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They were once called “clinical documentation improvement” specialists, charged with correcting the medical record to identify an overlooked diagnosis that carried the potential to increase revenue. Later, the description was changed to clinical documentation “integrity” (CDI) specialists. But that was then. This is now.Today, the job description continues to change. CDI professionals are being asked to take on more and more responsibilities.And that is why the producers of Talk Ten Tuesday have invited Penny Jefferson, a longtime CDI professional, to be the special guest during the next live edition of the weekly Internet broadcast.The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:· Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.· CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates.· The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.· News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.· MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
In this episode, Michael welcomes Lightbeam Health CTO Mike Hoxter to discuss how advanced analytics and social determinants of health (SDOH) data are reshaping population health management. As organizations deepen their commitment to value-based care, Mike explains how modern risk stratification tools help identify at-risk populations earlier, reduce avoidable costs, and drive more equitable, proactive care. With real-world examples and practical insights, this conversation offers a clear look at what's working—and what's next—in population health innovation.
Guests: Louis DeStefano, Chief Growth Officer, Oscar Health Jon Van Der Veer, DO, Founder & CEO, Hy-Vee Health In this special HLTH interview, Bright Spots in Healthcare host Eric Glazer speaks with two leaders shaping one of the most innovative payer–provider–retail collaborations in the country: Louis DeStefano, Chief Growth Officer, Oscar Health Jon Van Der Veer, DO, Founder & CEO, Hy-Vee Health Together, Oscar Health and Hy-Vee Health are building a new kind of health plan, one that blends local access, convenient care, primary care-first design, and tech-enabled member experience. Think of it as a hybrid model: part direct primary care, part advanced digital platform, part community-rooted retail ecosystem. This conversation dives into how the two organizations are integrating brick-and-mortar clinics, urgent care, pharmacy, SDOH-friendly retail access, and Oscar's tech stack, including "Oswell," Oscar's AI-powered clinical support tool, to deliver a personalized and coordinated experience. Topics We Cover: Why healthcare must be local, convenient, and relationship-driven How the partnership blends a supermarket chain, primary care clinics, and a tech-enabled health plan into one member experience How ICHRA is opening new doors for employer-driven personalization The role of AI and tools like Oswell in interpreting labs, improving communication, and augmenting care What a modern, scalable direct primary care model could look like The 10-year vision for this collaboration and where it expands next This episode offers a first look into a payer–retail–provider model that could reshape consumer expectations, and redefine how employer-sponsored and individual coverage works in the coming decade. References and Mentions: Learn more about the partnership between Oscar Health and Hy-Vee Health - https://www.hioscar.com/hy-vee-health Meet Oswell, Oscar Health's new health AI agent - https://www.hioscar.com/oswell Dr. Garrison Bliss, widely recognized as the "Godfather of Direct Primary Care" - https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrisonblissmd/ Bios: Louis DeStefano: https://hlth.com/events/usa/speakers/2025/louis-destefano Dr. Jon Van Der Veer: https://hlth.com/events/usa/speakers/2025/jon-van-der-veer Partner with Bright Spots Ventures: If you are interested in speaking with the Bright Spots Ventures team to brainstorm how we can help you grow your business via content and relationships, email hkrish@brightspotsventures.com About Bright Spots Ventures: Bright Spots Ventures is a healthcare strategy and engagement company that creates content, communities, and connections to accelerate innovation. We help healthcare leaders discover what's working, and how to scale it. By bringing together health plan, hospital, and solution leaders, we facilitate the exchange of ideas that lead to measurable impact. Through our podcast, executive councils, private events, and go-to-market strategy work, we surface and amplify the "bright spots" in healthcare—proven innovations others can learn from and replicate. At our core, we exist to create trusted relationships that make real progress possible. Visit our website at www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com. Visit our website: www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com. Follow Bright Spots in Healthcare: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shared-purpose-connect/
Since 80 percent of a person's health is influenced by factors outside of medical care, it is critical that a healthcare system has an understanding and appreciation for the circumstances of patients' daily lives that impact their health outcomes, referred to as the social determinants of health (SDoH). During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Lauren Montwill, Vice President of Community Health and Social Impact for the UnitedHealth Group, will report on how her organization is collaborating on the delivery system to collect reliable SDoH data, as well as the effort to build health analytics infrastructure to benchmark, monitor, and track progress toward improving health outcomes and quality measures.The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates.The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
On this accredited episode of NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®️, expert faculty Drs. Korey Hood and Kathryn Evans-Kreider explore the psychosocial challenges of living with type 1 diabetes, with a focus on how nurse practitioners can support patients experiencing diabetes distress. Faculty discuss practical strategies, such as using brief screening tools, adopting person-first and strengths-based language and tailoring care through shared decision-making. The conversation also highlights the impact of SDOH and the importance of integrating mental health awareness into routine diabetes management. This podcast is part of the Clinical Advantage Bootcamp: Type 1 Diabetes Management Certificate for Nurse Practitioners. Visit the AANP CE Center to view the other modules. A participation code will be provided at the end of the podcast — make sure to write this code down. Once you have listened to the podcast and have the participation code, return to this activity in the AANP CE Center. Click on the "Next Steps" button of the activity and: 1. Enter the participation code that was provided. 2. Complete the posttest. 3. Complete the activity evaluation. This will award your continuing education (CE) credit and certificate of completion. 1.0 CE will be available through Nov. 30, 2027. Tool link : Diabetes_Billing_and_Coding_Toolkit.pdf This collaboration between AANP and Danatech, an Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) initiative, is made possible thanks to grants from Helmsley Charitable Trust, Abbott and Medtronic.
It's often said that “words matter.”And hospital patient status assignment is no exception. What do your teams say when a patient is in inpatient status which isn't supported? How about the reverse: when a patient is in outpatient status with observation services. Can your team change to inpatient? Words matter, and Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, chief medical officer for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will explain precisely how impactful your choices can be.During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins will report on this timely topic.The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates.The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
#FactsMatter, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan podcast
Guy sits down with Karley Abramson, research associate for health policy, to talk about the seriously high level of poor health among Michiganders, a level showing increasing signs of further deterioration. Citizens Research Council just released exhaustive research, authored by Abramson, that drills down to root causes of why Michiganders suffer from worse health outcomes than residents in similar, neighboring states and even across the U.S. The paper, Social Determinants of Health: Pathways to a Healthier Michigan, clearly translates what Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) mean for Michiganders and how they directly affect the state's economy and our collective ability to prosper. Interconnectedness – All Policy is Health Policy This report unpacks SDOH by focusing on the evidence-based fundamental resources that are necessary for individual health: Financial Resources; Health Care; Food and Nutrition; Safety; and Social Support. Abramson explains that all the evidence and data point to two broad themes: the interconnectedness of the social determinants of health and the centrality of financial resources in the story of Michigan residents' lagging health outcomes. “In every area of public policy, there is a nexus to health and well-being,” the report notes. “The centrality of financial resources – education, employment, and income – is the story of Michigan's lagging health outcomes.”
A new version of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, has been introduced.The new revision aligns the organ dysfunction measurement in critically ill adults with current clinical practices, especially those diagnosed with sepsis.Published Oct. 29 in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and is available here https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2840822.During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Dr. James S. Kennedy will discuss this new SOFA-2 revision and its expected impact on clinical validation for sepsis – defined by Sepsis-3 as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection – and how facility clinical workflows can negotiate denial avoidance with payers with this challenging diagnosis.The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates.The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
Welcome to “Is Ambient Listening Right for You?” Or, in the alternative, “Free AI Tools and Other Expensive Mistakes.”Nick van Terheyden, MD, the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, says he has seen enough of artificial intelligence (AI) “helpers” turn doctors into unpaid editors and part-time exorcists for hallucinating software.“Clinicians signed up to heal humans, not debug bots,” Dr. Nick said. “Yet here we are, creating ‘AI slop' so thick it needs its own billing code.”Dr. Nick also references a Harvard study that says your coworkers think using AI makes you less competent; meanwhile, MIT says you're probably not getting a dime's worth of value. But don't worry, you're getting your AI tool for free! Which, like the “free drinks” at an all-inclusive resort, often tastes mostly like disappointment.Finally, Dr. Nick offers this parting shot: “Remember: your medical records can't be ‘vibe-coded' clean. And while lawyers blame the AI for their made-up filings, you don't get that luxury. Choose your AI tool wisely, because ‘no hallucinations added' shouldn't have to be in your note.”The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates.Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
In this podcast, Michelle Badore and Patricia Saleeby explore the critical role of social and structural drivers of health (SDoH) in shaping health outcomes.
H.R. 1, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), is set to reshape hospital finances by cutting an estimated $840 billion from Medicaid and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) funding. As hospitals absorb these losses, many are tightening budgets, reducing staff, and facing renewed labor tensions.For the first time, clinical documentation integrity (CDI) teams are part of this unionized landscape, connecting frontline workforce issues directly to reimbursement and data accuracy. When strikes or slowdowns occur, they can disrupt queries, coding, and claims, creating both financial and compliance risks. Together, these forces reveal how economic and workforce realities are now intertwined across every level of healthcare.Reporting the lead story during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, the popular Internet broadcast produced by ICD10monitor, will be Penny Jefferson, CDI Manager for UC Davis Health.The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates.Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
Have you been told that Medicare and Medicare Advantage (MA) patients who have difficulties with activities of daily living (ADLs) are appropriate for inpatient status if their hospital stay crosses a second midnight? What direction have you received about “discharge effectuation?” Are your physicians keen on placing the majority of their patients into inpatient status because they want to prevent delivery of an expensive hospital bill? During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, the Chief Medical Officer for Phoenix Medical Management, will report on issues that have captured her interest as she discusses these, and other hot topics of misdirection and misinformation often encountered in the healthcare landscape.The popular broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates.Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
Join us this coming Tuesday, Oct. 14, when Talk Ten Tuesday will bring you an exclusive interview with two nationally recognized healthcare leaders: Thea Campbell and Mackenzie Higgins. Thea Campbell is the 2026 AHIMA President-Elect and Mackenzie Higgins is the 2025 AHIMA Emerging Star award recipient.The popular broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates.Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
The revenue cycle helps keep hospital revenue flowing. But sometimes, it seems to sputter out, as if not all the cylinders are firing. And that is why the producers of Talk Ten Tuesdays have invited longtime ICD10monitor editorial consultant Dennis Jones, senior director of revenue cycle at the famed Jefferson Health, to be the special guest during the next live edition of the weekly Internet radio broadcast.The popular broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates.• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
When the final rule take effect Oct. 1, 2025, coders, providers, and administration leaders will need to adjust to several key changes, including the new MS-DRGs and broad policy changes. And that is why the producers of Talk Ten Tuesday have invited Leigh Poland, vice president of the AGS Health coding service product line to return to the popular Internet broadcast, Talk Ten Tuesday, to report on these significant changes.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates.• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.• The Coding Report: Jodi Worthington, with First Class Solutions, will substitute for Christine Geiger to report on the latest coding news.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
Prolonged hospitalizations can result from many different barriers and delays within the hospital setting.However, a new challenge is emerging.And this new hurdle appears to be identified more and more commonly. So, what's happening?During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, Dr. Juliet B. Ugarte Hopkins, Chief Medical Officer at Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will reveal this new culprit that appears to be standing between many a patient and a safe discharge.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates.• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.• The Coding Report: Amy Jo Combs, with First Class Solutions, will substitute for Christine Geiger to report on the latest coding news.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
Could sepsis be healthcare's new frontier?During the next live edition of the popular Internet broadcast, Talk Ten Tuesday, James S. Kennedy, MD, will report on his recent attendance at The Unite for Sepsis symposium, sponsored by the San Diego-based Sepsis Alliance (https://www.sepsis.org). The event was held in Chicago and attracted clinicians, researchers, technologists, and government officials who collaborated to address and solve sepsis' prevalent and high morbidity and mortality. Dr. Kennedy is expected to report on new technologies and clinical approaches to sepsis and how health information management (HIM) professionals can address sepsis-related diagnosis and data integrity.As an added feature, the legendary Rose T. Dunn, past president and interim CEO for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and current COO for First Class Solutions, will report on RADV audits.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates.• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
Dr Audriana Mooth joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article: “How Should Clinicians Follow Up About Nonresponses to Mandatory SDoH Screening Questions?” Recorded June 17, 2025. Read the full article at JournalOfEthics.org
Guest: Ivonne Maldonado De la Rosa, PhD., MLS, CCC-SLPEarn 0.1 ASHA CEU for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/health-and-pfdSocial Determinants of Health (SDOH) directly impact access to evaluation and intervention for infants, toddlers, and children with pediatric feeding disorder. But, how comfortable are you in identifying them? Do you have strategies for overcoming the barriers to care that SDOH create? What are the roles/impact of cultural beliefs and language(s) and their impact on SDOH and PFD? To answer these profound questions, as well as countless others, "First Bite" is honored to host the brilliant Ivonne Maldonado De la Rosa, Ph.D., MLS, CCC-SLP, for an hour to enlighten us on potential solutions and strategies for overcoming known and unknown barriers related to SDOH and PFD.About the Guest:Dr. Ivonne Maldonado-De la Rosa is a bilingual speech-language pathologist, researcher, and assistant professor at A.T. Still University in Arizona. She holds a Master of Legal Studies from Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, which complements her research and advocacy for equity in healthcare access. Her clinical and academic work focuses on pediatric feeding disorders, swallowing, bilingualism, and the impact of social determinants of health on patient outcomes.
You waited and waited.Finally, the big day came, and just as quickly, day turned into evening – and there you were with cloudy vision, halos, and difficulty reading. Not to mention the occasional glare.You and about 25 percent of patients experience a common complication following cataract surgery (or, more precisely, “posterior capsule opacity,” or PCO). The good news: the standard treatment is YAG laser capsulotomy (CPT® 66821).The legendary Rose T. Dunn, past president and interim CEO for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and current COO for First Class Solutions, will return to the Talk Ten Tuesdays broadcast to report on this treatment and topic.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates.• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
Dr Laura Gottlieb joins Ethics Talk to discuss currently available screening methods and the difficulty in establishing causal links among data about structural determinants of health, interventions, and outcomes, and Rachel Landauer explores how screening for pediatric social drivers of health might exacerbate shame and stigma. Interviews with Dr Gottlieb recorded May 21, 2025; Interview with Rachel Landauer recorded May 21, 2025. Read the full September 2025 issue for free at JournalOfEthics.org
Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly transitioned from something to expect in the future to the here and now today. The potential for AI in health information is both exciting and daunting. Reporting the lead story during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday will be longtime RACmonitor and ICD10monitor contributing author Sharon Easterling.Sharon Easterling will continue her editorial series on artificial intelligence and medical record coding.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates.• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
Firearm-related suicides are a hidden public health emergency driven by social despair and systemic inequities.In this episode of Straight Out of Health IT, WellLink's Brian Lane, President and CEO, and Dr. Kim Byas, Vice President of Community Engagement and Impact, share how the Center for Health Affairs in Cleveland partnered with AWS to launch a groundbreaking Social Determinants of Health Innovation Hub. Using clean, harmonized data and predictive modeling, their team has uncovered powerful correlations between firearm suicides and factors like unemployment, housing insecurity, and lack of transportation. This data-driven approach is transforming suicide prevention efforts from reactive to proactive.They discuss how this work has led to targeted interventions, such as deploying trained social workers instead of law enforcement to crisis calls, and inspired replication of the model in other states and internationally. With over 250 organizations collaborating across sectors, the initiative is creating scalable solutions that address both behavioral health crises and their root causes.Brian and Dr. Byas also reveal how AI and large language models are being used to test interventions, improve care pathways, and reduce healthcare costs, all while strengthening community resilience. Their work proves that solving complex health challenges requires both advanced technology and deep community partnerships.Tune in to hear how data, collaboration, and innovation are reshaping the future of suicide prevention!
In this episode of “Bridging Health and Humanity,” hosted by Dr. Natalie Hernandez, the focus is on the effects of current immigration policies and enforcement tactics on the health of vulnerable communities. The discussion features Dr. Rose Diaz and Dr. Sarah Lopez, both advocates for immigrant health, who share their insights on changes in immigration policy, including the revocation of “sensitive location” protections and adjustments to the public charge rule. They delve into the broader impact of these policies on patient trust and public health, including delayed care and increased health care costs. The segment also explores how health care teams can support immigrant communities through advocacy, education, and understanding legal protections. The episode concludes with hopeful reflections and practical advice for medical professionals committed to supporting these marginalized populations.
In this edition of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence Zooms (literally) from the U.K. to South Carolina to spotlight one of the nation's most forward-thinking mobile integrated healthcare programs. Prisma Health's team has taken community paramedicine beyond buzzwords, designing targeted, evidence-based programs that meet people where they are — both geographically and medically. | MORE: How North Dakota EMS is confronting rising pediatric mental health crises Whether it's addiction medicine, rural HIV/HCV treatment or skilled nursing interventions, this team is shifting paradigms on what EMS can and should be doing. Rob is joined by four key voices from the Prisma Health MIH program: Luke Estes, director of MIH Dr. Mirinda Gormley, epidemiologist and biostatistician Wes Wampler, community paramedic specializing in addiction and infectious disease Parker Bailes, community paramedic and research contributor Together, they unpack how passion meets data to drive change, how to earn trust in communities overlooked by traditional systems, and why this work isn't just novel — it's necessary. This is EMS in its truest public health form. Memorable quotes “You delivered the goods—data-driven, community-connected care — and that's what EMS in 2025 needs more of.” — Rob Lawrence “When you see some of your people who have a passion for a certain pathway in EMS, you try to give them the reins and say, you're gonna do some good.” — Luke Estes “One of the big things that we learned from his study was that we really needed to go out and make sure everybody was aware that addiction is a disease.” — Mirinda Gormley “If we can gain their trust, there's a lot more that we can kind of weasel our way into to help them solve and get them on a healthier trajectory.” — Wes Wampler “Walking into the (care) facility with the mindset of, ‘I'm going to do everything I can to keep you here,' was a big shift for me.” — Parker Bailes “If we can set them up to be successful after they leave the hospital, I think that's the best way to get them reengaged with the hospital.” — Wes Wampler “As their leader … all I have to say is, what do you need? I'm here to support you.” — Luke Estes Additional resources EMS Clinician Perceptions on Prehospital Buprenorphine Administration Programs: Prehospital Emergency Care: Vol 29 , No 4 Implementation Barriers of Prehospital Buprenorphine Administration Programs in the United States: A Scoping Review: Prehospital Emergency Care: Vol 29 , No 4 Using Community Paramedicine to Treat Hepatitis C Virus in Upstate South Carolina - PMC Luke Estes BA, NRP, CCEMTP, PNCCT, FP-C, CP-C | LinkedIn Wesley Wampler | LinkedIn Support for harm reduction by community EMS How does a community re-imagine compassion to avoid crisis whenever possible? Breaking barriers: Hennepin EMS leads the way in safely implementing buprenorphine Episode timeline 00:51 – Introduction to Prisma Health MIH & guests 03:00 – Luke Estes overview of MIH models (ETS, SDOH, addiction) 05:00 – Dr. Gormley's public health journey, data-opioid focus 08:00 – Buprenorphine pilot design and research outcomes 10:15 – Challenges: bias, stigma, barriers to addiction care 13:00 – Funding and sustainability conversation 14:00 – Wes Wampler on daily workflow in addiction medicine and HCV care 17:00 – Building trust with vulnerable populations 18:30 – Parker Bailes discusses traditional CP role and skilled nursing interventions 21:45 – Alternative destinations, lab draws and high-acuity decisions 25:30 – Training: internal education, ultrasound, medication management 28:15 – Prisma's med school connection and disaster response evolution 30:00 – State-level partnerships: SC EMS Assn, FEMA typing, CP strike teams 31:56 – Academic next steps from Dr. Gormley: scaling, publishing, process evals 35:26 – Final reflections from Luke Estes: passion, team strength and mission 38:00 – Rob's call to action: “If you want your own Prisma team — start now.” Enjoying the show? Email editor@ems1.com to share feedback or suggest future guests.
S3E8: What's Trending NOW is Social Determinants of Health: From Buzzword to Bottom Line Strategy. On this episode of Trending NOW, host Shahid Shah engages with Elizabeth Levy, Managing Director at AArete, to unpack the powerful business case for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). Far from being just a feel-good initiative, Levy makes the case that SDOH must become a core payer strategy—cutting costs, improving outcomes, and strengthening risk adjustment. Drawing from AArete's work with over 100 health plans, she shares insights on how SDOH can be operationalized, why it's often misunderstood as "charity," and how advanced analytics and AI can transform SDOH from dashboard data into predictive, proactive care. Tune in to hear how progressive payers are unlocking value from SDOH—today, not someday. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accidental falls are the leading cause of injury for adults 65 and older, with more than 1 in 4 older adults reporting falls every year.During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Dr. James S. Kennedy will discuss the clinical concept of the “fragility fracture,” and how the under-documentation of fragility fractures results in inaccurate ICD-10-CM coding, adversely affecting Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) MS-DRGs, hospital-acquired conditions (HACs), and other quality measures. Be sure that your coding supervisor, clinical documentation integrity (CDI) director, and quality teams listen in to partner collectively with the medical staff with identifying this prevalent condition.The popular weekly Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of CDI for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;• The Coding Report: Jodi Worthington, with First Class Solutions, will substitute for Christine Geiger to report on the latest coding news;• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
Substance abuse is a pervasive issue with profound implications for hospitals.It has been estimated that up to 25 percent of hospitalized patients have a substance abuse disorder. And up to 44 percent of these patients abuse some substance during hospitalization. The annual estimated hospital cost for treating substance abuse disorders is as high as $13 billion.But it's not limited to patients, according to physician and attorney Dr. John K. Hall, who will be the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays.According to Dr. Hall, estimates show that up to 15 percent of physicians and 20 percent of nurses also have a substance abuse disorder. It affects patient outcomes, hospital operations, financial health, and the broader healthcare system. The complexity of substance use disorders requires a nuanced understanding of diagnostic categories, accurate coding, and awareness of the legal and employment ramifications.The popular weekly Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of clinical documentation integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and• Point of View: Dr. James S. Kennedy, who will be sitting in for Angela Comfort, will report on a topic that has captured his attention.
The Big Unlock Podcast · Transforming Wellness-First Senior Communities Through AI and Social Determinants – Podcast with Mike Hughes In this episode, Michael Hughes, Senior EVP, Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer at United Church Homes, shares how the organization is reshaping the future of senior living. Moving beyond a traditional housing-first model, United Church Homes is leading a shift toward a wellness-first approach that prioritizes health, dignity, and independence for older adults. With more than 100 communities across 15 states, the organization is leveraging scalable, data-driven strategies to support aging in place, particularly for vulnerable populations. Mike explains how understanding and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) is key to improving outcomes, and how machine learning is helping evaluate the impact of non-clinical interventions in real-world settings. From transitioning fall detection to fall prevention, to exploring lightweight sensor technologies, Mike emphasizes the importance of proactive care and personal motivation in sustaining long-term wellness. He also introduces the organization's Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) program—a unique initiative that brings innovators into senior communities to co-create human-centered solutions rooted in real-life experience. Take a listen.
Attention, calling all coders!Is your hospital compliantly following all the the steps in the Condition Code W2 process?It's imperative to understand all the details that must be followed, no matter how complex and daunting.Implementation is mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Participation is not optional. So take a moment and ask yourself: are your attending physicians re-billing for Medicare Part B patients?During the next live edition of the popular live Internet broadcast Talk Ten Tuesdays, the Medical Director of Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, will walk you and your team through the requirements that need to be followed for Medicare Part B re-billing.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly transitioned from something to expect in the future to the here and now today. The potential for AI in health information is both exciting and daunting. Reporting the lead story during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday will be longtime RACmonitor and ICD10monitor contributing author Sharon Easterling.Sharon Easterling is slated to create an editorial series on artificial intelligence. Her report on this topic will be a preview of what readers and listeners will learn during her series.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;• Field Report: Dennis Jones, a veteran Monitor Mondays and Talk Ten Tuesdays contributing author, will report on the latest developments regarding the revenue cycle. Jones is the senior director of revenue cycle at Jefferson Health.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
Episode Summary:In this transformative episode of Secrets of Survival, Dr. Susan Rashid unpacks the intersection of clinical care and the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) through the lens of the CMS Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) Screening Tool. Amid the pressures of time-limited visits and documentation burdens, this episode argues for a paradigm shift—one where asking the right questions becomes a form of clinical justice.Segment by segment, Dr. Rashid walks listeners through the five core domains—housing instability, food insecurity, transportation barriers, utility needs, and interpersonal safety—and introduces supplemental domains including financial strain, employment, community support, education, physical activity, substance use, mental health, and disability. With clarity and compassion, she demonstrates how these structured questions serve as clinical windows into hidden vulnerabilities—revealing the context behind medication non-adherence, chronic illness exacerbation, and missed appointments.The episode emphasizes that screening is not merely data collection—it is clinical witnessing. The ability to ask, listen, and respond with actionable referrals is presented not as a luxury, but as a clinical imperative. Citing national guidelines and landmark evidence from CMS, the National Academies, and leading scholars, Dr. Rashid reframes SDOH as the modern foundation of primary care.From medical education to healthcare system design, listeners are called to envision a future where healing is not confined to prescriptions, but extended through structurally aware care, community partnerships, and institutional accountability. This episode is both a masterclass in clinical application and a compelling call to action for medical educators, health system leaders, and frontline clinicians.
Physician executive Sreeram Mullankandy discusses his article, "Bridging the digital divide: Addressing health inequities through home-based AI solutions." The conversation highlights that while the future of health care delivery is moving into patients' homes, this shift risks leaving the most vulnerable populations behind. Sreeram explains that non-medical factors, or Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), can influence up to 80 percent of health outcomes but are often missed by traditional systems. He argues that artificial intelligence, when deployed thoughtfully, can be a powerful equity enabler. The discussion covers how AI can identify hidden SDOH patterns with high accuracy, bridge language and literacy barriers for the nearly 36 million U.S. adults who need it, and serve as a force multiplier for community health workers. Sreeram also addresses the critical need for fairness audits to prevent AI from perpetuating bias and the massive economic incentive for building a more just system, which could save $1.7 trillion in health care costs. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Want to streamline your clinical documentation and take advantage of customizations that put you in control? What about the ability to surface information right at the point of care or automate tasks with just a click? Now, you can. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Offering an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform, Dragon Copilot can help you unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise and it's part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare–and it's built on a foundation of trust. Ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended
Regular listeners of Off the Record will recall Keisha Wilson, whom I hosted on the program in June 2024 to talk about telehealth as well as her story of entrepreneurship. She was a bright light and a great guest, so I asked her to return to the show a couple months ago. Keisha accepted, and is here today, but it's a near miracle. Eight months ago Keisha suffered an unimaginable tragedy, the loss of her home following a gas explosion and subsequent fire at a neighbor's home. This included the loss of essentially all but a small handful of her worldly possessions. Somehow she's kept her business afloat and managed to stay on top of the many changes in telehealth, SDOH, and more, and even present on these topics at the recent AAPC Healthcon. It felt a bit odd to pivot to these topics but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone more in the know and ready to educate about telehealth and medical coding than Keisha. Pretty inspiring stuff, and we get into all of it on the program. We discuss: The house fire: How it happened, fallout, and dramatic life impacts on Keisha and her mother Keisha's personal experience with social determinants of health (SDOH) including housing instability and food insecurity after the catastrophic loss Finding new levels of resiliency and using the experience to fuel her AAPC presentation Congress' extension of telehealth flexibilities through Sept. 30, 2025: What they are, what it means How healthcare organizations should be leveraging telehealth in coding and mid-revenue cycle practice Telehealth as a tool to address and improve SDOH (medication adherence, transportation and patient scheduling) Impact on billing—did you know that moderate medical decision making can be met due to diagnosis or treatment significantly limited by SDOH? What's next for Keisha including the search for a new permanent home—and of course her selection for the Off the Record Spotify playlist. Show notes News coverage of the explosion: https://abc7ny.com/post/crews-responding-explosion-basement-residence-brooklyn-injuries-reported/15245371/ Keisha's telehealth e-guide available for purchase (website includes free downloadable resources as well): https://kwadvancedconsulting.com/e-guides/
Jeff Bennett, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Modivcare, is addressing and expanding supportive care services to provide transportation, personal care services, and remote patient monitoring. A lack of transportation leads to missed appointments and therapies, necessitating a coordinated approach to support vulnerable populations. Modivcare utilizes remote sensors and AI to enhance human engagement and coordination, and is designed to be both preventative and predictive, keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital. Jeff explains, "Modivcare works on behalf of health plans, states, and risk-based entities. We provide supportive care services that meet the needs and address the needs of patients. One of those services is transportation, so non-emergency medical transportation. We also provide personal care services, which support members with activities of daily living, like bathing, meal preparation, and such. And then finally, I lead the monitoring organization, which provides services to monitor members or patients at home so they can live and age at home on their own." "The biggest need, at the top, is that our members have health-related social needs or SDOH needs. They also are living with chronic conditions, so they need supportive care services that not only provides that core service -- so there's the obvious "I need a ride" or "if I press the button because I've fallen and I need 911 to be called if I need an ambulance or my caregiver or family member to come help me." But most importantly, the services that they need are providing an engagement service. Really, what we provide is a supportive care service that drives human connection through cutting-edge technology that drives continuous engagement. They always know that we're here, and we listen to them. We understand their needs and try to address those needs, which could be healthcare-related, social-related, or simply loneliness. So it spans that broad spectrum. And any one of our services, we're delivering that core service, but we're also driving engagement and listening for what else the member needs." #Modivcare #SDOH #SupportiveCareServices #MedAI #DigitalHealth #CareCoordination modivcare.com Download the transcript here
Jeff Bennett, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Modivcare, is addressing and expanding supportive care services to provide transportation, personal care services, and remote patient monitoring. A lack of transportation leads to missed appointments and therapies, necessitating a coordinated approach to support vulnerable populations. Modivcare utilizes remote sensors and AI to enhance human engagement and coordination, and is designed to be both preventative and predictive, keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital. Jeff explains, "Modivcare works on behalf of health plans, states, and risk-based entities. We provide supportive care services that meet the needs and address the needs of patients. One of those services is transportation, so non-emergency medical transportation. We also provide personal care services, which support members with activities of daily living, like bathing, meal preparation, and such. And then finally, I lead the monitoring organization, which provides services to monitor members or patients at home so they can live and age at home on their own." "The biggest need, at the top, is that our members have health-related social needs or SDOH needs. They also are living with chronic conditions, so they need supportive care services that not only provides that core service -- so there's the obvious "I need a ride" or "if I press the button because I've fallen and I need 911 to be called if I need an ambulance or my caregiver or family member to come help me." But most importantly, the services that they need are providing an engagement service. Really, what we provide is a supportive care service that drives human connection through cutting-edge technology that drives continuous engagement. They always know that we're here, and we listen to them. We understand their needs and try to address those needs, which could be healthcare-related, social-related, or simply loneliness. So it spans that broad spectrum. And any one of our services, we're delivering that core service, but we're also driving engagement and listening for what else the member needs." #Modivcare #SDOH #SupportiveCareServices #MedAI #DigitalHealth #CareCoordination modivcare.com Listen to the podcast here
Join obesity experts, Dr Robert Kushner, Rameck Hunt, and Michael Knight, as they discuss the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on patients with obesity. • Robert Kushner, MD • Rameck Hunt, MD • Michael Knight, MD This podcast is sponsored by Novo Nordisk and is intended for healthcare professionals.
The national conference of the largest regional coding organization chapters in America's healthcare universe gets underway this weekend – and James S. Kennedy, MD, will be there.Dr. Kennedy, president of CDIMD, a national coding and clinical documentation integrity (CDI) consultancy, will be reporting on major events taking place at the California Health Information Association (CHIA) conference, starting this weekend in Southern California.As a longtime editorial contributor to RACmonitor and ICD10monitor, Dr. Kennedy, will be the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, coming up at 10 a.m. EST on June 3. The Internet broadcast, produced by ICD10monitor, is expected to feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:•Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;•CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of CDI for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;•The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;•News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and•MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
Host: Leyla Warsame, MD Guests: Josh Vest, PhD and Tiffany Harman, MSN Description: This episode revisits a discussion on social determinants of health with our experts at the 2023 AMIA Annual Symposium. This reflection focuses on addressing SDOH from the healthcare organization to the individual level, budget impacts, and making informatics strategy actionable.
Dr. Luis Raez and Michael Reff share the newest update to the medically integrated dispensing pharmacy standards from NCODA and ASCO. They review updates to domain one, on key patient-centered quality standards on health equity and social determinants of health, drug access, patient safety, education, and adherence to maximize treatment outcomes and domain two, on key operational quality standards on logistics, care coordination, and waste prevention. We also cover the impact of these updated standards for clinicians, oncology practices, and people receiving oral anti-cancer medications. Read the complete standards, “Medically Integrated Dispensing Pharmacy: ASCO-NCODA Standards.” Transcript These standards, clinical tools, and resources are available on ASCO.org. Read the full text of the guideline and review authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest in the JCO Oncology Practice. Brittany Harvey: Hello, and welcome to the ASCO Guidelines podcast, one of ASCO's podcasts delivering timely information to keep you up to date on the latest changes, challenges, and advances in oncology. You can find all the shows, including this one, at asco.org/podcasts. My name is Brittany Harvey, and today I'm interviewing Michael Reff from the Network of Collaborative Oncology Development and Advancement and Dr. Luis Raez from Memorial Cancer Institute and Florida Atlantic University, co-chairs on "Medically Integrated Dispensing Pharmacy: American Society of Clinical Oncology – Network of Collaborative Oncology Development and Advancement Association Standards Update." Thank you for being here, Michael and Dr. Raez. Dr. Luis Raez: Thanks for inviting us. Michael Reff: Thank you for having us. Brittany Harvey: Then, before we discuss these standards, I'd like to note that ASCO takes great care in the development of its standards and ensuring that the ASCO Conflict of Interest policy is followed for each guidance product. The disclosures of potential conflicts of interest for the expert panel, including Michael and Dr. Luis Raez who have joined us here today, are available online with the publication of the standards in JCO Oncology Practice, which is linked in the show notes. So then, to dive into the content here, Michael, I'd like to start with what prompted an update to these ASCO-NCODA standards and what is the scope of this update? Michael Reff: Thank you, Brittany. What led NCODA and ASCO to endeavor in this, and it started back in 2019 as the amount of oral anticancer medications became more and more prevalent in cancer treatment, we saw the need providing a blueprint for excellence in care for patients prescribed oral anticancer medications, specifically in the outpatient setting. And the update was driven by the rapid growth of these oral oncolytics starting back in the mid to late 2015 through 2019 or so, and then continued on into the 2020s where we are today. We saw the increase in the complexity of the management of these patients with these therapies basically outside the traditional clinical settings. And we wanted to make sure that with more cancer treatments that are taken at home than just at the clinic, like in the oral setting, new challenges had emerged around patient safety, access, adherence, and overall treatment success. The updates now address patient-centered and operational interventions designed to improve access, safety, quality, accountability, and outcomes of oral anticancer and other supportive care medications prescribed for the cancer patient. Dr. Luis Raez: As Mike said, these guidelines help improve patient care tremendously, but also help us a lot as an oncologist, you know, community oncologists that- now that we have opportunity to dispense these oral oncolytics, we need help to create our medical integrated pharmacies, and NCODA is providing here a way that, how to do this safely, efficaciously, good quality, you know? So that's why I think we always do everything for the patients, but also this helps a lot to the doctors. And there are a lot of what we call specialty pharmacies or medical integrated pharmacies now nationwide. Michael Reff: I'll build on what Dr. Raez had mentioned. This is the impetus. If you looked at the innovation that was coming from the pharmaceutical companies, many of it coming in the oral form for anticancer medications, and based on that, taking a look at the infrastructure that is in place in these practices, whether it's in the community or the IDN or health system settings, this amount of innovation that was coming needed to be addressed by taking a look at the medically integrated oncology team. And these standards address not just the pharmacy component, but also the whole continuum of care, starting with a medical oncologist or the hematologist, with the pharmacists, nurses, the pharmacy technicians, others that are involved in the care of the patient. And there were no standards involved. And when we approached ASCO back in 2018 to eventually publish the first version of these standards, the need was identified, and we worked collaboratively with ASCO to create the first set and then the revisions as we talked about. One thing to note regarding the revision plus the original standards, we had a cross-section of the care team on the committee, and we did that very purposefully. So, the ASCO-NCODA team curated a committee to help develop these original standards and the revision of these standards with medical oncologists both from community and health systems, pharmacists from both community and health systems, and also nurses. And we also included a patient that currently has and currently receives oral anticancer medication. And so NCODA and ASCO are very proud of the committee that we put together because of the experts in their field, but also extended the invitation to a current patient. And we embedded everybody's expertise in the curation of these standards. Brittany Harvey: Absolutely. I appreciate that background and context and how it's critical to improve patient care. And these standards really help oncologists, and we're looking across the continuum of care to provide optimal care for our patients. So then next, Dr. Raez, I'd like to review the key points of the revised standards for our listeners. So for Domain 1, what are the key patient-centered quality standards on health equity and social determinants of health, drug access, patient safety, education, and adherence to maximize treatment outcomes? Dr. Luis Raez: Yeah, this was a great effort, you know, at the multidisciplinary team. And as you can read in the standard, there were more than 240 publications reviewed; more than 55 of them are quoted here. And the standards are in two groups, as you said. With the group one, I'll briefly mention some of them. For example, SDOH, social determinants of health, is very important because as doctors, we prescribe, and sometimes patients don't get the medication, you know? And we prescribe assuming that 100% of the patients will get the medication. But something simple like the patient doesn't have insurance, the patient is underinsured. I have a patient that we didn't have an address to send the medication because he's homeless. Something that as a doctor you say, "Oh, oh my God, this is outside my realm," but it's not outside reality. So that's why, even if we don't think that this is part of our expertise dealing with social determinants of health, the fact that the patients have food insecurity, they don't have transportation, they don't have insurance, they don't have a caregiver, impact tremendously in the outcomes of the therapy. So that's why, basically, in this standard, we want to call attention that SDOH, social determinants of health, needs to be identified. There are in the literature countless examples of why this is important. For example, in the guidelines, we quote two or three examples of prostate cancer studies that, for example, we quote a study of 27,000 people with prostate cancer that were taking oral oncolytics, and how come the fact that the elderly, seniors, the fact that they have high prescription costs, and how all of this affected the adherence to the medication. And that's why it's important to identify the SDOH. And in other sections of the guidelines, we said how to address them, no? Another important thing in this domain is the cultural, you know, we need to be culturally sensitive and to take care of all of these social factors. For example, here in South Florida, we deal with the Haitian culture, Filipino culture, Latin culture, and American culture, and it's a blend, but it's not easy to go from one to the other. Another one is the fact that we have to include new technologies. A lot of patients, for example, we use EMR, EMR Epic, and now Epic has everything in the phone. The fact that we can have now the patient can see her prescription medication over the phone, the fact that they can use the phone to request from you a refill, and from your phone, you send the refill to the pharmacy, and you notify from your phone to the patient that the refill is sent, and the patient can check in his phone that the refill is ready. These things are amazing because that's why it's important that we incorporate these technologies to the patient care, and in this specific case, of dispensation of oral therapies, no? Another crucial point is education. You cannot be sending a patient a package of 300 pills without education. So that's why in our guidelines, mainly pharmacy, clinical pharmacies, or in some centers like mine, we have advanced practice providers, it's mandatory in our centers to have like a one hour of education before you send the prescription. So the patient is aware about side effects and contraindications, all of these things. They provide them also materials and also consent. You know, in the old times, you don't give chemo without a consent. Now, a lot of people say, "Oh, it's only a pill." There is a lot of benefits or side effects that can come from the pill, so you need to consent everybody, you know? So, another aspect is adherence. I already told about that, but we need to provide patients with a baseline assessment, no? So, you cannot send again the prescription and hope, "Oh, I'll figure it out what happened next month when the patient comes back." I tell you, the patient is homeless, where are you going to send it? If the patient is telling you, "I don't have insurance," what good is it for you to send a prescription? The patient will not get it. So that's why you need to do a baseline assessment of adherence. You need to do a calendar. You need to do electronic support, I mentioned already with the EMR and the phones. For example, my MIP, my specialty pharmacist, sends me a message in the EMR, "Dr. Raez, the insurance is not covering, the patient has a high copayment, we are going to delay the dispensation of the medication." So there needs to be a communication. Or sometimes there is a confusion with the insurance, and I cannot wait for the poor patient to call three, four weeks later, "Oh, I didn't get the medication," to know what happened, no? My MIP is very good. They send the clinical pharmacist a message, "Hey, you know, the insurance doesn't believe that the pill is adequate, or you need to provide more documentation. You need to prove the mutation, the genetic aberration." So if you provide us that, the insurance may approve. So that communication with the doctor is very important to improve adherence. And one important thing that we have in this one that we didn't have in the anterior is the tracking of outside medications. A lot of times you say, "Okay, the insurance allowed us to provide the medication it's 100% responsible." But then the insurance says, "Oh, no, no, don't worry. CVS will provide the medication." So it says, "Well, it's you know, it's not my responsibility. CVS will provide the medication, they have to take care." But we know that outside our specialty pharmacies or MIPs, the care is not very good. So that's why we are taking our ownership that, "Okay, the insurance said the patient will get the medication from some outside pharmacy." But our clinical pharmacists track that. What happened? Did the patient get it? The patient didn't get it. The copayment is still high. So even if you get the medication from somewhere else, if the copayment is high, we, our clinical pharmacists, help the patient to navigate and get the foundation or the copayment or finally the maker, the industry partner, provides the drug for free, but somebody needs to do the paperwork. And that's why this is very important. We cannot abort our responsibility because, "Oh, the insurance said somebody else will give it." I work for the public healthcare system, so my patients, some of them don't have insurance, they are underinsured. So we see these problems every day. And finally, the standards talk about the importance of safety, documentation, verification, monitoring, refills, you know, you need to keep track of refills. We already mentioned how important is the technology to facilitate the refills, and the quality. Brittany Harvey: Yes, thank you for touching on those highlights for Domain 1. It's important that all patients have access to care and these oral anticancer medications, and not only just access to care, but safe and effective care. It's really important, as you mentioned, Dr. Raez, to meet patients where they're at and incorporate technology. And I also want to note the coordination with external pharmacies that you mentioned in tracking outside medications as well. It's not only important for multidisciplinary care within the oncology practice itself, but also external to the oncology practice. That's why we put together this multidisciplinary panel to develop these standards. So then, expanding on that, Dr. Raez, for Domain 2, what are the key operational quality standards? Those on logistics, care coordination, and waste prevention. Dr. Luis Raez: Yeah, we have a lot of standards here, but maybe we can summarize in five or six points, no? For example, financial toxicity in cost and waste are very important because the patients, yeah, you put them on therapy, but as you can understand, if there is disease progression, the patient don't need the medications. And sometimes you get refills even if the patient has disease progression. If you do a dose reduction, the same problem. Or you discontinue medication and the patient keeps getting the drugs. So, you're talking about drugs that are between 20 and 30 thousand dollars per month. This is a lot of money. There are studies that we're quoting in the standards that the waste could be from 1 to 3 or 4 thousand per patient, no? Another aspect is dispensing. When you dispense the medication, this is not as easy as, "I'll ship to your house a bag of medications." You know, there needs to be a diagram, a decision tree. You need to train the staff to know what we're doing. There needs to be an auditing of the process. They need to be even packaging and shipping, you know? For example, I'm in Florida today and outside in summer it's going to be 95 degrees. So, everybody leaves the package outside your house, and sometimes you go the whole day until when you come at 6:00 p.m. There are medications that cannot be left outside there, you know? I don't know, it sounds like a joke, but I have a patient that the medication used to be stolen because people thought that that was something important, you know? And of course, it's important because it's a $20,000 medication. So, the poor patient, because he lives in an area that is not safe, has to come and pick up in person. All of these things sound very trivial, but that's real life that affects adherence. Another important thing is shortage. This is something that we just suffered two or three years ago, and we have to think about what happens in the next shortage. What happens if there's going to be a shortage? What do we do or how are we going to do that? Now we know it's something that is happening probably very soon again, and something that we have to consider. Another standard is the care coordination. You need to have probably, if it's possible, a coordinator. I know that for small practices it's very hard, but for big cancer centers, you should have a coordinator of this. I already mentioned before, the communication between the physicians and the doctors to coordinate the care, no? You need to write the prescription again, you need to provide more information, or to be notified, "Hey, you know, the patient is throwing up in the first week, you need to see the patient, please," no? So, this type of communication needs to exist so we can serve the patient better. It's also important, you know, we're improving quality and we're improving care. It's important to try to collect patient-reported outcomes. This is something that now we have the opportunity, if we do things well, to do it and show that we're providing a better care. The other thing is that we already mentioned SDOH in the other standard. In this standard, we mention mainly SDOH to partner. For example, we collect in my center SDOH, and I always get frustrated when the patient doesn't have transportation. But I didn't know that there are local institutions that provide free Uber rides, free Lyft rides. So that's why it's important to partner with these institutions. I have a local grocery chain that provides free food for the patients, and I didn't know that. It's important to be aware what the patient needs and what resources do you have to fulfill the SDOH. That's the part that we mention in here. So that's why, in summary, those are the six probably most important points here. I'll ask Mike for some comments. Michael Reff: Thank you, Dr. Raez. Brittany, to answer your question, and as was pointed out on logistics, care coordination, and prevention of waste, certainly that is an aspect that has changed in the revision that we're here to talk about. There's really two components to waste, and it's cost avoidance and then waste prevention. And as Dr. Raez mentioned several times, the importance of the medically integrated team and having the ability for that practice to fill that prescription internally and have robust documentation. Cost avoidance is a critical component that the medically integrated pharmacy, or the MIP, can help the total cost of care. And that is by preventing errant fills or waste that can occur by intervening in the care of the cancer patient, as we do every day. But when the practice has access to the medication and can fill that prescription in-house in the medically integrated pharmacy, that team, that care coordination that takes place, can prevent those errant fills or additional fills when there's dose reductions, there's holidays, there's things that happen in real time. And it's impossible for a mail-order pharmacy that's in another state that has lead times, when a prescription needs to be mailed 7 days or 10 days before the patient will run out of the medication, it's impossible for them to logistically coordinate that care like we can internally within the medically integrated pharmacy. So, we prevent waste and overall cost of care by cost avoidance and having that coordination or that continuity of care that we talk about. And we prevent waste from the mail-order pharmacies by taking that prescription internally and filling it, but also doing it in a way that's more sustainable and cost-effective for all stakeholders in the oncology ecosystem. Brittany Harvey: Absolutely. Thank you both for reviewing those key standards for Domain 2 and touching on the importance of distribution logistics and all the things that a medically integrated pharmacy needs to think through in getting oral anticancer agents to patients. Following that, Michael, we've touched on this a little bit earlier, but how will these updated standards impact clinicians and oncology practices? Michael Reff: Yes, and as Dr. Raez and I have discussed throughout this podcast, these additional standards are there to help support that continuity of care by educating the clinicians that are in the oral anticancer medication space to elevate their provision for these oral therapies. What I mean by that is the practice has to perform at a certain level in order for them to, as I call it, deserve the right to fill that prescription by having the processes and procedures in place. And these standards, these updated or revised standards, are the blueprint for better patient care and to help the practices execute on that journey of continuous improvement. Dr. Luis Raez: Yeah, I only want to add, we have practical examples in the guidelines. We quote a couple of studies that have been successful. And this year, for example, I am a lung cancer doctor, we are presenting in World Lung our standards of adherence to oral oncolytics for EGFR therapy, following the NCODA-ASCO standards. We're around 95% of adherence. We are a healthcare system that is public. We have people with no insurance and a lot of social determinants of health. We are trying to show that it's feasible, even in the most difficult circumstance, when you follow the standards, to be successful. Brittany Harvey: Definitely, these standards can help clinicians and oncology practices succeed in providing these medications. So then beyond that, and to wrap us up, Michael, what do these revised standards mean for patients who are receiving oral anticancer medications? Michael Reff: Yes, great point and question, Brittany, because we have covered the benefits to the clinicians and the practices themselves. But how is this going to support better patient care? And it does it in a whole host of ways. I'll cover just a few of them. What I'm about to share with you relates back to what we call at NCODA the "core claims." Like, what's the core claims of having a medically integrated pharmacy within the practice? And there are seven different core claims that we feel practices that are focused on the continuity of care can deliver better outcomes that are embedded in these standards. And it's talking about abandonment, adherence, access and affordability, speed to therapy or time to fill, as we call it, education, patient satisfaction, and cost avoidance that we covered earlier. So those are the core claims that a practice that follows these revised standards can help elevate. So, faster and more affordable access to the oral cancer medications; individualized support to address barriers like transportation, finance, language, or health literacy, and so on; clear, patient-friendly education; something that is near and dear to all clinicians' hearts, and of course, the patient that was on our panel or on our committee, to empower them to manage side effects and recognize when to seek help; and a stronger partnership with a care team, with regular follow-ups focused on their experience, challenges, and successes; and then, greater overall safety through proactive monitoring for medication errors or complications. So all of these aspects, or tenets, as I'll call them, are baked into these quality standards that are totally aligned with NCODA's core claims document that, again, talks about abandonment, adherence, access and affordability, speed to therapy, education, satisfaction for the patients, and also cost avoidance. Dr. Luis Raez: I only want to add and invite the community to adhere to these standards, to practice the standards. You will be providing the best patient care that we can nowadays. Brittany Harvey: Definitely. I think these standards are very important. And Michael, I thank you for touching on those key claims from NCODA. I think those, along with these updated standards, will improve outcomes for patients everywhere. So I want to thank you both so much for your work to update these standards and all the time you put into it. And thank you for your time today too, Michael and Dr. Raez. Michael Reff: I'd like to thank not only the committee, my esteemed committee that helped support the standards and the revision. Many of the original healthcare providers and patient that were on the first go of the standards were part of the second standards. We revised it, of course, and we got additional support from the new committee. And certainly ASCO and their partnership and collaboration with NCODA has been tremendous. And we look forward to the oncology community at large adopting these standards, again, to work together, we do become stronger, and it will improve cancer care for patients receiving oral anticancer medications. So thank you, Brittany. Dr. Luis Raez: I only want to say the same thing. Actually, there is probably more people in NCODA that is not in the publication that has helped. Same in ASCO. Also, we want to give thanks to Dr. Stephen Grubbs, our leader in quality. He's retiring. We're going to miss him, but he has been a key collaborator with Mike organizing these standards for the last five or six years. So, looking forward to these standards in practice. Brittany Harvey: Absolutely. A big thank you to the entire panel and everyone who contributed to this, and NCODA as well. And then finally, thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in to the ASCO Guidelines podcast. To read the complete standards, go to www.asco.org/standards. I also encourage you to check out the companion episode on these standards on the PQI podcast by NCODA, which you can find on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also find many of our standards and interactive resources in the free ASCO Guidelines app, which is available in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. If you have enjoyed what you've heard today, please rate and review the podcast and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement.
UnitedHealth Group (UHG) stock is plummeting following the abrupt resignation of its CEO Andrew Witty. His sudden departure, coming on Tuesday, May 13, came amid multiple lawsuits and threatened actions by private, state, and federal agencies across the country, and amid massive criticism for the company's tendency to deny beneficiaries coverage for services at elevated rates.Witty's exit from the giant payer – a long-time dominant force related to revenue cycle, provider staffing, utilization, and managed and commercial health insurance plans – seems to have rattled many in America's sprawling health delivery system. So, how could these recent events affect other hospitals and health systems?During the next live edition of the popular Talk Ten Tuesdays, the Internet broadcast produced by ICD10monitor, Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins will share what she thinks of what might lie ahead. Dr. Ugarte Hopkins is the medical director for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc. and the Immediate Past President of the American College of Physician Advisors.Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
Radiology reports are rich in clinical detail, yet ICD-10 codes often fail to fully capture the complexity and specificity of imaging findings.That is why the producers of Talk Ten Tuesdays and ICD10monitor have invited Laura Manser to explore the most common disconnects between radiology documentation and ICD-10 coding – especially in areas like incidental findings, laterality, and linking imaging results to medical necessity.During the next edition of the weekly broadcast, Manser is also expected to highlight common errors, such as coding suggestive findings as definitive diagnoses, and provide practical guidance on bridging the gap between documentation and compliance.Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.
Hosts Gregg Masters and Fred Goldstein meet veteran health policy thought leader and managed care activist John Gorman, Founder & Executive Chairman at Nightingale Partners LLC. John is a prominent figure in U.S. health policy, renowned for his extensive experience in Medicare and Medicaid programs. He founded Gorman Health Group, a leading consultancy in government health programs, and later established Nightingale Partners LLC, the first Opportunity Zone fund focused on SDOH investments. John is a vocal advocate for addressing poverty and racism as core health issues and is recognized for his candid insights into the challenges and reforms needed in the healthcare system. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen
The revenue cycle can be thought of as a machine that keeps churning nonstop, making everything work, financially speaking, for your hospital.But even the most well-oiled machinery can get clogged, meaning it doesn't perform at its peak. And that is why the producers of ICD10monitor and Talk Ten Tuesdays have invited Jessica Miller-Dobbs to join the popular Internet broadcast as its special guest for some shop talk.Jessica is the Director of Health Information Management (HIM) and Revenue Cycle for Datavant. She is scheduled to appear during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, 10 a.m. Eastern on May 6, for a refreshingly new approach in learning how to get your revenue cycle humming.Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the assistant vice president of revenue integrity for Montefiore Health.
Payer edits and denials are pervasive in healthcare reimbursement.These problems typically arise from coding inaccuracies, insufficient documentation, or non-compliance with payer-specific guidelines. These challenges can lead to revenue loss, increased administrative burden, and frustration among healthcare providers.A skilled coding staff plays a vital role in mitigating these issues. Proactive identification of potential red flags at the time of coding can decrease the number of edits and denials being returned from the payer.Join our special guest Lorie Mills, director of health information services for Primeau Consulting Group, during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, April 29, 10 Eastern for a refreshingly new approach to understanding how and what smart coding can do to avoid these expensive and frustrating issues.Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates.• The Coding Report: Substituting for Christine Geiger will be Amy Jo Combs, Senior Coding Compliance Consultant for First Class Solutions. She will discuss the significant difference between “History of” and “in remission” when reporting leukemia.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the assistant vice president of revenue integrity for Montefiore Health.
Hosts Gregg Masters and Fred Goldstein meet Pravin Pant, MSHI, VP, Advanced Analytics at ZeOmega. They discuss the role and application of AI to Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), including how AI impacts care management and the patient experience. Pravin leads ZeOmega's advanced analytics team in working on new and existing AI solutions and social determinants of health (SDOH) solutions. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen
Custodial and social hospitalizations have long been a hospital challenge.From inadequate patient support and services to medically unwarranted occupancy of inpatient beds, plus lack of payment for provision of care, prevention and management of these cases continues to be an issue.While much has been discussed about how to proceed, many hospitals fail.And that is why the producers of ICD10monitor and Talk Ten Tuesday have invited Dr. Juliet B. Ugarte Hopkins to be the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday.Dr. Ugarte Hopkins is the medical director for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc. and immediate past president of the American College of Physician Advisors. Dr. Ugarte Hopkins will report on this developing crisisAlso part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates.• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the assistant vice president of revenue integrity for Montefiore Health.
Social Determinants of Health, or SDOH, are a buzzword these days—but often little more. We acknowledge their importance, but actual progress on capture (and subsequent patient support) has been slow. To be fair real barriers including technological limitations and limited financial incentives stand in the way. But my current guest understands better than most the major role SDOH play in patient health. He and his organization have developed a digital tool to facilitate capture and improve the lives of patients in their community. They're making a difference. Dr. Pablo Buitron de la Vega is Assistant Professor of Medicine, Medical Director, Preventive Medicine Residency, and Clinician Lead for the THRIVE Social Determinants of Health Program at Boston Medical Center / Boston University School of Medicine. A native of Ecuador, he's made SDOH his mission. On this show we cover: Dr. de la Vega's long journey from Ecuador to U.S. physician, the obstacles he overcame, and how the experience shaped his mission as a provider Defining SDOH and common examples in his line of work as a Boston physician Basics of capture in ICD-10 and what makes SDOH difficult to collect Boston Medical Center's SDOH capture tool, THRIVE: What it does, tangible benefits, and how your organization can get access Low-tech strategies for SDOH capture you can implement today Dr. de la Vega's National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to develop a triage tool to help address patients' unmet social needs