“Time is money!” So true—and even more so when your raison d’être is to boost gross revenue in the shortest possible amount of time. Ironically, despite the pressure to produce, time management tends to be a virtually lost art in the world of occupational health sales—whether you are a sales professional or an urgent care clinician or office manager tasked with this crucial responsibility.
Read More‘Destruction’ Codes, Global Periods, Working with Provider Representatives, and Denial of G0431-QW
DAVID STERN, MD (Practice Velocity) Q. Our physician did a shave excision and sent it to pathology. It came back as malignant. She now wants to bill using the destruction codes of 17260-17286. We coders are trying to tell her that she needs to bill for the shave excision, because she documented clearly that she performed shave excision. What is the correct way to bill for this procedure? Name withheld A. Per CPT Assistant 2009: …
Read MoreThe Checklist – Part 3
John Shufeldt, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP (Dr. Shufeldt began a three-part discussion of the importance of procedural checklists in the September issue of JUCM. The first two installments are available at www.jucm.com). Billy was a cocky, disingenuous, trying-to-be aviator who had a hangar next to mine until he left in the middle of the night to avoid paying his overdue invoices. I like pretty much everybody, at least initially. Despite trying, I did not like …
Read MoreClinical Challenge: November, 2010
In each issue, JUCM will challenge your diagnostic acumen with a glimpse of x-rays, electrocardiograms, and photographs of dermatologic conditions that real urgent care patients have presented with. If you would like to submit a case for consideration, please email the relevant materials and presenting information to [email protected]. The patient is a 15-year-old boy who complains of pain over the right hip after falling while playing soccer. He is able to bear weight on his …
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Pediatric Abdominal Pain: Consider Pneumonia in the Differential Diagnosis
Urgent message: Abdominal pain can be a challenging complaint, especially in younger patients. Consider the full range of differential diagnosis in order to initiate prompt, effective management. Curtis Kommer MD, Latha Shankar, MD, MBA and Robert Stuart, MD Introduction Since the time of Hippocrates, the ability of physicians to unravel the mystery of a patient’s abdominal pain has become synonymous with the art and practice of medicine. Pediatric abdominal pain, in particular, with its extensive …
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Practice Management: Keys to a Financially Healthy Urgent Care Center: Patient and Payor Mix
Urgent message: The right mix of payors and patients might make the difference between profitability and the poorhouse. Apply the basic principles to your situation, and adjust accordingly. By Stacy Calvaruso Many factors contribute to the ultimate success or failure of an urgent care center. Some are beyond your control, but there are others on which you can exert a good deal of influence — with the right approach. Two such factors that have an …
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Assessment and Management of Scrotal Disorders
Urgent message: Males with a scrotal disorder often present to urgent care with pain, swelling, or both. Especially in boys and young men, it is important to quickly assess the acute scrotum, which can be a surgical emergency. Jason Chao, MD, MS Introduction Males with a scrotal disorder often present with pain, swelling, — or both. Because of the location of the problem, patients often choose to seek urgent medical attention. Especially in boys and …
Read MoreClinical Challenge 2: November, 2010
The patient is a 77-year-old who presents with pain in the left wrist. She reports injuring it in a fall. View the image taken (Figure 1) and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care: November, 2010
On ED Visits, Corticosteroids and COPD, Intranasal Steroid in Allergic Rhinitis, Intussusception in Children Under 5, Urinary Antigen Testing, and Emergency Contraception Nahum Kovalski, BSc, MDCM Each month, Dr. Nahum Kovalski reviews a handful of abstracts from, or relevant to, urgent care practices and practitioners. For the full reports, go to the source cited under each title. Emergency Department Visits on the Rise Key point: ED use in the U.S. is up dramatically; these stats …
Read MoreClinical Challenge 2: October, 2010
The patient is a 54-year-old woman who presents with a three-day history of constipation. She denies any vomiting, and you note no abdominal distension. She is passing small amounts of gas. View the image taken (Figure 1) and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the page.
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