Articles by Diana Allen

 I thought I would share some of the highlights and if you remember them all as vividly as I do, you can call yourself a Master of Healthcare Change!<br>

Hospitals and physician groups are facing lower reimbursement models, with high risk populations and even higher overhead. Physician practices are facing resource drains with implementing Stage 2 of Meaningful Use and ICD-10.<br>

Collecting patient balances has always been challenging, especially attempting to collect after services are rendered. Factor in high deductible plans into the self pay mix and it takes patient collections to a new stratifier. With more employers opting for higher deductible plans, large patient balances are here to stay.

According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in healthcare administration services is expected to grow by 22% from 2010 to 2020 and at a rate faster than the average for all other occupations. Tracey McKethan, Associate Professor and Department Chair of the Health Information Technologies Department at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) in Springfield, MA states "I believe the employment horizon is much brighter for healthcare students. I am finding that employers see the importance of a college education during the hiring process. Many also have interest in students who have entry level billing and coding credentials, such as Certified Coding Associate from AHIMA or Certified Professional Coder Apprentice from AAPC. Students who have performed strongly in their academic programs are finding good, meaningful jobs."

Lean Six Sigma is not new to the healthcare arena with regards to process improvement, but perhaps your organization has been hesitant to enlist its principals into your practice. This article discusses why you should consider the methodologies for process improvement to bring about a higher level of performance.

The purpose of a medical billing internship is for students to apply their studies in a working environment. "It gives students hands-on training," says Lorena Turner, Career Services Director at Branford Hall Career Institute in Windsor, Ct. Most all accredited schools require a period of internship be completed prior to graduation, varying from 160 to 210 hours, depending on the school.