AEL Opens New State of the Art Headquarters
Laboratory Marks 50-Year Milestone
Local executives, staff and friends of the Mid-South Division of American Esoteric Laboratories (AEL) proudly celebrated the opening of its new facility at 1701 Century Center Cove, just off Whitten Road south at I-240, doubling the size of its former quarters.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
Back from the Brink … But Still Teetering
Governor’s Revised Budget Applauded by Safety Net Advocates
When Gov. Bill Haslam unveiled his inaugural budget in March, a collective gasp could be heard around the state...
CINDY SANDERS |
Be Prepared for a Compliance Audit
An old adage says there are two sure things in life: death and taxes. Well, most physicians can also add a Medicare audit at some point in their careers to that list.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Bigger, Faster, Stronger
The Continuing Battle to Keep Athletes Safe from Supplements
Turn to the sports page in any paper, and the headlines serve as a constant reminder that professional athletes of all stripes have been tempted to step outside the straight and narrow path of good nutrition and hard work to get an edge on the competition. From baseball to bicycling, athletes are under tremendous pressure to be bigger … faster … stronger.
CINDY SANDERS |
Calling of the Heart
In the late 1990s, Samuel Bada, MD, was invited by the Christian organization, Storehouse for Jesus, to be the medical director for a mission trip to his boyhood home of Ghana, West Africa. He was an internal medicine resident at Meharry Medical College in Nashville at the time.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Clinical Trials in Cardiology
What’s New? Stem Cell Research, Drug Therapies & Devices
In the realm of heart disease, there are no miraculous cures, however, new treatment modalities sound like sci-fi technology.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
Compliance Mandates
The mention of the word “compliance” among a group of healthcare providers tends to cause eyes to drift upward…and maybe to begin counting the holes in the ceiling tiles.
KEN MASSEY |
Cracking Down on Medicare Fraud
HHS-OIG Scrutinizing Billing Practices in West Tennessee
Earlier this year, Bill Root knocked on the front door of the home of yet another Medicare beneficiary in the South who had been prescribed an expensive electric wheelchair. After flashing his credentials, Root was invited inside, where he eyed a year-old, unused wheelchair sitting in a corner of the living room with a potted plant in the seat.
LYNNE JETER |
Customizing Healthcare to the Workplace
Occupational medicine, as it is known today, has evolved a great deal since the medical specialty “industrial medicine” emerged in the early 20th century to help employers select job applicants with the physical qualities needed to perform a job, and treat injured workers so they could return to the workplace more quickly.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Have a Plan…Work the Plan
With the financial uncertainty that continues to plague the American market, many people are looking for answers and direction. This state of flux, though, can be remedied with a solid financial plan. It is important, however, to not only have a plan but also to see that you work that plan.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Health Insurers Tackle Deluge of Changes
Reform Regulations Are Kicking In Already
Healthcare reform requires changes of all stakeholders, but probably none more so than third-party payers, usually portrayed as wearing the black hat in this ongoing drama. In fact, President Obama hasn’t hesitated to cast insurers in the role of characters more worried about money than patient care.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Stephen T. Miller, MD, FACP
Sr. VP of Medical Education and Research, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
Straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting in rural Kentucky, circa 1950’s, a country doctor takes his grandson with him on house calls. The child watches the caring, healing nature of his grandfather as he pulls out his black medicine bag to treat his patients.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
Help to Ensure Your EHR Meets Meaningful Use
With the final rule for meaningful use for an electronic health record (EHR) released in mid-July, how to meet those requirements may seem as clear as mud. Whether your practice has already installed an electronic medical record (EMR) system, about to install one, still mulling over the various systems or dragging your feet hoping the legislation goes away, ensuring that your system meets the requirements of meaningful use is imperative.
SUZANNE BOYD |
HOT TOPICS IN HEALTH LAW
What to Do When a Letter from Connolly Healthcare or AdvanceMed Arrives
Because almost all physicians will be involved with a Medicare audit at some point in their careers, it is important for physicians and practice managers to know how to prepare for these audits and to respond to records requests by Medicare contractors.
Angela Youngberg |
Increasing the Odds
Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute Offers Paired Kidney Donor Program
Almost 90,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a kidney transplant and on any given day 12 people die waiting for a kidney donor. Only some 11,000 receive kidneys a year.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
K9 Training for Senior Health
SAR Dogs Provide Needed Service, from Search-and-Rescue to Therapy
In the 15 years Judy Otto has worked with K9 SAR (canine search-and-rescue), she’s noticed a growing demand from the senior sector, from finding elders with fading memories who have wandered off, to therapy for soothing even personalities of the most ornery type.
LYNNE JETER |
Keeping Score
As pay for performance (P4P) is expanded by Medicare, many commercial insurance companies are jumping on the bandwagon as well. P4P or value-based purchasing is a payment model that rewards physicians, hospitals, medical groups and other healthcare providers for meeting certain performance measures for quality and efficiency. As with Medicare, many commercial insurance companies also are looking to tie reimbursement and, in some models, rewards to these quality measurements.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Mission Driven Ventures
More healthcare practices, from medical and dental to physical therapy, are getting entrepreneurial about their business models.
SUZANNE BOYD |
More Profitable Than You May Think
As reimbursement changes continue to cause stress on a practice’s revenue, physicians and clinic managers are looking at new ways to make up that income without compromising patient care. One area many clinics are looking at is at the tip of the physician’s pen — the prescriptions he or she writes.
SUZANNE BOYD |
On the Tip of Tort Reform
State Moving Toward Non-Economic Caps
For years, healthcare providers across the state have asked the Legislature to mandate a cap on jury awards for non-economic damages. For years, the answer has been ‘no.’
CINDY SANDERS |
Own the Bone Helps Ensure Follow-up for Fragility Fractures
Initiative Encourages Orthopedists to Own Bone Health
When patients more than 50 years old present with a fragility fracture, the American Orthopaedics Association has a message for the orthopedists who treat them: own the bone.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
People Are a Good Place to Start
People are at the heart and soul of a medical practice, both in terms of the physician and staff, and their patients. Looking for the best business practices in a medical clinic can start with the employees themselves.
SUZANNE BOYD |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT : Robert Talac, MD
Going from pursuing a career in professional hockey in Slovakia to being a spinal surgeon in Jackson, Tennessee, may seem like quite a change in plans.
SUZANNE BOYD |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Marshall Yellen, MD
After nine years of medical training, Plastic Surgeon Marshall Yellen, MD, was looking for a practice to join. His search led him to Jackson, Tenn., and the office of Jimmy Kee.
SUZANNE BOYD |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Thomas W. Ellis, MD
Third time’s the charm, as the saying goes. For Tom Ellis, MD, his third move to Jackson to practice medicine seems to have provided him with just what he was looking for as he enters the final phase of his career.
SUZANNE BOYD |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Bharat Singh, MD
In 1969, Bharat Singh, MD, was a medical student at the Medical College of Panjab University in Rhotak, Haryana, India with no definite plan on the type of medicine he would pursue.
SUZANNE BOYD |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Charles W. White, Sr., MD
After practicing family medicine for more than 45 years in Lexington, Tennessee, one might think that Charles White Sr., MD, would be planning his retirement. Not so. In fact, the family practice physician, who graduated medical school one week before he turned 25, has gone “part time” only because his insurance company requires it due to his age.
SUZANNE BOYD |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Doug Haltom, MD
For Doug Haltom, MD, Jackson and medicine have always been in his heart. When it came time to start raising a family and practice orthopedics, Haltom looked to where his heart was and found an opportunity waiting that was too good to pass up.
SUZANNE BOYD |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Molly Rheney, MD
For Molly Rheney, MD, Jackson is her old stomping ground where she grew up, so when she was ready to go into practice, she could not think of a better place to do it.
SUZANNE BOYD |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Omar Ahmad, MD
With an older brother involved in the medical field and a passion for biology throughout high school, Omar Ahmad, MD, knew medicine was a good calling for him.
SUZANNE BOYD |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Robert H. Dunnebacke, MD
Internal Medicine
As a graduate of Columbia Military Academy (CMA) in Columbia, Tennessee, Robert Dunnebacke, MD, had his sights set on being a pilot in the United States Air Force.
SUZANNE BOYD |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Timothy Sweo, MD
Californian Timothy Sweo, MD, worked his way across the southern portion of the country and found himself practicing orthopedics in the small, rural East Tennessee town of South Pittsburgh when he finished his medical training.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Posing an Option
New Orleans Surgeons Perform Groundbreaking Incisionless Weight Loss Surgery
NEW ORLEANS—Six weeks before the holiday season commenced, Tom Lavin, MD, performed a unique procedure—incisionless bariatric surgery known as POSE (Primary Obesity Surgery, Endolumenal)—on his 39-year-old sister to boost her weight loss efforts.
LYNNE JETER |
Preparing for the HIT Gold Rush
State REC Ready to Assist Providers as Decision Time Nears
Hurry up and wait … providers have been sitting on ‘go’ for more than a year now as federal agencies debate the final definition of ‘meaningful use,’ prepare to appoint certifying bodies and anoint certified vendors.
CINDY SANDERS |
Radiology and the EMR
A radiology group may not seem to have a pressing need for an electronic medical record (EMR) and it may seem unlikely that radiology practices with ties to an acute care setting would embark on initiatives to obtain EMR systems, but when that practice includes interventional radiological procedures, the need is very real.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Reversing Healthcare Reform
States Take Legal Action to Counteract Federal Mandates
Some states are taking aggressive measures to stymie implementation of crippling federal health reform mandates. Of the 20 active cases in judicial districts across the United States, with 21 states as plaintiffs, three suits for legal remedies are gaining traction.
LYNNE JETER |
Spotlight on Cancer: Breast Cancer Research and The West Clinic
October is breast cancer awareness month. We all know this due to the efforts of many organizations. We fight for a cure, we run for a cause, we light the night, and we even sit in silence all because we care about something, or more often, someone. In October we wear our pink and show our support for those special people in our lives affected by breast cancer, and we are there for each and every one of them.
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St. Jude Breakthrough Update
Pediatric Research Shows Early Promise against Medulloblastomas, Link to Increased Malignant Tumor Risk, AML Survival Improvement
At the 46th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago earlier this summer, researchers from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC) revealed findings of a pediatric brain tumor study using an experimental drug that targets the underlying genetic makeup of the tumor.
LYNNE JETER |
State of Mind
Uncovering the Molecular Pathway Linking Diabetes to Brain Disorders
As a systemic disorder, diabetes is attached to a long list of comorbidities and heightened risk factors. Through public education campaigns, even laymen are now aware that diabetes is associated with a greater risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney failure, neuropathy, amputation and blindness.
CINDY SANDERS |
Tennessean Tapped to Lead ACEP
New President Brings Broad Perspective to National Role
David C. Seaberg, MD, FACEP, was installed as president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) at the national organization’s annual scientific meeting in mid-October.
CINDY SANDERS |
Tennessee Civil Justice Act of 2011
Nearly three years after Tennessee passed a bill that required a “certificate of good faith” from medical experts that a malpractice suit had merit before it was filed ...
SUZANNE BOYD |
Tennessee Health Care Freedom Act
March 23, 2011, marked the first anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”), but Tennessee recently joined the growing list of states that will not be celebrating.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Tennessee Up Two Spots in Health Rankings
Cooper Featured Speaker at Unveiling of American Rankings
When the 21st edition of America’s Health Rankings® was unveiled in December, the featured speaker was none other than Tennessee’s own Commissioner of Health Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN.
CINDY SANDERS |
Tennessee’s Role in the PCMH Movement
Medical Professionals, Insurers Take Lead in Model Adaption
Perhaps stymied by pressure from managed care organizations not to pursue change, Tennessee lawmakers haven’t taken formal steps to incorporate the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) concept into the state healthcare plan.
LYNNE JETER |
The Patient-Centered Medical Home
Dream or Reality?
Consider that in the U.S. only 1/3 of patients released from the hospital are followed up within 60 days.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
The Urban Child Institute
A Beacon of Hope
Although research reveals that it is never too late to learn, the plasticity of the brain is greatest from birth to about three years of age - the period when the most rapid brain development occurs.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
Timing May be Right for Relocating Practice
Real Estate Market Coming Back to Life
The six partners of Memphis Internal Medicine PLLC faced a challenge several years ago. While their practice was a healthy one, they noticed their patient base had begun to erode.
JANE SCHNEIDER |
WomenHeart
Support for Women with Heart Disease
Her symptoms began one morning with numbness and tingling in her hands and feet. Slurred speech and fuzzy vision led her husband to take her to the doctor where she had an unremarkable workup. Heart disease risks were not discussed, though she had a family history of heart disease.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
Avoiding the E-Prescribing Adjustments
In 2008 Section 132 of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) authorized E-Prescribing as a new and separate incentive program for eligible professionals and was implemented in January 1, 2009.
BECKY ENGLEHARDT |
Be Aware of Elderly Depression Symptoms
Dad's in assisted living now, and he's just not himself anymore. He eats very little, and he's losing weight. He said the other day that he doesn't sleep much, either. The nurses say he just stares at the TV for hours, and sometimes he seems confused.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Choosing Wisely
Selecting Software to Meet Meaningful Use
Considering the implications going forward, one of the most critical decisions a healthcare organization will make is the selection of a software system to drive its administrative and clinical functions. Long before installation, however, the real work begins.
CINDY SANDERS |
Emergency Mobile Health Care, LLC
Caring for and Sharing with the Community
Emergency Mobile Health Care, LLC (EMHC) is a Memphis owned, privately operated ambulance company.
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HEALTHCARE LEADEr: Reginald Coopwood, MD
President and CEO, The Regional Medical Center of Memphis
Almost a year to the day of Reginald Coopwood’s assuming The Regional Medical Center at Memphis’ top leadership role last March, the announcement appeared in US News & World Report that included “The Med” among the top hospitals in the metro area.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Dawn FitzGerald
Dawn Fitzgerald rides a scooter to work, promotes “green” technologies in the office, plays golf when she can and enjoys long bike rides. For a stress buster, she sheepishly confesses to a propensity for wakeboarding at Pickwick Landing where she spends summer weekends
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Ed Apple, Sr.
Ed Apple Sr. has a keen eye for quality and comfort, a lot of faith in serendipity, a talent for storytelling, and a strong desire to create an enjoyable quality of life for the special seniors in his care—superior to that which his own grandmother, an Alzheimer’s patient, experienced during her declining years in a nursing home.
JUDY OTTO |
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Gary Henley, CEO, Wright Medical Technology, Inc.
Fact outclasses fiction hands down. You couldn’t make up a more impressive all-American success story than Gary Henley’s true-life bio synopsis: “Oklahoma TV studio designer-operator invents microscope camera, develops cutting edge technologies, and rises to top job at global medical tech corporation.”
JUDY OTTO |
HEALTHCARE LEADER: H. Edward Garrett Jr., MD
It was 1964. Lyndon Johnson had taken over the presidency after John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The Beatles invaded the U.S. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into Law. The Vietnam War began.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Jason M. Little
Executive VP and COO, Baptist Memorial Health Care
Nashville native Jason Little marveled that the first thing most people asked when he was promoted to CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital...
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Joseph DeVivo
President, Orthopedics, Smith & Nephew
Picture in your mind’s eye an implantable knee device that has been tested for 45 million “cycles” – a global standard measure in the industry – with technology so effective that, not only is it FDA approved to last 30 years, but with normal use it will also show no wear.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
HEALTHCARE LEADER: La Don Jones, PhD
Director, Master of Health Administration Program, Associate Professor of Health Administration, University of Memphis
It’s a time-honored belief that the best way to teach is by example. And La Don Jones’ personal blend of commitment, leadership, and passion ...
JUDY OTTO |
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Rusty DeGeorge
CEO, Conrad Pearson Clinic
Don't let Rusty DeGeorge's soft voice and laid back southern charm mislead you; he has seen both global suffering and daunting domestic challenges, and he is passionate about addressing them and making a difference in today's world.
JUDY OTTO |
Hospice Care
Helping Create a Good Death
End of life patients need and want more than pain and symptom management.
EDWARD A. WISE, PhD |
Investing in Your Greatest Asset: Your Staff
It’s a stressed out world. Especially for those who work in healthcare. Reimbursement cuts, the threat of malpractice suits, an anemic economy, and the fading dream of retirement are all realities for physicians. Stress is a stark reality that is not going away
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
MEDICAL ECONOMICS: Physician Compensation
In November, 2010, when speaking to the Small Business Council of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce on health care reform, I said that I believed we would ultimately see health care reform decided by the Supreme Court.
BILL APPLING |
New Immunization Rules Impact School, Day Care Enrollment
It's been a decade since Tennessee last updated immunization requirements for children. An enhanced schedule, which became official at the end of 2009, impacts those enrolling in day care, pre-school, elementary/middle school and college.
CINDY SANDERS |
Silver Lining
Tri-State Study Offers TBI Patients Promising Treatment
MEMPHIS— At a medical meeting last year, Jay E. Mattingly, MD, an anesthesiologist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), was intrigued when an Emory professor shared information about a unique ...
LYNNE JETER |
Special Report: Women and Heart Disease
Rates, Risks and Disparities
Love is in the air – the landscape is covered with hearts to celebrate. But are we loving our own hearts enough? Statistics would say no. As one of the key partners to the American Heart Association, WomenHeart has done much to raise awareness of heart disease and its prevalence in women.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
Staying Ahead of the Pack
Business Best Practices: Campbell Clinic
What comes to mind when you think about best business practices?
JANE SCHNEIDER |
Staying Ahead of the Pack
Best Business Practices: Semmes-Murphey Neurologic & Spine Institute
What comes to mind when you think about best business practices? We think of companies that innovate. Medical practices whose leaders make strategic decisions that keep their organizations out front, one step ahead of the pack.
JANE SCHNEIDER |
Strategic Update: A Tale of Two Hats
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…”
STEVE COPLON |
The Airbrush Facelift
The demand for non-invasive cosmetic surgery is rising and technology has raised the bar.
KELLEY EVANS |
The Geriatrician’s Role
Specialists Could Play Major Part as PCPs in New Shape of Healthcare
With 10,000 Americans turning 65 daily until there will be more octogenarians than newborns, geriatricians are poised to play a major role in the new medical paradigm, the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH).
LYNNE JETER |
What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
New Report Underlines Dangers of Certain Supplements
Are you on any medications? No. A routine question and answer … yet a slight change in the wording, might elicit a response that would alert providers to potentially dangerous supplements or medication/supplement combinations being regularly consumed by patients.
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Your Fiscal Health: Back to Basics
The gifts have been opened, the leftovers are gone, the holiday decorations are packed away, the company has gone home and it’s time to think about resolutions for the New Year. We envision losing weight, exercising more, spending more time with family and other things we know we should do, like getting better organized.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Michael O. Ugwueke
Selfless leader deems success serving in a dual capacity
Healthcare administration today has many new facets. Its ever-changing surfaces within the hospital sector often require many hats.
KELLY EVANS |
A Highly Successful Approach
Memphis OB/GYN Identifies Better Examination Method to Screen for Anal Precancerous Lesions
Joseph T. Santoso, MD, a gynecologic oncologist with The West Clinic and a professor at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, recognized that human papilloma- virus (HPV) is common in women and men, and infects the genital areas. Yet no one had studied the anal area except a few pioneer investigators evaluating men who have sex with men.
LYNNE JETER |
Accounting and IT Forensics
Healthcare Experts Share What It Means for Medical Practices
Thanks to the advent of the Information Age and rapidly improving technology making not-that-old models obsolete, data can be fairly easily tracked and found by the wrong people on laptops, networks, desktop drives, USBs, cell phones, scanners and copy machines with scanning capabilities.
LYNNE JETER |
An International Nod
Memphis Pediatric Nephrology Specialist Receives Global Honor
Earlier this month, Russell Chesney, MD, traveled to New York City to receive the highest honor bestowed by the International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA).
LYNNE JETER |
Children Are Not Small Adults
Nanopediatrics Emerges to Ensure Nanotechnology Encompasses Kids
Imagine a pump the size of a molecule delivering medicine directly in the body where it's needed. Or a miniscule tool programmed to seek out and destroy the first cancer cells of a tumor. That's the promise of nanomedicine, medical applications in the much broader field of nanotechnology. Yet, as such customized medical innovations are being researched, Edward R.B. McCabe III, MD, has one reminder: Kids are different.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Compounding
Ancient art in a high-tech world
The ancient art of pharmaceutical compounding originated from man’s attempts to seek relief from pain or protection from injury and death.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
Embracing Change
Memphis Medical Society President-Elect Urges Physicians to “Get on Board” with Quality Initiatives
Jerry Thompson, MD, hopes to accomplish a priority goal during his upcoming presidency of Memphis Medical Society: to help community physicians embrace change.
LYNNE JETER |
IV Connector Study Eliminates Bloodstream Infection in High Risk Patients
Study Validates Recommended Use of IV Intraluminal Protection Connector
Debra Lynch, RN, BSN, is a nurse on a mission. Her keen observation, perseverance and determination to wipe out CLABSIs among high risk patients has paid off. CLABSIs are central line associated bloodstream infections, also known as CRBSIs (catheter related bloodstream infections) and HA-BSIs (healthcare associated central venous bloodstream infections).
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
Long Wait Over
Methodist Wins CON Approval to Build Hospital in Olive Branch
After years of wrangling, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has been given the green light to build a new 100-bed acute care hospital in Olive Branch.
LYNNE JETER |
Physician, Heal Thyself? Not Likely
Doctors Facing Physical, Mental Challenges – Including Suicide
Physicians are good at telling their patients how to take care of themselves, but do doctors follow their own advice? Not nearly as much as they should, according to Michael F. Myers, MD, a specialist in the health of physicians.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Short-Scar Breast Surgery Technique Gains Favor
Although breast reduction and breast lift surgery have been providing successful results for satisfied patients for more than half a century, it is only relatively recently that newer techniques are winning acceptance in the United State ...
JUDY OTTO |
State of Well-being
Governor Launches Health & Wellness Task Force
Just prior to his inauguration in January, Gov. Bill Haslam announced his intent to create the Task Force on Health and Wellness, assembling members of the public...
CINDY SANDERS |
Strong Interest Shown in Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs
Four States Issue First Medicaid Incentive Payments
More than 21,000 providers initiated registration for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs in January and four states reported initial Medicaid incentive payments totaling $20,425,550, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in February.
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TMA, THA Outline 2011 Legislative Priorities
In the wake of fall elections, there are many new faces on Capitol Hill tasked with considering complex legislation that directly influences the delivery of healthcare in Tennessee.
CINDY SANDERS |
Unleashing the Creative Spirit
What do a wild game hunter, a prize winning orchid grower, a trumpet player and a published author have in common? They are all Memphis area physicians who “follow their bliss” at leisure.
JUDY OTTO |
Bredesen Offers “Fresh Medicine” to Reform Healthcare
New Book Hits Stores Oct. 12
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen’s broad government and healthcare experience and expertise are brought to bear in his first book, a thought-provoking examination of why America’s healthcare system can’t be reformed if government and the industry don’t change course.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
MEDICAL ECONOMICS: Last 60 Days of 2010
You are reading this article and November 2, elections are over. But healthcare reform is not. Most doubt healthcare reform will be overturned, and there may be parts of it that will change, but as I tell others, prepare as if nothing changes. Take the time line showing the different years and issues and plan accordingly.
BILL APPLING |
MEDICAL ECONOMICS: Notes from the MGMA Annual Meeting
“The difference between a vision and hallucination is how many people see it.”
In the November issue of Memphis Medical News I said I would provide some “take aways” from the board of directors meeting at the annual meeting of the Medical Group Management Association held in New Orleans, in October. Since I am limited by space, please feel free to contact me if you have any follow up questions concerning these issues.
BILL APPLING |
Memphis Medicine…a History
Not Just Another Pretty Face
History, more often than not, is written about political life, kings, presidents, governors and their ilk, or about war, armies, navies, generals and their battles.
THOMAS C GETTELFINGER, MD |
Next Generation Marketing
Counting on New Technology to Deliver Results
As Bob Dylan wisely observed, “The times they are a-changin’.” For hospitals and practices trying to compete for patients and revenue in today’s environment, the answer seems to be either adapt to meet the times or expect to be left far behind.
CINDY SANDERS |
Ongoing Sleep Debt
A Prescription for Chronic Disease…or Worse
Think getting six hours of sleep a night is good enough for your body? Think again.
JANE SCHNEIDER |
Options Available for Bundled Payments
One of the biggest opportunities for healthcare payment reform in history opened up in August when the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation announced its new Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative.
HAROLD D. MILLER |
Serving the “Safety Net” Population
MidSouth eHealth Alliance Inks Long-Term Deal for HIE Continuance
Last month, Memphis-based MidSouth eHealth Alliance (MSeHA) signed a multi-year contract with Informatics Corporation of America (ICA) to provide a commercial solution for continued health information exchange (HIE) capabilities.
LYNNE JETER |
Sometimes I Wish Something Could Just Stay the Same
Version 5010 Transition for Electronic Claims Submission
With almost 100 percent of Medicare Part A claim transactions being submitted electronically (and just over 96 percent of the Part B claims) using the Version 4010/4010A1 of healthcare standards, payers and providers must implement, test and transition to the 5010 Version transaction to be compliant with HIPAA no later than January 1, 2012.
BETTY HATTEN |
8 NEW LAWS PHYSICIANS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
In the last 4 months, there have occurred a number of important changes and developments in both state and federal healthcare laws. This article will highlight 8 of these laws that have the potential immediately to impact physicians and their practices.
Angela Youngberg |
Eat Well, Play More
Stakeholders Hope Simple Message Resonates in War on Obesity
As alarming statistics associated with America’s ever-expanding waistline become part of the nation’s collective conscience, everyone from politicians and public health officials to media outlets and moms down the street have begun a dialogue about how to fix the problem
CINDY SANDERS |
Going the Distance
Listen up if you have little leaguers, aspiring basketball or soccer stars in your midst. With kids playing sports at such an early age, there are things you need to know to keep them in the game.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
Growing Phenomenon Prompts Rise in Men’s Clinics
Hormone replacement therapy has become a growing trend, not only in women, but in men between the ages of 40 and 80. That’s because many are experiencing low levels of testosterone.
KELLEY EVANS |
Maximizing Reimbursements
In an environment of rising costs and diminishing returns, it's easy to hone in on contracted rates as the sole source of financial woes. Certainly, negotiating favorable reimbursements with payers is key to a healthy bottom line, but it's really only half the story.
CINDY SANDERS |
Medical Economics: Managed Care Contracting - Helpful Hints
Do your homework. Before proceeding in negotiations with a payer, make sure you have an understanding of the extent of leverage you have with the plan. This will drive the negotiation process. If you have negotiated a contract before, you most likely will know the payer representative you will be working with. If not, ask questions of you colleagues about the payer and the payer representatives that have responsibility in your market.
BILL APPLING |
MEDICAL ECONOMICS: Recharging Your Fiscal Plan
With a busy practice, do you feel as though you are taking care of everyone but yourself? Not only do you need to get your annual physical, your practice needs a fiscal check-up as well. Many practicing physicians take time before year end to engage in tax planning.
JASON WHALEY |
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Bruce Maley, MD
Talk to Jackson pediatrician Bruce Maley, MD, for just a minute and it is easy to see why he takes care of kids. The unabashedly proud family man knew in medical school he wanted either to bring children into the world or take care of them once they arrived. If he had only enjoyed surgery more, he may have gone with obstetrics and gynecology. Fortunately, for the kids in West Tennessee, he followed his heart into pediatrics.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Tort Reform Bill Passes TN Legislature; Headed to Gov. Haslam for Signature
The Tennessee Medical Association has accomplished one of its biggest goals in a decade, with the
passage of the Tennessee Civil Justice Act of 2011 (SB 1522/HB 2008). The bill, brought by Gov. Bill
Haslam, won final approval in the State House of Representatives on May 20 and is now headed to the
Governor for his signature.
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RX for the Bottom Line
The Downside of Upcoding
You might not think upcoding is an issue we should worry about, but research shows it affects the entire medical community.
MINERVA DEJESUS and AURIANA REYES |
Healthy Memphis Commontable Update
Healthy Memphis Common Table (HMCT), the regional health and healthcare improvement collaborative for the greater Memphis area is pleased to announce our 2010 Board of Directors
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MEDICAL ECONOMICS: Physicians and Financial Management
The need for high-cost technology and dealing with low reimbursement: we are at the tipping point. With the current high dollar investment in medical records and other expensive technology, how do we face this squeeze?
BILL APPLING |
Tennessee’s Family Physicians Address Clinical, Business Needs
The Tennessee Academy of Family Physicians (TNAFP) recently held its 62nd Annual Scientific Assembly in Gatlinburg. During the four-day meeting, practitioners from across the state gathered to discuss ongoing clinical challenges, debate the best course of action to address business needs, and induct new leadership.
CINDY SANDERS |
Robotic Surgery Advances in West Tennessee
For West Tennessee patients, robotic surgery may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but for surgeons, this technological advancement allows them to provide patients less invasive surgery options over conventional surgery.
By SUZANNE BOYD |
Laura Bush Visits Memphis
Former First Lady, Mrs. Laura W. Bush, spoke to a sold-out crowd at the Ninth Annual Methodist Healthcare Foundation Cancer Center Luncheon, Friday, November 12, 2010. Well known as a global literacy champion, she is also a staunch advocate for women’s health.
CONSTANCE ADCOCK |
The Race of a Lifetime
Prostate cancer has been winning the race for some time now. This year alone 28,000 men will die from this debilitating disease, but it doesn't have to keep winning. This year on Saturday, September 11, Memphis is hosting the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge. This national event is our chance to fight back against this silent killer; it is our chance to beat prostate cancer and win the race of life.
NATHAN RIDENOUR |
RESEARCH REPORT: Porterfields Lead Groundbreaking Study on ICD Reliability
After leading a groundbreaking study on the long-term reliability of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), James G. Porterfield, MD, and his wife, Linda M. Porterfield, PhD, from Methodist University Hospital, determined that St. Jude Medical Riata defibrillation lead adverse events are low and fall within the range of currently recognized standards.
LYNNE JETER |
The Med Gets a Boost
Funding of $40.6 Shot in the Arm to “Safety Net” Provider
After threatening to close the Emergency Department at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis (The MED) earlier this year if the county-owned hospital could not secure $32 million in additional funds, the Board of Directors got a $40.6 million shot in the arm from new annual local and federal funds.
LYNNE JETER |
Consumer Driven Health Plans Growth Slows
Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHPs) in the U.S. experience continued growth albeit at a slower rate according to preliminary results released by United Benefit Advisors (UBA) from their 2010 UBA Health Plan Survey, the nation’s largest health plan benchmarking survey with 17,113 plans from 11,413, employers reporting.
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Another Piece to the Autism Puzzle
Raising children in any environment can be very stressful. Even more so in an environment where neurological disorders such as autism can way heavily on a parents heart, which is why a new study published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, reveals an automated vocal analysis technology that has the ability to screen for autism spectrum disorders.
NATHAN RIDENOUR |
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