The ACR and its Rheumatology Research Foundation continue to work together to provide support for the rheumatology and patient communities. Both organizations are committed to advancing the field of rheumatology with a dedication to expanding the workforce. With a growing number of patients being diagnosed with a rheumatic disease and living longer with the disease,…
Outside Exam Room No. 5, the chart rack was empty, so I assumed my new consult was late. Just in case, I looked back over my shoulder as I passed by the partially open door and glimpsed the lower half of a woman holding a three-ringed binder on her lap. I squinted and took a…
Providers are urged to prepare quickly to meet the new Medicare reimbursement requirements mandated by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). “The first measurement year starts Jan. 1, 2017, so providers need to prepare quickly,” emphasizes William F. Harvey, MD, MSc, Government Affairs Committee chair, American College of Rheumatology (ACR). 2…
In 2010, the federal government published a guide, titled Basic Security for the Small Healthcare Practice, complete with best practices and checklists to help small providers achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance.1 This year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR)—following a critical report of its HIPAA compliance audit and enforcement…
For more than a decade, Kaleb Michaud, PhD, has volunteered for the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). As an associate professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, he spent much of that time serving on a task force dedicated to the development of RISE (the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness). As an enhanced version…
Practitioners at Orthopaedics and Rheumatology of the North Shore, in Skokie, Ill., have implemented practices for hiring and personnel management that help prevent employee time theft. Communication is open, employees are invested in the practice, and managers work to ensure employees are listened to and have clear guidelines to work by…
Do your employees waste time during the day or get easily distracted by personal issues? In a rheumatology practice, time equals money and time theft can affect all aspects of the practice—from office morale to patient satisfaction. Here are a few tips for keeping employees and managers on track to create a more effective working environment…
In the coming months, rheumatologists may want to pay particular attention to their email inboxes. By the end of the year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will complete stage I, phase II of a series of desk and on-site audits designed to assess providers and their business…
The final milestone on the road to implementing ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision) is drawing near. The 12-month grace period is scheduled to end as of Oct. 1, 2016, but that date will most likely pass with little notice, because implementation appears to have gone well since Oct. 1, 2015. “On average, it…
Should cell phones and other personal devices be used for work communications in a medical practice? According to one expert, these devices are a liability to rheumatologists and other providers, who should develop and enforce strict guidelines in their practices…