12 Night Iberian Adventure CME Cruise

September 15th-27th, 2019
Amsterdam to Civitavecchia (Rome)

This course is designed for Family Physicians, Specialists, and Allied Health Care professionals. The aim is to provide evidence-based material as well as practical and relevant clinical pearls that will be easy to implement into one’s medical practice. Conference attendees will be invited to complete a pre-course Needs assessment to facilitate the faculty with the development of their presentations.

Faculty

Dr. Yazdan Mirzanejad
Topic: Infectious Diseases

Dr. Martin Strauss
Topic: Cardiolology

HIV eliminated from the genomes of living animals

Researchers have for the first time eliminated replication-competent HIV-1 DNA–the virus responsible for AIDS–from the genomes of living animals. The study marks a critical step toward the development of a possible cure for human HIV infection.

In a major collaborative effort, researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) have for the first time eliminated replication-competent HIV-1 DNA – the virus responsible for AIDS – from the genomes of living animals. The study, reported online July 2 in the journal Nature Communications, marks a critical step toward the development of a possible cure for human HIV infection. […]

Dialysis Tech and Dialysis RN Needed in Number One small town in California

Number one small town in California has an urgent need for a Dialysis Tech and a Dialysis RN. Experience preferred but willing to train. DCI is looking for experienced RN and PCT for in-center dialysis clinic in Ukiah, CA. We have 24 chairs, and run two shifts six days a week.

We have caring staff who go the extra mile for our patients. Looking for the same type of people to hire.

Interested?

Contact: dciinc.org or call (707) 462-2024 and speak to the manager.

• Greater Ukiah Chamber of Commerce

If there is one common theme that separates VestaPay from all of the other RCM vendors it is our focus and ability to secure 100% of the patients’ known and unknown liability at time of service. Recovery Cash Management Services

All other vendors, including those touting automated payment plan, fail to address solving the patient payment problem because they continue to follow the current and highly flawed approach of “Chasing” the patient after the statement is generated and the final balance owed is determined. This typically occurs 30-120 days after the treatment date or Time of Service (TOS). It is a particularly acute problem for the Emergency Department, where most hospitals attribute 40-45% of their patient revenue losses.

By focusing on the TOS and avoiding chasing patients, VestaPay revamps this approach. However, it is our core technologies that allow us to be successful in working at the TOS, specifically our Dynamic Balance Adjusting AutoPay plans. Utilizing our Dynamic Balance Adjusting AutoPay plans hospitals can engage patients using a simple estimate at TOS, and secure 100% of the final balance the patient owes.

With the restrictions created by EMTALA, hospitals can’t discuss charges and payments until the patients have been medically screened. And, you can’t have financial counselors questioning the clinical staff about the procedures performed in order to generate an estimate. Further most hospitals have unrestricted patient flow, meaning patients can simply walk out the front door after treatment, by-passing the ED registration desks. How VestaPay addresses all of these problems directly and effectively is what has allowed us to prove success in the ED.

ED Patient Payment and Revenue Management

Securing patient revenue in the ED has typically been challenging for all hospitals and is the source of the largest patient revenue losses. Addressing this problem is compounded by EMTALA regulations limiting financial discussions with patients until after clinical treatment has been rendered. And, many hospitals’ “Exit-door” flow enables patients to simply walk out without rechecking at the registration desks, further undermining attempts to collect payment from patients at time of service.

It is so easy for readers to assume we mean collections, offering auto payment plans, and that we chase the patients that I am generally over stressing the points about our DBA AutoPay plans and our Time-of-Service deployment.

These three things: Advanced Estimating, DBA AutoPay plans and time of service engagement are the primary reasons we are out-performing competition 10 to 1.

Challenges:

• 40-45% of Total Hospital Bad Debt is ED related
• EMTALA restrictions prevent patient engagement at check-in
• Physical floor layout limits patient re-check at discharge
• Even “advanced” estimators are ineffective
• Patients frequently arrive at the ED without a method of payment

Opportunities:

• Engage the patient in the clinical area after EMTALA cleared
• Use of tiered estimates require minimal clinician disruption
• Dynamic Balance Adjusting AutoPay plans ensure affordability
• Charity care options secured vs patient default to bad debt
• Implementing the ED builds support for the full hospital roll-out.
• Active patient communication management
• Secures and prevents patient revenue losses

For further info and a personal introduction, contact John Paju at john@physiciancrossroads.com or call (707) 462-1557.

Find the job you’re looking for by searching our growing network of specialty boards.

For Sale

Leading medical job search web site: specialist software matching medical professionals with employers; monthly newsletter sent to over 120k active subscribers. Contact John at John@physiciancrossroads.com.

A Template for Abandoned Community Hospitals

A concept to help the working poor.

River of Refuge is a nonprofit Kansas-City based organization which transitions homeless families with jobs from high-rent motels and shelters into permanent housing. River of Refuge has made a commitment to help the hidden homeless—families living for months, even years, at pay-by-the-week motels in Kansas City. There are dozens of these expensive, one-room motels in the metro area with families in crisis. They often pay $800 to $1,200 per month for a one-room living space.

Their children ride the bus to school and navigate after-school lives in a motel-room world. These families are the working poor, who can’t save enough for utility deposits, down payments or rent, but who earn just enough to disqualify them for food stamps or other state or federal aid.

River of Refuge purchased the former 150,000 sq. ft. Park Lane Hospital just outside the city limits of Raytown, in Kansas City, Mo. The former hospital is being converted from a community eyesore to a community asset that helps needy working families move to a “place of dignity.”

We provide lodging and services for the working poor, providing them with a direct alternative to pay-by-the-week living arrangements and giving them the opportunity to receive resources needed to be successful in permanent housing.