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For the most part, these are tough economic times for hospitals. As a result, CFOs are in the crosshairs of worried investors and probing federal officials. This month’s E-News Exclusive examines the most pressing issues affecting the bottom lines of health care organizations. — Lee DeOrio, editor Lots to Do for CFOs the Rest of 2017 By Heather Hogstrom From regulatory changes to emerging technology, there are plenty of variables CFOs should keep their eye on in the coming months. Karen Hoppe, a consultant at Craneware, details some of the upcoming issues affecting health care revenue and what CFOs can do to be ready. Prepare for Uncompensated Care and Patient Self-Pay The American Health Care Act (AHCA), as passed by the House of Representatives in May, would likely increase the number of uninsured patients. A recent report from the Congressional Budget Office estimates the Affordable Care Act replacement bill would leave 23 million additional people without insurance by 2026, while a subsequent report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of the Actuary estimates the number to be 13 million. Pending the Senate’s draft of the bill, there’s a lot of uncertainty about the proposed changes and how the AHCA will affect consumers as well as hospitals’ overall financial performance. “CFOs really have to be prepared for an increase in uncompensated care,” Hoppe says. “So it’s important at this point in the year for CFOs to closely monitor their expenses while maintaining quality care, which is very difficult at this time, halfway through their year.” If the AHCA puts more patients in the uninsured population, hospitals will still be caring for those patients. “Typically, hospitals look to insurance payments as their way to make money, but with all the consumer-driven, high-deductible health plans and the potential increases in the uninsured population, CFOs need to find creative ways to ensure patient obligations are collected,” she says. Full Story » CDS Systems: Common Malfunctions, Practical Solutions Astute health care organizations keep tabs on the effectiveness of their clinical decision support software. Read more » Don’t Sleep on Z Codes Organizations that capture social determinants are likely to enhance their population health and value-based care efforts. Read more » Is Texting Physician Orders 2G2BT? With The Joint Commission recently announcing that it was “rebanning” the practice, the future of text messaging protected health information remains up in the air. Read more » Double Down Efforts to Thwart Duplicate Patient Records Multiple records for the same patient pose a serious risk to quality of care and an organization’s financial well-being. Read more » Checking In? Fresno Hospitals First Want Your ‘Eyeprint’ for Patient ID A California hospital system is using iris recognition via high-resolution photos to accurately match patients with their medical records, reports The Fresno Bee. ONC’s John Fleming Wants Patients to Have a Single Unified Health Record The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s deputy assistant secretary for health technology reform believes Americans should have a unified health record that pulls data from various providers into one record that is under the patient’s control, according to FierceHealthcare.   E-News Exclusive CDS Systems: Common Malfunctions, Practical Solutions Don’t Sleep on Z Codes Is Texting Physician Orders 2G2BT? Double Down Efforts to Thwart Duplicate Patient Records Checking In? Fresno Hospitals First Want Your ‘Eyeprint’ for Patient ID ONC’s John Fleming Wants Patients to Have a Single Unified Health Record HFMA Preview Industry Insight Ask the Expert Tech & Tools Collaborate at HFMA ANI By Heather Hogstrom This year’s Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) ANI will be held June 25–28 in Orlando, Florida. The ANI 2017 educational content is focused on collaboration, and attendees even have the opportunity to influence content and request sessions that aren’t already included in the program by answering polls and e-mailing topic recommendations to education@hfma.org. The resulting content will be presented in Attendee Choice Sessions throughout the conference. On the opening day of the conference, Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, will each present a Keynote Spotlight session, followed by a joint keynote presentation on America’s changing landscape. Afterwards, attendees can head straight to the opening reception for refreshments and entertainment. For another opportunity to mingle with fellow attendees, spend Tuesday night at “Cheers! To Collaboration,” which promises DJs, dancing, and disco balls along with an open bar and unlimited food. Additionally, a new networking option this year is the Collaboration Hub, which includes a Career Center where attendees can receive coaching. Read more » A Secure, Anonymous Résumé Bank Job Alerts Sent to Your E-mail

Colorado HIE Launches FHIR Colorado Regional Health Information Organization (CORHIO) recently announced the successful launch of a new technology innovation that will make health care data even more portable in Colorado. CORHIO CEO Morgan Honea made the announcement at the Prime Health Innovation Summit in Denver. A proof of concept is underway that utilizes Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) to provide user-configurable access to retrieve and view the patient data contained in the CORHIO health information exchange (HIE). With funding from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, CORHIO has developed the architecture to utilize FHIR to greatly enhance clinical data access in a secure environment and position the HIE for advanced future applications. Read more » Have a coding or transcription question? Get an expert answer by sending an email to edit@gvpub.com. For The Record offers many flexible advertising programs designed to maximize your results. From print advertising to e-newsletter sponsorships, website advertising to custom e-mail marketing, For The Record helps maximize your investment. Email our experienced account executives today for more information or call 800-278-4400! Coming up in our September issue is our Training and Education Resource Guide. Contact sales for more information. AlliedHealthCareers.com is the premier online resource to recruit HIM professionals. Post your open positions, view résumés and showcase your facility's offerings all at AlliedHealthCareers.com! The nation's top employers and recruiters of HIM talent advertise in For The Record magazine and post their job openings on AlliedHealthCareers.com. Check out the most recent opportunities that have been submitted by employers across the country! Coders, FT/PT—Hendrick Health System, Alibene, TX For The Record's online gift shop features a wide variety of items for HIM professionals for any occasion. Whether you are searching for products to give friends or colleagues, hand out to clients, or wear yourself, finding the right gifts is easy and affordable at For The Record's online gift shop. Choose from t-shirts, journals, clocks, buttons, mouse pads, and much more! Check out our secure online shop today or call toll-free 877-809-1659 for easy and fast ordering.   Alexa Can Tell You the Steps for CPR, Warning Signs of Heart Attack and Stroke The voice-activated Amazon Echo device, which answers thousands of everyday requests, now includes new information that can help save someone’s life. Alexa, the voice of the Amazon Echo, provides instructions for CPR as well as heart attack and stroke warning signs. The first step is to enable the skill in the Alexa app or by saying, “Alexa, enable American Heart Association.” Next, you would say, “Alexa, ask American Heart … how do I perform CPR?” “Alexa, ask American Heart … what are the warning signs of a heart attack?” or “Alexa, ask American Heart … what are the warning signs for stroke?” Alexa offers the steps of Hands-Only CPR for a teen or adult who suddenly collapses: push hard and fast in the center of the chest at the rate of 100 to 120 beats per minute, the same rate as the classic disco song “Stayin’ Alive.” Learn more » Day Pitney Launches Updated HIPAA Self-Assessment Tool 2.0 Day Pitney has updated its HIPAA Self-Assessment Tool 2.0, designed to provide an easy and cost-effective way for organizations to perform a self-assessment of HIPAA compliance based on the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) expanded audit protocol. The original version of the tool launched in December 2015, so the tool’s content was revised to reflect the additional audit areas added by OCR in 2016, including business associate requirements and use and disclosure of genetic information. The tool can help clients assess whether they are in compliance with HIPAA’s security, privacy, and breach notification requirements. Depending on the size and complexity of the organization, the tool can be completed by the compliance officer, privacy officer, security officer, health information manager, medical records manager, or legal counsel. Learn more » New Health Industry Domain Debuts dotHealth will launch the new .health top-level domain (TLD) as a new home for health online. The .health TLD is designed to be the premier web address for those who are advancing the health and wellness industry and will provide a home for health online for brands, organizations, and individuals who provide high-quality health products, services, and information. It can be a challenge for consumers to filter unreliable information from valuable information, so the .health extension will enable them to easily find and connect with credible sources of health information. Websites on .health will represent all areas of the health and wellness industry including those who provide health care and health information, those who market health products/services, HIT companies, and those in the broader health and wellness space. Learn more »