Happy Veterans Day!

Ortmann Healthcare Consultants is taking today to remember our Veterans. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to making this country and our world a better place.

OHC is at Becker’s ASC Conference!

Sorry for the recent lack of postings. It’s been a week of computer failings and traveling for the Ortmann team, but we are back on track and excited for this weekend! Ortmann Healthcare Consultants will be at Becker’s ASC Review’s 16th Annual Improving Profitability, and Business and Legal Issues for ASCs Conference. Come and visit us at booth space 28 where we will have information regarding our company and projects, and of course, CANDY! Key members of our consulting team will be there to answer your questions as well, including Chris McMenemy, VP of Administration, and Jessica Miller, Director of Regulatory Affairs. The conference runs October 8-10 at the Westin Hotel and Conference Center in Chicago, Illinois. More information can be found at Becker’s ASC Review.Please stop by our booth and say hello-we hope to see you there!

News of the Wierd- Fake Nurse

A news story recently ran on MSN.com that is further proof of how important proper credentialing procedures are for physicians, nurses and other providers. According to the report, Betty Lichtenstien, 56, has been charged with pretending to be a nurse at a doctors office. Lichtenstien also held a dinner party in her own honor for being named ‘Nurse of the Year’ by a nursing association authorities say does not exist. Authorities began investigating Lichtenstien after a patient complaint.

There are several safe guards in place that, when done properly during the credentialing process, can prevent the hiring of unqualified, illegal, or troubled personnel. Some tools available to employers are state registries of licensed nurses and practitioners. With the appropriate information you can verify a license online. You can also do this for professional associations the provider might belong to. Many states also have requirements for background checks of all health care providers in a facility. Employing these tools can protect you and your patients.

If your ambulatory surgery center needs assistance with credentialing or selecting individuals for employment, Ortmann Healthcare Consultants can help. Contact us at (803) 252-7979 to learn about our credentialing, and center director and staff training services.

Graduate Assistant Study: Looming Physician Shortage

Hello Blog Readers! Sorry for the delay in this posting. Ortmann Healthcare Consultants has had a very busy week with two facilities completing construction and preparing for State Licensure and Medicare Certification. I did, however, want to get a small post out there to give you something to think about over the weekend!

Ortmann Healthcare Consultants is pleased to announce, and wishes to congratulate, Bryant Nelson on his recent graduation from the University of South Carolina. Bryant graduated with a Master in Health Administration (MHA) from the Arnold School of Public Health. Part of his requirement as a graduate assistant and student in the MHA program, is the completion of a graduate thesis or residency project. For his project, Bryant explored the topic of the looming physician shortage in South Carolina. This topic is extremely important and relavant for healthcare professionals across the country, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Bryant has agreed to allow us to share his report with our readers. If you are interested in learning more about the physician shortage, please leave a comment on this post or contact Ortmann Healthcare Consultants at 803-252-7979.

NY Times Article

The NY Times has an interesting article on their website this morning regarding the difficulty of finding a physician who accepts Medicare. The most obvious reason for a doctor opting out of Medicare: low reimbursement rates. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone in the surgery center business, as we have been watching our reimbursements steadily decline for those procedures most often received by Medicare beneficiaries. This is a good recreational read and fairly accurately documents what may be a sign of things to come in terms of physician shortages and decreased access to care as many surgery centers are choosing to remain out of network or declining Medicare participation. A full copy of the article is available on the NY Times website.

On the lighter side..

Ortmann Healthcare Consultants Family Photo

You may have noticed a lapse in posting two weeks ago. Well, that was due to the marriage of a staff member- Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Brian and Jessica Miller!

In Memory of Lynne

Our friend Lynne is gone today. She worked with Ortmann Healthcare Consultants on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. She edited the policies and procedures our ASCs use as a starting point for their own policies, and she is gone because some horrible man shot her four times as she sat in her car at a drive-up ATM machine—a random act of violence that affected so many lives.

So, I guess I’m a little off subject this week, but it’s difficult to think of much else as I adjust to my Wednesday without Lynne. Lynne was in the position of having to re-enter the workplace after many years absent from it, and so to begin to build up a resume, she began working with us part-time. At first our plan was for her to serve as a receptionist, but we quickly moved her into the policies and procedures.

Policies and procedures make me want to scream and tear my hair out. I think I know a few other people who feel that way. There are so many; there is so much to read; there is so much to organize; and there are so many people working on them that it’s hard to keep it all consistent. But for Lynne it was a wonderful challenge. She didn’t have any clinical training, but she was smart and she could read material that sometimes made me just a little drowsy (or a lot drowsy). In some ways, too, having a non-medical person read words written by nurses has its advantages. For Lynne to understand what she was reading; the policies had to be clear; no step could be left out. If Lynne could mentally follow the procedure, then the document should be easy to understand and use by the clinical staff.

Despite my complaining, I do believe that these policies we use in our surgery centers are very important as a roadmap to how we do business. Having clear, well written documents is essential if the policies are to be followed and understood. We had the luxury of having Lynne to work on these documents while not all surgery centers are able to devote that time and energy. It is so important, though, to devote time to making sure your surgery center can be the best that it can be and good policies are a part of being the best.

Lynne was amazed as she began working for us of all the “stuff” that went into running a good surgery center or hospital—all the many, many details that had to be considered. She was so excited to talk to her brother, who is a cardio vascular surgeon, about her work. I guess it is fitting to know that as Lynne fought for her life, and knowing Lynne I am sure she was fighting, that those who were delivering her care were following their own policies and doing the best they could for her. When it is emergency time, it’s not possible to think “What should I do?” The staff has to have plans in place that have been validated and studied so that no time is lost in thinking about decisions.

Lynne didn’t quite finish her work, but I feel fortunate to have worked with her. It’s still impossible to believe that she’s gone. I thank the caring people at Palmetto Health Richland here in Columbia who did all they could for Lynne. Lynne, we miss your quiet presence here. And our policies and procedures will never be the same! I know God is with you and you are with Him.

Submitted by Chris McMenemy, VP Administration

Announcing a Brand New Service from Ortmann Healthcare Consultants: ASC Check-ups!

The health of your patients is foremost on your mind, but what about the health of your Ambulatory Surgery Center? Is your surgery center truly healthy or could it use a little “doctoring?”

The latest Government and ASC industry statistics show that fully 1/3 of all new surgery centers fail within the first three years of operation. Many centers are not ready for their follow-up state, Medicare, AAAHC, AAAASF, or Joint Commission inspection, resulting in loss of licensure, certification, or accreditation. Hunderds of thousands of dollars are lost each year as the result of uncollected revenue, poor managed care contracts, and inadequate case costing analysis.

How does your ASC measure up? Would your center receive a clean bill of health?

Ortmann Healthcare Consultants Check-ups Program offers on-site assistance to ensure that your center is healthy, from a financial standpoint as well as a clinical and regulatory standpoint. Our experienced staff will evaluate your centers health in the following primary areas: Regulatory & Accreditation Services, Financial Management, Center Legal Documents, Center Management, Center Appearance, Compliance Programs, Policy & Procedure Manual, Maintenance of Building & Equipment, Credentialing & Privileging, Information Technology, Ancillary Agreements, Organization of Documents, and Employee Records.

At last, a program designed to help guarantee your success!

Through Check-Ups, Ortmann Healthcare Consultants will provide on-going support and on-site assistance as needed to ensure continuous improvement in the performance of your facility. For a complete and confidential assessment or to schedule services, please call us at your earliest convenience at (803) 252-7979 or toll free at (866) 678-6266.

Happy Holidays!

Ortmann Healthcare Consultants will be taking a break from blogging over the holidays! We will return on Monday, December 29th with new posts! Have a safe and happy Holiday!