2014 Webinar Series
Please note: The deadline to request new continuing education certificates for all prior year’s recordings is March 31. Beginning April 1, only reprints of existing certificates will be available for the prior year’s recordings.
Date/Time: Tuesday, December 16, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Anne Haddix, RN, Disaster Preparedness Coordinator, Indiana Federation of Ambulatory Surgical Centers
Overview: When your ASC becomes a part of a disaster, what do you do? Will your ASC be prepared to handle a disaster or will you be overwhelmed? This presentation introduces the basics of disaster preparedness, encompassing the four phases of the emergency management principals of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The presenter will share lessons learned by other ASCs and emphasize being disaster resistant through preparedness. Find out where to start with your disaster preparedness plan.
Date/Time: Tuesday, December 2, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Cristina Bentin, CCS-P, CPC-H, CMA, President, Coding Compliance Management, LLC
Overview: Get up to date on the new, revised and deleted CPT codes that will affect ASCs in 2015. Applications and scenarios for reporting the new codes, as well as reimbursement potentials, from a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services perspective, will be addressed.
Date/Time: Tuesday, November 18, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Kara Newbury, Assistant Director, Government Affairs, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association
Overview: Get the final word on the changes to Medicare’s ASC payment system that will take effect January 1, 2015. Find out if new procedures were added to the final list of those eligible to be performed on Medicare patients in the ASC setting and gain an understanding of how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will implement payment penalties for centers that fail to successfully report on the ASC quality measures. Learn about any new measures that CMS is planning to include in its quality reporting program in the future.
Date/Time: Tuesday, October 21, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Sandra Jones, Licensed Healthcare Risk Manager, CASC, CHCQM, FHFMA
Overview: Risk management can reduce exposure to litigation, regulatory deficiencies and negative publicity while increasing the focus on quality improvement activities that make a difference in patient care, efficient processes and staff involvement. Learn how frequently adverse events occur, ways to reduce them and how to meet the challenges involved in planning and implementing a comprehensive risk management program.
Objectives:
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Understand adverse events and reporting initiatives.
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Explore why tracking “near miss” events can lead to risk reduction and quality improvement.
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Discover risk management challenges in an ASC and ways to manage those challenges.
Date/Time: Tuesday, September 23, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Lynn Reede, CRNA, DNP, MBA
Overview: No one practices in isolation, and members of your ASC’s professional team need to demonstrate their abilities and the contributions they can make to meeting patients’ needs and expectations. Privileging, credentialing and peer review offer metrics that identify core skills, special skills, new skills, team skills and ongoing professional performance. Learn more about establishing and managing a comprehensive credentialing and peer review program for advanced practice nurses and allied health professionals who work in your ASC.
Date/Time: Tuesday, September 9, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Cindy Young, BSN, RN, CASC
Overview: Examine the initial application process, approval process, peer review process and re-application process for physicians in your ASC. Learn how to meet Medicare and accreditation requirements in your credentialing program. On September 23, join Lynn Reede to learn more about the credentialing process for advanced practice nurses and allied health professionals.
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 19, 1:00 pm ET
Speakers: Donna Slosburg, RN, BSN, LHRM, CASC, Executive Director, ASC Quality Collaboration; and Gina Throneberry, RN, MBA, CASC, CNOR, Director of Education and Clinical Affairs, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association
Sponsored by:
Overview: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ recently-instituted quality reporting program for ASCs poses new challenges for perioperative leaders in the ASC setting. Learn what quality reporting is required and get key definitions and answers to frequently asked questions about the measures your ASC needs to report. A quality reporting program update will be provided.
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 5, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Kara Newbury, Assistant Director, Government Affairs, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association
Overview: Learn about proposed changes to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) ASC payment system for 2015. Find out if Medicare plans to add any new procedures to the ASC-eligible list and gain important insights into proposed changes to the Medicare quality reporting program. Topics will include any proposed changes to the penalties for centers that fail to report on the ASC quality measures successfully, how to preview the data that will be used to calculate a payment penalty and what recourse is available to ASCs working with CMS.
Date/Time: Tuesday, July 22, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Ellen Adams, MBA, COMT
Overview: Informed consent in the ASC setting has different implications than the surgeon/patient informed consent. Explore the boundaries and responsibilities of ASC staff. For example, your ASC is responsible for providing a safe environment, maintaining appropriate levels of cleanliness and sterilization and properly training staff. Your ASC also has some responsibility in the monitoring and credentialing of the surgeons who use your facility. ASC staff, however, should not interfere with your surgeons’ informed consent process.
Date/Time: Thursday, July 10, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Cindy Klein, PMP, CPHIMS, Vice President and Chief Medical Information Officer, United Surgical Partners International
Sponsored by:
Overview: This presentation is an introduction to Electronic Medical Records and Electronic Health Records addressing: Current regulatory and industry requirements; return on investment and return on information for an ASC with the implementation of electronic health technology; key terminology used in EMR and EHRs; what you should look for in and EHR and how you can start preparing your ASC; and what you should be discussing with your physicians about electronic records.
Date/Time: Tuesday, June 17, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Stephanie Ellis, RN, CPC, Ellis Medical Consulting, Inc.
Overview: Eliminate the drudgery often associated with conducting outside chart audits by learning how your ASC’s coding and billing staff can put your audit results to work to improve reimbursement and strengthen your ASC’s compliance plans. Find out how to make your ASC less vulnerable in the event of a Medicare recovery audit contractor (RAC) audit, increase your coders’ knowledge of ASC coding and billing rules, identify common causes of denials and coding/billing errors, reduce those denials and errors and help your ASC’s coders improve their weaknesses, build on their strengths and gain coding confidence that they can use going forward, all while delivering real returns to your ASC’s bottom line.
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 22, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Lisa Rock, President of National Medical Billing Services
Overview: In today’s health care environment, many ASC industry leaders question if accepting out-of-network cases is a good strategy for long-term financial success. With recent legislative changes and newly implemented payer responses to out-of-network billing, it’s important to understand the benefits and risks. During this webinar, attendees will learn about the impact that out-of-network billing can have on their revenue cycle as well as best practices for optimizing collection results. Attendees will also hear tips on how to manage resistance from payers, mitigate risks and payment delays and ensure that billing is consistent and compliant.
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 8, 1:00 pm ET
Speakers: Ray Grundman, Senior Director, External Relations, Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care; and Michael Kulczycki, Executive Director, Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program, The Joint Commission
Overview: Have you ever wondered “Why should my center become accredited?” This webinar will focus on the reasons centers should consider accreditation. The panel discussion will feature representatives from The Joint Commission and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care talking about the advantages of accreditation and the “Top 10 Deficiencies” noted by each organization during the survey process.
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 25, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Nancy Jo Vinson, RN, BA, CASC
Sponsored by:
Overview: Learn how to conduct a Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) project that will lead to meaningful and sustainable improvements in your ASC. Find out which areas of your ASC you should study, how to identify, report and measure the data you need and how to implement change that produces lasting benefits for your patients, physicians and staff.
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 11, 1:00 pm ET
Speakers: Alix Hall, Administrator, Gulf Pointe Surgery Center; and Dan Short, Vice President, One Medical Passport
Overview: How a surgery center overcame challenges from physicians and staff to implement a pre-admission solution that has positively impacted its patients’ experience and staff processes and reduced associated costs.
Date/Time: Tuesday, February 25, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Arthur E. Casey, CASC, Senior Vice President, Outpatient Healthcare Strategies
Overview: Stop throwing money into hiring and training business office personnel until you know exactly what kind of employee you need and are ready to fill your open position. The most expensive aspect of turnover in staff personnel is the cost of orientation and training. Not only do you have the cost of training the new employee, you also have the lost investment you made in the prior employee.
This webinar will provide key insights into successful interviewing and selecting and hiring new personnel and help you make certain that you get the right individual for the job. Discussion will also include the successful creation of meaningful competency review points and ongoing performance assessment.
Date/Time: Tuesday, February 11, 1:00 pm ET
Speakers: Angela T. Burnette, Esq., Alston & Bird LLP; and Julia Dempewolf, Associate, Alston & Bird LLP
Overview: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Regulations impact how health information is used and disclosed on a daily basis. Noncompliance with HIPAA can have significant consequences, including patient complaints, government audits, monetary sanctions and even attorney general actions. Learn the practical side of HIPAA, in plain English, including suggested tips and best practices. Burnette and Dempewolf will also review specific hypothetical situations, including minors, authorizations, court orders, search warrants, state-law privileged information, requests for information in lawsuits and social media.
Date/Time: Tuesday, January 28, 1:00 pm ET
Speaker: Ray Taurasi MBA, CRCST, CHL, FCA, ACE, Director of Clinical Sales and Services, Eastern Region, Healthmark Industries
Overview: Immediate-use steam sterilization (IUSS), often referred to as flash sterilization, has become a major issue of concern in ASCs. When necessary, IUSS can be an effective and safe way to sterilize critical medical devices. IUSS is a very complex process that requires precise adherence to each step in the sterilization process. Failure to follow proper techniques and protocols can place patients and staff at risk of injury and infections. This program will address professional recommendations and measures that your ASC can take to ensure the appropriate use and success of IUSS.