HIMSS Michigan Chapter 2025 Fall Conference

HIMSS Michigan Chapter, a mission-driven nonprofit, offers unique experts in health innovation, public policy, workforce development, research, and analytics to support leaders and organizations across the healthcare ecosystem. Through a community-centric approach, HIMSS delivers insights, education, and events that help providers, payers, governments, startups, life science, and other health organizations make informed decisions and drive meaningful change.

The HIMSS Michigan Chapter 2025 Fall Conference brought together professionals from across Michigan for two days of valuable learning and discussion on topics such as:

• Community Information Exchange (CIE)
• Data Exchange between POs and Payers
• Patient Satisfaction
• Driving Transformational Change
• Enterprise Virtual Care Transformation
• Cybersecurity in Healthcare

…and much more.

Practice Transformation Institute (PTI) was honored to share insights on the importance of Community Health Worker (CHW) Sustainability, specifically the role of CHWs and billing for services, and sustainable models of care. PTI remains committed to helping clarify strategies that support CHWs and partners, particularly in the areas of CHW core roles, recertification, and billing.

A key question raised during our session was: “Is there a single process for CHW billing and reimbursement across all payers?” The answer is no! Each payer has unique requirements for registration, reimbursement strategies, and the specific ICD-10 codes reimbursed.

To address these differences, PTI is offering a two-part educational series designed to provide clarity on the billing and reimbursement process for CHW services.

The program will cover how to:

• Identify services for which a CHW can bill
• Explain billing requirements for Michigan’s primary payers
• Utilize HCPCS codes to report services provided
• Apply ICD-10-CM Z-codes to report social determinants of health
• Discuss potential functions and workflows in organizational settings
• Identify documentation requirements

…and more

When (Live Virtual):

• Part One: November 20, 2025
• Part Two: November 21, 2025
  (Must attend both days to receive CEUs)

Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Both days)
Cost: $99.00

Click here to register.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) Enhance Transition of Care to Reduce Readmissions

 

Every hospital readmission is more than just statistics and data – it disrupts lives, renews stress for patients and families, and signals missed chances for better continuity of care. According to CMS (2024), thirty-day readmission rates are a key quality measure, often reflecting “quality of hospital care, poor discharge planning, and ineffective coordination of post-discharge services.” Evidence shows that reducing preventable readmissions requires multiple interventions, such as patient education, discharge checklists, medication reconciliation and review, post-discharge follow-up, and addressing social determinants/drivers of health (SDOH) and disparities (CMS, 2024).

The period after discharge, or transition of care (TOC), is a critical time for these interventions. Patients may leave hospitals or other settings with new medications, complex instructions, unanswered questions, unmet social needs, or limited abilities. Missed follow-up visits, confusion about care plans, or unaddressed social challenges often lead to readmissions. Community health workers (CHWs) play a vital role in bridging these gaps. By leveraging shared culture and language, CHWs build trust, simplify instructions and address health literacy, coordinate follow-ups and transportation, provide phone or home check-ins, and connect patients to SDOH resources such as housing, food, or utility support.
Preventing readmissions is not just a medical process – it is a human one. CHWs support individuals where they live, work, and recover, helping ensure safe transitions, reducing avoidable hospital stays, and providing the connection and support patients and families need.  

Practice Transformation Institute CHW Training Program prepares CHWs to do this and more.

• To learn about the program, visit us at https://transformcoach.org/learning-solutions/community-health-worker-chw-program/
  

• To listen to our Informational Session Zero about the CHW Program, click here: https://youtu.be/fvf-qmY66k8?si=B_1FhqDCvtS_dlgy
  

• Don’t miss out! Registration for our next CHW training is now open. To register, click here: https://cvent.me/OvBWe0
  

September 25, 2025 – February 19, 2026

Thursdays | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Live Virtual)

Learners will receive 0.6 IACET CEUs per session

Reference:
CMS Office of Minority Health. (2024). Guide for Reducing Disparities in Readmissions. https://www.cms.gov/about-cms/agency-information/omh/downloads/omh_readmissions_guide.pdf