Talk Ten Tuesdays

What if the solution to healthcare’s coding workforce challenges has been hiding in plain sight? The conversation doesn’t end with rethinking who can succeed in medical coding. In Part II of this special Talk Ten Tuesday series, the focus is on how healthcare organizations can get involved. This broadcast will highlight a growing partnership with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and outlines how organizations can participate in a neurodiversity-focused coding internship model. Learn what it means to host interns, support neurodiverse candidates, and create structured, sustainable pathways into health information management (HIM) careers. For healthcare leaders facing persistent workforce shortages, accuracy concerns, and burnout, this discussion will move from inspiration to implementation – showing how inclusive workforce strategies can strengthen coding operations while expanding opportunities. If you’re ready to move beyond awareness and explore practical ways to build a more resilient, forward-thinking coding workforce, this is for you. The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: POV: CDI Report: The Coding ReportNews Desk:

What if the solution to healthcare’s coding workforce challenges has been hiding in plain sight? During this special two-part Talk Ten Tuesday series, UC Davis Health shares how an innovative neurodiversity-focused coding internship is redefining how talent is identified, trained, and retained. Join Tami McMasters Gomez, Executive Director, for the Mid-Revenue Cycle, Enterprise-Wide Coding and CDI Operations for the University of California Davis Medical Center, when she reports on how this program is unlocking untapped strengths, improving accuracy, and building a more resilient health information (HIM) workforce. This unique conversation will challenge long-standing assumptions about who succeeds in medical coding. If you were responsible for the coding operations of a complex medical center, would you build tomorrow’s workforce the same way you do today? Be sure to listen and learn. This popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: · POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view (POV) during the broadcast. · CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on clinical documentation integrity (CDI). · The Coding Report: Legendary Rose Dunn, COO for First Class Solutions, will handle the coding report for Christine Geiger. Rose will report on the latest False Claims Act (FCA) settlement. · News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

While many of you might have been enjoying the holiday season, the beat of healthcare keeps on beating. Much has happened in the world of medical coding and that is why the producers of Talk Ten Tuesday are dedicating the next live edition of the popular national Internet broadcast to the topic of coding. And that’s why Dr. James S. Kennedy, a trained medical professional who loves coding, will be the Talk Ten Tuesday special guest. The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

What’s new when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) and coding? Listen to the next edition of the long-running and popular Talk Ten Tuesday and learn from longtime RACmonitor and ICD10monitor contributing author Sharon Easterling. Sharon Easterling will continue her editorial series on artificial intelligence and medical record coding. The potential for AI in health information is both exciting and daunting as you’ll learn. The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: POV: CDI Report: The Coding Report: News Desk:

Are you wondering what connects the nouns in the headline together? It’s a Medicare cognitive screening devise. Look at these words and commit them to memory. Try to repeat back this list of words twice a day, from memory: Apple, Chair, Ocean, Book, and Clock. During the next live edition of the popular Talk Ten Tuesday live Internet broadcast, Gloryanne Bryant will report on what some medical experts say about an inability to recall these five words. Could it be signs of cognitive changes or impairment within the brain? Or could it mean that the individual has memory and recall issues? Register now to learn more. The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

Anyone who has been working within the scope of hospital case/utilization management for any period of time has heard of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation. But are you familiar with the CMS Conditions for Coverage? Sometimes referred to as “conditions of payment,” these requirements must be met in order for federal health plans to pay a healthcare facility for a submitted claim. Welcome to the live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Dec. 9, 10 Eastern. That’s when Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, Chief Medical Officer for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will explain how failure to meet some aspects of the CoPs doesn’t mean there is a failure in Conditions for Coverage (CfC). The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: Social Determinants of Health: CDI Report: The Coding Report: News Desk: MyTalk:

They were once called “clinical documentation improvement” specialists, charged with correcting the medical record to identify an overlooked diagnosis that carried the potential to increase revenue. Later, the description was changed to clinical documentation “integrity” (CDI) specialists. But that was then. This is now. Today, the job description continues to change. CDI professionals are being asked to take on more and more responsibilities. And that is why the producers of Talk Ten Tuesday have invited Penny Jefferson, a longtime CDI professional, to be the special guest during the next live edition of the weekly Internet broadcast. The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: · Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH. · CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates. · The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news. · News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk. · MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

Since 80 percent of a person’s health is influenced by factors outside of medical care, it is critical that a healthcare system has an understanding and appreciation for the circumstances of patients’ daily lives that impact their health outcomes, referred to as the social determinants of health (SDoH). During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Lauren Montwill, Vice President of Community Health and Social Impact for the UnitedHealth Group, will report on how her organization is collaborating on the delivery system to collect reliable SDoH data, as well as the effort to build health analytics infrastructure to benchmark, monitor, and track progress toward improving health outcomes and quality measures. The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH. CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates. The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news. News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk. MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

It’s often said that “words matter.” And hospital patient status assignment is no exception. What do your teams say when a patient is in inpatient status which isn’t supported? How about the reverse: when a patient is in outpatient status with observation services. Can your team change to inpatient? Words matter, and Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, chief medical officer for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will explain precisely how impactful your choices can be. During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins will report on this timely topic. The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: Social Determinants of Health: CDI Report: The Coding Report: News Desk:

A new version of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, has been introduced. The new revision aligns the organ dysfunction measurement in critically ill adults with current clinical practices, especially those diagnosed with sepsis. Published Oct. 29 in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and is available here https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2840822. During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Dr. James S. Kennedy will discuss this new SOFA-2 revision and its expected impact on clinical validation for sepsis – defined by Sepsis-3 as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection – and how facility clinical workflows can negotiate denial avoidance with payers with this challenging diagnosis. The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: CDI Report: The Coding Report: MyTalk:

Welcome to “Is Ambient Listening Right for You?” Or, in the alternative, “Free AI Tools and Other Expensive Mistakes.” Nick van Terheyden, MD, the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, says he has seen enough of artificial intelligence (AI) “helpers” turn doctors into unpaid editors and part-time exorcists for hallucinating software. “Clinicians signed up to heal humans, not debug bots,” Dr. Nick said. “Yet here we are, creating ‘AI slop’ so thick it needs its own billing code.” Dr. Nick also references a Harvard study that says your coworkers think using AI makes you less competent; meanwhile, MIT says you’re probably not getting a dime’s worth of value. But don’t worry, you’re getting your AI tool for free! Which, like the “free drinks” at an all-inclusive resort, often tastes mostly like disappointment. Finally, Dr. Nick offers this parting shot: “Remember: your medical records can’t be ‘vibe-coded’ clean. And while lawyers blame the AI for their made-up filings, you don’t get that luxury. Choose your AI tool wisely, because ‘no hallucinations added’ shouldn’t have to be in your note.” The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: CDI Report: Social Determinants of Health: The Coding Report: News Desk:

H.R. 1, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), is set to reshape hospital finances by cutting an estimated $840 billion from Medicaid and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) funding. As hospitals absorb these losses, many are tightening budgets, reducing staff, and facing renewed labor tensions. For the first time, clinical documentation integrity (CDI) teams are part of this unionized landscape, connecting frontline workforce issues directly to reimbursement and data accuracy. When strikes or slowdowns occur, they can disrupt queries, coding, and claims, creating both financial and compliance risks. Together, these forces reveal how economic and workforce realities are now intertwined across every level of healthcare. Reporting the lead story during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, the popular Internet broadcast produced by ICD10monitor, will be Penny Jefferson, CDI Manager for UC Davis Health. The broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: CDI Report: Social Determinants of Health: The Coding Report: News Desk:

Have you been told that Medicare and Medicare Advantage (MA) patients who have difficulties with activities of daily living (ADLs) are appropriate for inpatient status if their hospital stay crosses a second midnight? What direction have you received about “discharge effectuation?” Are your physicians keen on placing the majority of their patients into inpatient status because they want to prevent delivery of an expensive hospital bill? During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, the Chief Medical Officer for Phoenix Medical Management, will report on issues that have captured her interest as she discusses these, and other hot topics of misdirection and misinformation often encountered in the healthcare landscape. The popular broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: CDI Report: Social Determinants of Health: The Coding Report: News Desk:

Join us this coming Tuesday, Oct. 14, when Talk Ten Tuesday will bring you an exclusive interview with two nationally recognized healthcare leaders: Thea Campbell and Mackenzie Higgins. Thea Campbell is the 2026 AHIMA President-Elect and Mackenzie Higgins is the 2025 AHIMA Emerging Star award recipient. The popular broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: CDI Report: Social Determinants of Health: The Coding Report: News Desk:

The revenue cycle helps keep hospital revenue flowing. But sometimes, it seems to sputter out, as if not all the cylinders are firing. And that is why the producers of Talk Ten Tuesdays have invited longtime ICD10monitor editorial consultant Dennis Jones, senior director of revenue cycle at the famed Jefferson Health, to be the special guest during the next live edition of the weekly Internet radio broadcast. The popular broadcast will also feature these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: • CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates. • Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH. • The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news. • News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

When the final rule take effect Oct. 1, 2025, coders, providers, and administration leaders will need to adjust to several key changes, including the new MS-DRGs and broad policy changes. And that is why the producers of Talk Ten Tuesday have invited Leigh Poland, vice president of the AGS Health coding service product line to return to the popular Internet broadcast, Talk Ten Tuesday, to report on these significant changes. The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: • CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates. • Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH. • The Coding Report: Jodi Worthington, with First Class Solutions, will substitute for Christine Geiger to report on the latest coding news. • News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk. • MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

Prolonged hospitalizations can result from many different barriers and delays within the hospital setting. However, a new challenge is emerging. And this new hurdle appears to be identified more and more commonly. So, what’s happening? During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, Dr. Juliet B. Ugarte Hopkins, Chief Medical Officer at Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will reveal this new culprit that appears to be standing between many a patient and a safe discharge. The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: • CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates. • Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH. • The Coding Report: Amy Jo Combs, with First Class Solutions, will substitute for Christine Geiger to report on the latest coding news. • News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk. • MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

Could sepsis be healthcare’s new frontier? During the next live edition of the popular Internet broadcast, Talk Ten Tuesday, James S. Kennedy, MD, will report on his recent attendance at The Unite for Sepsis symposium, sponsored by the San Diego-based Sepsis Alliance (https://www.sepsis.org). The event was held in Chicago and attracted clinicians, researchers, technologists, and government officials who collaborated to address and solve sepsis’ prevalent and high morbidity and mortality. Dr. Kennedy is expected to report on new technologies and clinical approaches to sepsis and how health information management (HIM) professionals can address sepsis-related diagnosis and data integrity. As an added feature, the legendary Rose T. Dunn, past president and interim CEO for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and current COO for First Class Solutions, will report on RADV audits. The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: • CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates. • Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH. • The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news. • News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

You waited and waited. Finally, the big day came, and just as quickly, day turned into evening – and there you were with cloudy vision, halos, and difficulty reading. Not to mention the occasional glare. You and about 25 percent of patients experience a common complication following cataract surgery (or, more precisely, “posterior capsule opacity,” or PCO). The good news: the standard treatment is YAG laser capsulotomy (CPT® 66821). The legendary Rose T. Dunn, past president and interim CEO for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and current COO for First Class Solutions, will return to the Talk Ten Tuesdays broadcast to report on this treatment and topic. The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: • MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health. • CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates. • Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH. • The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news. • News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly transitioned from something to expect in the future to the here and now today. The potential for AI in health information is both exciting and daunting. Reporting the lead story during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday will be longtime RACmonitor and ICD10monitor contributing author Sharon Easterling. Sharon Easterling will continue her editorial series on artificial intelligence and medical record coding. The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments: • MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health. • CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest clinical documentation integrity (CDI) updates. • Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH. • The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news. • News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.