Emory University Hospital in Atlanta was thrust into the international spotlight in the summer of 2014 as the world anxiously watched first one, then two, then three humanitarian workers infected with the Ebola virus return from West Africa to the United States for treatment as the months dragged on and public anxiety soared. The fourth patient treated at Emory was a nurse who became infected while caring for an Ebola patient at a Texas hospital.
When the placement agency called and said it was looking for an interim case management director in Alaska, and asked if she was interested, Randi Ferrare, RN, BSN, hesitated for just a moment.
Case management in Alaska isn't for the faint of heart, according to Randi Ferrare, RN, BSN, interim director of case management and social work at Providence Alaska Medical Center. Some of the challenges force case managers at Providence Alaska to work a little harder and get a little more creative to meet the needs of its patient population. One innovative program at the hospital is its case management educator position.
At many hospitals the terms Utilization Management (UM) and Utilization Review (UR) are used interchangeably. Are they the same thing? No, they're not, according to Stefani Daniels, RN, MSNA, ACM, CMAC, and Ronald L. Hirsch, MD, FACP, CHCQM.
Mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare industry are often decided upon and negotiated by C-suite staff with involvement from security and IT professionals. However, significant security implications must be considered by both parties prior to, during, and after a merger or acquisition.
