PWW Advisory Group

On August 15, Steve Wirth was interviewed by IAFC-TV after his keynote presentation at the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Fire Rescue International conference at the Dallas Convention Center, where thousands of fire service and EMS professionals from around the country and the world gathered for the IAFC’s leading annual event. Steve’s presentation was on the “Criminalization of Medical Errors and Lessons Learned from the EMS Homicide Cases,” which discussed the recent tragic cases that have made headlines. In this 6-minute interview, Steve describes to news reporter Autria Godfrey some of the “take aways” from that session, including the steps that EMS practitioners and leadership can take to help avoid criminal and civil liability in patient care situations. Steve discussed the importance of empathy, compassion, communication, and being a patient advocate in all aspects of what we do, including difficult situations where a patient may be in the custody of law enforcement. He also described the future impact these cases may have on EMS and how these cases are a wake-up call to refocus our efforts on the importance of patient-centered care. You can watch Steve's interview below. https://lnkd.in/eGxQH86F

abc360 Featured Session: TQM for RCM - How Total Quality Management Can Improve Your Revenue Cycle. Join us in Hershey on October 20-24 at the Hershey Lodge and learn how incorporating Total Quality Management (TQM) can significantly improve your revenue cycle management (RCM) system from call intake to revenue integrity. TQM can enhance RCM through: Streamlined Processes: TQM principles involve the continuous evaluation and improvement of operational processes. By optimizing procedures such as call intake, documentation, and benchmarking, agencies can reduce errors and delays, leading to improved RCM. Accurate Billing: Implementation of TQM promotes better training for staff involved in data entry and billing. This reduces coding mistakes and ensures that claims are submitted correctly the first time, decreasing rejections and denials, which can lead to delays in the revenue cycle. Employee Involvement and Training: TQM fosters a culture where all employees are involved in quality improvement efforts. Ongoing training and empowerment of staff can lead to heightened attention to detail, better service delivery, and more efficient billing practices. Data-Driven Decisions: TQM encourages the use of data to analyze and improve processes. By analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) related to the revenue cycle, such as claim denials or collection times, organizations can identify problem areas and implement strategic changes. Collaboration with Payers: A TQM approach can lead to better relationships with insurance companies and other payers. Improving communication and understanding of payer requirements can result in fewer claim disputes and faster reimbursements. Cost Reductions: By focusing on quality and efficiency, TQM helps identify wasteful practices. Reducing costs improves the overall financial health of the ambulance service, positively impacting the revenue cycle. Sustained Commitment to Quality: A commitment to continuous quality improvement creates an environment where all stakeholders—from practitioners to administration—are focused on improving services and, consequently, the performance of the organization. Come find out why so many ambulance services and revenue cycle management companies are incorporating TQM into their RCM Register TODAY! https://lnkd.in/gnhkvUUV

Meet our XI Keynote Speaker - Catherine Kulhmann. We are excited to hear her message at our upcoming XI Conferences for the 2024-2025 season. https://lnkd.in/e5cnHWnj

Steve Wirth was the Keynote Speaker for the Fire Rescue International Conference in Dallas, TX this morning. He presented The Criminalization of Medical Errors - Lessons Learned from the Elijiah McClain Trial and Other Criminal Cases Involving EMS Practitioners.

Jill is at the Fire Rescue International Conference at the Kay Bailey Convention Center in Dallas this week. If you are there, stop by Booth #2041 and talk with her about the suite of services PWW|AG offers to help your agency remain compliant.

🚑📊 Joint Statement on EMS Performance Metrics – Beyond Response Times 📊🚑 Sixteen national and international EMS, patient safety, and public policy associations have united to release a powerful Joint Statement on EMS Performance Metrics. This initiative calls for EMS systems and community leaders to prioritize patient-centered care and evaluate EMS effectiveness using a broad, balanced set of measures. 🔍 Key Highlights: Focus on clinical, safety, experiential, equity, operational, and financial measures. Encourages modernizing the assessment of EMS systems with comprehensive KPIs. Emphasizes the importance of publishing data regularly to local stakeholders. 📢 Key Fields to Evaluate: Effective: Is the care clinically appropriate and high quality? Safe: Are services provided safely for patients, responders, and the community? Satisfying: How do patients and EMS clinicians feel about the service? Equitable: Is the care equitable across patient demographics and geographies? Efficient: Are resources maximized effectively? By adopting these comprehensive metrics, communities can better understand and improve their EMS systems, enhancing patient care and emergency response capabilities. The Joint Statement on EMS Performance Metrics – Beyond Response Times can be found here: https://lnkd.in/g9Nkv9Re.     A PDF of the Joint Statement can be downloaded here: https://lnkd.in/g3eBySFh. A resource guide for effective evaluation of EMS systems, including supporting studies, can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gMzgtuUJ. 

The National EMS Memorial Service is this weekend in Arlington, VA. There we will honor 36 EMS professionals who gave the ultimate sacrifice in selfless service to their communities.

🚑 Breaking CMS News! 🚨 CMS has just released the 2025 Proposed Physician Fee Schedule Rule, with a host of proposed changes affecting healthcare providers and suppliers, including EMS. Here’s what you need to know: 🩸 New ALS2 Procedure: CMS proposes to add the administration of low titer O+ whole blood transfusion as a recognized ALS2-level transport procedure. This change, aimed at enhancing care for critically injured or ill patients, reflects the evolving capabilities of EMS. 🔍 Public Feedback Sought: Your input is valuable! CMS is also seeking comments on whether to include other blood products like PRBCs or plasma in ALS2 procedures. 📅 Implementation Date: If finalized, this change will likely go into effect on January 1, 2025. 💬 Join Our Conference: Attend our upcoming conferences to stay informed and discuss the implications of this and other changes. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn more and share your experiences! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dPc44hmF Read the Proposed Rule here: https://lnkd.in/g3An5iXH

🎉2024-2025 Conference Registration is OPEN!🎉 📅Event Details: 📍 Hershey Lodge & Convention Center, Hershey, PA October 20-24, 2024 💲REGISTER BY SEPT 20, 2024, TO SAVE OVER $300.00! Certifications Offered: 🏥 Certified Ambulance Coder (Oct 20-22) 🛡️ Certified Ambulance Compliance Officer (Oct 20-21) 💼 Certified Ambulance Financial Officer (Oct 20-21) 🔒 Certified Ambulance Privacy Officer (Oct 20-21) 📌 Other Upcoming Conference Events: Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas (New Location), March 16-20, 2025 Clearwater Beach, Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa, June 1-5, 2025 Livestream, June 3-5, 2025 ✨THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS✨ Take advantage of this incredible opportunity to advance your career and network with industry professionals! Register here: https://lnkd.in/e5-_sK6x

🚨 Important Update for Air Ambulance Service Providers 🚨 CMS will allow air ambulance service providers to initiate open negotiations for any services rendered on or after January 1, 2024, impacted by the Change Healthcare cybersecurity breach. Air ambulance services may choose to initiate open negotiations at any point from 6/14/2024 to 10/12/2024. This applies regardless of when payment or denial notices were sent. 📌 How to Utilize This Exception Period: 1. Attestation Required: Confirm that the cybersecurity incident impacted your ability to initiate open negotiation in a timely manner. 2. Submit Attestation: Use the published attestation form alongside the standard open negotiation initiation form. 3. Federal IDR Process: If initiating the federal IDR process, the attestation form must be submitted with the standard IDR initiation form. There is no need to request extensions individually via the Federal IDR Inbox as outlined in FAQs Pt. 55. Please also note that considering a recent Texas Federal District Court case, Guardian Flight LLC v. Health Care Serv. Corp., air ambulance services may consider avoiding the IDR process in favor of negotiating rates with insurance providers. The published attestation form can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eepRWtxN The referenced FAQs can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eAj9QX86 A copy of Guardian Flight LLC v. Health Care Serv. Corp. can be found here: https://lnkd.in/egsRjE9P