How many clinicians (physical, occupational, and speech therapy) can honestly say that they have achieved full independence with 100% of every patient they have ever worked with? Unfortunately, I definitely...
Therapy not complete without some ‘home’ work
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
May 30, 2012
Is it worth it? I’m referring to home visits by the therapy team, the patient, and their family. These are the clinical visits with the patient to their home for a “practice run” conducted...
Medicare reviewers often stop short
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jul 23, 2012
If a patient can achieve his or her highest level of independence, as a rehab clinician, I say let’s go for it. To Medicare reviewers, too often they say stop at the prior level of function. So I...
Have we lost our connection to what’s important?
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Aug 15, 2014
We sometimes use high-minded phrases to describe our work and our hopes for our patients. But have we lost our connection to important words? Do they still hold meaning they once did, and if so, how strongly?
What’s on Your PEPPER Report?
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Sep 10, 2013
Have you received your provider-specific PEPPER report yet? The Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) were mailed on August 30 and have been slowly arriving at skilled nursing...
Grandma has an iPad, what now?
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Aug 07, 2012
Yes, it’s true: Our seniors are tech-savvy and love their gadgets. But where does this leave us as clinicians and caregivers? Hopefully, not in the dark.
Medical necessity — slippery for some
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Dec 02, 2011
Medical necessity has become a common phrase in healthcare terminology, but what exactly does it mean? Unfortunately, this term has become very subjective and is the primary reason we have been denied...
What is therapy? It’s not as simple as it might seem
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Aug 13, 2013
“What is therapy?” sounds like a simple question, but it requires a separate and very complex answer for each discipline.
Home (safety) for the holidays
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Dec 21, 2012
It’s hard to believe the holidays are already here. As I have frantically baked cookies, mailed holiday cards and waited in long lines for the perfect gift, I couldn’t help but people-watch....
How to profit from the new regulation changes
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jan 04, 2012
Has the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services underestimated us again? I hope so. On Oct. 1, 2011, CMS implemented new regulation changes that added a Change of Therapy, COT OMRA, MDS. I believe it...