About the Webinar

This program will cover the new final changes to the discharge planning standards that become effective December 1, 2019. These were published in the Federal Register on September 30, 2019. CMS will publish revised interpretive guidelines and survey procedures to match the new regulations. These apply to all hospitals, including critical access hospitals. Hospitals will be happy to find out that CMS scaled back on many of the proposed rules that hospitals had expressed concern about.

This program will discuss the impact act and how it affects hospital discharge planning. It requires the standardized assessment, quality data, and resource data requirements. It requires hospitals to assist patient with post-discharge care such as home health, skilled nursing facilities, long term care hospitals and inpatient rehab facilities. Patients have freedom of choice and now information on all four must be provided except for CAHs. 

The new regulations cover sections on patient timely access to medical records, the discharge planning process, discharge instructions, discharge planning requirements. It will cover transfers to other facilities, assessment of readmission within 30 days, caregiver rights and recommendations, reduction of factors that lead to preventable readmissions, timely discharge planning, and more.

Discharge planning is not only important to ensure compliance with the CMS standards but also for reimbursement. Optimal discharge planning can help prevent unnecessary readmissions. Hospitals that have a higher readmission rate can be financially penalized. Every hospital that accepts Medicare and Medicaid must be in compliance with the CMS discharge planning guidelines. These standards must be followed for all patients and not just Medicare or Medicaid. CMS requires a number of discharge planning policies and procedures so come learn which ones are required and why.

Learner Objectives

• Discuss the CMS has revised the discharge planning requirements that apply to all hospitals and critical access hospitals

• Recall patients and physicians can request a discharge planning evaluation

• Discuss that information about the hospitalization must be provided to the physician or provider before the first post hospital visit

• Describe that the patient has a right to get medical records timely including a copy of their discharge plan

Who Should Attend

Discharge planners, transitional care nurses, social workers, RN discharge planners, all staff nurses who discharge patients in a hospital setting, ED nurses, chief nursing officer, compliance officer, nurse educators, chief operation officer, chief medical officers, physicians, all nurses with direct patient care, risk managers, social workers, regulatory officer, physician advisor, UR nurses, compliance officer, Joint Commission coordinator, chief operating officer, chief executive officer, staff nurses, physicians, nurse managers, PI director, health information director, billing office director, patient safety officer, and anyone else involved with the discharge planning. Any person serving on a hospital committee to redesign the discharge process to prevent unnecessary readmissions should also attend.

About the Speaker

Sue Dill Calloway, RN, J.D., has been a nurse attorney and consultant for more than 30 years. Currently, she is president of Patient Safety and Healthcare Education and Consulting and the chief learning officer for the Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation. Prior to her current role, she was the director of hospital patient safety for The Doctors' Company and OHIC Insurance Company. She has led many educational programs for nurses, physicians, and other health care providers. Ms. Dill has authored more than 100 books and numerous articles, is a frequent speaker, and well known across the country in the area of health care law, risk management, and patient safety.