AAOS Now, April 2014
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What to Expect from the Orthopaedic Surgery Group Practice Manager
Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD When a physician gives an order to a nurse, technician, physical therapist, or pharmacist, the standard, appropriate response, albeit unspoken most of the time, is “Yes, doctor.” With practice managers, however, it’s different. In an orthopaedic group, the purpose and success of the whole comes first. The orthopaedic surgeons who are partners in the group make the practice manager the keeper of that mission.
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Counting Down to ICD–10
ICD-10 implementation is just 6 months away. By now, orthopaedic practices should have accomplished the following actions: Completed the education of physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and coding staff. Finalized all software testing. Completed a review of business associates agreements. Identified the most common or frequently used ICD-9 codes and translated this information to ICD-10.
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Avoid Billing Service Nightmares
Issues to consider before partnering with independent and hospital-based billing services Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD In addition to the compliance and security issues highlighted in part 1 of this series (“Avoid Billing Service Nightmares,” AAOS Now, February 2014), an evaluation of operations, experience, and costs is essential to selecting the right partner for the provision of billing services.
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Transitioning Out of Residency
Congratulations. You are a final-year orthopaedic resident and only a short time away from completing your residency and making “real money.” Not so fast, the real work is about to begin. Your job search is a job in and of itself. Are you prepared? According to Ryan Dopirak, MD, residents should ask potential employers lots of questions so they can critically evaluate orthopaedic practice opportunities.
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5 Simple Steps to Get Your ICD-10 Plan Started
It’s less than 8 months until the ICD-10 deadline on Oct. 1, 2014, but many providers are finding it difficult to get started with their planning to make the switch. Others have started their efforts, but may be overwhelmed by a transition of this magnitude and unsure of what their next steps should be. Whether you’re stuck in the middle of planning or still trying to get started, the following five steps can help make your ICD-10 plan more manageable.
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New Models of Healthcare Delivery in a Private Practice Model
Maintaining and improving current revenue levels is one of the most important issues facing orthopaedic surgeons. During the Practice Management Symposium for Practicing Orthopaedic Surgeons held in New Orleans last month, Craig R. Mahoney, MD, of Iowa Ortho, presented several concepts for privately owned practices to consider when working within the new healthcare payment models. According to Dr.