Before the Covid outbreak, the healthcare workforce was already in a state of crisis. Covid made it much worse. On this new series of our award-winning podcast, we examine the varied causes behind workforce challenges and shortages of nurses, physicians and other related disciplines. We’ll also explore steps we can take to alleviate this crisis. Joining is us a leading workforce expert to provide an overview.

Moderator: Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM Senior Principal Clinical Operations and Quality Vizient

Guests: Eric Burch, MBA, RN, FACHE Executive Principal Operations and Workforce Services Vizient

Show Notes:

[01:21] The workforce issue and the pandemic

[02:04] Drivers of the crisis

[04:19] Changing the traditional model

[05:48] Potential technology role in alleviating the crisis

[08:47] Recruitment and retention approaches

[11:22] Leadership and retention

Links | Resources:

To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com

Eric’s email: eric.burch@vizientinc.com

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On this episode, Dr. Tomas Villanueva and a leading clinical documentation expert finish their discussion on the need to correctly document everything involving spial surgery. Spinal surgery represents a complex challenge for documentation specialists and clinicians alike, and this episode will clear up what is needed to be successful in coding and documenting these procedures.

Moderator: Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM Senior Principal, Clinical Operations and Quality Vizient

Guest: Rachel Mack, MSN, RN, CCDS, CDIP, CCS, CRC Consulting Director, Clinical Documentation Improvement Vizient

Show Notes:

[00:31] Query opportunities and low-hanging fruit

[01:53] Blood loss and the whole clinical picture in querying

[02:50] Using that “magic word” can make a difference – coding to an MCC

[03:43] Other query opportunities

[10:36] When the documentation is wrong

[12:44] Reconciliation and feedback needed

Links | Resources:

To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com

Rachel Mack’s email: rachel.mack@vizientinc.com

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On this episode, Dr. Tomas Villanueva continues his discussion with a leading clinical documentation expert on the need to correctly document everything involving spial surgery. Spinal surgery represents a complex challenge for documentation specialists and clinicians alike.

Moderator:

Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM

Senior Principal, Clinical Operations and Quality

Vizient

Guest:

Rachel Mack, MSN, RN, CCDS, CDIP, CCS, CRC

Consulting Director, Clinical Documentation Improvement

Vizient

Show Notes:

[00:41] Rise in spinal surgeries

[01:23] Coding challenges and parameters

[01:53] Predicaments for coding and CDI specialists

[07:22] Common DRGs for spinal surgeries – the need to use the “magic words”

Links | Resources:

To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com

Rachel Mack’s email: rachel.mack@vizientinc.com

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Spinal surgery represents a complex challenge for clinical documentation. Difficult to code and representing query situations that can be demanding, this is the area of focus for this episode of Modern Practice. Joining Dr. Tomas Villanueva is a leading expert returning to the podcast to talk about the challenges of spinal surgery documentation.

Moderator: Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM Senior Principal, Clinical Operations and Quality Vizient

Guest: Rachel Mack, MSN, RN, CCDS, CDIP, CCS, CRC Consulting Director, Clinical Documentation Improvement Vizient

Show Notes:

[01:26] Around 1.62 million procedures per year

[02:22] Procedures on the increase (2.4 times the level of 15 years ago)

[03:54] The most common spinal diagnoses

[05:15] Often not caught by primary care

[06:20 Less common reasons for spinal surgery

[07:09] Reasons for planned surgeries—often a last resort

[08:45] Risks for avoiding surgery

Links | Resources:

To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com

Rachel Mack’s email: rachel.mack@vizientinc.com

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Years of medical school, residency and fellowships have proven to do little in teaching physicians how to care for themselves. Physician burnout is at an all-time high. On this episode, a physician who is a leading expert on physician stress discusses how to improve mental fitness in those who’ve given their lives to the care of others.

Moderator: Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM Senior Principal Clinical Operations and Quality Vizient

Guest: Cecilia Cruz, MD, MPH, CPCC, ACC Founder and Chief Executive Officer Marpe, LLC Board-certified emergency medicine physician Former co-chair of Quality Division of Emergency Medicine NorthShore University HealthSystem

Show Notes:

[00:34] Physician suicide

[02:44] Need connection

[04:03] What organizations need to do

[06:20] A learned skill and resource

[06:37] Mental fitness

[08:20] The Marpe approach

Links | Resources:

To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com

Dr. Cruz’s email: ceciliacruz@marpejourney.com

Dr Cruz’s Linkedin page: Cecilia Cruz - Founder and CEO - MARPE, LLC | LinkedIn

MARPE, LLC website: https://www.marpejourney.com/

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This episode of our award-winning podcast continues the discussion on why mental fitness is so crucial for physicians and other clinicians today and yet is a concept that physicians still tend to avoid or downplay. Physician training and medical school have not helped. Join us for this gritty discussion.

Moderator: Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM Senior Principal Clinical Operations and Quality Vizient

Guest: Cecilia Cruz, MD, MPH, CPCC, ACC Founder and Chief Executive Officer Marpe, LLC Board-certified emergency medicine physician Former co-chair of Quality Division of Emergency Medicine NorthShore University HealthSystem

Show Notes:

[01:00] The in-box, EMR documentation and authorizations have only gotten worse

[01:40] If we don’t change, it’s all going to fall apart

[03:23] Examples from medical school and training—a lack of respect

[06:45] The EMR and the need for a 27-hour day

[08:05] Deficit of 40,000 primary care physicians by 2030 (AAMC)

[08:30] Emerging mental health issues and workplace violence

Links | Resources:

To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com

Dr. Cruz’s email: ceciliacruz@marpejourney.com

Dr Cruz’s Linkedin page: Cecilia Cruz - Founder and CEO - MARPE, LLC | LinkedIn

MARPE, LLC website: https://www.marpejourney.com/

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Though physicians spend years in medical school, residency and fellowships to learn how to care for patients, they spend little time learning how to care for themselves. Physician burnout, leading to physician turnover, is skyrocketing. On this episode, a physician who is a leading expert on physician stress, having gone through that stress herself, discusses how to improve mental fitness in those who’ve given their lives to the care of others.

Moderator: Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM Senior Principal, Clinical Operations and Quality Vizient

Guest: Cecilia Cruz, MD, MPH, CPCC, ACC Founder and Chief Executive Officer Marpe, LLC Board-certified emergency medicine physician Former co-chair of Quality Division of Emergency Medicine NorthShore University HealthSystem

Show Notes:

[01:10] Physician heal thyself? Not happening!

[02:35] Weakness means not being the best

[03:31] An ingrained culture of perfectionism

[04:20] The burnout crisis

[06:40] Physician types affected the most

[07:30] Bigger burden on specialists

[09:13] Overcoming – awareness is only 20% of progress

Links | Resources:

To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com

Dr. Cruz’s email: ceciliacruz@marpejourney.com

Dr Cruz’s Linkedin page: Cecilia Cruz - Founder and CEO - MARPE, LLC | LinkedIn

MARPE, LLC website: https://www.marpejourney.com/

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On this episode of our award-winning podcast, Dr. Tomas Villanueva concludes his discussion on how organizations can approach quality metrics today – what metrics to choose and how to apply them.

Moderator: Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM Senior Principal, Performance Improvement Consulting Vizient

Guest: Rick May, MD Senior Principal, Consulting Solutions Vizient

Show Notes:

[00:38] The burden of reporting

[02:09] Surgical quality and outcomes – technical vs. medical

[03:41] A focus on the systems

[05:00] Systems changes and results

[05:42] Engaging the physicians

Links | Resources:

To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com

Dr. May’s email: rick.may@vizientinc.com

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