healthcare compliance and credentialing

Who’s accountable for capitalizing on quality improvement and patient safety opportunities in your healthcare organization?  The Quality Improvement Director The Chief Nursing Officer Patients  All of the above  None of the above

I clearly remember my phone ringing and the conversation that ensued. A sentinel event had occurred at the hospital where I was the chief nursing officer. An individual had attempted suicide by hanging in the emergency department. The nurse who found the individual was able to resuscitate, but there was potential oxygen deprivation. I initiated our processes to investigate what had happened and met with the nurse who found the individual. I asked her if she was ok, but she brushed me off and indicated that she was just fine. I offered our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and encouraged her to reach out to them. When I looked into her eyes, I knew that she would not follow up—and that she was not ok.

Amid the rapid changes occurring in all facets of the medical field, it’s hard for busy small and independent practices to keep up. Fortunately, new technologies that make practice management easier and more efficient continue to proliferate, ultimately improving the patient experience.

As intermediaries between payers, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) can help lower drug prices and slow the growth of drug spending, according to the CMS. Achieving these goals in a competitive and highly regulated space requires PBMs to capitalize on their greatest asset—detailed and up-to-date pharmacy data.  But most PBMs don't track the pharmacies and pharmacists in their networks using software designed specifically for provider data management.  Here's how a cloud solution for enterprise provider data management gives them an edge. 

Did you miss Parts 1 & 2 of this series? Click to read “Know Your APPs”  and "Telehealth." Hospitals and physician practices have used locum tenens providers for decades to solve staffing shortages. Today, demand for nonphysician locums, in particular, is growing. In a 2019 survey of healthcare facility managers, 32% said they used nurse practitioner (NP), physician assistant (PA), or certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) locums in the prior year, up 6% annually. Meanwhile, the survey showed a drop in demand for physician locums in the last year.

Today, 96% of Americans own a cellphone, and 81% have a smartphone. Those most likely to use a smartphone are college graduates, those with $75,000+ in annual income, and people age 18-49.[i] With a growing majority of Americans using smartphones, it’s no surprise that many health systems are exploring how mobile technology fits into their workforce management strategy.