Accurate physician documentation is essential to reimbursement and compliance. Poor documentation can be a cause of inaccurate code selection, denied claims, and payor take backs. To help you understand these risks and how to avoid them, we talked with nationally recognized consultant, coding educator, and author of Greenbranch Publishing’s Field Guide to Physician Coding, 4th Edition, Betsy Nicoletti. In this episode, Betsy shares her “dos and don’ts” for ensuring proper documentation and accurate payment.
Betsy Nicoletti's blog and subscription product: Coding Intel
The Field Guide to Physician Coding, 4th Edition

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Dos and Don’ts of Physician Documentation

Betsy Nicoletti

Quality and Risk

Risk Management

Team Building and Teamwork

Working with and Through Others

Episode Overview: The integration of augmented intelligence (AI) in clinical settings is revolutionizing healthcare, but it also brings its own set of challenges. In this episode, Maria Granzotti, MD, MBA, CPE, CHCQM, FABQAURP, FACHE, dives into the current landscape of clinical augmented intelligence (CAI).  She defines CAI, discusses its primary purposes and benefits, and examines its potential to reduce healthcare costs.
Key Questions:
•	How is CAI different from traditional AI?
•	What does "human in the loop" mean in the context of CAI?
•	Is now the right time for CAI?
Episode Highlights:
•	Technology Integration: Discover how CAI seamlessly integrates into existing clinical workflows, enhancing the tools physicians already use.
•	Quality Improvement: Learn from real-world examples about how CAI supports quality and safety initiatives in healthcare.
•	Healthcare Delivery: Explore how CAI can revolutionize healthcare delivery by reducing administrative burdens and shifting the focus back to patient care.
About the Expert: Maria Granzotti, MD, MBA, CPE, CHCQM, FABQAURP, FACHE, is the chief medical advisor and clinical strategist for Digital Strategies Group, LLC.  With 15 years of experience in healthcare executive leadership and 20 years in emergency medicine, she has a proven track record of delivering value and prioritizing patient safety.  Granzotti has led quality and safety initiatives at a multihospital system in Texas and has played a pivotal role in shaping strategies for over 150 hospitals across the country.
The Big Picture: CAI is creating new possibilities for patients and physicians, driving advancements in technology and quality in healthcare.
Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership.


Using AI to Enhance Clinical Decision-Making with Dr. Maria Granzotti

Maria T. Granzotti, MD, MBA, CPE, CHCQM, FABQAURP, FACHE

Strategy and Innovation

Environmental Influences

Operations and Policy

Technology Integration

Quality Improvement

Episode Overview: Are you a physician who wants to become a Chief Medical Officer (CMO)? In this episode, discover a comprehensive roadmap designed to help you achieve your career goals. Host Mike Sacopulos is joined by author Rex Hoffman, MD, MBA, FACHE, CPE, to explore Hoffman’s new book, I Want to Be a Chief Medical Officer: Now What?. Tune in and take the next step toward your CMO career!
Highlights:
Unique Insights:  Discover what hiring managers seek in potential CMOs and navigate the application process like a pro with tips for job search strategies and resume building.
Comprehensive Roles:  Understand various CMO roles in hospitals, medical groups, health plans, and health systems.
From the Experts:  Gain insight from experienced CMOs including an overview of their duties and the pros and cons of transitioning from clinical practice.

The Big Picture: Turn actionable insights into confidence while navigating your journey toward becoming a successful CMO. 
About the Book: Hoffman packages his lessons learned as the CMO at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, into an ultimate guide for physicians interested in advancing their careers. His five-part book shares invaluable, real-life experiences from multiple chief executives that prospective CMOs can learn from. Doug Koekkoek, MD, and Mark Olszyk, MD, MBA, CPE, act as co-editors with Hoffman on this book.
Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership.


Pathway to Chief Medical Officer – Insights from Rex Hoffman, MD, author of I Want to Be a Chief Medical Officer: Now What?

Rex Hoffman, MD, MBA

Problem Solving

Strategic Perspective

Motivations and Thinking Style

Comfort with Visibility

Professional Capabilities

Accountability

Episode Overview: In this insightful episode, join host Mike Sacopulos and dive into the multifaceted career of Art Lazarus, MD, MBA, CPE, DFAAPL — a distinguished psychiatrist, author, and storyteller.  After a career in clinical care and industry leadership, Lazarus turned to the written word to educate and humanize medicine.
Key Points:
•	The Didactic Power of Storytelling: Lazarus believes in the instructive power of a good story, much like the tales of Mark Twain and CS Lewis, which have left indelible marks on education and culture.
•	Career Journey: Explore the various stages of Lazarus's career and how his experiences have shaped his philosophy on writing and storytelling.
•	Narrative Medicine: Lazarus's books serve a dual purpose of informing and entertaining, similar to how politicians and lawyers connect with and persuade their audiences.

Episode Highlights:
•	A Storyteller's Influence: Lazarus's approach to writing is not just about crafting a narrative but also about imparting valuable lessons on the practice of medicine.
•	Every Story Counts: The discussion will delve into Lazarus's latest book, Every Story Counts: Exploring Contemporary Practice through Narrative Medicine, which is a testament to his commitment to narrative medicine.

The Big Picture: Effective storytelling is influential. When trying to shape someone’s understanding of medicine and leadership, every story counts.
Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership.


Physician Leadership, Narrative Medicine, and Storytelling with Art Lazarus, MD

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA, CPE, DFAAPL

Self-Management

Self-Awareness

Healthcare Process

In this podcast episode, host Mike Sacopulos interviews Chuck Stoner, DBA, a leadership expert, president of Stoner & Associates Consulting, and author of the book Inspired Physician Leadership: Creating Influence and Impact, 2nd Edition, who shares his insights on various aspects of leadership in healthcare.
Sacopulos praises Stoner, stating, "Chuck Stoner has the credentials and experience to command your attention, but he doesn’t need it. He is a person whose guidance and recommendations should be taken seriously; he is a leadership coach we should all be lucky to have."
The interview delves into key topics, including:
•	Are individuals born leaders, or can leadership be developed?
•	Are certain personality types better suited for leadership?
•	How do physicians measure leadership quality?
•	What are the implications when most physicians work for non-physician-led entities?
•	What are the foundations of behavioral leadership?
•	How effective is formal medical education in developing leadership skills?
•	Do the skills that make a good clinician also make a good leader?
Additionally, Stoner offers specific advice for physicians looking to become stronger leaders.
Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership.


Inspired Physician Leadership and Trends in Leadership Theory with Dr. Chuck Stoner

Charles R. Stoner, DBA

Influence

Adaptability

Bahar Sedarati, MD, CPE, FCUCM, believes that emotional intelligence is a significant human skill. From her youth growing up in Iran, to her training as an internist, to her passion for teaching and mentoring, and now as a career coach, Sedarati’s message is focusing on what we have versus what we want. 
In this interview with Mike Sacopulos, they cover topics on whether courage or empathy can be taught, emotional intelligence and the practice of medicine, her experience with a Managing Happiness Certificate from Harvard University and in earning the Certified Physician Executive (CPE) credential from the American Association for Physician Leadership. 
Sedarati mentions the book Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur C. Brooks. 
Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership.

Emotional Intelligence and Character Strength for the Healthcare Leader with Dr. Bahar Sedarati

Bahar Sedarati, MD, CPE, FCUCM

No one would argue that the training to become a neurosurgeon lacks clinical rigor. Many long intense years go into a Board certification. Neurosurgery education is never really accomplished. Sometimes the most powerful and ultimately useful lessons come from unexpected people and events.  That was the case with Joseph “Jody” Stern, MD.  Stern is a neurosurgeon specializing in complex spine and brain surgery. He has been in practice for more than 25 years and is a partner in the largest neurosurgical group practice in the country — Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates. The deaths of his sister and brother-in-law — and the experience of working with their healthcare teams — brought a new perspective to his work with patients, inspiring him to write Grief Connects Us.
In his exceptionally thought-provoking and moving memoir, Grief Connects Us: A Neurosurgeon’s Lessons on Love, Loss, and Compassion, Joseph Stern, MD, grapples with grief and loss as he searches for compassion in a field notorious for neutrality. 
Hear Stern’s interview on how he became a better physician. 
Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org

A Neurosurgeon’s Lesson on Love, Loss, and Compassion with Joseph Stern, MD

Joseph D. Stern, MD

Dos and Don’ts of Physician Documentation

RECENT EPISODES

Using AI to Enhance Clinical Decision-Making with Dr. Maria Granzotti

Pathway to Chief Medical Officer – Insights from Rex Hoffman, MD, author of I Want to Be a Chief Medical Officer: Now What?

Physician Leadership, Narrative Medicine, and Storytelling with Art Lazarus, MD

Inspired Physician Leadership and Trends in Leadership Theory with Dr. Chuck Stoner

Emotional Intelligence and Character Strength for the Healthcare Leader with Dr. Bahar Sedarati

A Neurosurgeon’s Lesson on Love, Loss, and Compassion with Joseph Stern, MD

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OCME: Life in America’s Top Forensic Medical Center, New Book by Bruce Goldfarb