The U.S. Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently launched a review of Medicare payments for trauma claims. One focus of the OIG review is trauma team activation (TTA) payments to hospitals that are not properly designated or verified trauma centers. While this is a genuine concern for the government, it is fairly easy for hospitals…
Author: Angie Chisolm
One of the goals of the Grey Book from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) is to make trauma center requirements absolutely clear. The good news is that many requirements in the 2022 Standards are very straightforward. However, ambiguities remain in several areas. In particular, performance improvement (PI) standards continue to require nuance and perspective.…
If there is one thing that most people in the trauma community can agree on, it’s this: Trauma has a data problem. This paid content was developed by Trauma System News in cooperation with National Quality Systems (NQS).On the one hand, trauma center leaders now have access to more data on patient care and program…
As of September 2023, trauma centers verified by the American College of Surgeons are now being surveyed under Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient (2022 Standards) — widely known as the Grey Book. This paid content was developed by TSN in cooperation with our sponsor, Peregrine Health Services.The challenge for trauma program leaders…
Most trauma programs struggle to secure adequate funding for staff, services and equipment. On top of that, the new trauma center standards from the American College of Surgeons have introduced several requirements that may call for extra financial support. Potential new expenses include additional PI and registry staff, expanded specialty support and greater access to…
The new edition of Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has clarified several issues in trauma center verification. However, it also includes some new standards that many trauma program leaders find difficult to interpret. This paid content was developed by Trauma System News in cooperation with…
The new 2022 trauma center verification standards from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) require centers to have documented evidence that their performance improvement and patient safety (PIPS) program is effective (Standard 7.3). Is this requirement new? Yes and no. This paid content was developed by Trauma System News in cooperation with our sponsor.The implicit…
The 2022 trauma center standards from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) include several new requirements for surgical and medical specialists. These expertise requirements will improve care for injured patients, but they also create potential compliance challenges for trauma program leaders. This paid content was developed by Trauma System News in cooperation with our sponsor.As…
If you are concerned that your PI efforts are falling behind, the main thing to do right now is take a deep breath and refocus on what is most important. Below, I explain several strategies for streamlining your PI efforts.
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) introduced virtual site visits in 2020 as a way to facilitate trauma center verification during COVID-19. Even after the pandemic eases, virtual visits will likely continue in some form for many centers. This paid content was developed by Trauma System News in cooperation with our…