Talk Ten Tuesdays

Latest Episodes:

Help! Too Many Hats, not Enough Heads! May 12, 2026

Show notes

The role of physician advisor began as a friendly clinical champion for case/utilization management and clinical documentation integrity (CDI) teams. Today, the role has evolved into a catchall profession within hospitals.

With a scope that encompasses multiple departments within revenue cycle, quality, and hospital utilization, it has becoming increasingly difficult for single individuals to successfully engage with and meet the needs of these groups.

Enter the concept of sub-specialization within physician advisory teams. How can the labor be strategically divided and effectively managed?

Learn more from Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., during the next live episode of Talk Ten Tuesday.

Other well-known subject-matter experts will also join the broadcast with more news to report, including the following:

· POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of California-Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadcast.

· CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on all things CDI.

· SDoH Report: Tiffany Ferguson will report on news happening at the intersection of compliance and medical record coding.

· The Coding Report: Christine Geiger will report on the latest coding news.

ACDIS-AHIMA Proposed Practice Brief: Comment Period Now Open May 05, 2026

Show notes

What’s new for the proposed 2026 American Health Information Management Association/Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (AHIMA-ACDIS) Practice Brief?

What’s unchanged? And what does it really mean to issue a “compliant” query in today’s healthcare landscape?

According to healthcare attorney Richelle Martin, the special guest for the next live edition of the popular Internet broadcast Talk Ten Tuesday, there’s plenty to talk about.

The 2026 draft practice brief hits all the hot-button issues, like artificial intelligence (AI)-generated queries, repeat questioning, and the use of prior encounters, while reinforcing the core principle that queries function first and foremost to facilitate a complete and accurate medical record.

Perhaps most provocatively, according to Martin, the document pushes back on misuse of query guidance by auditors and payers, clarifying that these guidelines aren’t meant to serve as weapons for denials.

Other well-known subject-matter experts will also join the broadcast with more news to report, including the following:

• POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of California-Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadcast.

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on all things CDI.

• SDoH Report: Tiffany Ferguson will report on news happening at the intersection of compliance and medical record coding.

• The Coding Report: Dr. Franklin Martin, who will substitute for Christine Geiger, will report on the latest news regarding the CMS Two-Midnight rule.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

Learn Something New: How Payer Logs can be a UR Resource Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

Learning how daily payer logs can help you and your utilization review (UR) team identify denials earlier, strengthen communication between UR and clinical documentation integrity (CDI), and improve the defensibility of medical necessity carries the potential to be a game-changer for healthcare professionals.

During the next episode of Talk Ten Tuesday, Teri Rice, a regulatory specialist with HCPro, will highlight actionable strategies to reduce your facility’s risk and improve outcomes.

The popular weekly Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• POV: Penny Jefferson will share her point of view during the broadcast.

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on all things CDI.

• SDoH Report: Tiffany Ferguson, will report on news happening at the intersection of compliance and medical record coding.

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger will report on the latest coding news.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

LIVE from ACDIS, James S. Kennedy MD: Analysis of the 2027 IPPS Proposed Rule Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

The Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS) will conclude the formal agenda of its Annual Conference at the close of business next Tuesday in Chicago, but not before the preeminent Dr. James S. Kennedy reports on the highlights of the 2027 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Proposed Rule.

Kennedy, no stranger to the Talk Ten Tuesday audience, will be the special guest during the next live edition of the popular Internet radio broadcast produced by ICD10monitor.

According to Chuck Buck, the program’s executive producer and program host, Dr. Kennedy brings a unique perspective to the subject because he has “an innate sense of coders and the challenges they face to assign correct codes.”

The weekly broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

· SDOH Report: Tiffany Ferguson will report on news that’s occurring at the intersection of medical record coding and healthcare compliance.

· CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on all things clinical documentation integrity (CDI).

· The Coding Report: Christine Geiger will report on the latest coding news.

· News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

· Point of View: Talk Ten Tuesdays cohost Penny Jefferson will report on a healthcare issue that has caught her attention.

Tips to Protect Revenue in the Face of OIG Oversight Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

Many of you dedicated healthcare professionals no doubt often find yourselves wearing many different hats, as does Penny Jefferson, cohost of the long-running Talk Ten Tuesdays weekly national podcast.

During the next live edition of the popular Internet program, Jefferson will serve as our special guest.

Jefferson is expected to report on the recent guidance and enforcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). The nation’s healthcare watchdog has placed renewed focus on risk-adjustment accuracy, defensible documentation, and compliance across both Medicare Advantage (MA) and value-based payment models.

The popular weekly Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• SDOH Report: Tiffany Ferguson will report on news that’s occurring at the intersection of medical record coding and healthcare compliance.

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on all things clinical documentation integrity (CDI).

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger will report on the latest coding news.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

Outpatient CDI: Protecting Risk Adjustment in a Time of Intensified OIG Oversight Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

As federal oversight of risk adjustment and documentation practices intensifies, healthcare organizations are facing new scrutiny regarding how patient complexity is documented and reported.

Recent guidance and enforcement activity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has placed renewed focus on risk-adjustment accuracy, defensible documentation, and compliance across both Medicare Advantage (MA) and value-based payment models.

During the next episode of Talk Ten Tuesday, Jason Jobes, a CDI expert, will discuss why outpatient clinical documentation integrity (CDI) programs are becoming increasingly important in this environment. He will explore how documentation practices, provider education, and governance strategies can help organizations accurately capture patient complexity while reducing audit exposure and protecting revenue.

The popular weekly Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

· POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of California-Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadcast.

· CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on all things CDI.

· The Coding Report: Christine Geiger will report on the latest coding news.

· News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

Clinically Correct, but Legally Risky Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

A recent False Claims Act case is raising an important question for CDI professionals: what if the diagnosis is clinically valid, but the process behind it is challenged?

During the next live edition of the popular Talk Ten Tuesdays podcast, Dr. Robert Oubre, director of CDI and UM at St. Tammany Health System, will report on a motion for summary judgement on a case (Smith vs Mercy Health) on

how malnutrition documentation and electronic medical record (EMR) workflows came under scrutiny. Dr. Oubre will also discuss the role of AHIMA guidance and the importance of compliance oversight. This is a must listen for CDI, coding, and compliance leaders.

The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

· POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadcast.

· CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on clinical documentation integrity (CDI).

· The Coding Report: Christine Geiger will report on the latest coding news.

· News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

Yet Another Data Breach Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

Data breaches have unfortunately become a fact of life in America’s healthcare system.

The next edition of the popular Talk Ten Tuesdays will focus on just the latest in a succession of such incidents, as providers scramble to determine what to do to prevent cyberattacks – and how to react when they arise, nonetheless.

The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• POV: Penny Jefferson, Manager of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadcast.

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on clinical documentation integrity (CDI).

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger will report on the latest coding news.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

Part 3: Building a Neurodiverse Coding Workforce: Results and Impact Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

After two powerful segments introducing her neurodiversity coding initiative, Tami McMasters Gomez, Executive Director for the Mid-Revenue Cycle, Enterprise-Wide Coding and CDI Operations for the University of California Davis Medical Center, returns to report on how this program is unlocking untapped strengths, improving accuracy, and building a more resilient health information (HIM) workforce. Plus, you and your team will learn first-hand the impact that neurodiverse professionals are already making in the coding workforce.

Most importantly, you’ll come to understand why programs like this one may represent an important pathway to both expanding opportunity and strengthening the future healthcare workforce.

Broadcast segments will also include these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• POV: Penny Jefferson, Director of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadcast.

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on clinical documentation integrity (CDI).

• SDoH Report: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, reports on the news that’s occurring at the intersection of medical records and federal regulations.

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger will report on the latest coding news.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national news correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

Rising Dispute: Clinical Validation Audits Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

The rise of third-party payer audits is no secret to healthcare professionals and facilities, but one type of audit has gained particular attention in recent years: the clinical validation audit.

Clinical validation audits ultimately lead to a downgrade of a hospital’s diagnostic-related group (DRG) payment, but the process by which they reach that result makes them particularly curious.

During utilization review, health plans make decisions about the patient’s care and, in the case of clinical validation audits, actually make determinations about whether documented medical diagnoses are “clinically valid”. Join us to hear how clinical validation audits work and the rise in provider disputes involving clinical validation audits.

Broadcast segments will also include these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

· POV: Penny Jefferson, Director of Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity Services for the University of Davis Medical Center, will share her point of view during the broadcast.

· CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson will provide an update on clinical documentation integrity (CDI).

· SDoH Report: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, reports on the news that’s occurring at the intersection of medical records and federal regulations.

· The Coding Report: Christine Geiger will report on the latest coding news.

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