MiraMed Global Services Podcast
82 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -Healthcare administration is constantly changing. We explore the most relevant topics with important and helpful tips for anyone managing the business processes of a medical facility.
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Episodes
2021 Hospital Final Rule: A Mixed Bag for Hospital Administrators
September 11, 2020 20:00 - 11 minutes - 5.12 MBOn September 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH) final rule, which includes "important provisions designed to ensure access to potentially life-saving diagnostics and therapies for hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries." According to a CMS press release, the changes will affect approximately 3,200 acute care hospitals and approximately 360 L...
Paying the Piper: CMS Begins Recoupment on Hospital Loans
August 31, 2020 18:00 - 6 minutes - 3.18 MBThose who elected to access the APP funds may remember that, unlike other PHE-related relief efforts, these funds were meant to be a temporary stop-gap measure to support health facilities in their time of need. They were not gifts, grants or forgiven debts. They were straight-up loans; and the loans have come due.
A Deluge of Data: Where Lies the Truth?
August 24, 2020 20:00 - 8 minutes - 3.97 MBEvery day, hospital executives must sift through data they’ve received from governmental and clinical leaders, and attempt to make wise choices based on such data. The problem is not just that there is an overload of information out there, but that it is often conflicting information. This group of doctors doesn’t agree with that group of doctors regarding treatment, or that leading official said one thing about mask effectiveness a few months ago and is saying something different today. ...
Better Than Expected: Hospitals Reporting COVID Profits
August 13, 2020 19:00 - 6 minutes - 2.81 MBIn its analysis of hospital financial standing during Q2 of 2020, HealthcareDive is reporting that “all of the nation's largest for-profit hospital chains saw higher profits, and some more than tripled their net income compared to last year.” Now, at first glance, that might seem like a shocking, provocative, and even dumbfounding statement to the outside observer; so, it deserves a little bit of unpacking.
Proposed OPPS Rule for FY 2021
August 12, 2020 12:00 - 7 minutes - 3.35 MBThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provided a press release on August 4, outlining several proposed rules that will affect the healthcare industry if approved. The following will act to summarize a few of the key proposals.
Six Months of COVID: What Hospitals Can Expect Next
August 04, 2020 15:00 - 9 minutes - 4.42 MBWe've recently completed six months of treating COVID patients in the United States, with the first known case occurring on January 20, in Everett, Washington. In that time, we have seen remarkable changes in American healthcare and American society. At the time of this writing, areas of the country that had been relatively cleared of the virus are now experiencing a dramatic rise in cases and the reported number of COVID-related deaths is hovering around 150,000.
Billions More for Hospitals: Feds Rush Money to Hard-Hit Facilities
July 27, 2020 17:00 - 5 minutes - 2.44 MBThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it would send an additional $10 billion in relief funds to hospitals that have been deemed to be located in recent COVID outbreak areas across the country. According to numerous reports over the last several days, the coronavirus case count has surged—particularly in the South and Southwest—and has created another crisis for many of the health facilities in those regions.
Massive Study Pinpoints COVID Death Risks
July 20, 2020 20:00 - 8 minutes - 3.96 MBIt appears that the early predictions of extreme numbers of deaths (some suggesting millions of U.S. deaths) were the cause of governments taking the unusual precautions we’ve witnessed. One can argue in retrospect whether state and federal measures over the last several months were warranted given the current reported number of COVID-related deaths, but the fact remains that our way of life is being completely overturned due to reported or perceived numbers of deaths.
Hope of the Brave: Potential Bright Spots on the COVID Front
July 13, 2020 19:00 - 7 minutes - 3.59 MBWe are doing our best to get on with our pre-COVID lives, to will our way to happier times, but at every turn we are faced with alarming news of record case levels and renewed shutdowns. With the national birthday freshly celebrated, this may be a good time to take stock of some potentially positive news for the American people as it pertains to the ongoing pandemic. The operative word here is "potentially," as little is certain in these very uncertain times. With that said, the following r...
And on It Goes: The Extension of the Public Health Emergency
July 07, 2020 14:00 - 5 minutes - 2.61 MBAs things began to open up, millions experienced renewed hope, COVID cases began to spike; now there are signs that the days of closures and restrictions are about to make a comeback.
The Long and Winding Road: COVID’s Uncertain Path
June 29, 2020 20:00 - 8 minutes - 6.19 MBMany had hoped the effects of COVID-19 would dissipate with the beginning of warmer weather. Now that we're in late June, one would think that a seasonal virus would be well on its way to dormancy, if only for a time; but there seems to be no letup in COVID's mission to seek and destroy—at least in certain sectors.
Riding the Wave: Calculating the Current State of COVID
June 24, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 4.72 MBWe seem to be living in the midst of a recurring nightmare. We’re told one minute that the states are opening back up and that restrictions are easing and that elective surgeries are once again being allowed. The next minute we’re told some states are experiencing the highest incidence of COVID on record. Hospital administrators must remain circumspect, retaining all their options, realizing that past assumptions and recent projections may not be reliable. Should elective surgeries contin...
On Shifting Sand: The Changing Landscape of American Healthcare
June 11, 2020 20:00 - 10 minutes - 4.65 MBWhile there were already movers and drivers toward a change in healthcare delivery, there’s nothing like a once-in-a-century health crisis to create the conditions for accelerated change.
In Search of an Elusive Normalcy: Hospitals across the country are attempting to ramp up to normal pre-COVID case levels
June 08, 2020 20:00 - 10 minutes - 4.65 MBDespite the lingering effects of COVID, a majority of states are in the midst of phased-in or full-blown reopening. This means that many hospitals across the country are at least attempting to ramp back up to normal pre-COVID case levels, including elective surgeries.
The Financial Impact of COVID on Hospitals
June 02, 2020 14:00 - 8 minutes - 4.13 MBAccording to a national study undertaken by healthcare consulting firm Kaufman Hall in May 2020, April was a devastating month for hospitals across the country from a financial perspective. Despite the expectations of some that hospitals would be overflowing with patients due to the spread of COVID, in actuality a sharp decline in overall patient volume was noted. This, along with a prolonged suspension of so-called elective surgeries, have translated to record-setting declines in hospital...
Proposed IPPS Rule for 2021 Released
May 20, 2020 20:00 - 10 minutes - 7.18 MBOn May 11, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) Proposed Rule. According to the agency, the proposed rule signals the government’s intention of achieving the following objective: “transforming the healthcare delivery system through competition and innovation to provide patients with better value and results.” The deadline for submit...
COVID: No Longer Just a Big-City Problem
May 12, 2020 19:00 - 7 minutes - 5.13 MBWhile rural America has for the most part been able to avoid the brunt of the coronavirus during its initial assault upon our shores, recent reports indicate that the disease is now stalking our smaller towns and communities. Here are some facts and statistics released by HealthcareDive that may prove instructive:
Stimulus 2.0: What Hospitals Can Expect
May 05, 2020 21:00 - 7 minutes - 5.37 MBIn the deadly days of World War II, when the Russians were on the brink of defeat at the hands of multiple German army groups spread along a thousand-mile front, factories beyond the Urals managed to mass produce tanks in sufficient numbers to eventually beat back the German advance. The T-34 main battle tank was an inexpensive, no-nonsense weapon that turned the tide of war. The Russians’ ability to churn out so many of these bare-bones combat vehicles remains a miracle of modern military...
Change in Hospital Payments? MedPAC Suggests Targeted Increases
April 27, 2020 20:00 - 8 minutes - 3.86 MBNot all news is negative news—even in the healthcare sector. Premium increases and doctor shortages and pandemic scares are the current fair for most American medical executives. It's enough to make a hospital honcho hang his or her head in despair. However, every now then, some dim ray of light shines through the darkness, a small sign that there may be some good news on the horizon for America's hospitals.
Gauging Hospitals’ Health in the Age of COVID
April 21, 2020 13:00 - 8 minutes - 4.07 MBFrom what we’re told by certain medical experts, we are nearing the peak of the national health emergency (NHE) brought on by the coronavirus (COVID) outbreak in the United States. All across the nation, Americans are being tested and temperatures are being taken in an attempt to gauge the health of our citizenry. What this article seeks to explore is the overall health of our hospitals. How are they faring? The fact is the COVID crisis is negatively affecting nearly every sector of our econ...
COVID-19- Trends That Tell the Tale
April 15, 2020 14:00 - 8 minutes - 4.02 MBAccording to many sources, America has the highest case count in the world, with nearly 370,000 cases being reported as of yesterday, April 7. Nearly, 11,000 have died in the U.S. from the effects of the virus. Leading voices in the medical community have suggested that these next few days are likely to bring a peak in COVID cases, so more will get sick and more will die. That means our hospitals and hospital workers will continue to operate under very difficult circumstances. Six Impor...
Failing the Smell Test: The Ever-Changing Symptomology of COVID-19
April 06, 2020 20:00 - 11 minutes - 5.09 MBProviders have a lot on their plates these days, and hospital departments are adapting to meet the new environment as dictated by the coronavirus pandemic. The virus, officially known as COVID-19 (CV for our purposes herein), has caused the deaths more than 35,000 people world-wide. As of this writing, March 30, the United States has registered 143,000 confirmed cases of the disease, making America the new epicenter of CV. President Trump has extended the government’s guidelines on social...
Preparing for the Storm: Hospitals Scramble to Find Vital Supplies
March 31, 2020 20:00 - 9 minutes - 4.3 MBA horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse! That familiar phrase, first uttered in Act V of Shakespeare’s Richard III, reminds us that sometimes seemingly unimportant or everyday items can become downright invaluable given the right situation. Trading an entire kingdom for a single steed is quite the bargain if your very life or life’s calling is contingent upon that particular animal at that particular moment. That is the situation we now face in the healthcare environment. Because of th...
COVID-19: What is Your Action Plan?
March 20, 2020 21:00 - 7 minutes - 3.66 MBThe COVID-19 virus is unfolding so rapidly and the impact is so pervasive that many hospitals are struggling to respond. We have received a number of inquiries from our clients and there is a great deal of concern, to be sure. While events are moving rapidly and it is impossible to predict the future, we want to share what we believe is a practical checklist of issues every facility should work through as they prepare for the inevitable.
COVID-19: What is Your Action Plan?
March 20, 2020 21:00 - 7 minutes - 3.66 MBThe COVID-19 virus is unfolding so rapidly and the impact is so pervasive that many hospitals are struggling to respond. We have received a number of inquiries from our clients and there is a great deal of concern, to be sure. While events are moving rapidly and it is impossible to predict the future, we want to share what we believe is a practical checklist of issues every facility should work through as they prepare for the inevitable.
Coronavirus: Can it be Contained?
March 13, 2020 19:00 - 8 minutes - 6.06 MBSince the coronavirus has, for the last few weeks, accounted for the top 10 or so daily stories on multiple media platforms, it seems reasonable that we at MiraMed Global Services bring you periodic articles dealing with this growing concern and certified pandemic. According to Yahoo News, the coronavirus (nCoV) is now in 100 countries, has caused another plunge in the markets, and is responsible for at least 22 deaths in the United States as of this writing (Mar 9). Major events around the ...
Once More unto the Breach: Addressing the Continual Leaks in PHI
March 09, 2020 20:00 - 12 minutes - 5.76 MBThe month of February was not kind to the patient privacy movement. While laws, such as HIPAA, were written to promote the security of protected health information (PHI), the advent and proliferation of electronic communication and data storage have all too often undercut the government's aim to keep patient information private. There were a number of breaches of health records this past month at hospitals, pharmacies and other healthcare organizations across the country, which caused a grea...
Wellness and Walmart: Where Healthcare Meets Retail
February 28, 2020 18:00 - 7 minutes - 3.69 MBAmerica’s biggest retailer is making a push into the healthcare space; and, with their unlimited resources and market omnipresence, a new synergy may be in the offing. Walmart—the world's largest chain of retail stores—is throwing its hat into the health delivery ring and appears ready to become a serious player in that sector.
Top Facts About America’s Top EMRs
February 24, 2020 15:00 - 12 minutes - 5.64 MBAs hospitals and health systems continue to integrate electronic medical record (EMR) systems into their facilities, it might be helpful for these institutions to know a few facts about two of America's top EMR behemoths. It should come as no surprise that Epic and Cerner continue to dominate the electronic health information market. They are by far two of the best-known companies offering EMR solutions; and, though other up-and-coming companies offer similar systems and services, it may be ...
An Epic Struggle: EMR Giant Enlists 60 Hospitals Against HHS
February 17, 2020 19:00 - 7 minutes - 4.94 MBAn Epic Struggle: EMR Giant Enlists 60 Hospitals Against HHS The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), has promulgated a Proposed Rule designed to make it easier for patients to access their electronic health records. This sounds reasonable enough. Who could possibly be against this objective? The answer is no one, but there is strong opposition to some of the requirements found in the Rule ...
The Long Arm of the Law: Government Goes After Healthcare Fraud
February 04, 2020 16:00 - 8 minutes - 5.55 MBThe U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has just announced that it has recovered $2.6 billion in judgments and settlements involving cases of alleged healthcare fraud during 2019. This marks 10 consecutive years that the federal government has obtained more than $2 billion from actions involving such cases. Last year's recoveries reflect an upward trend in recent years in the dollar amounts garnered by the government in healthcare fraud actions, with $2.1 billion being collected in 2017 and $2....
Is Your Data Secure? Healthcare Devices Come Under Scrutiny
February 04, 2020 16:00 - 8 minutes - 5.55 MBIt's a world where techno-wizardry abounds. It's a place of unparalleled digital progress; but with that progress comes unprecedented dependence—dependence upon software and digital networks and electronic devices. It is the very nature of this dependence that presents the inherent dangers that we now see cropping up all around us. In that sense, no one is safe. The American military is a good example of this. Because it relies so heavily on digital technology, it must devote enormous budget...