Conference Update: Pediatric and outpatient sessions offered; speaker Q&A preview

We’re counting down the days until the 2015 annual conference in San Antonio. If you’re as excited as we are, you won’t want to miss our weekly speaker Q&A on the ACDIS Blog to get a feel for the sessions we’ll be offering and start planning your itinerary.

Here’s a sample from last week’s Q&A with Karen Bridgeman, MSN, RN, CCDS, who, along with Tina H. Smith, BSN, RN, CCDS, will present “Through the Looking Glass: Examining APR-DRGs in the Pediatric Population.”

Q: Why is pediatrics becoming an important component of CDI programs?

A: The MS-DRG, developed for reimbursement for the adult Medicare population, does not adequately meet the needs of the pediatric population. However, the APR-DRG was developed to meet some of the unique needs of the pediatric population. It also provides organizations the means to evaluate and compare quality measures. Medicaid insures more than 31 million children, including roughly half of all low-income children in the United States. As more and more state Medicaid programs use the APR-DRG system for reimbursement, CDI specialists need to understand how the APR-DRG system differs from the MS-DRG and how those differences affect their pediatric record reviews.

In addition to Bridgeman’s presentation, this year’s conference will feature a variety of pediatric and outpatient sessions, including:

Pediatric:

• “Welcome to Munchkin Land—the Land of Pediatric CDI,” presented by Tamara Ashley Hicks, RN, BSN, MHA, CCS, CCDS, ACM, and Melinda B. Matthews, RN, BSN, CCDS
• “Pediatric Surgical Documentation Specificity for the ICD-10-Enabled Organization: How to Minimize the Effects of ICD-10-PCS,” presented by John P. Glatthorn, BSBA
• “Pediatric CDI: Lessons Learned From a Tertiary, Freestanding Children's Hospital,” presented by Jodi P. Carter, MD; Nancy C. Rush, RN, BSN, CCM; and Mary Ellen Fee, RN, CCDS

Outpatient:

• “Medicare Risk Adjustment, the New Payment Methodology: What Your Physicians Need to Know,” presented by Lynn H. Lowery, CPC, CFPC and Trey A. La Charité, MD
• “Outpatient CDI: Tools to Get Started,” presented by Lisa Lanier, BS, CCS
• “CDI for Risk Adjustment Coding,” presented by Adele L. Towers, MD, MPH

Click here to find out more about these or any other sessions or call us at 800-650-6787. Don’t forget! Our early bird special expires on March 17. Save up to $100 per person. Register a team of four and a fifth member registers for free.