Happy Thanksgiving

“No news is good news,” as the saying goes.

For readers of RACmonitor, you’ll note that there’s no audit news today in your inbox. But we do have an important message to share.

But first, this short preamble.

Among artists and photographers, the concept of the “golden hour” is real, although technically, it’s more about the position of the afternoon sun relative to the Earth. That’s when the sun’s rays reach our lovely planet in such a manner as to cast an amber glow on the landscape, radiating a warm “golden” cast to buildings and landscapes.

Likewise, we have our own “golden hour” every Monday and Tuesday morning, when our producers say, “we’re live.” I’m referring to Monitor Mondays and Talk Ten Tuesdays – the two live Internet broadcasts that have been a source of healthcare news and information for more than 14 years.

During these broadcasts, especially when we are chatting among ourselves “backstage,” we have become good friends, much like a real family. We have come to know one another quite well. We know about our colleagues’ families and offspring, family gatherings, likes and dislikes.

So you can imagine our shock when one of our “family members” suffered a medical emergency during last Monday’s live broadcast. Fortunately, the quick action of our producers, Chyann Lundy and Daniel Kong, the visual and audio portion of the incident was minimized. And thanks to Clark Anthony, the program’s announcer and audio editor, there was a seamless transition from one panelist to another in the recorded (on-demand) audio version.

Now, the good news, and the reason why this Thanksgiving has taken on an amber glow for us: our beloved friend, although initially rushed to the hospital, has been discharged home.

All of which reminds us of the preciousness of life, and the reason to be thankful every day.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Chuck Buck

Chuck Buck is the publisher of RACmonitor and is the program host and executive producer of Monitor Monday.

Related Stories

General Compliance Question of the Week

General Question for the Week of December 2, 2024

What distinguishes the administration of fluids reported with codes 96360 and 96361 from therapeutic, diagnostic, and prophylactic drug administration, and what level of patient risk is typically associated with hydration therapy?

Read More

Leave a Reply

Please log in to your account to comment on this article.

Featured Webcasts

Enhancing Outcomes with CDI-Coding-Quality Collaboration in Acute Care Hospitals

Enhancing Outcomes with CDI-Coding-Quality Collaboration in Acute Care Hospitals

Join Angela Comfort, DBA, MBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, as she presents effective strategies to strengthen collaboration between CDI, coding, and quality departments in acute care hospitals. Angela will also share guidance on implementing cross-departmental meetings, using shared KPIs, and engaging leadership to foster a culture of collaboration. Attendees will gain actionable tools to optimize documentation accuracy, elevate quality metrics, and drive a unified approach to healthcare goals, ultimately enhancing both patient outcomes and organizational performance.

November 21, 2024
Comprehensive Inpatient Clinical Documentation Integrity: From Foundations to Advanced Strategies

Comprehensive Outpatient Clinical Documentation Integrity: From Foundations to Advanced Strategies

Optimize your outpatient clinical documentation and gain comprehensive knowledge from foundational practices to advanced technologies, ensuring improved patient care and organizational and financial success. This webcast bundle provides a holistic approach to outpatient CDI, empowering you to implement best practices from the ground up and leverage advanced strategies for superior results. You will gain actionable insights to improve documentation quality, patient care, compliance, and financial outcomes.

September 5, 2024
Advanced Outpatient Clinical Documentation Integrity: Mastering Complex Narratives and Compliance

Advanced Outpatient Clinical Documentation Integrity: Mastering Complex Narratives and Compliance

Enhancing outpatient clinical documentation is crucial for maintaining accuracy, compliance, and proper reimbursement in today’s complex healthcare environment. This webcast, presented by industry expert Angela Comfort, DBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, will provide you with actionable strategies to tackle complex challenges in outpatient documentation. You’ll learn how to craft detailed clinical narratives, utilize advanced EHR features, and implement accurate risk adjustment and HCC coding. The session also covers essential regulatory updates to keep your documentation practices compliant. Join us to gain the tools you need to improve documentation quality, support better patient care, and ensure financial integrity.

September 12, 2024

Trending News

Featured Webcasts

Patient Notifications and Rights: What You Need to Know

Patient Notifications and Rights: What You Need to Know

Dr. Ronald Hirsch provides critical details on the new Medicare Appeal Process for Status Changes for patients whose status changes during their hospital stay. He also delves into other scenarios of hospital patients receiving custodial care or medically unnecessary services where patient notifications may be needed along with the processes necessary to ensure compliance with state and federal guidance.

December 5, 2024
Navigating the No Surprises Act & Price Transparency: Essential Insights for Compliance

Navigating the No Surprises Act & Price Transparency: Essential Insights for Compliance

Healthcare organizations face complex regulatory requirements under the No Surprises Act and Price Transparency rules. These policies mandate extensive fee disclosures across settings, and confusion is widespread—many hospitals remain unaware they must post every contracted rate. Non-compliance could lead to costly penalties, financial loss, and legal risks.  Join David M. Glaser Esq. as he shows you how to navigate these regulations effectively.

November 19, 2024
Post Operative Pain Blocks: Guidelines, Documentation, and Billing to Protect Your Facility

Post Operative Pain Blocks: Guidelines, Documentation, and Billing to Protect Your Facility

Protect your facility from unwanted audits! Join Becky Jacobsen, BSN, RN, MBS, CCS-P, CPC, CPEDC, CBCS, CEMC, and take a deep dive into both the CMS and AMA guidelines for reporting post operative pain blocks. You’ll learn how to determine if the nerve block is separately codable with real life examples for better understanding. Becky will also cover how to evaluate whether documentation supports medical necessity, offer recommendations for stronger documentation practices, and provide guidance on educating providers about documentation requirements. She’ll include a discussion of appropriate modifier and diagnosis coding assignment so that you can be confident that your billing of post operative pain blocks is fully supported and compliant.

October 24, 2024
The OIG Update: Targets and Tools to Stay in Compliance

The OIG Update: Targets and Tools to Stay in Compliance

During this RACmonitor webcast Dr. Ronald Hirsch spotlights the areas of the OIG’s Work Plan and the findings of their most recent audits that impact utilization review, case management, and audit staff. He also provides his common-sense interpretation of the prevailing regulations related to those target issues. You’ll walk away better equipped with strategies to put in place immediately to reduce your risk of paybacks, increased scrutiny, and criminal penalties.

September 19, 2024

Trending News

Happy National Doctor’s Day! Learn how to get a complimentary webcast on ‘Decoding Social Admissions’ as a token of our heartfelt appreciation! Click here to learn more →