When Paul Belton, RHIA, MBA, JD, LLM, speaks about the culture at Sharp HealthCare in San Diego, you can hear the pride and enthusiasm swelling in his voice. Having served as the vice president of corporate compliance for the past 15 years, Belton has led the ongoing effort to ensure that all employees "do the right thing" at all times.
It took some time to break down the wall between coders and CDI specialists at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C. However, that wall eventually crumbled. Linda Rhodes, RN, BSN, CCDS, manager of CDI, says an increased emphasis on communication and respect is what did the trick.
BCCS recently spoke with advisory board member Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, about the role of state HIM associations in ICD-10-CM/PCS coder education. The following is a summary of that conversation. Bryant serves as the president of the California Health Information Association (CHIA), which has approximately 5,000 members to date. For more information, visit http://californiahia.org .
Joint replacement surgery is nothing short of a miracle for those experiencing pain due to an arthritic or damaged joint. The surgery is performed not only on the hip and knee, but also on the ankle, foot, shoulder, elbow, or finger. Patients who have undergone this surgery often regain mobility and are able to live pain free.
Although ICD-10-CM resolves some problematic areas of coding, it isn't a panacea. Respiratory insufficiency is one diagnosis that will continue to challenge coders.
