MedAxiom Articles cover the latest industry news and provide expert analysis to help you stay up-to-speed on CV hot topics and the impact on your organization.
Since 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has continued to expand the ambulatory surgical center (ASC) fee schedule to include a growing list of cardiovascular procedures that were previously restricted to hospital settings. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article, Ginger Biesbrock, DSc, PA-C, MPH, FACC, explains how strategic staffing in ambulatory surgical centers is crucial for high-quality, cost-effective interventional cardiology care.
Cardiovascular leaders are all too familiar with the challenges of interdepartmental communication. Breaking down communication silos can feel like an endless game of telephone, except the stakes are way higher. Communication barriers restrict workflow, collaboration, and innovation—especially in the high-stakes environments of the cardiac cath lab and diagnostic imaging departments. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article Jaime Warren, MedAxiom's vice president of Care Transformation Services, dives into practical strategies to foster collaboration, boost efficiency, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes.
With the continued broadening of ambulatory surgery center (ASC)-approved cardiovascular procedures, proven cost-of-care benefits, and quality outcomes, ASCs will continue to grow and evolve. In this article from Cardiac Interventions Today, Ginger Biesbrock, EVP of Care Transformation Services, explains that with careful planning, investment in technology, and a focus on patient safety, these centers have the potential to transform the delivery of cardiovascular care.
The 12th annual MedAxiom Cardiovascular Provider Compensation and Production Survey report highlights the ongoing changes in cardiovascular care. Since the pandemic, the provider landscape has undergone significant transformations, marked by shifts in practice ownership models, evolving trends in provider compensation and production, data on the involvement of private equity in private cardiovascular practices, and impact of interventional procedures on production and compensation. Learn more from report author Joel Sauer, MBA, MedAxiom's executive vice president of Consulting, in this Cardiac Interventions Today article.
As structural heart (SH) programs have grown and matured, their volumes of complex patients with special care coordination needs have increased and are expected to continue to increase in years to come. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article Ginger Biesbrock, EVP of Care Transformation Services, shares insights from MedAxiom’s new CV business white paper highlighting how the SH care delivery model can be optimized to better provide appropriate patient care and increase capacity.
Cath labs have become a cornerstone in cardiovascular care, providing an array of procedures to diagnose and treat disease. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article MedAxiom co-authors Denise Busman, MSN, RN, CPHQ, FACC, and Katie Willerick, MA, share the benefits of interdisciplinary training for the entire care team. Learn how comprehensive training programs through the MedAxiom Academy and consultive services from MedAxiom's healthcare and business experts can help improve outcomes and workforce stability.
In this issue of Cardiac Interventions Today, Nihar Desai, MD, MPH, and Denise Busman, MSN, RN, CPHQ, FACC, vice president of Care Transformation Services at MedAxiom, discuss a comprehensive approach to improving lipid levels after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) hospitalization requires early intervention, multidisciplinary collaboration using guidelines and decision-making tools, and engagement with the care team on the “what” and “why” of any workflow changes. This topic is also the subject of a MedAxiom cardiovascular white paper.
The fourth annual MedAxiom Cardiovascular Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Compensation and Utilization Report reinforces the expanding roles of cardiovascular (CV) APPs as critical pieces of the care team puzzle. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article, Ginger Biesbrock, EVP of Care Transformation Services, explains how integrating APPs into interventional care allows them to gain niche training and provide support to physicians and other care team members.
MedAxiom’s 2023 Cardiovascular Provider Compensation & Production Survey report depicts a stable healthcare landscape for the first time since 2020. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article, Joel Sauer, MBA, report co-author and executive vice president of MedAxiom Consulting, highlights data indicating that interventional cardiology remains one of the top subspecialties, despite higher deviation rates due to staffing issues and changes in the field.
With the growing volume and demonstrated safety of transcatheter left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedures, it may be time to make same-day discharge (SDD) the default strategy for postprocedure care. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article, Denise Busman, MedAxiom's VP of Care Transformation, shows how the SDD strategy contributes to making LAAO more patient-friendly and more affordable for the healthcare system.
The cardiovascular industry has seen a significant increase in the volume of structural heart procedures to treat complex patients requiring organizations to develop formalized programs for their procedural offerings and services. In this recent Cardiac Interventions Today article, Ginger Biesbrock, EVP of Care Transformation, shares the importance of learning from each other to create programs that are effective, efficient, and provide the level of service for our patients that we would expect for ourselves.
As demand for cardiovascular care increases, we continue to see an annual net reduction of cardiologists in the U.S. physician workforce due to aging of existing cardiologists and fewer entering the workforce through fellowships. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article, co-authors Xiaoyan Huang, MD, FACC, Meredith Rosenthal, PhD and Joel Sauer, MBA discuss key drivers for true cardiovascular care evolution including enhancing the care team and embracing innovation and technology.
The past decade has brought many interesting and revealing changes to the practice of cardiology. MedAxiom's 10th annual Cardiovascular Provider Compensation and Production Survey report highlights some of the prominent changes both within cardiology generally and for the interventional subspecialty. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article Joel Sauer, MedAxiom's EVP of Consulting and report co-author shares data from the annual report revealing cardiologists continue to be extremely valuable in the health care market.
Cardiology, which has long been on the forefront of healthcare innovation by embracing transformative technologies and trends, is seeing a rapid shift of care to ASCs. In a recent Cardiac Interventions Today article, Joe Sasson, MedAxiom’s EVP of Ventures and Marc Toth, Market President, Cardiovascular, Atlas Healthcare Partners, share the importance to ensure these shifts are effective and efficient while delivering optimal value to patients, providers, and payors. “We have a responsibility to truly transform cardiovascular care—and we will,” the authors note.
There are some positive signs that the United States may finally be moving past the pandemic, but there are no indications that current staffing constrictions will ease. In a recent Cardiac Interventions Today article, Joel Sauer, MedAxiom's EVP of consulting, shares insights on the current state of cardiology services across the country, the effects of staffing constrictions, and what programs can do about it. "Programs that can maintain well-staffed, efficient labs will have a significant leg up on those that cannot," notes Sauer.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a well-established minimally invasive treatment approach for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). In a recent Cardiac Interventions Today article, Denise Busman, MedAxiom's VP of Care Transformation, shares how procedural growth has provided physicians and clinical teams with expertise guiding patients with AS through TAVR evaluation, procedure and follow-up care. "With an already thin revenue margin, managing elements of TAVR care that add value can maintain programmatic viability as well as set it apart," notes Busman.
Although we are familiar with the concept of innovation, it can be difficult to define what it is and the role it plays in healthcare. In a recent Cardiac Interventions Today article, Taylr Jesinger, MedAxiom's VP of Innovation, shares the elements of innovation and the importance of creating a culture that fosters innovative thinking. "Care transformation cannot be accomplished without innovation, and innovation cannot happen without connecting a constellation of ideas and thinking differently," notes Jesinger.
Understanding where we are today with integration and alignment is vital for building a future where physicians, hospitals and, most importantly, patients can thrive. In this ACC Cardiology magazine article, MedAxiom's Joel Sauer, MBA, explains the importance to reassess current strategies to shift the way care is delivered. "Now is the time to create the ideal physician/hospital vehicle through an alignment 2.0 model that can truly transform cardiovascular care," notes Sauer.
The major story stemming from MedAxiom’s 2021 Cardiovascular Provider Compensation & Production Survey report is that cardiology production nearly halved after essentially halting all non-emergent medical services (including cardiovascular) beginning in March 2020 and extending for months in certain geographies. In a recent Cardiac Interventions Today article Joel Sauer, MedAxiom’s executive vice president of Consulting, shares interventional insights from a disrupted compensation and production paradigm.
Find trends across cardiology, surgery, advanced practice providers (APPs) and nonclinical compensation – revealing the true impact of the coronavirus pandemic on cardiovascular programs from coast to coast in this ACC Cardiology magazine article.
In a recent Cardiac Interventions Today article, MedAxiom’s Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, FACC, discusses cost comparisons, provides an expert review of value-based reimbursement models, and takes a deep dive into defining total cost of care components for developing transformational cost strategies. “Cath lab optimization impacts a large patient population, improves quality of care, improves patient outcomes, and reduces the total cost of patient care, while reducing the cost to deliver care,” said Biesbrock. “Solutions are emerging that focus on standardizing the clinical delivery of care, which will improve patient outcomes and quality and bring program profitability within reasonable reach. These efforts are targeting large patient populations and sharing best practices among peers throughout the health care community.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented and frightening time in health care, but it has also led to renewed innovation. In this ACC Cardiology magazine article, learn how using lessons and experiences from this time can help define new goals to improve cardiac rehab access and enrollment.
Interventional cardiologists are not typically seen as heart failure (HF) specialists, however it is a primary reason for readmission after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for both acute coronary syndrome patients and elective PCI. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article, MedAxiom’s Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, FACC, explains how developing an understanding of best practices for effective HF management during the transitional period and beyond is valuable for improving patient outcomes as well as managing the total cost of care.
Heart failure management has become complex increasing the importance for developing an understanding of best practices for transitional care. In this ACC Cardiology magazine article, Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, FACC, shares a step-by-step approach to assure program alignment, appropriate resource allocation and effective care management for this high-risk patient population.
The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the importance of team-based care. Although, we have come a long way in terms of embracing the team-based care model, it can't just be adding new roles or facilitating a new process. In this issue of ACC's Cardiology magazine hear how cardiovascular programs that optimize their APP utilization and implement a team-based care delivery strategy are able to meet their targets aligned with the Quadruple Aim.
Although history books will focus on the pandemic of 2020, the healthcare industry could and should focus on the disruptor of 2020. In this Cardiac Interventions Today article MedAxiom’s Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, FACC, explains how dyad leadership, a vision for innovation, and utilizing lessons learned will allow true cardiovascular care transformation to occur. "As tragic as the last year was, the healthcare industry must embrace the 2020 pandemic as a disruptor and catalyst for innovation to author positive, lasting change," notes Biesbrock.
In a Cardiac Interventions Today article, MedAxiom's Terri McDonald, RN, MBA, CPHQ, shares the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation and how the influence of the cardiovascular provider, patient cost, and access affects program enrollment and ways to improve adherence.
As 2021 begins, it's important to take time to consider the long-term impacts from the pandemic on the healthcare industry and patient care. In this issue of ACC’s Cardiology magazine, MedAxiom’s Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, FACC, explains three types of innovation viewed through the lens of the COVID pandemic. "If the 2020 pandemic is not seized as a disruptor and catalyst for innovation and care transformation, it will be a missed opportunity," notes Biesbrock.
In this issue of ACC’s Cardiology magazine hear from high-performing pediatric cardiology programs and MedAxiom’s Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, FACC about how many programs quickly developed telehealth processes that aligned the right technology and right people to provide virtual care to thousands of children across the U.S. There are several lessons learned and best practices that provide value as the use of telehealth evolves as part of a comprehensive delivery model, whether a pandemic exists or not.
This article examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped the future of pediatric cardiology care delivery. Through the experiences of high-performing pediatric cardiology programs, there are several lessons learned and best practices that provide value as the use of telehealth evolves as part of a comprehensive delivery model. Their experiences provide insights into the use of technology, reimbursement, barriers to telehealth utilization, patient identification, scheduling management, and telehealth sustainability at a program level.
In an unprecedented year that has ushered in significant changes to the way patients are managed and how practices are operated, MedAxiom united a record number of cardiovascular thought leaders to address care transformation during CV Transforum Fall'20 Virtual. In this issue of ACC’s Cardiology magazine we share some of the highlights from the conference.
Find insights on compensation trends for cardiovascular providers and advanced practice providers, as well as an early look at how COVID-19 impacted practices in this Cardiac Interventions Today article.
In the latest issue of ACC’s Cardiology magazine, MedAxiom’s Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, MPAS, FACC, and Archway Health’s Keely Macmillan take a deep dive into collaborative oncology and cardiovascular care, providing an analysis of Medicare claims data. “Addressing the cardiovascular health of the oncology patient population equates to better, more thorough care management of the population, and can help avoid costly and potentially preventable cardiovascular-related admissions for patients already navigating the challenges of an oncology diagnosis,” the authors note.
Like perennial flowers appearing in the spring, each and every year the thorny issue of physician slowdown breaks into the top five concerns for cardiovascular group and program leaders. In this issue of ACC’s Cardiology magazine, Joel Sauer, executive vice president, MedAxiom Consulting, shares that creating a solid physician slowdown policy is complex but not impossible and available data can help the process.
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect daily program operations, maintaining accurate coding and clinical documentation is vital for managing operating margins, revenue collection and reimbursement. In this issue of ACC’s Cardiology magazine we explain how investing in ongoing education will allow your program to more easily cross-train coders as services continue to evolve to meet patient demand beyond the current PHE.
In this Cardiac Interventions Today article Joel Sauer, Executive Vice President MedAxiom Consulting shares his perspective on the need to embrace a culture of adaptability in health care to ensure its continued success.
Hear why access continues to be top concern for cardiovascular programs amid the current pandemic in an article featured in the latest issue of Cardiology magazine. The article includes an excerpt from MedAxiom’s white paper “It's Time To Think Differently About Access: Success Requires More Than Operational Change,” explaining why culture matters when working to solve access problems.
Given the complex nature of healthcare and the many unknowns introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, effective governance and leadership is likely to become even more important than usual for organizational vitality and viability. In this issue of ACC’s Cardiology magazine, MedAxiom underscores the importance of a dyad leadership model for guiding and managing healthcare organizations. “A strong dyad leadership approach has never been more important than now, as the COVID-19 pandemic challenges the way cardiovascular care is delivered. Together, physician and administrator leaders can shepherd their organizations through the transition and ensure success in the ‘new normal.’”
In this Cardiac Interventions Today article Joel Sauer, Executive Vice President MedAxiom Consulting and Ginger Biesbrock, Senior Vice President MedAxiom Consulting explain the importance of having governance and leadership structures in place that support a culture of access to ensure efforts to improve in this area are successful.
Although healthcare change is moving at a rapid pace, the most pressing issues have remained somewhat stagnant for the last few years, with physician-hospital alignment models and strategies consistently ranking in the top three. In a Cardiac Interventions Today article, MedAxiom's Joel Sauer, MBA, and Terri McDonald, RN, MBA, CPHQ, discuss the foundational attributes required for aligning a CV program.
Despite staggering COVID- 19 statistics, the cardiovascular specialty united to transform cardiovascular care, together. This article underscores how community is at the core of the industry’s ability to adapt and innovate and details how administrators and clinicians came together like never before to learn from each other, support each other, and advocate for resources and support.
In a Cardiac Interventions Today article, MedAxiom’s Terri McDonald, RN, MBA, CPHQ, explains CMS CY 2020 changes that indicate an expectation to provide lower-cost interventional care in the nonhospital ambulatory setting and what CVSL leaders should consider as they build their strategies.
At the heart of MedAxiom is MedAxcess, the largest and most powerful cardiovascular-specific database in the U.S. In this issue of ACC's Cardiology magazine, hear how this proprietary and interactive database allows member organizations to query extensive data resources on demand and provides a powerful tool for organizations seeking to review, benchmark and interpret their data.
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