by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Nov 10, 2020 | COVID-19, COVID-19 & HBOT, COVID-19 Diaries
It’s hard to believe that our collective national journey with COVID-19 began only about 9 months ago. In March, I got an informal email from a close friend who is an intensive care and hyperbaric medicine physician. It was so moving that I thought, “Everyone...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Nov 6, 2020 | Healthcare Payment Policy
Recently someone asked me if it was actually possible to report wound care relevant quality measures to CMS as part of MIPS (the Merit Based Incentive Payment Plan). The answer is yes. Here are screenshots from my own reporting, so you can see that I reported them and...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 23, 2020 | Miscellaneous Musings
Please tell me you have it, too. At least then I won’t feel alone! I have trouble concentrating on tasks and I am inefficient with my time. People keep telling me, “Previously you said . . .” I don’t even remember TALKING about that, much less remember what I said. I...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 20, 2020 | Fight the Good Fight, Healthcare Payment Policy
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) Gulf Coast chapter meeting is available now on the UHMS CME portal. It includes a talk I gave on whether a registry could save the field of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). I became committed to the need for a...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 15, 2020 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, Dr. Marissa Carter, Fight the Good Fight
Here’s a fascinating perspective on the cost effectiveness of CTPs by Marissa Carter, PhD, who is a well known researcher in the field of wound care. She’s also authored several informative blogs about the origins of COVID-19 and the challenges of developing a...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 14, 2020 | Fight the Good Fight
Here’s a message from my good friend and colleague, nurse practitioner Joy Schank. Joy has donated her time as an expert in criminal court proceedings dealing with the development of skin breakdown at the end of life. Family members and clinicians have been charged...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 14, 2020 | Miscellaneous Musings
My friend and patient – Morgan McCoy – has a big celebration on October 14th. That’s the day her right leg was amputated above the knee in order to save her life. Morgan is the antithesis of the victim mentality that is plaguing our country. She’s celebrating the day...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 13, 2020 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality
I am a huge proponent of better care coordination. This means doctors have to talk to each other. When I need to talk to a doctor who’s cell phone I don’t already have, I cringe. It means I will have to face their office telephone system and I am so DONE with this. I...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 7, 2020 | Fight the Good Fight
Check out the editorial and article I wrote for Today’s Wound Clinic about pressure injuries and malpractice litigation: What My Experiences Have Taught Me About Meritless Malpractice Cases and A Closer Look at the Legal Implications of Pressure Injuries. Pressure...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 6, 2020 | Healthcare Payment Policy
As we’ve discussed previously, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reclassified all services in the Hospital-Based Outpatient Department (HOPD) under “general supervision” away from “direct supervision,” with the caveat that it was up to the...
