Note from the editor: Resources for program design and professional development
by Nicole Votta
Some of the most frequent questions we get from NAHRI members are about professional development and program design. Although the core functions of revenue integrity have been around for years its only recently that revenue integrity has gained wider recognition as a distinct function and profession. As a result, many organizations might not have well-established program design and scope plans, job title and salary structures for revenue integrity professionals, or even a formal revenue integrity program. Fortunately, NAHRI has a number of resources that can help you fill in the gaps. The NAHRI forms and tools review committee works to build a community-sourced collection of resources for everything from charge capture policies to hourly labor calculation tools. All forms and tools are reviewed by the committee to ensure they meet NAHRI’s standards. If you’re interested in joining the forms and tools review committee or would like to submit a resource to the committee’s peer review process, contact Associate Editor Heidi Samuelson at hsamuelson@hcpro.com.
The Resources page on nahri.org offers a wide range of sample tools, forms, and policies available to NAHRI members, including several sample forms that will help you define and focus your revenue integrity program. Is your organization just getting started in revenue integrity? Use the sample revenue integrity business proposal to help make your case to leadership. Once you get the green light from your organization, this sample action plan will guide you through the steps of implementing a revenue integrity department or function. This sample organizational chart can be used as a template for structuring your revenue integrity department.
Keep your revenue integrity program on track by planning and tracking projects and ensuring the program is prioritizing key functions. Use this sample policy to makes sure you’re bringing together all of the key objectives and components of revenue integrity. Keep track of revenue integrity projects using this sample project spreadsheet.
NAHRI offers additional resources beyond what is listed on our website, including access to live and online webinars. For example, you likely know that an annual revenue integrity work plan is critical to ensure that all key charge capture areas are regularly reviewed. But how can you tackle the daunting task of defining the scope of the work plan and identifying priorities? Through timely education and guidance from professionals who have overcome the same obstacles as you, like Marilyn Hart Niedzwiecki, MBA, CPA, RN, CPC, COC, CIRCC, the director of revenue integrity at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Hart Niedzwiecki will explain how she developed and implemented an annual revenue integrity work plan at her facility and answer your questions on May 8 during our webinar The Revenue Integrity Work Plan: Collaboration, Communication, Comprehension.
Looking for resources on hiring and job duties? NAHRI has you covered. Visit the Resources page and filter by Type: Job Descriptions. You’ll find sample job descriptions for revenue integrity specialists, revenue integrity analysts, nurse auditors, and more.
Interested in information on revenue integrity salaries and duties? We published our 2018 Revenue Integrity Salary Survey in the October 2018 issue of the NAHRI Journal and analyzed salaries by facility type and job title. Look for the 2019 salary survey to launch this summer. The 2018 State of the Revenue Integrity Industry Survey Report, released during 2018 Revenue Integrity Week, takes a look the activities, backgrounds, and challenges of revenue integrity professionals. The industry report is available to both NAHRI members and non-members. Stay tuned for the launch of the 2019 industry survey over the next few weeks and the related report and webinar to be released during Revenue Integrity Week 2019, June 3–7.
Do you want to take your revenue integrity career to the next level? Demonstrate your skill, expertise, and value to your organization by earning your Certification in Healthcare Revenue Integrity (CHRI) credential. The CHRI credential offers revenue integrity professionals the opportunity to hone and validate their knowledge base while ensuring facilities have a benchmark by which to measure the competency of their staff and to recruit team members who are committed to bringing value to the industry and staying abreast of changes in regulations and best practices. Earning your CHRI can help you stand out from the crowd in this rapidly growing profession.
We love hearing from our members. If you have questions or suggestions about NAHRI’s resources for revenue integrity program and professional development, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at nvotta@hcpro.com or another member of the NAHRI team.