2002-2003 Annual Report: HFMA brings perspective and clarity to the industry's complex issues for the purpose of preparing our members to succeed. Through our programs, publications and partnerships, we enhance the capabilities that strengthen not only individual careers, but also the organizations from which our members come

Healthcare Financial Management, Oct, 2003

HFMA Wants You to Know, a biweekly e-mail newsletter that provides practical, "use it now" career and professional development insights. continues to enjoy similar success, reaching more than 49,000 healthcare finance professionals within and outside of HFMA's membership.

Diverse online collection of resources draws visitors to the HFMA website. HFMA's website has grown to offer more than 5,000 pages of healthcare business information. Expanded this year ate online chapter reports, a comprehensive index of resources, corporate responsibility, HIPAA, revenue cycle and cost control documents, free samples of our new newsletters Managing the Margin and Executive Insights, and an easy-to-use HFMA branding section. HFMA provided support for 19 of the many chapter websites.

This year, HFMA's Resource Center feature, "New in the Federal Register," was updated to improve users' ability to pinpoint notices by keyword or date-as well as see at a glance what's new on the regulatory scene. For this tool, HFMA staff comb trough the Federal Register daily to compile and post relevant notices affecting Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal healthcare programs, HIPAA, IRS rules, and SEC requirements-along with links to take you directly to each notice.

Because members have told us they want help in keeping their staff, executives, and board members current on key finance-related topics, HFMA provides ready-to-use PowerPoint presentations on Medicare PPS updates, OIG activities, the PATIENT FRIENDLY BILLING[R] project, and more.

Among the tools that HFMA has delivered to help members comply with HIPAA's requirements, HFMA has provided a privacy rule checklist and a set of downloadable worksheets on the final security rule.

HFMA has developed a set of "Internet Guides" to help members locate online information on key topics, including Medicare PPS rules, corporate responsibility, business statistics, compensation surveys, and federal resources.

HFMA has added a new compliance checklist for durable medical equipment suppliers to its series of OIG compliance guidance tools. Developed by HFMA's Healthcare Compliance Forum, these documents contain a comprehensive checklist of corporate compliance program elements, with references to pertinent sections of the OIG's guidance.

One of the resource Center's most consistently visited tools, HFMA's glossary, has been updated with a feedback form so that users can send HFMA suggestions for terms that should be added to the glossary.

HFMA increases value to members through industry research. HFMA continues to develop and publish research on the industry, including:

* HFMA research supported the PATIENT FRIENDLY BILLING[R] project. This research describes patient needs and issues related to billing and explored industry experience to identify recommendations for billing communications.

* Three reports, sponsored by McKesson, focus on improved resource management.

* "Achieving Operating Room Efficiency Through Process Integration," which discusses how to optimize reengineering efforts by integrating processes and information.