Surviving Meaningful Use: What Does the New Final Rule Mean For You?
On October 6th the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced the release of the Final Rule for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs and the 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria. The EHR Incentive Program Final Rule provides new criteria that eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet in order to successfully participate in the EHR Incentive Programs. The Final Rule outlines program requirements in 2015 through 2017 (Modified Stage 2) and Stage 3 in 2018 and beyond, and includes a comment period for Stage 3.
The Kentucky REC will be hosting informative webinars for both Eligible Providers and Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals to cover the major changes to the EHR Incentive Program following the release of the Final Rule and to discuss how these changes will affect your Meaningful Use attestation for 2015 and beyond.
CMS 2015 Tip Sheets available here
Webinar Information
Eligible Providers
Surviving Meaningful Use: An Overview of the New Final Rule for Eligible Providers – October 22nd at 1:30pm EST
Register for the Providers Webinar
Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals
Surviving Meaningful Use: An Overview of the New Final Rule for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals – October 14th at 12:00pm EST
Register for the Hospitals Webinar
ICD-10 Coder and Physician Training Now Available
Implementation of ICD-10 is a few short months away. Therefore, the time for in-depth training and education has come.
Kentucky REC’s hands-on training and education program is designed to teach coding professionals and physicians how to properly use the ICD-10 coding system. These services will put healthcare organizations on the path to documentation that facilitates proper ICD-10 code assignment.
Join Kentucky REC for these Continuing Education training sessions:
In-Person Coder and Physician Training
Lexington Registration July 15-17, 2015 in Lexington, Hilary J. Boone Center ICD Coder Training Information Sheet ICD Physician Training Information SheetDont miss this excellent opportunity to receive expert training in a relaxed local environment!
Additional information including agenda, speaker bio and CE credit details also available at registration page.
Webinar: How To Interpret Your Quality & Resource Use Reports (QRURs)
Our friends at QSource Atom Alliance – Kentucky’s Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) – will be hosting a Webinar: How to Interpret Your Quality & Resource Use Reports (QRURs) on Wednesday, May 18, 2015 from 12pm to 1pm CST.
Did you know that that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provide QRURs to physicians in groups of all sizes? On this webinar, QSource will discuss the report and what it means for the future of healthcare and your organization.
All physicians have a 2013 Annual Report and a 2014 Mid-Year Report available. Look for the 2014 Annual QRUR in late summer of this year. This webinar will walk you through these reports and the value they bring to your practice.
REGISTER HERE
Who Should Attend: Practice Administrators, CFOs and Billing Administrators, Quality Improvement Directors, Physicians
Learn more about QSource and Atom Alliance here.
UK HealthCare and Kentucky REC Announce Partnership with KPCA Benefiting Rural Care Providers
Kentucky REC is pleased to be involved with the launch of a groundbreaking partnership between the Kentucky Primary Care Association (KPCA) and UK HealthCare aimed at providing more than 800 patient care providers access to UK HealthCare support services such as supply chain contracts, medical professional placement services, practice transformation support/training and an after-hours pediatric call triage center.
KPCA has more than 250 member clinics from Paducah to Pikeville and from Covington to the Tennessee border serving some of Kentucky’s most underserved citizens and focusing on improving the health of those they serve.
The partnership provides KPCA members access to services at heavily discounted rates or at no charge to the facilities. One of the prominent features of the partnership is the recognition of KPCA organizations as “affiliate” sites under UK HealthCare’s group purchasing contract.
This cooperation also affords KPCA members access to practice transformation and Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) services provided by UK HealthCare’s Kentucky REC. Kentucky REC will assist practices in the transition to quality and value-based care models. As a compliment to the PCMH model, UK HealthCare’s after hours pediatric call triage service has been extended to KPCA members as well, providing organizations with around the clock access to specially trained registered nurses and over twenty-six community pediatricians and nurse practitioners throughout Central and Eastern Kentucky.
KPCA members will have access to robust staffing solutions through Kentucky Medical Professional Placement Services and the Kentucky Medical Opportunities Website, an online marketplace linking candidates to vacancies across the state, active job search features for recruits, and links to offline events that link job seekers with interested organizations looking to fill positions across the clinical spectrum.
“Primary care physicians, especially those in rural areas, have the extra burden of high patient volume, limited staff, and stretched resources,” said Dr. Michael Karpf, UK executive vice president for health affairs. “By partnering, UK HealthCare and KPCA members can grow important programs and services for their patients while also controlling and reducing operating costs. In today’s health care environment, this will be a game changer for many KPCA members.”
However, this collaboration is as much about improving the quality of care provided in KPCA member clinics as it is reducing costs.
“By addressing some of these issues related to costs, clinics with already scarce resources can instead focus on improving the quality of care provided across the Commonwealth,” said Joseph E. Smith, executive director of the Kentucky Primary Care Association. “We’ve had a longstanding association with the University and UK HealthCare and this partnership elevates that relationship by adding a strong commitment to assisting rural doctors, nurses and practice managers who face some of the toughest transitions taking place in medicine today.”
Additional Information: University of Kentucky News (UKNOW) & WYMT
Kentucky Healthcare Providers Champion the Cause of Transformation
The Kentucky REC launches a new round of support for healthcare providers seeking to transform patient care in Kentucky.
On Friday, March 13, the Kentucky Regional Extension Center hosted its second Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Kick-Off Meeting for a group of pioneer healthcare provider organizations in Kentucky.
Participants included: UK HealthCare, Baptist Health Medical Group, Murray-Calloway County Physicians, Matthew 25 AIDS Clinic, Bluegrass Clinic, Bluegrass.org, Kentucky River Community Care, Harrison Memorial Hospital Physicians, and AC Wright, MD.
The Kentucky REC will assist these practices in achieving recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a PCMH. Becoming a PCMH practice involves using an innovative improvement framework for healthcare organizations to enhance quality and value for patients.With its focus on quality improvement,care coordination, preventative services, and chronic disease management, the PCMH framework helps practices deliver better care, better outcomes and lower costs.
“We are delighted to offer support to practices as they prepare for the many changes ahead in healthcare,” stated Carol Steltenkamp, MD, Kentucky REC Director and UK HealthCare Chief Medical Information Office. “We are excited to offer these services and to support innovative care models, such as PCMH, that are proven to help practices deliver coordinated, cost-effective care for their patients.”
Kentucky REC has helped healthcare providers across the state implement electronic health records and qualify for federal incentive funds. But, electronic health records are just a start for practices on the road to more patient-centered care. Now, the Kentucky REC is focused on helping practices prepare for the next wave of innovation by using technology together with changes in practice culture and workflow to radically improve patients’ experience of care and the effectiveness of the healthcare system overall.
Practices participate in group learning sessions over 18 months and work together with specially-trained REC staff to make changes that benefit patients. At the end of the 18 months, successful practices will apply for special recognition from NCQA.
HIMSS 2015
HIMSS 2015 is just around the corner!
Be sure to read Dr. Carol Steltenkamp’s guide to “Escaping the HIMSS Vortex and Networking Like a Pro!”
Read her article here in HIMSS Clinical Informatics Insights
Practice Transformation Webinar Series
Join us for our FREE Kentucky REC Practice Transformation Webinar Series!
We had such positive feedback from our November webinars that we are offering them again. If you joined us for our November webinars you are welcome to join again. Reserve your spot below.
December 19th Webinar
Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) (FOR PRIMARY CARE) – Friday, November 19th
A Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a team-based model of care led by a personal physician who provides continuous and coordinated care throughout a patient’s lifetime to maximize health outcomes. The PCMH model provides specific standards for transforming the organization and delivery of primary care to be more: comprehensive, patient-centered, coordinated, accessible and safe.
This webinar will
- Provide an overview of PCMH
- Outline PCMH requirements and standards for achieving recognition
- Offer best practices and steps towards true practice transformation
Intended Audience
- Clinicians with intention of serving as the personal, primary care clinician
- Physicians, NPs and PAs who practice in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, or Pediatrics
December 22th Webinar:
Patient-Centered Specialty Practice (PCSP) (FOR SPECIALISTS) – Monday, December 22th
The Patient-Centered Specialty Program extends medical home concepts to specialists. Specialty practices committed to access, communication and care coordination can earn accolades as the “neighbors” that surround and inform the medical home and colleagues in primary care. Practices that become recognized will demonstrate patient-centered care and clinical quality through: streamlined referral processes and care coordination with referring clinicians, timely patient and caregiver-focused care management and continuous clinical quality improvement.
This webinar will
- Provide an overview of PCSP
- Outline PCSP requirements and standards for achieving recognition
- Offer best practices and steps towards true practice transformation
Intended Audience
- Clinicians who typically receive referrals from PCPs and other non-primary care specialists including:
- MDs, DOs
- NPs/PAs with own/shared patient panel
- CNMs
- Behavioral health specialists: Psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family counselors
Don’t miss these excellent opportunities to learn how to transform your practice to improve quality of care while also improving your bottom line!
Kentucky Rural Health IT Funding Initiative
Health IT funding initiative for rural Kentucky providers to assist with the transition to an electronically-enabled healthcare system
Kentucky has been selected to help streamline the USDA application process for Health IT low cost loans and grants for eligible rural providers, particularly those serving high-needy and at-risk communities.
On Thursday, October 16th in Somerset, Kentucky, over 80 national and state rural health stakeholders will come together to discuss funding initiatives provided by USDA, HHS, FCC, ARC, DRA and the State of Kentucky to help rural Kentucky providers access financial resources to meet Meaningful Use and Health IT challenges in the years to come.
This collaboration aims to streamline and improve the effectiveness of Federal programs serving rural America by helping resource strapped rural healthcare providers, including critical access and rural hospitals as well as Federally Qualified Health Centers and mental health clinics, leverage the full suite of complementary federal, regional, and state financial assistance programs to ensure that rural Americans can benefit from local access to care powered by the full range of health IT applications, including mobile health, telehealth and electronic health record technology. Health IT is a critical foundation for making high-quality, safe and affordable health care available to all Americans.
This day-long workshop includes:
• Current and future state review of Kentucky Healthcare, specific to HIT
• Presentations from funding sources on respective funding opportunities
• One-on-one working sessions with funding sources
• Formation of cohort for participating provider organizations for continued assistance
View Workshop Agenda
Register here
Kentucky REC ICD-10 Services
Kentucky REC is pleased to announce our new ICD-10 services!
Implementation of ICD-10 is only a few short months away. Therefore, the time for in-depth training and education has come.
Our hands-on training and education program is designed to teach coding professionals and physicians how to properly use the ICD-10 coding systems. These services will put healthcare organizations on the path to physician documentation that facilitates proper ICD-10 code assignment.
Kentucky REC ICD-10 Services Include: In-Person Coder Training & 3M Physician Training Webinars
In-Person Coder Training
June 12-13, 2014: Hazard
UK Center for Excellence in Rural Health
June 18-20, 2014: Paducah
Baptist Health Paducah
July 9-11, 2014: Lexington
Hilary J. Boone Center
3M Physician Training Webinars
Event Details Coming Soon!
Dont miss this excellent opportunity to receive expert training in a relaxed local environment!
Register today at www.cecentral.com/live/8465
Additional information including agenda, speaker bio and CE credit details also available at registration page.
Meaningful Use Survival Seminar Series II
Kentucky REC & KHIE invite you to attend the 2014 Meaningful Use Survival Seminar Series II in your area!
This spring and summer, Kentucky REC and KHIE will once again travel to several cities throughout the Commonwealth to offer Continuing Education programs to all healthcare professionals. The educational programs will include information regarding: Meaningful Use (Incentive Payments, Stage 2, 2014 Changes, HIE Updates); Patient-Centered Medical Home; HIPAA Breaches and Audits; and ICD-10.
Don’t miss this excellent opportunity to hear from experts on these hot healthcare transformation topics!
Click HERE to Register Now!2014 Schedule
April 11 • Pikeville
April 25 • Somerset
May 22 • Owensboro
May 23 • Paducah
June 13 • Louisville
June 20 • Lexington
