Congratulations to our iPad 2 Winner!

Congratulations to Belinda Bennett, BOD of Plateau Medical Center in West Virginia winner of our iPad 2 drawing! Thanks to everyone for visiting our booth at the HFMA ANI! See you again next year in Las Vegas!

SEE YOU AT THE HFMA ANI!

The HFMA ANI is not only a great opportunity to access cutting edge education and thought leadership. It is also a great way to meet new healthcare industry friends and strengthen existing relationships. I hope you will stop by the exhibit hall and come see us at BOOTH 2101. We would love to meet you and we are giving away an iPad 2!

Check it out at the ANI website http://www.hfmaconference.org/

NEARTERM EXPANDS AS WE KICK OFF 2013!

Thanks to our prestigious clients, successful business strategy and diligent employee owners, Nearterm again expands. We have brought aboard additional professional staff and upgraded offices as we approach 2013 with excitement and confidence. If you would like to learn more about our revenue cycle services and how Nearterm can help you, let's talk.

 

We wish all of our friends and associates a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year!

 

Jim Matthews

jmatthews@nearterm.com

REVENUE CYCLE EFFICIENCY

Most of the 8,700 layoffs this year were non-clinical jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics leads to dire projections as we move into 2013. As revenue cycle professionals, we have always been challenged to streamline revenue cycle operations, reduce revenue cycle labor cost and become more efficient. I submit that the challenge is now a mandate. Check this out.......

News in brief - Nov. 5, 2012

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Hospital mass layoffs for 2012 expected to match 2011’s numbers -At-risk teens interested in seeing their medical records online

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Hospital mass layoffs for 2012 expected to match 2011’s numbers

Thirteen mass layoffs occurred in hospitals in September, affecting 817 people, according to a monthly report released Oct. 23 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. If numbers hold steady for the remainder of 2012, the industry is on track to have a similar annual count of mass layoffs as it did in 2011.
Ninety-three layoff incidents occurred in the first nine months of 2012, leading 6,529 people to claim unemployment benefits. At this rate, the year would end with about 124 mass layoff incidents with roughly 8,700 people affected. This is comparable to the totals for 2011, which had 121 mass layoffs with 8,098 people losing their jobs.
The BLS does not break numbers down by occupation, but people who hire health workers say administrative rather than clinical staff tend to be most at risk of losing their jobs during mass layoffs.A mass layoff is defined as a minimum of 50 people losing their jobs from one company at the same time. Smaller incidents are not counted. is startling as we consider mass layoff statistics for hospitals in 2011 and 2012.
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At Nearterm, we specialize in assisting provider organizations toward more effective revenue cycle practices through revenue cycle process improvement, better use of revenue cycle technology and revenue cycle management practices.Our revenue cycle consultants, HIM Professionals and interim leaders deliver results. If we can help as you brace for future revenue cycle mandates or if you simply want to share speculation about how the revenue cycle will "morph" in the future, let's talk.

Jim Matthews
Principal; Nearterm Corporation
(281) 646-1330

 

EMR EFFICACY

A practical observation presented in this article and the cited study is that whether medical records are maintained hard copy or electronically, the source is still the same - people. In either environment, providers will continue to be challenged toward improving accuracy and the consequences are far reaching . Check it out;

http://medcitynews.com/2012/12/electronic-medical-records-not-a-panacea-for-patient-safety-problems/

If you are a CFO, HIM Professional or have a role in Health Information Management, you may find this snippet insightful. If you would like assistance with process innovation supporting your HIM, EMR or related revenue cycle objectives, let's talk.

Jim Matthews
Principal; Nearterm Corporation
(281) 646-1330

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Here is some information about the impact of the Affordable Care Act. While we have known the "rules" for some time, hospitals are now beginning to feel the impact in the form of revenue penalties and the demand to provide care differently than in the past. Re-admission penalties are a current target and most thought leaders expect more to come.

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/November/27/medicare-spending-hospital-readmissions.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+khn%2Ffulltext+%28All+Kaiser+Health+News+%28Full+Text%29%29

If you have innovative thoughts about how hospital chief financial officers, revenue cycle professionals and others can mitigate or minimize the impact of ACA mandates, please share.

Jim Matthews
Principal; Nearterm Corporation
(281) 646-1330
jmatthews@nearterm.com

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

For a lot of hospital employees, dress code is a matter of policy. However, in revenue cycle operations, HIM, hospital finance and other non-clinical work environments, there is greater flexibility regarding attire. Read the article below and think about how your appearance may impact your career.

http://under30ceo.com/4-ways-dress-success-increasingly-casual-workplace/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Under30CEOAll+%28Under30CEO%29

Jim Matthews
Principal; Nearterm Corporation
jmatthews@nearterm.com