Talk Ten Tuesdays

The Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS) will conclude the formal agenda of its Annual Conference at the close of business next Tuesday in Chicago, but not before the preeminent Dr. James S. Kennedy reports on the highlights of the 2027 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Proposed Rule.Kennedy, no stranger to the Talk Ten Tuesday audience, will be the special guest during the next live edition of the popular Internet radio broadcast produced by ICD10monitor.According to Chuck Buck, the program’s executive producer and program host, Dr. Kennedy brings a unique perspective to the subject because he has “an innate sense of coders and the challenges they face to assign correct codes.”The weekly broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:·      SDOH Report: Tiffany Ferguson will report on news that’s occurring at the intersection of medical record coding and healthcare compliance.·      CDI Re

Many of you dedicated healthcare professionals no doubt often find yourselves wearing many different hats, as does Penny Jefferson, cohost of the long-running Talk Ten Tuesdays weekly national podcast.During the next live edition of the popular Internet program, Jefferson will serve as our special guest.Jefferson is expected to report on the recent guidance and enforcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). The nation’s healthcare watchdog has placed renewed focus on risk-adjustment accuracy, defensible documentation, and compliance across both Medicare Advantage (MA) and value-based payment models.The popular weekly Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• SDOH Report: Tiffany Ferguson will report on news that’s occurring at the intersection of medical record coding and healthcare compliance.• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on all thin

As federal oversight of risk adjustment and documentation practices intensifies, healthcare organizations are facing new scrutiny regarding how patient complexity is documented and reported. Recent guidance and enforcement activity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has placed renewed focus on risk-adjustment accuracy, defensible documentation, and compliance across both Medicare Advantage (MA) and value-based payment models. During the next episode of Talk Ten Tuesday, Jason Jobes, a CDI expert, will discuss why outpatient clinical documentation integrity (CDI) programs are becoming increasingly important in this environment. He will explore how documentation practices, provider education, and governance strategies can help organizations accurately capture patient complexity while reducing audit exposure and protecting revenue.The popular weekly Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report mo

A recent False Claims Act case is raising an important question for CDI professionals: what if the diagnosis is clinically valid, but the process behind it is challenged? During the next live edition of the popular Talk Ten Tuesdays podcast, Dr. Robert Oubre, director of CDI and UM at St. Tammany Health System, will report on a motion for summary judgement on a case (Smith vs Mercy Health) on how malnutrition documentation and electronic medical record (EMR) workflows came under scrutiny. Dr. Oubre will also discuss the role of AHIMA guidance and the importance of compliance oversight. This is a must listen for CDI, coding, and compliance leaders.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:·      POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadcast.·      CDI Report: Cheryl Ericso

Data breaches have unfortunately become a fact of life in America’s healthcare system.The next edition of the popular Talk Ten Tuesdays will focus on just the latest in a succession of such incidents, as providers scramble to determine what to do to prevent cyberattacks – and how to react when they arise, nonetheless.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadcast.• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on clinical documentation integrity (CDI).• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger will report on the latest coding news.• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

After two powerful segments introducing her neurodiversity coding initiative, Tami McMasters Gomez, Executive Director for the Mid-Revenue Cycle, Enterprise-Wide Coding and CDI Operations for the University of California Davis Medical Center, returns to report on how this program is unlocking untapped strengths, improving accuracy, and building a more resilient health information (HIM) workforce. Plus, you and your team will learn first-hand the impact that neurodiverse professionals are already making in the coding workforce.Most importantly, you’ll come to understand why programs like this one may represent an important pathway to both expanding opportunity and strengthening the future healthcare workforce.Broadcast segments will also include these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• POV: Penny Jefferson, Director of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadc

The rise of third-party payer audits is no secret to healthcare professionals and facilities, but one type of audit has gained particular attention in recent years: the clinical validation audit. Clinical validation audits ultimately lead to a downgrade of a hospital’s diagnostic-related group (DRG) payment, but the process by which they reach that result makes them particularly curious. During utilization review, health plans make decisions about the patient’s care and, in the case of clinical validation audits, actually make determinations about whether documented medical diagnoses are “clinically valid”. Join us to hear how clinical validation audits work and the rise in provider disputes involving clinical validation audits.Broadcast segments will also include these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:·      POV: Penny Jefferson, Director of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her point

It’s huge, and serious.Its implications may impact millions, even beyond the halls of healthcare. In fact, it’s the eighth-largest healthcare-related cybersecurity breach in U.S. history.In Texas alone, 15.4 million residents were involved – nearly half the state’s population. Oregon reports another 10.5 million. Other states are still notifying residents. The final number may climb even higher. The stolen data reportedly includes names, Social Security Numbers, medical information, and health insurance details.Reporting the details of this enormous data breach during the next episode of Talk Ten Tuesdays will be the legendary Rose Dunn, former president of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).Broadcast segments will also include these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:POV: Penny Jefferson, Director of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during t

Part II of the groundbreaking Talk Ten Tuesday series concludes as Tami McMasters Gomez returns to share the real-world impact of UC Davis Health’s neurodiversity coding internship.In this powerful follow-up, Tami moves beyond the vision and into outcomes — workforce transformation, productivity gains, retention success, and the measurable value of inclusive hiring in HIM.This isn’t a theory. It’s operational innovation in action.If you care about strengthening the coding workforce, expanding talent pipelines, and redefining what excellence looks like in the healthcare revenue cycle, you won’t want to miss this conversation.Broadcast segments will also include these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:• POV: Penny Jefferson, Director of CDI Services at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadcast.• SDoH Report: Marie Stinebuck, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, will report on the latest news concerning the

Once a relic symbolic of earlier times in medicine, the Inpatient-Only (IPO) List has been added to the junkyard of outdated medical processes and practices. And if you and your team fail to plan and align your system appropriately, you risk major financial, operational, and compliance consequences.The good news: during the next live edition of Monitor Mondays, you’ll learn why inpatient status is no longer guaranteed by procedure. You’ll also learn how the burden of proof for inpatient care now rests in your documentation, along with what you and your team must do to protect appropriate inpatient admissions. Join us when Dr. Stephanie Van Zandt reveals practical strategies to navigate this new landscape and stay ahead of the curve.Broadcast segments will also include these instantly recognizablepanelists, who will report more news during their segments:·      POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her poin

What if the solution to healthcare’s coding workforce challenges has been hiding in plain sight?The conversation doesn’t end with rethinking who can succeed in medical coding. In Part II of this special Talk Ten Tuesday series, the focus is on how healthcare organizations can get involved.This broadcast will highlight a growing partnership with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and outlines how organizations can participate in a neurodiversity-focused coding internship model.Learn what it means to host interns, support neurodiverse candidates, and create structured, sustainable pathways into health information management (HIM) careers.For healthcare leaders facing persistent workforce shortages, accuracy concerns, and burnout, this discussion will move from inspiration to implementation – showing how inclusive workforce strategies can strengthen coding operations while expanding opportunities.If you’re ready to move beyond awareness and explore practical ways to build a more resi

What if the solution to healthcare’s coding workforce challenges has been hiding in plain sight?During this special two-part Talk Ten Tuesday series, UC Davis Health shares how an innovative neurodiversity-focused coding internship is redefining how talent is identified, trained, and retained. Join Tami McMasters Gomez, Executive Director, for the Mid-Revenue Cycle, Enterprise-Wide Coding and CDI Operations for the University of California Davis Medical Center, when she reports on how this program is unlocking untapped strengths, improving accuracy, and building a more resilient health information (HIM) workforce.This unique conversation will challenge long-standing assumptions about who succeeds in medical coding.If you were responsible for the coding operations of a complex medical center, would you build tomorrow’s workforce the same way you do today? Be sure to listen and learn.This popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news du

While many of you might have been enjoying the holiday season, thebeat of healthcare keeps on beating.Much has happened in the world of medical coding and that is whythe producers of Talk Ten Tuesday are dedicating the next liveedition of the popular national Internet broadcast to the topic ofcoding.And that’s why Dr. James S. Kennedy, a trained medical professionalwho loves coding, will be the Talk Ten Tuesday special guest.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additionalinstantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news duringtheir segments:POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of DavisMedical Center, is the new cohost of Talk Ten Tuesday. Shewill share her point of view (POV) during the broadcast.The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice Presidentof Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First ClassSolutions, will report on the latest coding news.Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CE

What’s new when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) and coding?Listen to the next edition of the long-running and popular Talk Ten Tuesday and learn from longtime RACmonitor and ICD10monitor contributing author Sharon Easterling.Sharon Easterling will continue her editorial series on artificial intelligence and medical record coding. The potential for AI in health information is both exciting and daunting as you’ll learn.The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, is the new cohost of Talk Ten Tuesday. She will share her point of view (POV) during the broadcast.CDI Report: James S. Kennedy, president of CDIMD, will substitute for Cheryl Ericson and will provide an update on clinical documentation integrity (CDI).The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President

Are you wondering what connects the nouns in the headline together?It’s a Medicare cognitive screening devise. Look at these words and commit them to memory. Try to repeat back this list of words twice a day, from memory: Apple, Chair, Ocean, Book, and Clock.  During the next live edition of the popular Talk Ten Tuesday live Internet broadcast, Gloryanne Bryant will report on what some medical experts say about an inability to recall these five words.Could it be signs of cognitive changes or impairment within the brain? Or could it mean that the individual has memory and recall issues? Register now to learn more.The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News DeskThe Coding Report: Jodi Worthington, with First Class Solutions, will substitute for Christine Geiger to report on the latest coding news POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding

Anyone who has been working within the scope of hospital case/utilization management for any period of time has heard of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation.But are you familiar with the CMS Conditions for Coverage?  Sometimes referred to as “conditions of payment,” these requirements must be met in order for federal health plans to pay a healthcare facility for a submitted claim.Welcome to the live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Dec. 9, 10 Eastern. That’s when Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, Chief Medical Officer for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will explain how failure to meet some aspects of the CoPs doesn’t mean there is a failure in Conditions for Coverage (CfC).The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for the aforementioned Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical re

They were once called “clinical documentation improvement” specialists, charged with correcting the medical record to identify an overlooked diagnosis that carried the potential to increase revenue. Later, the description was changed to clinical documentation “integrity” (CDI) specialists. But that was then. This is now.Today, the job description continues to change. CDI professionals are being asked to take on more and more responsibilities.And that is why the producers of Talk Ten Tuesday have invited Penny Jefferson, a longtime CDI professional, to be the special guest during the next live edition of the weekly Internet broadcast.The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:·      Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.·      CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical

Since 80 percent of a person’s health is influenced by factors outside of medical care, it is critical that a healthcare system has an understanding and appreciation for the circumstances of patients’ daily lives that impact their health outcomes, referred to as the social determinants of health (SDoH). During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Lauren Montwill, Vice President of Community Health and Social Impact for the UnitedHealth Group, will report on how her organization is collaborating on the delivery system to collect reliable SDoH data, as well as the effort to build health analytics infrastructure to benchmark, monitor, and track progress toward improving health outcomes and quality measures.The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and t

It’s often said that “words matter.”And hospital patient status assignment is no exception. What do your teams say when a patient is in inpatient status which isn’t supported?  How about the reverse: when a patient is in outpatient status with observation services. Can your team change to inpatient? Words matter, and Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, chief medical officer for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will explain precisely how impactful your choices can be.During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins will report on this timely topic.The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updat

A new version of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, has been introduced.The new revision aligns the organ dysfunction measurement in critically ill adults with current clinical practices, especially those diagnosed with sepsis.Published Oct. 29 in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and is available here https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2840822.During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Dr. James S. Kennedy will discuss this new SOFA-2 revision and its expected impact on clinical validation for sepsis – defined by Sepsis-3 as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection – and how facility clinical workflows can negotiate denial avoidance with payers with this challenging diagnosis.The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, wil