The Current Health Care Frenzy
Posted by Lin Dworshak on Mon, Jul 18, 2011 @ 10:54 AM
I hear it all the time...."I'm too busy....." The provider health care side of the industry is scrambling to upgrade software to accommodate 5010 requirements. Providers are trying to figure out how ICD10 will impact their well learned coding practices and IT departments are implementing EHR's to already full plates. Meanwhile, the hospital side of the industry is forming alliances of one sort or another with physician practices. Establishing new contracts and combining accounts receivables.
The health-care reform act has everyone trying to second guess what will happen next and strategies long held by the health care industry are being re-examined in the light of that reform. The language of 439 page explanation of ACOs has everyone wondering how to make it work in their current structure. And insurance companies are putting together new options for coverage to be able to accommodate potentially millions of new customers.
Change management is the word of the day and while must be strategically planned and implemented; most of the industry is taking a just do it and we'll figure it out later approach. This approach will ultimately result in loss of cash flow and poorly thought out and poorly executed decisions.
Organizations like MGMA, RBMA, HFMA, AHRA and multiple other organizations designed to aid like practices and other health care related fields are filling their annual conference schedules with speakers talking about marketing ( a fairly new term to most practices), what meaningful use of EHR really means to their practice and how to cope in the new environment.
The challenges seem over-whelming. But like all challenges, when met with creative thinking, financial savvy, and long term strategies can and will be met. Putting together the right teams with the right approaches can solve these seemingly "end of the world as we know it" issues.
The smart practices and hospitals are asking for outside, objective help from consultants. So much can be gained by adding fresh minds and ideas to the mix. Choosing the right consultant can literally turn around chaos by focusing on the right priorities and not allowing emotions or local politics to influence smart decisions. Taking the time to work through issues and decisions in a logical and systematic way will ultimately result in time well spent. Being too busy to make the important right decisions for a health care organization will result in further chaos and loss of the cash flow needed to sustain the practice.