VillageMD Working Smarter

We're back with an all new format! In this episode we return to Patient Attribution and dive deeper into not how, but why this works. Join us as Wendy Rubas, General Counsel of Village MD, reviews the ins and outs of patient attribution and its effects amongst the patients and workforce with VillageMD's Genelle Nkwocha and Emily Guthrie.VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics. If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, and any other podcasting apps.

In this episode we explore the new CMS framework for health equity.  Health equity as a regulatory mandate is a new concept.  We've long had some related requirements including a) ADA physical environment rules, b) ant-discrimination and c) language assistance.  But until now, we have not seen a regulatory focus on health equity. Join us for this episode with Cris Lopez, VillageMD Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Gary Jacobs, Executive Director of VillageMD Center for Public Policy, as we dive into what this means and what's to come from this within healthcare in the future. VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics.  If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, and any other podcasting apps.

We're back with Kelley Smits and Dr. Torontow with part 2 of Medical Malpractice Trends! If you haven't heard part one, we highly encourage you to check out that episode first. In this episode we will be looking at some case studies on malpractice trends, lessons we can take away from these studies, and best practices on how to avoid becoming a part of a medical malpractice lawsuit in your practice.VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics. Reminder, we have closed captioning and transcripts that are now available on our podcast! If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, any other podcasting apps.

The tide may be turning on medical malpractice trends and I think we should explain what this means. Primary care physicians have historically not had high rates of malpractice claims, but we see this trend changing. Not to worry, however, because Kelley Smits, the Director of Risk Management at VillageMD, discusses how to prevent these problems with VillageMD's National Medical Director Dr. Torontow. In Part 1 we will discuss the data that's coming out on these trends, where to find it, and how to avoid becoming one of these statistics. Stay tuned for Part 2 for Case studies and additional best practices!VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics. Reminder, we have closed captioning and transcripts that are now available on our podcast! If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, any other podcasting apps.

In recent years, we have heard more attention being focused on the social factors that complicate health and medical care. One of these factors is access to transportation, which has long been an issue in Medicare coverage. In this episode, We are joined by Andrea Osborne, VMD Senior VP of Delegated Services to discuss the complicated rules for non-emergency ambulance transportation. Andrea shares with us some recent changes that may have an impact on patients and some guidance for the primary care workforce on how to address these issues.VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics. Reminder, we have closed captioning and transcripts that are now available on our podcast!If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, any other podcasting apps, or our website: vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

The cost of prescription drugs can take a significant toll on patients and impact their drug adherence and overall health. Primary care providers, historically, have been unable to do much to help patients manage this problem, but recent regulatory changes are adding price transparency which may help. Experts Michael Adelberg and VillageMD's very own Adam Chesler discuss the details of new transparency initiatives for both Medicare Advantage and commercial drugs and predict the potential impact for patients and providers.VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics. Reminder, we have closed captioning and transcripts that are now available for our podcast!If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, any other podcasting apps, or our website: vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

“That's not my job”. This was a common refrain in healthcare when there was a clear separation between staff who treated patients and others who were responsible for billing. But as healthcare evolves further into value based care, the gap between billing rules and clinical care requirements is converging. In this first episode of 2022, we invite Megan Harkins to talk about the slow creeping convergence of billing and clinical rules and the impact this has on the various skills needed by the healthcare workforce. Buckle up folks, this episode dives into the bumpy road of change as the healthcare industry makes the shift from volume to value-based care.VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics. Reminder, we have closed captioning and transcripts that are now available for our podcast!If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, any other podcasting apps, or our website: vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

We have surveyed topics you wanted to hear more about, and overwhelmingly our listeners said "telemedicine." In the first half of this week's episode, we are joined by Megan Harkins, one of our VillageMD experts to discuss telemedicine requirements and how they have changed as a result of COVID-19. During the second half, we sat down with those working on the front lines of telemedicine, Dr. Karen Wetherell, one of our VillageMD physicians and Stacy Gabrysz, a VillageMD Regional Practice Administrator. They share their thoughts, success, and struggles with telemedicine. VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics. Reminder, we have closed captioning and transcripts that are now available for our podcast! If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, any other podcasting apps, or our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Surprise! In this episode, we are sharing the key features of the new federal Surprise Billing Rules. In general, a “surprise bill” happens when a patient isn't given a choice of provider and receives an out-of-network charge. Some recent research have illuminated the scope of this problem, and were the catalyst for this new bill. The concepts are simple, but the rules are complex. The first phase became effective as of September 13, 2021. Tune in for the details!VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics. We do have closed captioning and transcripts that are now available for our podcast!Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

There are a number of rules that apply to offering free items or services to patients or waiving their copay. These rules were generally created to avoid over utilization in a fee for service world. As we move toward population health and value based payment, some of the rules have evolved to support the movement from volume to value in healthcare. Tune in to this week's episode as we dive into what you can do, what you should avoid, and the reason behind these regulations. We are joined by one of our VillageMD experts, Megan Harkins, who helps break these regulations down.VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics. We do have closed captioning and transcripts that are now available for our podcast!Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

If you work in healthcare, you probably hear about a number of laws, rules, and cases that apply to the work we do. We all feel like we should know what this means, but this can get confusing (even for lawyers!) Tune in this week for a quick primer about the sources of healthcare law, the reasons some things are proposed before final, and what to do when state and federal laws conflict!VillageMD's Working Smarter podcasts are concise healthcare compliance conversations that are never boring and sometimes funny. We provide practical information about complex legal and regulatory topics. We do have closed captioning and transcripts that are now available for our podcast! Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Back by popular demand! We know that the Direct Contracting program continues to change and adapt, including a new abbreviation: GDPC. We brought back our VillageMD expert on the Direct Contracting program, Lucy Sola, to walk us through these changes. This is helpful information for any provider or healthcare group who is thinking about participating in this new CMS program.Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Medicare Advantage Enforcement is a focus area for the OIG this year. The OIG has already released four audits so far this year, and we have learned that the OIG audit can amount to a no good, very bad day for these Payors. In general, these audits provide insight into areas of OIG focus including: a) acute care codes b) codes that are diagnosed but not treated including or c) codes that are otherwise not supported by the record. We did the hard work to sort through these audits. Tune in for a concise update, quick tips, and lessons learned.Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to the podcast to sharon@villagemd.com and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your family, friends, and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or all podcast platforms. You can view our references and show notes on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/MA-OIG-Coding-Audits-one-pager-1.pdf

Simply stated, attribution is the process to assign patients to providers in a population health environment.   But the process is far more complicated and varies widely in different settings. Luckily we have two experts at VillageMD that can help explain what this means and how attribution works. Our guests this week include Steve Valdiserri, VillageMD's VP of Value Attribution and Mason Budelier, VillageMD's Associate General Counsel.  This episode is a must listen for the primary care workforce!Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties!If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your family, friends, and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or all podcast platforms. You can view our references and show notes on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Data, data, data! The data revolution has (finally) come to healthcare! Filing cabinets and paper charts are signs of a bygone era. We’re thrilled to welcome Modern Healthcare's Michael Brady to share his insights on the effectiveness and impact of Big Data initiatives, including price transparency.Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Join us this week as we dive into the Landscape of Healthcare Enforcement in 2021 with two very special guests.I am thrilled to welcome Linda Wawzenski, Deputy Chief of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office, and Lisa Noller, former Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago and current Chair of the Government Enforcement Defense Investigations at Foley & Lardner, LLP. Linda primarily supervises civil fraud work especially healthcare fraud.  I asked Linda and Lisa about what to expect from Healthcare Enforcement in 2021 and I’m so glad I did! They shared so many interesting stories that illuminate a picture of a promising year ahead for the healthcare industry. These stories include: How the Department of Justice (DOJ) is using data and analytics for enforcement, the focus on abuse of COVID funds and waivers, and what to expect in the Biden administration.To our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties, thank you for your time and attention. We are truly grateful for your support! Send us an action shot of you or your team listening to the podcast and you will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win limited edition Working Smarter merchandise. Not only can you work smarter, but you’ll look great doing so! Send all entries to sharon@villagemd.com.Don’t forget to click the follow/subscribe button to get regular updates when we release episodes. We’d also like your help in spreading the Working Smarter lifestyle - share this episode with your friends, colleagues and loved ones. We are now available on multiple platforms including Apple, Spotify, and any other place you get your podcasts, so buckle up and get ready to Work Smarter.Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

If you're confused about the various CMS Quality Programs and their corresponding ratings, you are not alone! On this episode, we decided to ask an expert: Joanna Losier, Director of Quality at VillageMD. Joanna shares the 2021 quality payment criteria for physicians and ACOs, and explains how these work with the Medicare Advantage Plan quality programs. This is an essential guide to any physician practicing in primary care! Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch. If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

We are honored to be joined this week by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel for a discussion around the evolving healthcare policy landscape. On this episode, he shares his experience to help craft the Affordable Care Act (ACA), how it has changed over time, and what to expect in the next few years. Join us as Dr. Emanuel predicts healthcare priorities under the Biden administration, gets candid on his regrets during the Obama administration, and relays his conversations with Trump about stalling the ACA repeal.About our guest: Dr. Emanuel is an expert on the ACA and innovative valued-based care programs. He served as a healthcare reform advisor during President Obama's administration. He is the author of several must-read books for the primary care workforce including "Prescription for the Future" and "Reinventing American Healthcare". He also serves as a board member for VillageMD.We have a special giveaway! Share our episode on social medial for a chance to win a copy of Dr. Emanuel's book. We will be choosing five lucky winners!

Heads up! A new rule effective January 2021 takes hospital price transparency to the next level! If enforced, it will open up a new source on hospital charges, and will shed light on some of the most closely held pricing information in healthcare. In this episode, we give a summary of what you can expect to see over the next 1-3 years. We also used our best detective skills to see how some hospitals are adapting to these rules.  Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch. If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

On this episode of Around the Village, we are highlighting an intern from our VillageMD internship program. Zach Hattig is currently an pre-med undergraduate student at Northwestern University. During his time with VillageMD, he concentrated on a research project with our clinical team. He was identified as an exceptional intern through the program, we are talking with him about his experience, and what he learned throughout his time with us. If you are interested in future VillageMD internship opportunities, listen to the end of the podcast for more details! Or you can email our team at talent@villagemd.com.Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

If you think Usain Bolt is fast, you should see how fast the federal government (especially CMS) have been pushing out regulatory changes! Our team has been keeping up with this “Regulatory Sprint", and we condensed the most significant changes into a manageable summary. In this episode, we provide you a recap of these changes, and discuss what we are expecting to see from the new Biden administration. If you liked this summary, stay tuned for our deep dive episodes that we will be releasing throughout this year. Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch. If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

In this episode, Erdest Jenkins and Doctor John Torontow provide a deeper dive into the simplified documentation requirements for physician office visit coding. Previously, the CMS requirements for medical decision making have been widely criticized by physicians for requiring documentation that is not clinically relevant. CMS reduced the required elements of the Medical Decision Making documentation starting in January 2021. Tune in to learn about these important changes!You can find the link to the one pager for this podcast below:https://sway.office.com/pkqEW1ecwzU9s9cv?ref=LinkThank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

At VillageMD Working Smarter, we have been closely watching CMS proposals to reduce the burden of coding and documentation for physician office visits. CMS finalized two significant changes that will impact the primary care workforce in late 2020: 1) a reduction in the number of levels for established patients and 2) simplification of the documentation required to support the level. In this episode, Erdest Jenkins and Doctor John Torontow of VillageMD summarize E&M coding proposal. These changes emphasize value based care and show that it’s a good time to be at VillageMD!Access our one pager for this content below: https://sway.office.com/CRK46ZCPimqOvh1A?ref=Link&loc=playThank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Medicare Advantage diagnosis coding remains a high enforcement priority for CMS and OIG and we’ve seen several new developments this year. These cases have some things in common, and a picture is emerging of critical elements that providers should know. Tune in for a summary of the key details, including some best practices and conversely some things to avoid. Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch. If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

“This rule is widely seen as a game changer that will have far reaching effects on how information is accessed, exchanged, and used….” – The National Law Review. The information blocking rules, which take effect in 2021, are the biggest regulatory change related to sharing patient information since the passage of HIPAA. These rules will allow patients to view their information in third party applications of their choice. In this episode, we summarize these changes, and indicate the steps that primary care providers need to take to prepare for this change. We are joined by two experts, Dan Walsh, our VillageMD Chief Information Security Officer, and Nick Merker, CISSP, CIPT, and Partner at Ice Miller LLP. Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Social media can be a powerful tool, but it can be daunting to learn. There are also risks associated with these accounts. In particular for physicians, social media can be a way to communicate with patients, and hear their feedback/comments. On this episode, we are joined by Molly Lynch, who leads Lynch Communications. She shares some guidance on how to best use social media and also how to avoid pitfalls and cringe moments! Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

We are thrilled to be joined by Todd Park on this episode! Todd is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Devoted Health, which is a Medicare Advantage plan. Todd was formerly the Co-Founder of athenahealth, and served as Chief Technology Officer for President Obama’s Administration for 5 years. Todd is inspirational in his passion to change healthcare, and the way he thinks about serving the customers for Devoted Health. Tune in to hear this engaging conversation! Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch. If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

You may remember us telling you about the Medicare Direct Contracting Program last year. Direct Contracting is a further iteration of the Next Generation ACO model, and will allow entities to participate in risk agreements directly with Medicare. Since then, we’ve learned a lot more. Medicare gave us even more updates this past week! This week, we are thrilled to welcome one of our favorite Smarties, Lucy Sola. Lucy has been involved with our implementation of this program for VillageMD, and she gives us the inside scoop on recent updates in light of COVID-19. Tune in to find out this new information!Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

During this pandemic, our Village Medical front line clinical workers have shown great tenacity, dedication, and commitment to their patients. We wanted to honor their work by interviewing some of our shining stars in our different markets across the country. They tell us what it has been like, what gives them hope, and what has been challenging in these times. Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

We were inspired by The Weather Girls for our first episode back since the COVID-19 pandemic started. We have seen a torrential downpour of regulations and guidance from the government. in the last few months It truly feels like it's "Raining Regs"; everything from $2 trillion in stimulus money through the CARES Act to Telemedicine regulation changes. In this episode, we explore the changes that impact primary care physicians. Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

If you are wondering why we are quoting Robert Frost when discussing a CMS rule change, it’s because of the broad sweeping impact of the proposed rules for healthcare pricing transparency. If this becomes law, it will be an earthquake…..but there are miles to go before we will actually see this change. Rather than stopping by the woods on a snowy evening, we sat down with one of our experts Susan Zook, Founder of Mason Street Consulting, to discuss all the details. (And generally to see if she would spill the tea about how things are going in DC these days).Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch. If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

We are always wondering how primary care medicine has changed over time. We think talking with physicians directly about their experiences is the best way of figuring this out. On this episode of Around the Village, we sit down with Dr. Perlmuter a primary care physician who has been practicing medicine in Chicago for 31 years. Tune in to hear his thoughts about primary care and how his practice has been positively affected by VillageMD. Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

In a surprising turn of events, the FDA released a consumer advisory warning about the potential harmful effects of CBD. CBD is available now at every corner store, but these products are not approved by the FDA. On this episode, we are joined by VillageMD’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Clive Fields. He explains what he advises patients about these types of supplements and the science behind this FDA advisory notice.Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Pop quiz: Imagine a patient just left you a terrible online review on Yelp. What do you do?! We are joined by one of our experts, Amanda Skerski, who is VillageMD Vice President of Marketing and Communication. We will walk you through what you can do, what you shouldn't do, and some practical tips……and what Barbara Streisand has to do with all of this! Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch. If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Heads Up! CMS is now reporting incidents of abuse and neglect at nursing homes. Your patients and their families can see this report, and probably have some questions! We are joined this week by Andrea Osborne, VillageMD Vice President of Post-Acute Care. In a few short minutes, Andrea tells us what we need to know about this new tool and how it can be used to inform/answer patients. Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

We know our listeners are always interested in learning about the technology that transforms primary care! On this episode of Around the Village, we sit down with Mike Roberts, VillageMD’s Chief Technology Officer. The docOS program built by his team put VillageMD on the map as a tech focused healthcare start-up. Tune in to hear about Mike’s vision for docOS and what is coming next from our Technology team! Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

These CMS changes to the physician fee schedule are more good news for primary care! In this episode, we are joined by several special guests to walk us through these changes. We focus primarily on the codes that will significantly impact primary care physicians. All references and handouts are available on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/Thank you to all of our listeners for your comments and feedback. We love hearing from you! We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a rating or comment. If you have a question, comment, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter, visit our website at: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/

One of the best things about working with VillageMD is the opportunity to share experiences with primary care physicians across the country. In support of this, our Working Smarter team has created a new series: Around the Village. We will be interviewing physicians and VillageMD leaders from around the country and sharing their stories. It was our absolute pleasure to start with Dr. David Carpenter and his wife, Joanne Carpenter, from Humble, Texas. As you will hear, Dr. and Mrs. Carpenter are not only delightful, but their stories are inspiring. Thank you to all of our listeners for your comments and feedback. We love hearing from you! We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you have suggestions for a guest to be featured on the next Around the Village, a question, or comment, contact us on our website at: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/.

Changes are coming fast in Health Law! We did a segment on the changes to Hospital Outpatient Department billing in January 2019. Just like we predicted, various hospitals and organizations filed suit about these changes. We recently got a final ruling and wanted to give our audience an update. This 3 minute overview will summarize what you need to know about the ruling and what changes to expect. Thank you to all of our listeners for your comments and feedback. We love hearing from you! We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a rating or comment. If you have a question, comment, if you want one of the samples we reference, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter, visit our website at: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/

With the Medicare Advantage selection season upon us, we know marketing regulations can be confusing for everyone. In this episode, we are joined by Michael Adelberg, an attorney from Faegre, Baker, and Daniels. We provide a summary of how traditional Medicare differs from MA plans, and the dos and don’ts for talking with patients about these plans. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any further questions about this content. We are here to help you stay compliant! Thank you to all of our listeners for your comments and feedback. We love hearing from you! We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a rating or comment. If you have a question, comment, if you want one of the samples we reference, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter, visit our website at: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/

We wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving from our VillageMD family. In this special episode, we asked our staff and physicians about their highlights and what they are excited about for next year. What are you thankful for this holiday season?! Thank you to all of our listeners for your comments and feedback. We love hearing from you! We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a rating or comment. If you have a question, comment, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter, visit our website at: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/

You may be asking “how worried do I need to be about this Zantac recall”? The FDA released a notice outlining a concern for a probable carcinogenic chemical found in ranitidine and other similar heartburn medications. There have been manufacturer recalls, patients are switching their medications, and the FDA is currently investigating. We are joined by two VillageMD experts, Prasanga Lokuge and Saba Syed, to walk us through what is happening, what you need to tell your patients, and what to think about when changing medications. Thank you to all of our listeners for your comments and feedback. We love hearing from you! We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a rating or comment. If you have a question, comment, if you want one of the samples we reference, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter, visit our website at: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/

It’s our 20th episode! To celebrate, we have a very special episode for all of our listeners: those returning or new to the Podcast. VillageMD has been busy throughout the year: big transactions, new lines of business, starting a podcast. There is even more to come next year! We sat down with VillageMD Co-Founders, Tim Barry and Paul Martino, to talk about what has changed this year and what they are excited about for next year. Thank you to all of our listeners for your comments and feedback. We love hearing from you! We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a rating or comment. If you have a question or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter click here: https://bit.ly/2knXLe5 or go to our website: vmdworkingsmarter.com

If a patient presents complaining of nausea and a severe cough, would you think to ask them about vaping? There appears to be more horrific reports of e-cigarette related pulmonary illness every day, and currently the CDC is unsure the exact etiology. On this episode, we will share what we know about this public health crisis including the most recent CDC guidance for identifying these cases early, taking a detailed history, and managing treatment.Thank you to all of our listeners for your comments and feedback! We love hearing from you! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a rating or comment. If you have a question, want a copy of the newsletter we reference, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter click here: https://bit.ly/2knXLe5 or go to our website: vmdworkingsmarter.comReferences: Vaping unknowns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e-fOM1dx3s&t=33sVape at your own risk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdne28dBirQ&t=131sResearchers looking for cause of vaping related illnesses: Vape at your own risk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdne28dBirQ&t=131sVaping-related death toll rises to 12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhkZXAaUo54Death linked to vaping reveal a complex array of inhaled substances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DymNZd1n-0

Did you hear President Trump talking about Kidney Health this summer? A new Executive Order on “Advancing American Kidney Health” was signed in July and multiple CMS regulations followed. These regulations represent a major change in reimbursement for kidney disease, and introduce three new programs to incentivize changes in disease management. In this episode, we are thrilled to talk with Bobby Sepucha, Chief Administrative Officer of Cricket Health. Cricket Health is a comprehensive kidney care provider, and they are closely following these regulatory changes. Tune in to hear about these important initiatives and how they impact primary care providers. If you have a question, comment, if you want one of the samples we reference, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter click here: https://bit.ly/2knXLe5 or visit our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com

You may remember the movie “Snakes on a Plane”, but last month, a video made a stir featuring a miniature horse on a plane. Questions about service animals have become more common over the last few years, and we receive these questions and concerns periodically from our physicians. In this episode, we answer the questions asked most frequently including “Do I have to allow a miniature horse into my clinic?”. We also provide some practical guidance tips for dealing with this issue with patients.If you have a question, comment, if you want one of the samples we reference, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smart click here: https://bit.ly/2knXLe5 or email us at sharon@villagemd.com

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Clive Fields about the clinical and legal issues raised with medical marijuana's growing popularity and use. We discuss a variety of topics including: the differences between CBD and medical marijuana, how Dr. Fields' patients are reacting to medical marijuana, and our thoughts about its use for treatment purposes. These conversations are happening more frequently throughout the country, and we hope this discussion will inform your own thoughts and practices.

The "anti-vax" movement is constantly in the news - most recently when the Mayor of NYC declared a state of emergency due to a measles outbreak. Even patients who are not "anti-vax" can have hesitancy about vaccines, and this creates a dilemma for primary care providers. In this episode we talk with Dr. Clive Fields, VillageMD's Chief Medical Officer, about how to have productive conversations with hesitant patients, how to report contagious diseases, deal with quarantines. We also cover the burning question of if you can terminate an anti-vax patient.

We all have experienced Star Ratings in our lives, whether it be Uber, Yelp, Amazon, etc. These star ratings are now starting to affect physicians and the world of medicine. In this episode, we find out what Physician Star Ratings are, how you can find out what your rating is, and why this is important to your Practice. Check out medicare.gov/physiciancompare/ after the episode to see what your rating may be!Thank you to all of our listeners for your comments and feedback. We love hearing from you! We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you have a question, comment, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter visit our website at https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/

Regulations and Guidance are constantly changing. Opioid enforcement feels like it changes daily. We want VillageMD Working Smarter views to stay up to date on the latest information. We have provided a brief update to our previous opioid podcasts based on new information from the DEA.Thank you to all of our listeners for your comments and feedback. We love hearing from you! We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you have a question, comment, if you want one of the samples we reference, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter, visit our website at: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/

Have you ever been confused about incident to billing? When does it apply? What do you need to do to bill under this classification? In this episode, Working Smarter breaks incident to billing down to it’s simplest parts. We are once again joined by our VillageMD Revenue Cycle expert, Kristi Lee, to answer all of our questions.If you have a question, comment, if you want one of the samples we reference, or if you want to be a guest on Working Smarter, visit our website at: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/