Pam Vanderbilt, Pinnacle Orthopaedics
by Richard Stokes
To kick off our first meeting for 2014 we are going to get a great presentation from our very own Pam Vanderbilt of Pinnacle Orthopaedics. Pam recently got certified as an AHIMA approved ICD-10-CM Trainer Ambassador so she is going to be a wealth of information and a tremendous resource for those of us that are staring at the ICD-10 chasm and wondering how in the world do we bridge the gap?
Pam is going to be talking to us about ICD-10 and what practices need to be aware of in preparation for the October 1st, 2014 conversion date. She says that the reason this is such an important topic now is because it’s going to have a major impact on the revenue for even the most prepared practice. Furthermore, any practice that is not actively making preparations is going to suffer severe financial repercussions.
The key things that you will all walk away with are:
- A better understanding of who is going to be impacted by the change.
- How provider documentation will need to be more specific.
- What needs to be done for you to move forward with preparation plans.
Now learning new information is always great, but it’s never going to be effective if the information learned isn’t actually applied and put in to practice. Pam hopes that after hearing her presentation you’ll take action in the following areas:
- Assess the current documentation readiness of your providers.
- Make sure you understand how your PM vendor, clearinghouse, and other vendors are preparing for the transition.
- Make a financial plan of action.
Pam highly encourages your interaction so please ask questions during the meeting. She also says that there is an abundance of information out there as well. Some of the areas you can check out are:
- cms.gov/icd10
- icd10hub.com
- Doctors Management and NAMAS also have very cost effective plans to audit your current documentation and train your providers in areas they find deficiencies in for ICD-10
As we all know, ICD-10 is a massive shift for our healthcare system and this is going to be a very educational meeting. So, please invite peers and colleagues to attend and if you haven’t yet registered, what are you waiting for? North Metro Medical Managers Association.