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A new report outlines how independent pediatric practices can play a huge role in supporting whole child health and advocating for children's needs. Check out the full report here via PCC. 👩⚕️
"The report explains that multidisciplinary teams are required to support whole-child health. Independent pediatricians usually benefit from a close-knit team of nurses, social workers, therapists, community health workers, and many more providers that establish cohesive collaboration. They’re also well connected with area schools, where more important healthcare goals, such as nutrition, health education, and socio-emotional learning, occur."
#Pediatrics #Pediatricians #PediatricPractice
The Future of Pediatric Healthcare is Independent
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Explore how independent pediatricians are shaping the future of American healthcare through community-based systems, payment reform, and whole-child health advocacy.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association have released updated guidance on CPR for drowning. 🏊♂️
Check it out here!
"Rescuers should immediately start CPR that includes rescue breathing in addition to chest compressions. Multiple large studies over time show more people with cardiac arrest from non-cardiac causes such as drowning survive when CPR includes rescue breaths compared to Hands-Only CPR (calling 911 and pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest)."
#Pediatrics #Pediatricians #PediatricPractice
CPR for Drowning: Updated Guidance
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The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association have released updated guidance on steps to take when resuscitating someone who has drowned. Among the updates, it recommends card...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns that the non-medical use of controlled prescription medications poses a high risk to patients. 💊
Check out their new guidance on how to protect adolescents and young adults who are vulnerable to mistaking pills for prescription drugs.
"Ask patients and caregivers about all controlled medication prescriptions and provide appropriate education. Strategies to protect children and youth from the risks of nonmedical use of prescriptions include securing medications at home; supervising access and administration of controlled medications; and disposing of unused medications properly."
#Pediatrics #Pediatricians #PediatricPractice
Preventing Nonmedical Use of Controlled Prescription Medications: AAP Guidance
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In a new clinical report, "Nonmedical Use of Controlled Medications by Adolescents and Young Adults," the AAP says adolescents and young adults are especially vulnerable to risky behavior related t...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Happy Native American Heritage Day! We celebrate the diverse cultures and contributions of Native American communities! 🙌
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Happy Thanksgiving! May your day be filled with gratitude and happiness! 🍁 🙏
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New Technology Automates The Vaccination Workflow – AccuVax White Paper
/in Articles /by Heidi HallettOperating an Effective and Profitable Vaccine Business Within Your Healthcare Practice
Running a successful and profitable vaccine business within your practice requires significant investment in vaccine inventory. Storing and handling this inventory requires specialized equipment and extensive non-clinical activities, which are time consuming for your staff and costly to your practice.
What if you could automate these activities? What if your healthcare staff could focus more on patient care instead of tracking, documenting and reporting vaccine inventory? What if you could do all this and save significant vaccine inventory costs?
To continue reading click here for a pdf of the complete white paper from TruMed Systems.
Forming a Medical Practice ‘Super Group’
/in Articles /by Heidi HallettPearl | September 03, 2014 | Practice Models, Managers Administrators, Operations, Pearls, Referrals
By Susanne Madden
We have seen an enormous consolidation in medical practices across the industry in the last three years. Many practices are being bought out by hospital systems in preparation for laying the groundwork for accountable care organizations and for building market share in the new value-based purchasing environment.
But rest assured, the independent practice is alive and well — there are practice models available that allow physicians to operate independently, while coming together as one entity to reap the benefits of cost efficiency. One way physicians can reinvent their practices, is to become a “super group.”
Looking for more ways to boost performance at your practice? Join experts Rosemarie Nelson, Lucien W. Roberts, Owen Dahl, and others as they help improve your medical practice and your bottom line atPractice Rx, a new conference for physicians and office administrators. Join us Sept. 19 & 20 in Philadelphia.
Patient Portals Can Help You Meet Medical-home Criteria
/in Articles /by Heidi HallettPearl | October 08, 2014 | Patient Portals, Meaningful Use, Patient Relations, Pearls, Practice Models
By Susanne Madden
If you are thinking about implementing a patient portal, or already have one in place, you may not realize that this is a great tool to help you meet certain criteria necessary for achieving Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition.
Many portals offer the components required to meet part of the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) PCMH Standard for patient-centered electronic access. The purpose of doing so is to allow the practice to offer information and services to patients and their families via a secure electronic system whereby patients can view their medical record, access services, and communicate with the healthcare team electronically.
Providing electronic access to this information also enables practices to meet meaningful use requirements, so you get a double return on your portal investment if you are attempting to meet requirements for both the NCQA PCMH and meaningful use programs.
New Practice Models Are Gaining Acceptance in Primary Care
/in Articles /by Heidi HallettAugust 20, 2014 | Great American Physician Survey, Patient Relations, Physician Compensation, Practice Models, Work/Life Balance
By Erica Sprey
Manhattan cardiologist Arthur Weisenseel has enjoyed a long and satisfying medical career; one that encompassed teaching at New York-based Mt. Sinai Hospital, running a successful cardiology practice with another physician, and stewarding his aging patients into a healthy old age. But, somewhere in the last five years to 10 years, his practice became problematic. Weisenseel says that despite working as hard as he could, he wasn’t able to consistently pay both practice expenses and himself. He says of that time, “I worked awful hard to get [there]. And to go home without reimbursement was becoming demoralizing.”
So, like a growing contingent of like-minded physicians, Weisenseel decided to explore other practice models. Encouraged by his patients and positive conversations with colleagues, he has now successfully converted his practice to a hybrid-concierge model, where patients can choose to pay an extra fee for concierge services or continue to reimburse him through traditional insurance plans like Medicare and third-party payers. Now he couldn’t be happier: Relieved of worries about financial and regulatory burdens, he says, “I come to work with joy and confidence.”
Efficiency In Influenza Vaccine Packaging
/in Articles /by Heidi HallettHealth care professionals administering adult influenza vaccines have multiple products from which to choose. Influenza vaccines are packaged in multi-dose and single-dose vials, in prefilled syringes that require a needle for intramuscular injection, and in prefilled syringes with a microneedle for intradermal injection. There are several criteria that are evaluated when determining product selection; efficiency, the ease and speed at which a dose of vaccine can be delivered, should be considered a key factor…
To continue reading this research paper or to download a pdf please click here: Efficiency in Influenza Vaccine Packaging
Patient-Centered Specialty Practice for Specialists
/in Articles /by Heidi HallettPearl | June 25, 2014 | Patients, Operations, Partnerships, Patient Relations, Pearls, Practice Models
By Susanne Madden
While still in its infancy, word about the National Committee on Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) medical home program for specialists is spreading fast. The program was released last March and appears to be gaining considerable momentum. We receive inquiries daily from practices asking how we can assist them with meeting the program’s standards; from gastroenterologists, oncologists, nephrologists, orthopedists, even ophthalmologists.
Unlike the primary-care Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program that has taken several years to become firmly established, it appears that specialists are “early adopters” of this new similar program — Patient-Centered Specialty Practice (PCSP) — designed especially for them.
NYS Insurance Price Wars
/in Articles /by Heidi HallettOne of the puzzling questions about the Health Insurance Exchanges (a key component of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) is, “How can the same products have such variations in premium pricing?” Differentials of between $200 and $500 a month are noted for the same metallically labeled products. Why the difference? Answer: the insurance carrier.
The lowest prices have been associated with the newest entrants into the NY market, Heath Republic and OSCAR. The established payers, such as Empire and, in particular, United Healthcare, were priced at the high end.
Since all products are essentially the same in terms of benefits, the difference would be in the costs of the network that supports the payer’s product and the pricing philosophy of the company.
The Verden Group welcomes Paul Vanchiere to our team.
/in Articles /by Heidi HallettThe Verden Group is pleased to welcome the founder of the Pediatric Management Institute, Paul Vanchiere (MBA) to our team. With over 15 years of healthcare management experience, Paul joins The Verden Group to provide our clients with financial and operational practice consulting.
Currently working exclusively with Pediatric practices, Paul’s past experience with cardiology and pathology practices, as well as physician practice acquisitions for the largest non-for-profit hospital in Texas, adds a unique depth to our client services. For the past five years, Paul has worked on financial and management issues for a physician group of over 200 general Pediatricians.
Paul will focus on a unique service that provides a full financial analysis of Pediatric practices along with an onsite assessment for a nominal fixed price. According to Paul, “Pediatricians often have limited resources to invest in such engagements. I am extremely sensitive to their investment of time and resources in what we do for them. I strive everyday to provide tangible advice on how to manage their practice properly.”
Paul can be reached at [email protected] and more information about these services can be found here.
The Verden Group Brings a Legal Context to Guidance on Business Matters
/in Articles /by Heidi HallettThe Verden Group is very pleased to announce the addition of Sumita Saxena, Esq., to our consulting team. Admitted to the California State Bar in 2000, Sumita brings her legal focus to the Group in the capacity of business consulting services, specializing in matters such as practice agreements, guidance on employment laws, and negotiation and language interpretation for insurance contracts.
“The addition of Sumita to our team brings the level of services we provide up another notch,” says Susanne Madden, CEO and founder of the Verden Group. “We’re not a law firm. We work in a strictly non-legal, business-only capacity when advising clients but the fact is that legal issues are a part of doing business in healthcare today. Sumita’s expertise ensures our clients have the benefit of expert business advice on these matters and are guided appropriately as to when to seek legal counsel.”
With current experience as in-house counsel for a medical group, Sumita has the hands on expertise required to confidently advise Verden’s clients on the development of sound business operating procedures and practices from a legal perspective. Sumita also has extensive experience working on employment matters, workforce & performance management, and human resources management.
She is located in Redwood City, CA, and can be reached at [email protected]
How You Can Successfully Participate in P4P Programs
/in Articles /by Heidi HallettPearl | April 30, 2014 | Performance, Payers, Pearls, Physician Compensation
By Susanne Madden
Participating in pay-for-performance (P4P) programs can work out well for both provider and payer. By “performing well” on certain clinical and administrative measures, savings are created that can be shared with both parties. That is, if providers can meet specific metrics that appear to produce some savings by, say, coordinating patient care better or ensuring that the population is receiving timely preventive care, then everyone wins and costs go down.
However, it can be a little perilous to participate in these programs if you don’t have a good understanding of your own data. Signing up to meet specific goals without first knowing where you currently stand or without being able to monitor progress as you go along a defined time period can mean falling short of expectations and losing out on additional revenues. So, it is vital that you must be able to run reports in your own system to either validate or dispute the data that the payer will be producing, in terms of how your providers have performed. Depending on your IT infrastructure, this may or may not be an easy task!