CMS Expands Healthcare Provider Directory

CMS recently enhanced the Physician Directory tool at http://www.medicare.gov/ with new information about physicians and other healthcare workers in their communities and the services those professionals provide. The new feature, called Physician Compare, expands the doctor-specific information into the suite of informational tools for Medicare beneficiaries and other consumers. The new site, at www.medicare.gov/find-a-doctor, which was required by the Affordable Care Act of 2010, contains information about physicians enrolled in the Medicare program, which include Doctors of Medicine, Osteopathy, Optometry, Podiatric Medicine, and Chiropractic. The site also contains information about other types of health professionals who routinely care for Medicare beneficiaries, including nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, registered dietitians, physical therapists, physician assistants, and occupational therapists.

NEEDED: Endoscopy Equipment

Does your facility have endoscopy (colonoscopy and gastroscopy) equipment that you are looking to sell or donate?  St. Mary's Family Medicine Residency Program in Grand Junction is in need of equipment to get its endoscopy program up and running, and they are interested in your used or refurbished equipment.  Please contact Dr. Paul Simmons at pauldsimmons@gmail.com if this is something you could potentially help with.  Thank you!

CREATE Grant – Colorado Resource for Emergency and Trauma Education

CREATE assists private and public organizations in improving and expanding the emergency medical and trauma system in Colorado. Applicants must have as their purpose the provision of emergency medical and trauma services in Colorado to be eligible. This grant is intended to provide funding for education and training for emergency medical and trauma services. For more information, click here.

Apply now for funding of up to $50,000 for rural health infrastructure projects!

The deadlines have been set for the fourth cycle of the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program, with notice of intent to apply forms (short online form) due on January 14, 2011 and applications due on March 9, 2011. Organizations that are located outside of Colorado’s urbanized areas that provide outpatient primary care services—including medical, oral, and mental health services—are eligible to apply. Grants will be funded for projects that support the rural health infrastructure and strengthen the capacity of rural entities to provide outpatient primary care services now and in the future. This grant program is funded by the UnitedHealth Group with $2 million in grant funds available for this grant cycle. The maximum award amount is $50,000 per applicant.

Contact Shelly Collings at sc@coruralhealth.org or 720.248.2742 with questions.

Physician Signature Requirements

January 11, 2011; 9:00am-10:30am MST
Are your Medicare dollars being recouped due to documentation errors? Missing and illegible physician signatures are among the most common documentation errors identified by medical review contractors. This TrailBlazer course will provide an overview of the physician signature guidelines required by CMS and allow providers to ask questions. Please join TrailBlazer Provider Outreach and Education and Medical Review to learn more about signature requirements and maximize your reimbursement. For more information and to register, click here.

Webinar: Utilization Management for Colorado CAHs

January 21, 2011; 11:00am-12:30pm
Sound Utilization Management (UM) and Utilization Review (UR) practices are integral to assuring optimal healthcare delivery and positive patient outcomes and achieving successful results during activities such as RAC audits. All CAHs must have a UM/UR Plan that describes the process used to review all services provided by the institution and by the members of the medical staff. During this webinar, presented by CRHC, experts from the Joffit Group, will discuss the components involved in setting up an efficient UM/UR process and will review CRHC's Utilization Management Resource for CAHs: a concise, easy-to-use tool for hospital providers and staff that explains the role of UM/UR in various CAH settings including: Inpatient, Outpatient, Observation, and Swing Bed.  For more information and to register, click here.

Rural Health Research and Policy Centers: Ambulatory Surgery Centers

This report and policy brief analyze the relationship between the proximity of freestanding ambulatory surgery centers to rural community hospitals and hospital financial performance. To access the report, click here.