Happy Thanksgiving!

We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! And remind you that our office will be closed 11/24-11/25, open again on Monday as usual. 

~Genius Solutions

In case you missed it, here is a link to the November e-mail that was sent out last week- Genius November 2011 News Flash

And let me apologize to our Facebook users - I have been unable to update our FB page over the last month because of a new rule they have about having a phone number attached to the account.  It has not been possible to get the number "verified" yet as their lines are always busy.  We will continue trying.  Until then, may I strongly recommend our Twitter feed for timely updates and all things Genius?  :D - Penny

Webinar Reschedule

The Transaction Ledger Webinar that was scheduled for Nov 17th (yesterday) has been rescheduled for Dec 1st.  The reschedule was due to the computer and phone issues we were experiencing yesterday.

As far as we know all computer and phone lines seem to be working fine today.

If you didn't sign up for this webinar previously, but would  like to now, please do.

Here is the link:  https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/185424090

Phone & Computer Problems at Genius

Our phone lines and computers have been up and down this morning. Work continues on them. Keep trying to get through and know we are working on it.

The Genius Focus Group Seminars are FULL!

Hi Everyone - I get to be the bearer of possibly unhappy tidings.  The seminars are completely full for both Wednesday and Thursday. So if you weren't signed up by yesterday, you will probably not be able to make this round.

I have not yet heard if any additional days will be offered.  As soon as I get any new information, I'll pass it along.

Thanks.  PS - We are really looking forward to seeing all of you!

CMS Threatens to Slash Medicare Payments by 27.4%

Ok, technically CMS just issued a teaser of their final Medicare payments rule which is due to finalized and out November 28, 2011.  But when you really look at it and think about it, it really is a threat of you vs. the federal government.  At the beginning of this month CMS (Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services) released a final rule stating that unless Congress does something by January 1, 2012 physicians and non-physicians (who receive reimbursements under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule) will have subsequent payments slashed by 27.4%.  Although this number is down from the 29.5% cut CMS had estimated would occur earlier this year (because Medicare physician services have fallen below increased practice costs).

Permanent EHR Certification Program Delayed by ONC

Dr. Farzad Mostashari the coordinator for the Office of the National Coordinator for Heath IT (ONC) announced last week (click here for the posted announcement) that the permanent EHR certification would be delayed about 6 months, from January 1, 2012 to mid-2012.  This shift also coincides, deliberately, with implementation of the Phase 2 meaningful use standards.

We're Back - Focus Group 2011!

Focus on 5010 and More!  Click Here for more details and registration.

Happy Birthday to Us, & to You!

Visit Cupcake Obsession for more cute cupcakes.

Today is our birthday!  Genius Solutions is 25 years old.  Wow.

There have been so many changes over the last 25 years in healthcare, with computers and technology, and maybe even with you.  Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or are just joining us now…. Thank-you!  You’re part of our Genius extended family and we’re glad to know you and have you with us.  Treat yourselves to a cup of something you love and a piece of cake today while offering up a toast.  We’ll be toasting each other and you with cupcakes at lunch.

Here’s to working together for the next 25 years and seeing where this great healthcare adventure takes all of us!

And thanks again for being part of our family and our 25th Birthday-- We love you!

Save a Life Doc

Ok, you are probably going to have raised an eyebrow by now.  Good.  You doctors are trained to help people and save lives and we all know this, but what about the rest of your office staff?  Patients don’t come to your office because they feel good.  Heck, if they’re as bad as me, they won’t show up until they are dying or practically dead.  That being the case, are your staff trained as first responders?  When minutes count can they act until you can be grabbed or reached to help?  How about an AED machine?  Do you have one in your office?  Is it easy and quick to get to from the front or from one of your exam rooms?  You care about your patients enough to be there long hours every day; do you care enough to make sure your whole office is prepared to assist you in your work?

Worried about ICD-10? Relax, ICD-11 is on its way!

Picture courtesy of http://icanhascheezburger.com

Yes, just when you thought your life couldn’t get any more complicated and governmentally annoying, someone just had to say it… ICD-11.  Yes, after a 23 year process to integrate ICD-10 codes, from their inception, into our United States vernacular, there are already newer codes looming on the horizon.  Perhaps if we hadn’t waited so long to move into ICD-10, this wouldn’t be like dripping ice water down your sun-warmed backs. 

Stimulus Payments and Meaningful Use, Preparing for 2012

Guess what?
If you haven’t already registered and if you are not meaningfully using your EHR 2011 is no longer an option for you.  You needed to report for 90 days this year and you would have to have registered and been using by the beginning of October to qualify for the 2011 payouts.

Is it worth it?  Really? 
We can’t speak for each of you, but I can direct you to this nifty article “CMS pays out nearly $90M in MU incentives in September” at HealtcareITNews.

ICD-10: Gone are the Days

ICD-10—Potpourri:
General State of Readiness- How you can & should be Preparing for the Inevitable, Part 4 of 4

ICD-10 Heralds the Death of the Superbill 

 
This article goes into a bit more detail, but I think you can gather from the above discussions that a superbill just isn’t going to be super enough to cut it for ICD-10.  Gayl Kirkpatrick, from 3M HIS Consulting Services, gave an example from a hospital her team consulted with. "We took a two-page superbill in ICD-9 and translated that into ICD-10," Kirkpatrick said. "It became a 48-page superbill." (1)