Dena Boggan, CPC, CMC, CCP, chuckled when someone recently suggested that her staff audit some patient records.
“I wish I had a staff,” laughed Boggan, HIPAA privacy/security officer at St. Dominic Jackson (MS) Memorial Hospital.
However, this is fairly typical in many healthcare settings, where HIPAA privacy and security officers often are the only individuals who are responsible for compliance.
The several different types of post-acute agencies (home health, nursing homes, hospices) and several individual agencies within those types can cause aggravation and, more importantly, delays.
The case management department at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) developed a tool called “Ticket to Home” to prepare patients and their families for discharge.
Hospital executives frequently use LOS to measure how well a case management staff performs, but there are other indicators, such as patient satisfaction and observation use, that prove department effectiveness.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed modifications to the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules in July. In light of the changes, now might be a good time to make sure you and your colleagues understand those rules.
