Thursday, August 27, 2015

**Imporant Weekly Update Announcement**

In an effort to better serve our members and readers, CRHC would like to announce a restructuring of how information is disseminated. This will be the final week you will receive a copy of the “Weekly Update.” Instead, the information that you would normally receive in the “Weekly Update” will be presented in the “Special Delivery” emails, a monthly newsletter distributed around the 15th of every month. If you subscribe to other CRHC email lists, you will continue to get those emails. If you have any questions, you can reply to this email or give us a call. Thank you for your patience as we reorganize how we present information as your state office of rural health.

Upcoming QHi Education Sessions


QHi began in Kansas in 2004 to provide small rural hospitals a web-based enterprise-wide benchmarking tool. Since then QHi has grown into a multi-state project supporting over 300 hospitals and 83 rural health clinics in 15 states. QHi continues to adapt to remain relevant in the ever-changing realm of health care, providing trend reports and comparative analytics in the areas of clinical quality, finance, human resources and patient satisfaction.
Our next QHi Education Session is on Tuesday, August 25 at 2:00 Central Time. Darlene Bainbridge will present,"Raising Your Numbers through Effective QI" targeting the Rural Health Clinic setting. Please register here for this free webinar. Presentation materials will be distributed prior to the session.

A Back to Basics Session for all participants or those interested in the program is scheduled for Thursday, September 17 from 2:00 to 3:00 Central Time. We will review new features of the site and walk through the basics of adding users, selecting measures, entering data and running reports. Please click here to register for this free session.

Behavioral Health and Primary Care Integration for Latinos

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND PRIMARY CARE INTEGRATION FOR LATINOS: ASSESSMENT, TREATMENT, AND RECOVERY

Wednesday, September 16, 2015 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Salt Lake City, Utah Red Lion Hotel

Attendees should include medical and behavioral healthcare providers serving Hispanic and Latino populations


There is NO REGISTRATION FEE to attend this event. Please register early to ensure your spot!
Participants are responsible for their own travel-related expenses.


Lodging is available at the Red Lion hotel at the group rate of $106/night plus tax.
Please make your reservations as soon as possible to ensure a room at the group rate.

See web page for details.


The one-day event has been pre-approved by NAADAC for 6.5 contact hours.

Participants may use their certificates to apply for CE credit through other licensing/credentialing boards.

Weekly CREATE Bulletin

What are they thinking?

The CREATE Expert Review Committee (ERC) reviews all submitted applications. Do you ever wonder what they are thinking? When you are writing your application, do you ever wish you had psychic abilities so you knew what the ERC members would think of your grant or so you knew the winning lotto numbers? Well, we may not be able to give you psychic abilities, but we can provide some guidance on how the ERC scores and ultimately decides on your application.
Your application is scored based on the following criteria and how well you articulate each part of your narrative:
  • Service Need – a strong grant will show convincing evidence of need for educational courses to upgrade or maintain current level of services.
  • Priority to Underdeveloped or Aged Systems– you must show strong, convincing evidence of need for educational courses to upgrade or maintain current level of services
  • Cost-effective budget – a good budget narrative shows strong, convincing correlation between the expenditures and the proposed project and Provides details and convincing budget notes justifying planned expenditures
  • Applicant’s Qualifications - Clearly explains how the applicant’s qualifications will help ensure long-term sustainability
  • System Integration - Strong, convincing evidence the education addresses and improves system compatibility
  • Financial Need - Strong, convincing evidence the education addresses and improves system compatibility

Thank you for all you do for all our Colorado communities! We are here to support you, so please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns.

Click here to see the CREATE deadlines and connect to the guidelines.

Thank you for all you do for our Colorado communities!

If you have any questions about the CREATE Grant process, please contact Megan Lyda at ml@coruralhealth.org or 720-248-2742.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Next iCARE Webinar

The next monthly webinar for participants in the iCARE grant will take place on August 25th from 11-12. To register click here. Contact Caleb Siem at cs@coruralhealth.org with any questions.

MLN Connects Provider eNews- August 20th, 2015

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View this edition as a PDF

In This Edition:
Countdown to ICD-10
  • MLN Connects National Provider Call: Countdown to ICD-10 — Last Chance to Register 
  • Use of Unspecified Codes in ICD-10-CM 
  • List of Valid ICD-10-CM Codes 
  • ICD-10 Clinical Concepts Guides for Specialties 
MLN Connects® National Provider Calls and Events
  • National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care and QAPI Call — Register Now 
  • Overview of the 2014 Annual Quality and Resource Use Reports Webcast — Register Now 
CMS Events
  • Webinar for Comparative Billing Report on CT of the Abdomen and Pelvis for Referring Providers 
  • Hospital Quality Reporting Program Webinars: Impact of FY 2016 Payment Rule 
  • Hospital Quality Reporting Webinar Series: Early Management Bundle, Severe Sepsis/Septic Shock 
Announcements
  • Additional Participants in Pilot Project to Improve Care and Reduce Costs for Medicare 
  • CMS Implements Changes in its Medical Review Education and Enforcement Strategies 
  • ESRD QIP PY 2016 Preview Period Extended 
  • Get Ready for DMEPOS Competitive Bidding 
Claims, Pricers, and Codes
  • Claims Hold for Diabetic Test Strips and Other Supply Items 
Medicare Learning Network® Educational Products
  • “National Site Visit Verification (NSV) Initiative” MLN Matters Article — Released 
  • “Limiting the Scope of Review on Redeterminations and Reconsiderations of Certain Claims” MLN Matters Article — Released 
  • “PECOS Technical Assistance Contact Information” Fact Sheet — Revised

COPrevent: Pregnancy Related Depression Survey

Pregnancy related depression (PRD) is the number one complication of pregnancy, affecting 1 in 7 women. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is conducting research to test PRD understanding and messaging across the state. This information will assist CDPHE and partners in future health awareness campaigns with the goal of increasing general awareness about PRD among women and their support systems, and ultimately increasing the number of women seeking and receiving treatment.

A survey has been developed to gather feedback from health care providers and staff like you!

Please take 5-10 minutes to complete the survey by Friday, September 11.

Research goals:
To better understand what PRD messages you use to communicate with women and their support systems, and what resources are currently available in your area.

Access the survey.

Please share the survey with your colleagues. The more information, the stronger our messages will be for Colorado mothers.

Email Lauren Bardin at Lauren.Bardin@state.co.us with questions or if you have trouble accessing the survey.

Get the Facts About ICD-10

The ICD-10 transition is only 50 days away. Get ready now! To help, CMS is releasing an infographic today with facts about ICD-10 coding, reimbursement, testing, and resources.

Keep Up to Date on ICD-10
Visit the CMS ICD-10 website and Roadto10.org for the latest news and resources to help you prepare. Sign up for and CMS ICD-10 Industry Email Updates and follow us on Twitter.

Healthy Transitions Colorado Learning Series Webinar

Solving the Readmission Puzzle - The missing piece... COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT!

Webinar:
August 21st 11:00am-12:00pm MT

Hosted by the Center for Improving Value in Health Care

Click Here for Free Registration

As we begin to build momentum for our 2nd symposium

Nurturing Community Collaboration, we invite you to join us as we hear from Michelle Bowman-Whitmore, BSN, RN, L.Ac. and Renita Henson, BSN from Longmont United Hospital regarding their enhanced community building program in the reduction of preventable readmissions.

Presented by:
Michelle Bowman-Whitmore, BSN, RN, L.Ac.

Michelle is the Director of Integrative Medicine and AgeWell/Transitions of Care. Michelle is a board certified Gerontological Nurse and a Licensed Acupuncturist. She has authored a medical text, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Management: Forms and Guidelines to help hospitals and health care organizations begin and expand innovative Integrative Therapies programs. Michelle was the visionary creator of two award winning Longmont United Hospital's departments - AgeWell which has evolved in to the hospital's Population Health Management/Transitions of Care department and the Health Center of Integrated Therapies which provides acupuncture, massage therapy, nutrition/herbal counseling and more to 10,000+ community members annually.

Renita Henson, BSN, RN

Renita is the Senior Wellness Nurse and Transitions of Care Coordinator at Longmont United Hospital (LUH) as well as SOCI Care Transitions Coaching Coordinator. Renita began developing the Transitions of Care Program for LUH in April 2011. She came to LUH following 15 years of home care experience and many years of hospital nursing practice. She is also the Care Transitions coach for multiple hospitals and the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) in Northern Colorado.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

OSHA Offers Respiratory Toolkit for Hospitals

Hospital Safety Insider, August 13, 2015

In a move largely seen as the latest effort from OSHA to crack down on some of the most dangerous hazards facing healthcare workers, OSHA has released a toolkit designed to help healthcare workers and safety professionals understand their protections during infectious disease outbreaks.

The guidance manual, entitled Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit: Resources for Respirator Program Administrators, was released in May and is a collaboration with the CDC and NIOSH that covers topics including why hospitals need a respiratory protection program, the types of respirators and protection available, and how to develop a protection program in a facility.

The toolkit is the latest of several that OSHA has released in the last year and is likely an attempt to address statistics that show that healthcare workers suffer some of the highest number of workplace injuries and illnesses in U.S. workplaces.

Last year, OSHA dedicated a portion of its website to preventing slips, trips, and falls in hospitals, by far the largest cause of injuries in healthcare. Then, earlier this year, an update was issued to its Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers, known to many in the healthcare safety field as OSHA Rule 3148, and was a response to a higher incidence of active shooters and other violent events in healthcare facilities.

Read more here.

Colorado Health Foundation: Funding Opportunities

The Colorado Health Foundation is pleased to announce we will continue to accept applications for the following funding opportunities within our Healthy Living outcome area. Application deadline is Oct. 15, 2015.

In Healthy Living, our focus is to ensure every kid in Colorado has the opportunity to eat healthy and engage in physical activity. Learn more about strategies related to this outcome area. Additional details are listed below:
  • Funding Opportunity: Physical Activity Infrastructure
  • The goal of this funding opportunity is to provide convenient access to playground equipment for underserved kids in the K-5th grade age group in Colorado and foster community pride and spirit around the community playground. [Learn More]
  • Funding Opportunity: Out-of-School Time Physical Activity
  • The goal of this funding opportunity is to support organizations in providing quality, structured physical activity in out-of-school time settings (including before school, after school and summer programs). We will consider proposals for up to two years of funding. [Learn More]

To be considered for funding, applicants must meet specific criteria and associated measurable results. Please visit each funding opportunity page for details and assigned program officers.

Get more information about these funding opportunities by visiting the funding opportunity page linked above, registering for our upcoming applicant information webinar or contacting the assigned program officers.

Thank you for your interest in joining us as we work to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation.

Clinics! Please Complete Your Clinic Profile

If you haven't done so already, please complete and return the 2015 Clinic Profile document to Liz Kelman at lk@coruralhealth.org

This profile is sent out annually to all rural clinics in Colorado to be completed by clinic leadership staff. We at CRHC understand the time restraints you and your staff have and the heavy workload that you carry. It is not our intention to add to this load, but to collect pertinent information from you that will in turn help us to advocate on your behalf. It is extremely important to collect even the minimal amount of demographic data from all rural clinics in the state in order to have a unified voice in promoting services, payment reform and funding opportunities for you. In addition, having up to date contact information will ensure that you receive all updates and announcements from us in a timely manner.

Please let us know if you have any questions!

MLN Connects Provider eNews- August 13th, 2015

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View this edition as a PDF

In This Edition:

Countdown to ICD-10
  • MLN Connects National Provider Call: Countdown to ICD-10 
  • Finding ICD-10 Information Online Just Got Easier 
  • 5 Ways to Check Your Claim Status 
  • Home Health Episodes that Span October 1, 2015 
  • New CMS Infographic: Get the Facts About ICD-10 
MLN Connects® National Provider Calls and Events
  • National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care and QAPI Call — Register Now 
  • New MLN Connects National Provider Event Audio Recording and Transcript 
Announcements
  • DMEPOS Competitive Bidding: Timeline for Round 1 2017 
Medicare Learning Network® Educational Products

  • Upgraded Learning Management and Product Ordering System — Now Live

Weekly CREATE Bulletin

Quick Reminders About CREATE Guidelines

Are you thinking of applying for a CREATE Grant? Make sure you’re eligible! You must:

  • Have as EMS or Trauma as your provision of work
  • Be a Colorado EMS or Trauma Facility (Hospital, Clinic, Fire, Ambulance, Rescue Team, etc.)
  • Complete the four pre-application steps
  • Complete the general application by the desired review date
  • Paramedic, EMT, AEMT students must take and pass National Registry Exam. 
  • Follow grant guidelines

Are you confused about what CREATE covers? CREATE is a tuition reimbursement program that will fund:

  • 50% tuition, fees, and books reimbursement.
  • 50% reimbursement of mileage, lodging expenses
  • 50% reimbursement of conference registration, mileage and lodging expenses

Click here to see the CREATE deadlines and connect to the guidelines.


Thank you for all you do for our Colorado communities!

If you have any questions about the CREATE Grant process, please contact Megan Lyda at ml@coruralhealth.org or 720-248-2742.

Patient Family Advisor Skills Exchange (PFASE)

The Patient Family Advisor Skills Exchange (PFASE) is a 4 hour preparation program for patients and families partnering with hospitals and healthcare organizations in an Advisory capacity for improvement.

The PFASE Facilitator Training is an 8 hour in person training session to prepare experienced staff and PFA leaders to present the PFASE curriculum to Patient Family Advisors serving in hospitals and healthcare organizations.


Where?

The Colorado Hospital Association
7335 East Orchard Road
Denver, Colorado 80111-2512

When?

Patient Family Advisor Skills Exchange (PFASE) Friday August 28th from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
PFASE Facilitator Training Thursday August 27th from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm


Registration information
Patient Family Advisors attending the PFA Skills Exchange in Denver or for other upcoming locations.

Register Here!

340B Recertification

For all rural hospitals participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, the recertification period began August 5, 2015 and ends September 9th. Participating hospitals have until September 9 to ensure program compliance and recertify in the 340B database maintained by the Office of Pharmacy Affairs. Each participating hospital or covered entity should have already received an e-mail with the username and password necessary to complete recertification. An informational webinar and user guide on recertification are available for more information. If questions arise, please direct them to Apexus, the 340B Prime Vendor Program: 1-888-340-2787 or ApexusAnswers@340bpvp.com.

Prepare for ICD-10: Free Documentation Seminar Series

Attend free CME seminar on ICD-10
Documentation Excellence: ICD-10 from a Physician's Perspective


In less than two months the United States will transition from the ICD-9 code set for medical diagnoses to ICD-10. Even though the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that they will allow flexibility in the claims auditing and quality reporting process, beginning Oct. 1 claims must be submitted (for Medicare/Medicaid and commercial payers) with the ICD-10 diagnosis codes.

No doubt your staff has already begun preparations for the transition; however it is important for physicians to understand how the ICD-10 documentation requirements differ from those of ICD-9. Your staff needs your help. As you have heard, ICD-10 diagnosis coding is much more specific than ICD-9, and your staff can't code something that hasn't been documented.

To help physicians with this transition, the Colorado Medical Society and Colorado Access present "Documentation Excellence: ICD-10 from a Physician's Perspective," with James M. Taylor, MD, Senior Medical Director of Clinical Analytics/Performance Improvement at Colorado Access. This 90-minute program is accredited for 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ and will be presented at locations along the Front Range thanks to the support of organizations such as the Boulder County Medical Society, Clear Creek Medical Society, Colorado Medical Group Management Association, Denver Medical Society, El Paso County Medical Society, Northern Colorado Medical Society and the Pikes Peak Chapter of the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management.

The primary audience is intended to be physicians. Please encourage your practice's physicians to attend. Practice managers are welcome to attend with one of their practice's physicians.


Plan to attend one of these free programs! Those unable to attend live will be able to access a recorded webinar on CMS.org.

HAI Data Submission Deadline Extended

HAI Data Submission Deadline Extended for Inpatient Acute Care Hospitals, PCHs, IRFs, and LTCHs


The purpose of this email is to notify eligible hospitals participating in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR), PPS-Exempt Cancer Hospitals (PCHQR), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF) Quality Reporting, or LTCH Quality Reporting Programs that the deadline for the Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) data submission has been extended from Saturday, August 15, 2015, to Friday, August 28, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. PT. This extension is being granted to provide hospitals additional time to submit data. Although the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) system is working, intermittent production problems have been experienced. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been working steadfastly to resolve these issues, and complete resolution is expected soon.

Please Note: This extension only applies to the HAI data submission deadline. The August 15, 2015 submission deadline for Clinical Process of Care and Perinatal Care Elective Delivery Measure (PC-01) data still remains in effect.
  • HAI data, formerly due on August 15, 2015, will now be due on August 28, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Data are submitted through the NHSN at http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/login.html
  • Clinical Process of Care data, for Quarter 1 2015, remains due on August 15, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Data are submitted via the QualityNet Secure Portal at https://cportal.qualitynet.org/QNet/pgm_select.jsp
  • Perinatal Care Elective Delivery Measure (PC-01) data, for Quarter 1 2015, remains due on August 15, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Data are submitted via the QualityNet Secure Portal at https://cportal.qualitynet.org/QNet/pgm_select.jsp. Hospitals that do not deliver babies must enter a zero (0) for PC-01 each discharge quarter. 

Please do not respond directly to this email. Questions regarding the Hospital IQR or PCHQR Programs may be submitted through the Inpatient Questions & Answers tool at https://cms-ip.custhelp.com, or by calling the Hospital Inpatient Value, Incentives, and Quality Reporting (VIQR) Outreach and Education Support Contractor, toll-free, at 844.472.4477 or 866.800.8765 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.


Questions regarding the IRF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) may be submitted through the IRF QRP help desk at IRF.questions@cms.hhs.gov.


Questions regarding the LTCH QRP may be submitted through the LTCH QRP help desk at LTCHQualityQuestions@cms.hhs.gov.

Questions about quality measures submitted via the NHSN or related to NHSN issues may be submitted to the NHSN help desk at NHSN@cdc.gov.

Novitas Solutions eNews: Jurisdiction H, Part A – 08/11/15

Novitas Solutions is pleased to announce the New Medical Policy / Local Coverage Determination (LCD) Search Tool - Coming Friday, August 14th

Novitas Solutions has revised the LCD Search Tool in response to your comments!

Effective Friday, August 14, 2015, the improved tool will allow customers to search more policy related documents than before. You will be able to search for ICD-9 LCDs, ICD-9 Local Coverage Articles (Articles), ICD-10 LCDs and Articles, and National Coverage Determinations (NCDs). You’ll also get more search power, more accurate results, and the new option to search by date of service!

Visit our website to find out more about all the new features of the LCD Search Tool.



CERT
Documentation Requests – Are You Prepared?

Are you prepared for documentation requests? Preparation can help you through claim reviews and reduce administrative costs.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

CBHC Annual Conference

Registration for CBHC’s annual conference is now open! We want to get the word out to colleagues across the many disciplines that behavioral health touches, and give everyone the chance to look at the agenda and consider registering to attend. Information about registration, hotel accommodations, and the program are located on our website here:

http://www.cbhc.org/conference-registration


We are emphasizing operational excellence in community based behavioral healthcare this year, with sessions that address current and anticipated challenges, including:

• Improving customer satisfaction in an environment of greater choice
• Strengthening our capacity to address both mental health and substance use problems
• Meeting the behavioral health needs of those who have developmental or intellectual disabilities
• Re-envisioning strategic organizational identity and branding
• Workforce development and succession planning
• The future of technology in our field and digital medicine
• Delivering whole-person care

We are confident that you and your staff will experience the conference as a rich opportunity for learning and exchange with colleagues!



Mental Health in Rural

The following article discusses the role of mental health in rural Kansas and may be of interest for your staff at hospitals and clinics in rural Colorado:

http://kcur.org/post/rethinking-mental-health-s-role-rural-kansas 

Daily Revalidation & Enrollment Webinars for Medicaid Providers

Please find below an important announcement about training opportunities for our upcoming Medicaid provider screening/revalidation process. Please take advantage of the Q&A opportunities during the Webinars. Once the process begins in mid-September, we will have very limited resources for 1:1 assistance.

Revalidation & Enrollment Training Announcement

Daily Revalidation Webinars

The Department will be hosting Revalidation & Enrollment webinars every (business) day in August 2015!

Who: All interested providers
What: Revalidation presentation, then open Q&A
When: Every day from 1:00-2:00pm (Mountain Time)
Where: Online via webinar

Please visit the Department’s Training Catalog to register!


Enrollment Application Training

Online self-paced training for the new Colorado Online Provider Enrollment (OPE) tool.

Who: All interested providers
What: Walk-through of the new Online Provider Enrollment tool
When: Modules available online anytime beginning August 24, 2015
Where: Online via eLearning modules

Please visit the Provider Resources page to register! (Registration opening Monday, August 3, 2015!)



At a Glance- HCPF July Newsletter

Please find the link to the July edition of At a Glance below. This Department of Health Care Policy and Financing publication provides information on major initiatives including policy changes and program updates. Please feel free to share it with your colleagues.


2015 At a Glance Newsletters

Novitas Solutions eNews: Jurisdiction H – 08/03/15

New Medicare Insights Podcast now available!

In today's Medicare Insights Podcast, we review Increasing Your Bottom Line: Using Modifiers 76 and 77 Correctly to Report Repeat Procedures. We also include information on Novitasphere, our free website portal.

August 2015 Medicare Symposium

Join us for our symposium in Austin, TX on Wednesday, August 5! This event will be held at the Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark.

Time is slipping away to register and attend our 2015 Medicare Symposiums with the Provider Outreach and Education team. We offer a wide variety of class topics like Evaluation and Management Services; the Two-Midnight Rule; International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10); and more! Don’t miss this golden opportunity to get the latest updates and changes to the Medicare program brought to you live and in-person.

Find out what the Novitas Solutions symposiums have to offer by reviewing our course listings and agenda in the 2015 Medicare Symposium brochure on our website.

Registration is available for other symposiums, including:
  • Baton Rouge, LA 
  • Oklahoma City, OK 
  • Frisco, TX 

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming symposium event!


Novitas Solutions Upcoming Educational Events Week of August 3, 2015


Join us for one of our upcoming educational events! Learn more about the Medicare program and discover ways to improve the accuracy and efficiency of your Medicare billing process by participating in the free educational events hosted by Novitas Solutions. Below

Weekly CREATE Bulletin

What happened to Summer?

Can you believe it’s already August? Summer vacations are winding down, and kids are heading back to school. Time flies! Now it the perfect time to brush up on your CREATE deadlines and the guidelines. It’s never too early to plan your year!


Click here to see the CREATE deadlines and connect to the guidelines.


Thank you for all you do for our Colorado communities!


If you have any questions about the CREATE Grant process, please contact Megan Lyda at ml@coruralhealth.org or 720-248-2742.