Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1383677
17 CFO / FINANCE Mission Health nearly lost its Medicare contract last fall: What changes were enacted to keep it? By Morgan Haefner M ission Hospital faced termination of its Medicare contract last year, though the Asheville, N.C.-based hospital's corrective action plan was ac- cepted by the federal government, News 13 reported May 5. CMS threatened to terminate its Medicare contract with the hospital in November 2020. A termination letter sent from CMS claimed Mission's emergency department failed to pro- vide "appropriate medical screening examina- tion" in 1 of 30 cases reviewed, according to News 13. In July, a patient released from the hospital's emergency department died by sui- cide days later, according to the report. CMS required Mission to remedy the defi- ciencies by February 2021. Mission submit- ted a corrective action plan to CMS that re- viewed ED screenings and ensured transfers from EMS to emergency staff included and documented behavioral health information, according to the report. Mission was back in compliance in December 2020. Mission Hospital spokesperson Nancy Lin- dell told News 13: "Based on a report in July 2020 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Mission Hospital completed a thorough investiga- tion and submitted an action plan which included additional hand-off/assessment procedures between our emergency room staff and EMS providers. This action plan was accepted by CMS and Mission Hospital was found in compliance with no follow-up survey needed. There was no disruption in service at any time." Other CMS inspections in 2020 found some standards at the hospital weren't be- ing met. In February 2020, Mission didn't have a director to oversee its dietary ser- vices, and in July, a patient fall and inju- ry was also flagged. Mission completed corrective action plans for both instances, according to News 13. An investigation by the North Carolina De- partment of Health and Human Services in February 2020, a state licensure survey in July 2020 and a self-reported survey in Oc- tober of the same year didn't discover any deficiencies at the hospital. n New York health system to outsource 500 IT, RCM jobs to Optum By Alia Paavola B assett Healthcare Network in Cooperstown, N.Y., tapped Optum to provide IT and revenue cycle management services, according to a May 25 news release. As a result of the partnership, 500 Bassett Healthcare Network em- ployees performing in-house functions will have the opportunity to transition to Optum. Optum said it will help Bassett Healthcare Network improve business processes through technology, insights and innovation. It will take over several revenue cycle management services, offer data and analyt- ic capabilities and provide IT services to advance quality care and the patient experience. "Optum's scale and range of resources strengthens our ability to deliver unmatched care to our local communities," said Tommy Ibrahim, MD, president and CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network. "Building on our long history of strategic relationships, our collabora- tion with Optum will create career opportunities for our employees and infuse Bassett with leading innovations and expertise that will greatly modernize and enhance experiences and access to clinical services for patients. It also will expand our ability to partner with other health care providers in the region, to better serve patients in Central New York," Dr. Ibrahim added. n UMass Memorial to launch health insurance company By Lauren Jensik W orcester-based UMass Memorial Health announced it is starting its own health insurance company, Central Mass Health. The company, which was incorporated in February, will be placed under the UMa- ss Memorial Health Ventures umbrella, a non-hospital arm of the health system, ac- cording to the Worcester Business Journal. In documents filed with the secretary of state, UMass Memorial Health CEO Eric Dickson, MD, said Central Mass Health will facilitate care through managed care programs, health maintenance organi- zations and alternative healthcare de- livery programs. To date, there are less than a dozen oper- ating payers in Massachusetts. The UMass Memorial system has over 14,000 employ- ees and donates $200 million to UMass Medical School annually, the article said. n