Data abstractors, and I am/was an RN In the Quality Improvement Dept. I don't have knowledge of who else got the ax...came at the end of the day and I have not been back. Layoffs are based on departmental productivity financial calculations. They looked at services across the board, though. Will go back and turn in my keys and will find out...there have been some new freestanding ERs and surgery centers open recently for private pay only (no indigent care, no Medicaid/Medicare). Reports are that they are doing quite well. Victory is the name of the system for one of the surgical centers...
One of the reasons the data abstractors got laid off was a medical record mining software (Midas) that they have great hopes of for doing the abstractors' job of combing the medical record for value- based purchasing elements. More complicated than it seems, and hasn't been successful till now, but my boss is pretty young and inexperienced with our system. Not sure he realizes how difficult the integration between Meditech and mining softwares is. They overlaid the 2 abstractors duties on top of 2 other full time nursing positions...those poor nurses! Basically each nurse will have 2 full time jobs until the kinks are worked out, if ever. Reimbursement is tied to those elements and the nurses don't fully understand what is involved/required. Glad I am not there to see all that go down!
AI
