The ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting: Focus on Practice

Workshop Session: Designing a Website for Your Practice*

Sunday, November 11, 1:15–3:15 PM

Often, the Internet is the first place a patient looks to when seeking a healthcare provider, so having a successful, marketable web presence is important. Learn the nuts and bolts of creating a successful website, from concept to launch, at the ACR Workshop Session, “Designing a Website for Your Practice,” on Sunday, November 11, from 1:15–3:15 PM.

Practice Managers: Improving Access and Website Marketing

Sunday, November 11, 2:30–3:15 PM

In today’s competitive environment, it’s vitally important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your growing practice to effectively outline ways to improve access and capitalize on website marketing. In this session, you will learn how to outline a viable plan for maintaining and improving the quality of services to patients and developing strategies for delivering on advertised services such as expertise, specialty, atmosphere, value, and others. Keep your patients, and recruit new ones, to support a strong practice. Join us Sunday, November 11, from 2:30–3:15 PM for “Practice Managers: Improving Access and Website Marketing.”

Legislative Update from Capitol Hill

Monday, November 12, 9:00–10:30 AM

Attend the “Legislative Update” on Monday, November 12, from 9:00–10:30 AM to discuss the outcome of the elections and what it will mean for health policy in the 113th Congress. Receive up-to-date information on the issues the ACR is actively pursuing, such as the protection of patient access to rheumatology and treatments, and increased funding for medical research.

Top 10 Compliance Risks Facing Physicians

Tuesday, November 13, 11:00 AM–12:30 PM

The word audit seems to put fear into the hearts of many physicians, but it shouldn’t. If you are prepared for an audit, your practice will run more smoothly from both a financial and personnel standpoint.

Educating yourself about the targeted healthcare fraud enforcement efforts by the government’s Healthcare Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team—including private contractor reviews of Medicare claims—and new targeted reviews of electronic health record closed notes and documentation is the first step. Once you are armed with this knowledge, you can identify the greatest risk areas in your practice to address potential audits.

In the Top 10 Compliance Risks Facing Physicians on Tuesday, November 13, from 11:00 AM–12:30 PM, you will obtain the knowledge necessary to address potential audits, including the mechanisms needed to respond to auditors’ requests for additional documentation.

CORC Pre-Meeting Course for Practice Managers: Helping You Manage a Profitable Practice*

Saturday, November 10, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM

Managing the revenue cycle, compliance regulations, human resources, health information, and general business processes can make practice management a challenge. Meaningful Use, ICD-10, Recovery Audit Contractor audits, and healthcare reform are just a few changes occurring in healthcare settings that have a direct impact on healthcare professionals.

The “CORC Pre-Meeting Course for Practice Managers: Helping You Manage a Profitable Practice” on Saturday, November 10, from 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, is designed for rheumatologists and practice administrators interested in acquiring, maintaining, or expanding the skills needed to improve practice management, quality, and patient safety.

This course offers innovative ideas and techniques you can incorporate in your practice, as well as strategies for success from leading experts on areas such as:

• Practice management process and workflow;
• Medical office accounting, physician reimbursement, and revenue cycle management;
• Marketing and business relationships;
• Contract negotiations; and
• Health IT, EMRs, and health information exchange.

Pre-Meeting Course: Certified Rheumatology Coding Course and Exam*

The healthcare industry is rapidly evolving. Practicing physicians find themselves scrambling to manage the onslaught of code changes, maintain compliance, and stabilize profitability. Medical coding and billing is one of the fastest-growing professions in the industry, and with this development, physicians are more interested in hiring individuals who are certified and have the qualifications to comprehend clinical documentation.

With the growing use of EHRs and the new code set ICD-10 on the horizon, trained coders will be more important than ever before.

The ACR is offering a premeeting course designed to assist you and your staff in coding and documentation. Attend the “ACR Certified Rheumatology Coding Course: A Roadmap for Rheumatology Coding” starting on November 9 from 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, and become an expert in coding and documentation. The course is followed by the certification exam on Saturday, November 10 from11:00 AM–5:00 PM.

For more information about these courses and to register, visit www.ACRannualmeeting.org and check out the registration brochure.

*Denotes a session that requires a separate registration fee. Visit www.ACRannualmeeting.org to register.