009, implementation of ICD-10 coding systems was still three years away. However, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services was already providing educational tools—including General Equivalence Mapping (GEM), a bidirectional tool to aid providers in the switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10.
The quick list: Eight Recovery Audit Contractor refreshers, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, July 2009 issue
Before the Recovery Audit Contractor program rolled out nationwide, CMS offered tips to prepare. Here are eight from those calls.
Is your hospital owed money for PACTs?, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, July 2009 issue
During the RAC Demonstration Project, auditors found that postacute care transfers represented a significant area of underpayment for hospitals. That means hospitals could make some money back, if they know the rules and their rights.
How do your facility’s productivity standards stack up?, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, July 2009 issue
More than 200 respondents participated in HCPro’s coding productivity benchmark survey. The overarching theme? Coders’ responsibilities vary, making productivity a challenging benchmark to establish.
2010 IPPS proposed rule brings historic payment lows, few coding changes, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, June 2009 issue
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released changes to the Inpatient Prospective Payment coding system.
CMS discusses RACs, ICD-10, and wage indexes, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, June 2009 issue
On a Hospital Open Door Forum Call, representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) discuss Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs), plus the upcoming ICD-10 coding system.
Perspectives on chronic left ventricular heart failure, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, June 2009 issue
Selecting a code for a patient with heart failure used to be fairly straightforward. Not anymore. A physician and coding specialist offer their guidance.
The quick list: Condition code 44, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, June 2009 issue
Condition code 44, “inpatient admission changed to outpatient,” allows a hospital to change a patient’s status from inpatient to observation—but only under certain circumstances. What you need to know.
OIG Work Plan: Still time to prepare, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, May 2009 issue
Four areas of the Office of Inspector General Work Plan apply to inpatient hospitals: Part A IPPS wage indexes, payments for new technologies, reliability of hospital-reported quality measure data, and coding and documentation changes under the MS-DRG system.
California’s hospital quality-data reporting success, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, May 2009 issue
California, one of the most forward-thinking states in terms of healthcare, created its own quality measurement public reporting program. Participating hospitals perform better on major quality measures.
Understand inpatient wound care coding for RAC audits, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, May 2009 issue
Nationwide rollout of the Recovery Audit Contractor program is underway. It expanded to 24 states in March, and the rest of the country could see auditors as early as August 1. Will inpatient wound care will continue to be a hot-button issue when the permanent RACs come knocking?
The quick list: Eight sepsis coding tips, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, May 2009 issue
Coding for sepsis is confusing. A physician and a coding specialist offer eight tips to getting it right.
Understand how never events, HACs differ, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, April 2009 issue
In January 2009, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced three new coverage determinations that remove from patients payment responsibility for preventable surgical errors—the most recent in CMS’ effort to highlight patient safety.
The RAC rollout could mean new dealings with SNFs, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, April 2009 issue
Hospitals could soon feel the heat of the Recovery Audit Contractor program, which could trickle down to the Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) that take their referrals.
CMS discusses RACs, MACs, and AHRQ measures, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, April 2009 issue
On a Hospital Open Door Forum Call, representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) discuss Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs), Medicare administrative contractors (MACs), and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) measures.
ICD-10 at long last: Prepare for implementation by 2013, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, March 2009 issue
After nearly a decade, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finally announced an implementation date for the new ICD-10 coding system: 2013. Though it’s still five years away, there’s plenty hospitals should do now.
The quick list: Seven ICD-10 myths debunked, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, March 2009 issue
With a new coding system come many misconceptions, like the notion that thousands of new codes mean much more work for coders. These myths just simply aren’t true.
New guidance for coding BMI and pressure ulcers, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, March 2009 issue
Most of the time, coders must code based on documentation from physicians. However, Coding Clinic guidance suggests that, in the appropriate circumstances, coders can use notes from nurses or dietitians.
Don’t leave money on the table: Report eligible procedures under OPPS, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, February 2009 issue
Under certain circumstances, Medicare will pay for inpatient Part B procedures under the outpatient prospective payment system. Though hospitals won’t receive full reimbursement, they can benefit from understanding the rule.
Callers comment on HACs during special CMS session, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, February 2009 issue
Medicare will only pay for treatment of certain conditions if those conditions were present on admission. For example, if a patient’s orthopedic surgical site gets infected following surgery, the facility will receive no payment for treating the infection. Industry professionals offer their thoughts on the matter.
Take another look at observation, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, February 2009 issue
It’s a tricky business determining whether a patient should be admitted as an inpatient or to observation. It requires knowledge of Medicare’s definitions and requirements, and an understanding of how to fix mistakes when they happen.
Update physician query policy in light of new AHIMA practice brief, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, January 2009 issue
The American Health Information Management Association released guidance for inpatient hospital coders on how to efficiently query physicians about unclear documentation in a patient’s medical record.
Guidelines for reporting CRT-D pacemaker implantation, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, January 2009 issue
New coding guidance regarding pacemaker implantation could cost hospitals thousands of dollars—unless they understand the process and teach their physicians how to properly document the procedure.
2008
CMS issues updated payment rates and wage indexes for FY 2009, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, December 2008
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offers finalized wage indexes and standardized payment rates.
One-day stays, Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, November 2008
Medicare has embarked on recouping overpayments to hospitals. By 2010, the Recovery Audit Contractor program will rollout nationwide, with one-day stays taking center stage.