F1RSTUseTM is the first—and only—full-service EHR management platform built exclusively for anesthesiologists and pain management specialists to satisfy with ease Stage 1 of Meaningful Use as required to earn the Medicare EHR incentive payment.  It is the only product that provides the full service measures to ensure success:  tracking the necessary data points, providing reports of successful measures and ensuring that you are meeting all of the CMS requirements.As a number of physicians have begun to incorporate the F1RSTUse system into their workflow, additional questions regarding the Meaningful Use program have been received.  Read on to learn more about F1RSTUse and how it can support your Meaningful Use program.This checklist has been compiled from questions raised by anesthesiologists, colleagues, facilities, and patients.  1. What is the maximum incentive payment if I start now? – $39,000.  If you have not already enrolled in the F1RSTUse system, the original $44,000 incentive payment is...

We are in the middle of the ASA Annual Meeting, which draws thousands of anesthesiologists from across the country to spend several days at meetings and lectures, all without compensation.  We know the incentive for the rank-and-file:  the opportunity to attend an incomparable array of refresher courses, panel discussions and other continuing education offerings.  Hundreds of anesthesiologists come to educate others and participate in committee and board activities as specialty leaders. The sight of so many physicians spending valuable time together away from the operating room, along with some questions heard lately, made us wonder how anesthesia groups secure attendance at their own internal meetings.  Board and other governance meetings, finance and employment committee meetings, and all-employee and departmental meetings are important—indeed, they are indispensable to effective group management.  While recognizing the need to conduct business by meeting, few individuals wish they could attend even more meetings, and many people will...

The focus on quality outcomes in healthcare has been long in coming. As the cost of health care continues to rise faster than the cost of living, the nation finds itself facing a dilemma. Perhaps a free market approach to healthcare is not the best approach after all. Economic incentives and ground breaking research have clearly provided significant advances in some areas, but what has been their impact on cost? As diverse and independent as the specialty of anesthesiology is, its practitioners have challenged the leadership to take the lead in finding ways to provide quality care more consistently so that anesthesia is not a contributor to the cost of healthcare but a regulator of spending. While virtually all anesthesiologists and CRNAs have now become familiar with the current requirements of the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), this is just one example of a public approach to ensuring consistency based on...

While the eventual fate of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will be decided in the near future, by either the Supreme Court or the next Congress and Administration, what is not open for debate is that healthcare has changed. As the business of medicine evolves to accommodate the changes called for in the healthcare reform laws, so should anesthesiologists anticipate their place in the new environment. The physician group that is able to make informed decisions will be best positioned to evolve and thrive in this era of change. Just like the old Saturday morning cartoon said, “Knowledge Is Power”; by gathering, understanding and responding to information, anesthesiologists can be certain to meet the needs of their clients and proactively position themselves as a catalyst for change.One way of taking that proactive step is to use data to help shine a light on the inner workings of your anesthesia...

Every year, the time comes to begin looking at one or a set of payor contracts. A multitude of questions abound regarding appropriate rates, term length, and whether or not to participate or stay on panel. These are all good questions to raise. But are these the only questions to ask? This article seeks to explore the value of planning for payor negotiations.As a backdrop to the planning, it is important to remember the value of strategic planning as described by Sun Tzu:The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple where the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.1The point is primarily to...