HRS Look & Logo Gets Extreme Makeover

Just looking at this newsletter, you may have noticed a change – not in our mission or our services, but in our overall look! We’ve been working hard to update our brand to better reflect who we are, what we do and the clients we serve. In particular, our new logo has four squares that reflect the four services we provide: Coding, Audits, Radiology and HIM Consulting.

We’ve also heard from our clients that we’ve been able to give them a greater peace of mind about their HIM services. We are honored our clients feel that way, and to that end, we’ve tweaked our ads to portray a more peaceful, serene look. Please watch for them in May issues of JAHIMA and ADVANCE. We’re excited about our new look and hope you agree it better reflects who we are and what we offer!

AHIMA and HRS Partnership Boosts Radiology Practice

HRS is embarking on an exciting project with AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) and its Foundation on Research and Education (FORE) to help us better understand the radiology coding needs of hospitals, imaging centers and radiology departments.

Through a Web-based survey of AHIMA members, we’ll be able to better understand the industry’s radiology coding challenges. The outcome will be a final report posted to the AHIMA/FORE Web site. Results will also be presented at the 2009 American Healthcare Radiology Administrators (AHRA) and AHIMA national conventions.

Case Study: High Volume Hospital, High Impact Results with HRS

The sole healthcare provider for the 100,000+ population of San Joaquin Valley, California, Delano Regional Medical Center treats many uninsured and underinsured patients. Like many rural hospitals, Delano struggled to find reliable, expert coders. Its high percentage of Medicare and Medi-cal payers added even more stringent coding requirements.

Prior to HRS, Delano tried various solutions that didn’t work: In-house training, local recruiting, and utilizing both local and long-distance freelancers. Delano needed a better solution – and chose HRS because they “stood out from the rest,” according to the Delano team.

“Even though they work remotely, HRS staff acts like they are our employees, sitting in our office,” says Sally Schiavon, RHIA, HIM manager. “They are right on target and don’t miss a thing.” Sandra Babick, MBA, director of information management, states, “HRS considerably lowered our coding turnaround times and our accounts receivable.”

In the Press

We are pleased to announce that John Marshall, CRA, RCC, RTR, Interventional Vascular and Radiology Prospective Payment Coordinator at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Florida, has recently joined HRS as radiology coding and reimbursement consultant. Welcome, John!

Coding Tips

3D Reconstruction Codes
Due to improved technology, CPT code 76375 was deleted in 2006 and replaced by CPT codes 76376 and 76377 to identify two things: the complexity related to image post processing; and 3-D post processing using an independent workstation versus an acquisition scanner (workstation). Both codes require the presence of a supervising physician and specialized hardware and software.

When to use CPT 76376
Use this code when the 3-D image post processing does not require an independent workstation. In these cases, image post processing is performed on the acquisition scanner such as the US, CT, MRI, or NM scanner. These are complex readings such as quantitative analysis for surgical planning and fusion of images from other modalities.


When to use CPT 76377
Use this code when the 3-D image post processing requires an independent workstation where the physician directly supervises or creates the 3-D reconstructions and manipulates the projection on an independent workstation. This workstation can be located elsewhere.

When NOT to use these codes
Do not use these codes for general image reconstruction by the technologist to enhance image quality. Also, some procedures already include 3-D formatting and should not use these CPT codes even if a physician is supervising. Refer to AMA's 2007 CPT manual for excluded procedures.