Tag: health care

Write Your Best Healthcare Résumé Yet

Even if you’re not actively seeking, it’s always a good idea to have an impressive résumé at the ready, just in case an ideal job happens to pop up on your radar.

Hiring in healthcare is pretty much always booming, but it can be particularly active at the end and beginning of any given year. So, as October begins, it may be time to reevaluate your résumé. Even if you are not actively seeking a position, it is always a good idea to have an impressive résumé at the ready, just in case an ideal job happens to pop up on your radar. Follow the tips below to make sure your résumé is the best it can be.

Ditch the Old Format

Times change and things evolve, and résumés are no exception. The age-old format of an objective, a chronological list of experience, education, and then “references available upon request” slapped at the bottom is no longer going to impress anyone. It’s like whipping out a flip phone from the year 2000 in the middle of the Apple store on the release day of the new iPhone. Get with the times and restructure your résumé to the more current format of:

  • Name & Contact Info: Your full name, address, phone number, professional email address, and optional social links, right at that top and easy to locate.
  • Summary: A dynamic keyword-infused paragraph, that illustrates your experience, accomplishments, most desirable characteristics, and career goals.
  • Skills & Qualifications: A bulleted or otherwise easy-to-follow section containing your most valuable and important job-related abilities, including specialties, settings, and even the languages you speak.
  • Experience: Listed in clearly defined sections by position, in chronological order, with the most recent at the top, including impressive or noteworthy achievements and specialized skills, not just your day-to-day duties.
  • Education: Your scholastic accomplishments, including degrees, licensures, and/or certifications, and the dates they are valid through, if applicable, as well as when and where you obtained them from. If you are early on in your career, it is perfectly acceptable to swap the order of the Education and Experience sections.

Tailor Your Résumé for Each Application

It may take a bit more time and effort, but altering your résumé to match the description of the job you are applying for can make all the difference when it comes to standing out from the competition. Make sure the keywords in your résumé match the duties and requirements used in the job posting to demonstrate what a seamless match you would be. The more your résumé aligns with what the employer is looking for, the better your odds of making it to the next step in the hiring process.

Include a Cover Letter

A cover letter is the peanut butter to a résumé’s jelly. 22% of Hiring Managers consider it a red flag, if an applicant does not include a cover letter, and while that means 88% are unbothered by it, you have no way of knowing which type of Hiring Manager your résumé is being submitted to. Including a thoughtful cover letter, which is equally tailored to the job and hiring company as your résumé, is a best practice to follow. The body of your cover letter should be used to detail why you would be the right fit for the position and the company you are applying to, and done so in a way that the Hiring Manager will want to move on to your résumé and learn more about you and your qualifications.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Officials Caution 2019-2020 Flu Season May Be Severe

After the flu claimed the life of a 4-year-old in California, health officials are warning that the upcoming flu season could be severe.

Health officials are warning that the upcoming 2019-2020 flu season could be severe, as reported by U.S. News & World Report.

The warning comes on the heels of the first reported flu-related death, which claimed the life of a 4-year-old in California earlier this month.

“A death so early in the flu season suggests this year may be worse than usual,” cautioned Dr. Cameron Kaiser, a health official from Riverside County, where the child was from, in a press release.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that the previous flu season, which ran from October 2018 to May of 2019, was of “moderate severity.” It should also be noted that the 2018-2019 flu season, which lasted 21 weeks, was the longest flu season in a decade, and that, according to the CDC, there were around 600,000 flu-related hospitalizations and between 36,400 and 61,200 flu-related deaths reported.

For the 2019-2020 flu season, officials have recommended flu shots be administered before the end of October, and caution against vaccinating too early, such as in July or August, as reduced protection against the flu may occur. The CDC states that “all persons aged 6 months and older are recommended for annual vaccination, with rare exception.”

Flu vaccines are updated to better combat the strains that are expected to be circulating in the United States. This year:

  • The A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine component was updated from an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus to an A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus.
  • The A(H3N2) vaccine component was updated from an A/Singapore/INFIMH-16-0019/2016 A(H3N2)-like virus to an A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2)-like virus.
  • Both B/Victoria and B/Yamagata virus components from the 2018-2019 flu vaccine remain the same for the 2019-2020 flu vaccine.
  • All regular-dose flu shots will be quadrivalent.

For more in-depth information about the 2019-2020 flu season, the CDC offers a FAQ resource center, which can be accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2019-2020.htm.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Number of Uninsured Americans up for the First Time in 10 Years

For the first time in a decade, the number of Americans without health insurance has risen, up by about 2 million people in 2018.

Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News

For the first time in a decade, the number of Americans without health insurance has risen — by about 2 million people in 2018 — according to the annual U.S. Census Bureau report released Tuesday.

The Census found that 8.5% of the U.S. population went without medical insurance for all of 2018, up from 7.9% in 2017. By contrast, in 2013, before the Affordable Care Act took full effect, 13.3% were uninsured. It was the first year-to-year increase since 2008-09, Census officials said.

Census officials said most of drop in health coverage was related to a 0.7% decline in Medicaid participants. The number of people with private insurance remained steady and there was a 0.4% increase in those on Medicare.

Many of those losing coverage were non-citizens, a possible fallout from the Trump administration’s tough immigration policies and rhetoric. About 574,000 non-citizens lost coverage in 2018, a drop of about 2.3%, the report found.

“Uninsured non-citizens account for almost a third of the increase in uninsured, which may reflect the administration’s more aggressive stance on immigration,” said Joseph Antos, a health economist at the American Enterprise Institute.

The increase in the number of uninsured people in 2018 was remarkable because uninsured rates typically fall or hold steady when unemployment rates drop. The U.S. unemployment rate fell slightly from about 4.3% in 2017 to 4% in 2018.

The uninsured rate continued to vary by poverty status and whether a state expanded its Medicaid program under Obamacare. Texas (17.7%), Oklahoma (14.2%), Georgia (13.7%) and Florida (13%) had the highest uninsured rates in 2018, according to the report. None of those states have expanded Medicaid under Obamacare.

The percentage of uninsured children under the age of 19 increased by 0.6 percentage points from 2017 to 2018, to 5.5%.

“The Census data are clear — the uninsured rate for kids is up sharply and it’s due to a loss of public coverage — mostly Medicaid,” Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, said in a statement.

“These children are not getting private coverage as the Trump Administration has suggested but rather becoming uninsured,” she said. “This serious erosion of children’s health coverage is due in large part to the Trump Administration’s actions that have made health care harder to access and have deterred families from enrolling their children.”

The share of Americans without medical insurance fell steadily since 2014 but then leveled off in 2017, the year Donald Trump became president.

Health care advocates have complained that efforts by the Trump administration and Congress are jeopardizing insurance enrollment. They point to cuts in outreach programs that aim to tell consumers about their health care options under Obamacare and the elimination of the ACA’s tax penalty for people who don’t have health coverage.

Alker complained that the administration’s policies are causing the loss of children’s coverage. “In a period of continued economic and job growth, we shouldn’t be going backwards on health coverage,” said Judy Solomon, a senior fellow for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank. “This backsliding almost certainly reflects, at least in part, Trump administration policies to weaken public health coverage.”

She attributed the drop to the Trump administration making it harder for families to enroll for coverage in Medicaid by curtailing outreach efforts, allowing states to ask for more paperwork and proposing a so-called public charge rule that would make it harder for legal immigrants to get permanent resident status if they have received certain kinds of public assistance — including Medicaid.

Tom Miller, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, said the drop in Medicaid coverage “is a positive.”

“When the economy grows Medicaid eventually drops,” he said.

One reason for the drop in health coverage is that middle-income families can’t afford the rising cost of insurance in the individual market, particularly if they don’t qualify for government subsidies, he added.

“On balance, this is some short-term noise,” he said of the uptick in the uninsured rate. “I would put more stake in it if happens for several years.”

Chris Pope, a senior fellow with the conservative Manhattan Institute, also said he considered the change “fairly small” and likely due to increasing wages “pushing people above the income eligibility cutoff in Medicaid expansion states.”

But he suggested that next year would be a better indicator of how changes in the ACA are playing out.

“I expect that the mandate repeal will make next year’s increase in the uninsured more significant,” he said.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

AI’s Future in Healthcare Is Not Entirely Rosy

There is a lot of interest and excitement surrounding integrating AI into healthcare, but there are a lot of hurdles that still need to be addressed.

By Alex Tate

There is a lot of interest and excitement surrounding Artificial Intelligence, or AI, and how it can bring sweeping changes to the healthcare ecosystem. The potential of AI is unlimited, and its avenues in healthcare are still predominantly unexplored. According to Accenture, successful and effective implementation of AI can save the US government up to $150 billion per annum, by 2026. For a government that is generously spending $3.5 trillion each year on its healthcare needs, such sizeable savings can ease some pressure. Accenture also predicts that the AI healthcare market will be valued at $6.6 billion by 2021.

However, despite all of the encouraging statistics, AI still has a cloud of uncertainty associated with it. There are various reasons why people are not comfortable with incorporating AI into healthcare. Technological limitations and complicated intricacies related to AI also do not help its cause. Even though experts are optimistic that AI will rejuvenate the healthcare system, there are implications which cast doubts over its future.

Here are some reasons why the use of AI in healthcare proves challenging:

AI Is Still a Black Box

In IT, black box refers to something which is not entirely understood, in terms of its internal workings. For example, you may know how to turn on your laptop by pressing the power button, but you are unsure what internal mechanisms kick-in during the process of turning on your device. In that case, a laptop may be a black box for you.

For data scientists and IT experts, AI is very much a black box. They are able to derive limited work from AI, but are, themselves, unsure how AI actually works. In theory, AI works by machine learning and neural networks. However, the exact intricacies and algorithms are still less understood.

Inadequate Technology to Support AI

Our current technology, especially in terms of hardware, is not fully capable of running AI and its algorithms. Only the most advanced supercomputers can manage AI. Whereas, the servers that most hospitals currently have may not be fully equipped to deal with the set of processes that take place in AI.

Public Acceptance

Even if we are able to comprehend AI completely, we may not be able to incorporate it into the healthcare setup, unless the public feels comfortable with it. People can be quite distrustful when it comes to the manipulation of their data. As long as AI does not get social acceptance, giving AI access to PHI (Protected Health Information) would be unethical.

Data Protection and Privacy Issues

The American healthcare system takes healthcare privacy very seriously. Breaches in patient information are punishable by a maximum fine of $1.5 million per violation. In light of such strict rules and hefty punishments in cases of non-compliance, scientists cannot risk giving AI open access to patient data. Even if we are able to understand the mechanism of AI, ensuring that data breaches do not happen would be an even more significant challenge. The downside of AI is, if this technology gets into the wrong hands, all the current protocols of data safety will become null and void.

Compliance and Regulations

Since the enactment of HIPAA, the US Government has been regularly enforcing compliances on the healthcare sector to ensure the safety of clinical information. Once AI regularly features in healthcare, the government may be required to enact a new set of regulations to streamline the applications of AI. At this stage, the scientists themselves are not sure how AI works. Aligning AI to federal and state compliances would be a different ordeal.

Employee Layoffs

Reduction in job security due to increased automation and ‘smarter’ computers has been a growing dilemma over the last few years. Since machines are taking over much of the work previously performed manually and businesses are pushing to reduce costs in the ever-competitive healthcare arena, showing employees the door is becoming increasingly common. A decrease in healthcare jobs, as a result of AI, will not only increase unemployment but it will also have detrimental effects on the national economy.

Limited Decision Making for Providers

Richard Baldwin said, “No matter how advanced AI gets, it may never have the ability to be creative and think independently – something which natural intelligence is optimized to do.”

With AI having complete access to patient data, it might be able to prescribe treatments on its own. This process may hinder the provider’s own ability to judge and do the requisite decision making. It can also make a provider complacent, which can be dangerous if the AI commits an error. As long as AI does not become error-free, we cannot trust it to make decisions that a seasoned provider can.

Curtailed Provider-Patient Relationships

AI will completely change the dynamics of the provider-patient relationship. Since AI would be doing most of the things, the provider may not have holistic control over the entire treatment process. AI will also allow patients to self-diagnose their ailments, and the providers would be required to justify it, instead of examining the patient and diagnosing appropriately.

Accountability Issues

In case AI fails to function appropriately and presents erroneous information, no one can be held accountable for it. In case of a wrong prescription due to AI, there is no way for a patient to be compensated. Also, there are no enacted laws and regulations covering errors due to AI. Considering that, at this point, we do not have a complete understanding of AI, resolving such errors would be another challenge.

Hefty Training Costs

During the implementation process of AI, providers and support staff would need specialized training on AI. Making AI comprehendible for providers who are usually not fluent in IT dialects, would be very difficult and may take several weeks of training, if not months. Plus, the support system delegated for AI-backed healthcare software would also need extensive training.

AI is probably the most advanced technological innovation that humanity has ever witnessed. In its pilot testing, AI has shown signs of promise, but its future is full of bumpy rides and twisty roads. Like most other technological innovations, one day, we may master AI and all its complexities, but for now, that phase seems distant. Until we reach that phase, we should not rely on AI and trust natural intelligence to do the crucial decision-making in the healthcare sector.

Alex Tate has served in various positions at health IT organizations for the past thirteen years. Most recently as Vice President at a leading EHR organization. He is currently overseeing EHR Programs and revenue cycle consulting for a number of organizations. He has previously supervised the development of many emerging products and held leadership roles in health-tech strategy, operations, service organization development, delivery, and optimization.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Landmark Decision Holds Drug Maker Responsible In Opioid Crisis

An estimated 130+ people die every day from opioid-related drug overdoses, and now a landmark decision in Oklahoma is holding one drug maker responsible.

An Oklahoma judge has ruled that pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson deceptively marketed opioids, which helped fuel the state’s opioid crisis, a crisis that claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people, and must pay $572 million to the state.

The landmark decision, which was handed down by Judge Thad Balkman on Monday, is the first of its kind, in which a pharmaceutical company is being held directly responsible for one of the worst drug epidemics in American history.

“Defendants caused an opioid crisis that is evidenced by increased rates of addiction, overdose deaths and neonatal abstinence syndrome in Oklahoma,” Judge Balkman said in the ruling.

Johnson & Johnson immediately released a statement in which it was said that the company “plans to appeal the opioid judgment in Oklahoma.”

The case and the subsequent ruling have undoubtedly been closely watched by plaintiffs in other opioid lawsuits, of which there are currently more than 2,000 pending.

It is estimated that more than 130 people die every day in the United States from opioid-related drug overdoses.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

4 Technologies to Know About for Your Clinic

Keeping up with the latest technology is vital for the success of your clinic. Here are four to know about to help you innovate.

By Lizzie Weakley

Keeping up with the latest technology is vital for the success of your clinic. As the healthcare landscape becomes more competitive, having advanced equipment can attract new patients and retain current ones. Technological innovations can also make your clinic more efficient by reducing diagnosis and treatment time. Here are four technologies to consider adding to your practice today.

Advanced Ultrasound Machines

Ultrasound is a safe, effective and non-invasive way to view internal parts of the body. However, the most well-known use of ultrasound is during prenatal exams to check the health of the fetus and give the parents a first look at their new baby. Adding advanced ultrasound technology, such as 3D and 4D ultrasounds, to your practice can not only improve diagnostic capabilities but also bring in revenue from expecting parents who are willing to pay extra for more detailed images.

Thermal Imaging

The use of a thermal camera to diagnose and monitor certain medical condition is one of the biggest recent advancements in healthcare. Unlike many other imaging technologies, thermal imaging is completely safe and painless with no radiation exposure. This technology is often used to help detect breast cancer by measuring the heat signatures produced by the blood vessels surrounding a tumor.

MelaFind Scanner

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. While the aggressive type called melanoma only accounts for one percent of these cancers, it is responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths. A non-invasive optical scanning technology known as MelaFind may revolutionize the early detection of this deadly cancer and reduce the need for painful biopsies. MelaFind is an easy-to-use handheld device that can analyze moles and lesions deep below the skin.

Telemedicine

Many people find it difficult to fit doctor appointments into their busy schedules. Telemedicine is a great way to reach these patients and help them manage their health more effectively. Conducting appointments via video conference allows patients to be seen and treated from their home, office or on the go. Another use of telemedicine is robotic technology in hospitals. Robot nurses equipped with video can check in on patients and free up staff for more important tasks.

Remember, just having advanced technology in your clinic isn’t enough. You must also invest in experienced, well-trained staff who can put that technology to use. Many advanced pieces of medical equipment require special training in order to use them effectively. Don’t forget to budget for training and new hires when considering a technology upgrade.

Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her husky, Snowball.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

4 Career Options That Don’t Require Traditional Medical Schooling

Healthcare offers many new jobs for individuals interested in a stable career, who don’t necessarily want to follow the traditional educational path.

By Anica Oaks

The healthcare field has expanded in recent years, driven by many factors, such as new technologies, more programs for medical coverage, and an aging population. The field offers many new jobs for individuals interested in the medical field, who don’t necessarily want to follow the traditional educational path. Here are four areas in the medical field that don’t require a bachelor’s degree or advanced training.

Ultrasound Technician Programs

Ultrasounds to monitor the progress of a growing fetus during pregnancy have become a common procedure in today’s medicine. But ultrasounds can also be used to detect a variety of health issues. Programs in medical sonography generally require 2 years of training for an associate degree. Bachelor degree programs are also common. Some one-year programs are available in some areas of the country. Certification is required in some states.

Medical Assistant Programs

The need for medical assistants is growing in many areas of the medical field, such as clinics, hospitals, long-term care facilities, assisted living centers and other institutions. These individuals do much of the preparatory work with patients, taking medical histories and basic procedures, such as taking temperatures, blood pressure readings and pulse rates, before individuals see the doctor. They may also prepare patients for tests, arrange hospital admissions, draw blood and do other tasks. Medical assistant programs teach a variety of technical and administrative skills and can vary in length.

Medical Billing & Coding Specialist

The expansion of insurance coverage has meant that more workers are needed for the coding and billing necessary to process insurance claims. This position requires an individual to read a patient’s medical chart to understand the nature of the medical problem and the treatment that is ordered. The information is then translated into the accepted codes that will allow insurance companies to pay for care. Individuals working in this field must have an eye for detail and must be able to communicate with medical professionals to clarify information related to the work. Medical billing and coding programs vary in length, from one to four years.

X-Ray Technician

X-ray technicians are trained to use the complex radiographic equipment that allows physicians a look inside the human body. Individuals need to have good people skills for patient interaction, an ability to understand highly technical equipment and attention to detail to ensure accuracy of the x-rays. X-ray technician programs generally require a 2-year program that will lead to certification.

The medical field offers a broad range of career positions to suit a variety of aptitudes. These jobs vary in the amount of direct patient care that is involved. If you have an interest in medical topics and would enjoy working in a healthcare setting, you can find many different career paths for professional fulfillment.

Anica Oaks is a professional content and copywriter who graduated from the University of San Francisco. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. You can connect with Anica on Twitter @AnicaOaks.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

The Highest Paying Job in Every State Is in Healthcare

Yes, you read that title correctly—the highest paying job in every single state in the United States is a healthcare job.

Yes, you read that title correctly—the highest paying job in every single state in the U.S. is a healthcare job.

The rankings, which were compiled by using wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, show the highest earners are most widely Anesthesiologists, accounting for 18 of the top paying positions, followed by Surgeons ranking as the highest paid in 15 states, and Obstetricians and Gynecologists taking the top paying spot in 10 states.

See what title takes the top pay in each state below.

  • Alabama: Obstetricians and Gynecologists

    Average Salary: $284,380

  • Alaska: Obstetricians and Gynecologists

    Average Salary: $281,170

  • Arizona: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $279,160

  • Arkansas: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $266,630

  • California: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $288,420

  • Colorado: Obstetricians and Gynecologists

    Average Salary: $286,560

  • Connecticut: Obstetricians and Gynecologists

    Average Salary: $272,080

  • Delaware: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $277,280

  • Florida: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $280,390

  • Georgia: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $273,450

  • Hawaii: Psychiatrists

    Average Salary: $269,800

  • Idaho: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $256,450

  • Illinois: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $261,300

  • Indiana: Obstetricians and Gynecologists

    Average Salary: $285,180

  • Iowa: Orthodontists

    Average Salary: $267,870

  • Kansas: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $282,940

  • Kentucky: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $278,590

  • Louisiana: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $253,630

  • Maine: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $286,810

  • Maryland: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $284,120

  • Massachusetts: Orthodontists

    Average Salary: $282,740

  • Michigan: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $261,310

  • Minnesota: Internists

    Average Salary: $251,310

  • Mississippi: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $280,350

  • Missouri: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $250,180

  • Montana: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $266,470

  • Nebraska: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $290,470

  • Nevada: Internists

    Average Salary: $260,100

  • New Hampshire: Physicians and Surgeons

    Average Salary: $275,840

  • New Jersey: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $285,850

  • New Mexico: Obstetricians and Gynecologists

    Average Salary: $287,680

  • New York: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $255,500

  • North Carolina: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $285,730

  • North Dakota: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $273,120

  • Ohio: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $285,000

  • Oklahoma: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $279,020

  • Oregon: Internists

    Average Salary: $251,050

  • Pennsylvania: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $278,010

  • Rhode Island: Obstetricians and Gynecologists

    Average Salary: $266,280

  • South Carolina: Obstetricians and Gynecologists

    Average Salary: $283,910

  • South Dakota: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $293,110

  • Tennessee: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $271,680

  • Texas: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $260,690

  • Utah: Obstetricians and Gynecologists

    Average Salary: $256,950

  • Vermont: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $277,550

  • Virginia: Surgeons

    Average Salary: $264,160

  • Washington: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $268,580

  • West Virginia: Anesthesiologists

    Average Salary: $281,000

  • Wisconsin: Obstetricians and Gynecologists

    Average Salary: $278,730

  • Wyoming: Internists

    Average Salary: $275,350

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

New Codes Relating to Social Factors Proposed

New codes have been proposed relating to social determinants, also known as the non-medical factors in a patient’s life that have an impact on their health.

Social determinants of health—the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, as well as the forces and systems shaping the conditions of their daily lives—are well known to impact health risks and outcomes. Because of this, the American Medical Association and UnitedHealthcare have teamed up in an effort to support the creation of twenty new ICD-10 codes related to social determinants.

The proposed codes aim to more effectively address non-medical issues that influence patient health, such as financial hardships, unemployment, and housing insufficiency.

In full, the proposed codes are:

  • Z55.5 Less than a high school degree
  • Z55.6 High school diploma or GED
  • Z56.83 Unemployed and seeking work
  • Z56.84 Unemployed but not seeking work
  • Z56.85 Employed part time or temporary
  • Z59.61 Unable to pay for prescriptions
  • Z59.62 Unable to pay for utilities
  • Z59.63 Unable to pay for medical care
  • Z59.64 Unable to pay for transportation for medical appointments or prescriptions
  • Z59.65 Unable to pay for phone
  • Z59.66 Unable to pay for adequate clothing
  • Z59.67 Unable to find or pay for child care
  • Z59.69 Unable to pay for other needed items
  • Z59.91 Worried about losing housing
  • Z60.81 Unable to deal with stress
  • Z60.82 Inadequate social interaction – limited to once or twice a week
  • Z60.83 Can hardly ever count on family and friends in times of trouble
  • Z60.84 Feeling unsafe in current location
  • Z60.85 Stressed quite a bit or very much
  • Z60.86 Stressed somewhat

The codes have been submitted to the ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee for consideration, and if approved, the would apply starting on October 1, 2020.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

2019’s “Best Hospitals” Announced

U.S. News & World Report has released their 30th edition of the Best Hospitals in the United States. Take a look at which hospitals scored top marks.

U.S. News & World Report has released their annual rankings of the Best Hospitals in the United States for 2019. The data-driven rankings, which are now in their 30th year, provide a multidimensional assessment of nearly every hospital in the nation, and are often recognized as the worldwide authority in hospital rankings. The rankings include “best of” lists for twelve specialties—Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Ear, Nose & Throat, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, and Urology—as well as an Honor Roll, which takes into account both specialty rankings and procedure and condition ratings.

The hospitals that made the Honor Roll and are, thus, recognized as the twenty best in the nation include:

1. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
2. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
3. Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
4. Cleveland Clinic
5. New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and Cornell, New York
6. UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
7. UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco
8. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
9. NYU Langone Hospitals, New York
10. Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago
11. University of Michigan Hospitals-Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor
12. Stanford Health Care-Stanford Hospital, Stanford, California
13. Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
14. Mount Sinai Hospital, New York
15. UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, Pittsburgh
16. Keck Hospital of USC, Los Angeles
17. University of Wisconsin Hospitals, Madison
18. (tie) Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania-Penn Presbyterian, Philadelphia
18. (tie) Mayo Clinic-Phoenix
20. (tie) Houston Methodist Hospital
20. (tie) Yale New Haven Hospital, Connecticut

To see the full rankings, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.