ACDIS Blog

Recruitment firm grows in tandem with CDI programs

Scott Entinger — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:13:00 +0000

Those of you who were on the ACDIS Quarterly Networking Call Thursday, November 19, may have heard the discussion about what makes a good CDI specialist. Scott Entinger, an executive recruiter for Portland, OR-based NHS Solutions, Inc., dialed in and offered his assessment of what hospital administrators are looking for across the country right now. Mr. Entinger has agreed to post occasionally items of interest here to the ACDIS Blog beginning with his first post below.

ACDIS launches 2009 CDI specialist salary survey

Melissa Varnavas — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:20:39 +0000

Nearly 300 people have already responded to the 2009 ACDIS annual CDI salary survey. In the survey, we ask for your open and honest input to help us develop the most accurate picture of the CDI profession today.

Don’t let surgical complication documentation get complicated

Melissa Varnavas — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:59:42 +0000

There's still time to sign up for Friday's (November 20, 1 p.m. EST) audio conference: Surgical Complications: Clinical Documentation Improvement for Compliant Coding and Accurate Quality Measures with Robert S. Gold, MD, and Lena N. Wilson, RHIA, CCS.

Individual effort equals organizational success

shoffman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:41:48 +0000

In the words of Vince Lombardi: "The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual." It's why the Florida chapter of the Association for Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialists (ACDIS) organization is so important, for it gives us a forum to communicate, commiserate, and share business practices throughout the state. It is a source for education and team building.

Agenda for week ending Nov. 20

Melissa Varnavas — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:40:17 +0000

Hi y ‘all (although I’m a New Englander I thought I’d practice my southern drawl. They tell me the plural of y’all is all y’all. ) Here’s a look at a few events coming up this week: November 18: Clinical documentation improvement specialists in Connecticut meet at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, Bradley Memorial Campus, at 9 a.m. [...]

Tip: Update physicians on change to consultation E/M code changes

Glenn Krauss — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:18:39 +0000

CDI specialists are always looking for ways to build business relationships with physicians. One way to build a good professional relationship is to update them when changes occur to the physician fee schedule. And there’s a big change coming that’s just about to occur. Effective January 1, 2010, CMS eliminated consultation codes, and rolled payment previously [...]

Dazed and confused? Or Encephalopathy?

Fran Jurcak — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:30:39 +0000

I remember once speaking with a physician champion of a CDI program regarding encephalopathy. After receiving the above information he was astounded that he had been treating patients for years who fit the criteria and that he had been missing out on the true severity of illness of these patients. He thought documenting delirium was good enough to indicate that his patients were suffering from a severe neurological deficit that improved with appropriate treatment. The next day, he sent an educational memo to the medical staff supplying them with the necessary information to better identify the severity of illness of patients with confusion and altered mental status.

Leading the question

Melissa Varnavas — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:41:19 +0000

While the likelihood of true healthcare reform legislation seems to be dwindling, President Barack Obama nevertheless continues to push against apparent payment abuses throughout the system. CDI professionals are meant to be a facility's first line of defense against such abuses. It a CDI specialist's job to make sure what was documented in the patient's medical record is the most accurate description of the care the patient received.

Georgia ACDIS group set to meet

Melissa Varnavas — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:31:40 +0000

There's less than three days left before Georgian clinical documentation improvement specialists converge on the city of Atlanta. And even thought it's the first meeting, organizer Bonnie I. Epps, MN, RN, manager of Clinical Documentation Improvement at Emory Healthcare, Inc., in Atlanta certainly hitting the ground running.

NC Chapter offers meeting in the mountains

Melissa Varnavas — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:58:40 +0000

North Carolina ACDIS Chapter's next meeting takes place Friday, November 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Appalachian Regional Healthcare Watauga Medical Center in Boone, NC. "I love the fall," Taylor wrote in an e-mail. "It is my favorite time of year." If leaf-peeping and sweeping vistas don't encourage you to join the group, rest assured they have a full clinical documentation improvement agenda that includes changes to 2010 ICD-9 codes and CCDS certification tips.