Henry County Health Center CIO: Don't Start ICD-10 Transition Without Warning Staff

In a blog post for Hospitals & Health Networks, Henry County Health Center CIO Stephen M. Stewart warned facilities not to implement ICD-10 without warning "front line" staff about the transition.

Mr. Stewart recalled a conversation with a nurse who said administration have to warn nurses "like Paul Reverse, and keep reminding us that the British are coming" during a major transition. He said ICD-10 is a perfect opportunity for hospital administration to create a campaign to increase awareness and mobilize the organization towards change.

He said awareness is not the only component; hospitals must start taking action soon too. For his hospital, that meant preparing and double-checking all systems that utilize codes. It also meant building a test scenario that allowed Henry County Health Center to transition to the new coding system as soon as the first payor was ready. He said the health center is just starting to notice interest from the medical staff because the administration has emphasized the importance of the transition repeatedly.

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