| Viewpoint from the Co-Editor |

Melting Away the Winter of Our Discontent

Here’s to a warm, calm and productive spring.

Jane Shuman, COT, COE, OCS, Co-Editor

This winter has been one many of us will never forget. Ice storms abounded, even in the south, closing medical practices and businesses for days. Unseasonal dryness caused fires in Southern California. I don’t know of anyone who had heard of the polar vortex before January, let alone lived through subzero temperatures for days.

Flurries of regulation

With these changes inflicted by Mother Nature come additional regulations to healthcare. Many practices are struggling to keep up with Stage 2 of Meaningful Use and to remain compliant with billing and documentation yet falling under the watchful gaze of various auditors. We have seen the impact of the Affordable Care Act for several months and are working to increase productivity without increasing costs. As a result, practices are looking for additional revenue streams and attempting to fill late cancellations, including those created as a result of the odd weather patterns.

Another major change approaches: the transition to ICD-10 coding that becomes effective October 1 of this year. Patricia Kennedy provides the first in a series of articles detailing the differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10.

Keeping up with the “most important thing”

It is not easy to juggle the events that transpire daily in the fast-paced environment in which we work. Sometimes, it feels like a hamster wheel: As soon as we implement the “most important thing” and think we can breathe, the deadlines for the next “most important thing” are quickly approaching.

We hope this issue of Ophthalmic Professional brings understanding to many of the challenges that face us and brings some calm to the clinical environment. We also hope that the Spring season is accompanied by warmer temperatures and sunshine. OP

Ms. Shuman, president of Eyetechs, is a nationally recognized authority on clinical flow, scheduling and technician education. Prior to founding Eyetechs, she worked for over 15 years as an ophthalmic technician and clinical manager.