Practice Management Operations
- Certifications and Degree Programs
- Closing a Medical Practice—handout
- Compliance
- Computers - see Practice Informatics
- Electronic Medical Records - see Practice Informatics
- Health Savings Accounts/Medical Savings Accounts
- HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
- Interpreters Services, LEP, Hearing Impaired
- Pay For Performance (P4P)
- Physician Compensation
- Practice Informatics (Electronic Billing/Electronic Data Interchange/Electronic Medical Records)
- Practice Models
- Rural Health
Closing a Medical Practice - handout
While there are no formally stated rules for closing a medical practice, there are several important items which should be considered and planned in advance. The list below (available as a download) is not comprehensive, but the Washington State Medical Association believes it will be helpful.
To download the list, click here [PDF].
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Coding and Office Staff Certification Guidance
To assist in the process of becoming a Certified Coder or Medical Billing Specialist, Click here [PDF].
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Electronic Health Records/Electronic Medical Records: Practical Guidance for Physicians and Managers
The WSMA receives frequent inquiries from physicians' offices regarding electronic medical records. To assist in that process, the WSMA has prepared the following guidance.
Click here [PDF] to download Electronic Health Records/Electronic Medical Records: Practical Guidance for Physicians and Managers.
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Email: Secured Services for Physicians' Practices
HealthyEmail is a physician outreach program that offers a sophisticated, secure email communication tool to all U.S. physicians and their office staff. The program also includes the promotion, education, and support necessary to ensure awareness, adoption, and satisfaction by the physician community. The goal is to diminish the complexity, provide a level of standardization, and address security risks associated with inappropriate email communications.
www.healthyemail.org
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HIPAA Transactions CD Training Tool: What you need to know
The new requirements imposed by HIPAA legislation have dramatically altered the process for submitting EDI claims, as well as your process for collecting health related data within your practice. So it is important that clinical and non-clinical and non-clinical staff understand those requirements and what steps you'll need to take to comply with HIPAA regulations.
To help you meet those goals, the WSMA, in collaboration with Dr. Joe Nichols of Care Delivery Consultants, is offering this comprehensive CD-based educational program. This CD will provide you with the necessary understanding of these important new concepts and functions.
WSMA and WSMGMA members can purchase this thorough and convenient-to-use CD for $225. The rate for non-members is $325. To download the [PDF] order form, click here, or contact Michelle Lott at the WSMA at (206)-441-9762 or via e-mail at mml@wsma.org.
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Internal Billing Audit for Physicians' Practices
Through a cooperative effort with the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the AMA's Private Sector Advocacy has developed this brochure. It encourages physicians and their office staff to carefully examine claims that are submitted to health plans for inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the submission and payment processes.
To download, click here. [PDF]
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Healthcare Information and Management Systems Certification
This noncredit certificate program is designed to meet the educational needs of the entry to mid-level IT staff member. The program includes courses that effectively integrate industry expertise with cutting edge research and was developed in collaboration with the University of Connecticut College of Continuing Studies, the School of Business Administration and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
The entire certificate program is offered online to accommodate the busy schedules of working adults.
For more information on the Healthcare IT Certification Program. Click here.
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Medicare Compliance Guidance for Small Practices
Medicare is taking strong action to combat fraud and abuse of the system in key areas. In an effort to assist small practices with this task the Department of Health and Human Services has published compliance guidance for small practices.
For the Compliance Guidance, click here. (http://oig.hhs.gov/authorities/docs/physician.pdf)
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Pay For Performance (P4P) Programs: Useful References and Websites
American Medical Association
www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/14416.html
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)
www.cms.hhs.gov/default.asp?
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) www.jcaho.org
Leapfrog Group
www.leapfroggroup.org/leapfrog_compendium
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
www.medpac.gov
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Physician Compensation
The WSMA periodically receives inquiries from physicians regarding compensation levels. To assist in that process, the WSMA has prepared the following list of resources.
Caution should be exercised when attempting to use any such data. One key question to consider: Are the data representative? Findings drawn from a survey with wide geographic sampling may not be representative of actual local marketplace conditions. For example, a national survey may not have received an ample number of responses to be truly representative of conditions in a defined geographic area, be that a multi-state region, a particular state, or areas within a state.
Data are also time-sensitive, that is, the older the data, the higher the potential that the data may not be representative of current economic conditions.
Users of such data should always consider local marketplace dynamics as a primary economic influence, and use data as a guide rather than as absolute measures.
For more information on Physician Compensation, click here.
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Practice Informatics Resources for Physicians' Practices
Click here to download resources.
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Rural Health Clinics: A New Guide is Available
The WSMA has replaced its Rural Health Clinics: A Resource Guide with the newly released guide Starting a Rural Health Clinic - A How-To Manual. This new publication was prepared by the National Association of Rural Health Clinics under contract with the federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
The target audience for this publication includes medical practice in both rural and non-urbanized areas that wish to explore the transition to this federally designated practice model. In addition to this guide, the WSMA provides other related information on local resources for those practices pursuing rural health clinic designation.
If you have questions or problems accessing this information, please contact Michelle Lott at the WSMA's Seattle by phone at (206) 441-9762 or via email at mml@wsma.org.
To access Starting a Rural Health Clinic - A How-To Manual, click here. It is a lengthy document (approx. 167 pages) and may take a while to download.
To access Medicare Fact Sheet on Rural Health, click here.
To access other Washington State resources on rural health, click here.
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University of Washington Health Information Administration Certification and Degree Program
The University of Washington offers several programs for individuals seeking to work with health information management, health data systems and patient records in the health care industry and is designed to develop skills necessary to administer information technology systems in the health care environment. Certificate recipients are eligible to take the American Health Information Management Association national certifying examination. The Bachelor of Science in Health Information Administration (HIA), prepares students for the Registered Health Information Administrator (R.H.I.A.) national certifying examination of the American Health Information Management Association.
For more information on the UW Certificate Program in Health Information Administration. Click here.
For more information on the UW Bachelor of Science in Health Information Administration (HIA). Click here.
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