By Shawn Paul & Joe Anderson If the nation has learned anything from the COVID-19 crisis, it’s that advance planning in safety preparedness is vital to our ability to respond to emergencies, whether they’re viral, violent, or otherwise. Healthcare organizations in particular need procedures and sufficient up-to-date equipment to quickly respond to potentially confusing … [Read more...] about Protect healthcare staff from violence and virus post-pandemic
Performance reviews: Dread them? Ditch them? Replace them?
By Lynne Curry Do you dread filling out annual performance reviews? Do you wonder about their effectiveness? You aren’t the only one with doubts. A Gallup survey reports that only 14% of employees strongly agree their performance reviews inspire improvement.1 According to 58% of executives surveyed, their company’s current performance management system produces neither higher … [Read more...] about Performance reviews: Dread them? Ditch them? Replace them?
Provider pays $214K for violating federal COVID-19 workplace protocols
In one of the first of what will likely be a flood of enforcement actions, the Texas parent of an Iowa nursing home has agreed to repay $214,200 in federal monies for not following coronavirus safety protocols during an outbreak at the facility from April through July 2020. Among other things, the nursing home didn’t properly screen employees or require them to wear personal … [Read more...] about Provider pays $214K for violating federal COVID-19 workplace protocols
Why employee mental health is so critical today—and how managers can help
By Robert Half Continued stress has long been an impediment to a healthy workplace, especially when it leads to burnout—increased mental detachment from the job and reduced effectiveness. In a 2019 Robert Half survey of managers, a staggering 96% said their employees experience burnout to some extent. And in a related poll, 91% of workers themselves reported feeling at least … [Read more...] about Why employee mental health is so critical today—and how managers can help
Burnout building for 43% of workers, research shows
Many workers are worn out and ready to make up for lost vacation time, new research shows. More than 4 in 10 professionals surveyed (43 per cent) said they are more burned out on the job today compared to a year ago, up from 33 per cent in a similar 2020 poll. The new survey by global staffing firm Robert Half shows employees experiencing increased fatigue, with 42 per cent … [Read more...] about Burnout building for 43% of workers, research shows
Getting Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services: The new CONNECT for Health Act
Like most cliches, the one about the COVID-19 pandemic’s transformation of medicine forever is laden with truth. Telemedicine is Exhibit A. Of course, telemedicine goes back decades. But the pandemic accelerated the breakdown of resistance on the parts of providers, regulators and above all, patients. It was supposed to be just temporary. But to use still one more cliché, now … [Read more...] about Getting Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services: The new CONNECT for Health Act
New guidance, sort of, about COVID-19 in the workplace
By Mike O’Brien EEOC provides new COVID-19 guidance The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released some new guidance on COVID-19 issues at work. Here are the four EEOC-noted highlights of the most recent update, in late May: First, an employer can require that all employees physically entering the workplace be vaccinated for COVID-19, so long as employers … [Read more...] about New guidance, sort of, about COVID-19 in the workplace
Beware of privacy pitfalls when remotely monitoring telecommuters
Before the pandemic, most US employees worked primarily from an external workplace; today far fewer do. While employers continue to try coaxing employees back to the workplace, it's an uphill battle, with many remote workers preferring to spend at least some of their working hours at home. In short, as with other employers, medical offices need to adjust to the realities of … [Read more...] about Beware of privacy pitfalls when remotely monitoring telecommuters
Federal COVID-19 relief fraud crackdown begins
As with so many other businesses, federal COVID-19 relief was (and, in some cases, still is) the only thing that kept some practices afloat during the darkest days of the pandemic. But with the virus in apparent retreat, business is getting back to normal. And that includes the business of enforcing the federal laws. Among the first orders of business for federal investigators … [Read more...] about Federal COVID-19 relief fraud crackdown begins
New HHS policy makes your office potentially liable for LGBTQ discrimination
While it doesn’t directly relate to billing and reimbursement, federal civil rights laws have an impact on certain aspects of healthcare operations. These laws ban your office from discriminating on the basis of protected personal characteristics, including sex. So, compliance managers need to be aware that on May 10, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an … [Read more...] about New HHS policy makes your office potentially liable for LGBTQ discrimination