Welcome to the June Edition of the MRC Insider Newsletter!

Hello colleague,

Can you believe we're already halfway through the year?

☀️ June brings the official start of summer, longer days, warmer weather, and hopefully a little extra time to enjoy the people and activities that matter most. Whether you're planning a vacation, celebrating a milestone, or simply enjoying a slower pace outside of work, I hope you find opportunities this month to recharge and make the most of the season.

This time of year is often filled with celebrations and new beginnings. Congratulations to all the graduates and families celebrating accomplishments, both big and small! As we recognize Father's Day this month, we'd also like to acknowledge all fathers, grandfathers, mentors, caregivers, and father figures who provide guidance, support, and encouragement to those around them. Thank you for the positive impact you make every day.

One of the things I appreciate most about MRC is the expertise and collaboration within our community. Whether you're part of our internal team, a provider, a client, or a partner, your work contributes to stronger organizations, better outcomes, and a shared commitment to excellence. Thank you for everything you do.

Wishing you a wonderful month ahead!

Warm regards,

💡  Halfway through 2026 is the perfect time for a coding gut-check. e4health's SVP of Mid-Revenue Cycle Solutions, Amanda Corley, shares five areas—from modifier usage to denial trends—worth reviewing now to reduce audit risk before year-end.

🔎To read, please click here.

💡 AI is rapidly transforming medical coding and auditing—but speed without governance can introduce new risks at scale. This article explores how organizations can move beyond adoption to ensure AI is used responsibly, with strong oversight, transparency, and human accountability. Learn how leaders can elevate coding quality, strengthen compliance, and position their teams for a future that is both AI-enabled and human-led.

🔎To read, please click here.

Juan W.
RHIT, CCS

Outpatient Surgery Coder / OBS Coder

Juan consistently goes above and beyond to ensure success. He is proactive in reviewing and following up on reports submitted by the customer, ensuring all necessary items are completed accurately and timely. In addition, Juan diligently sends accounts from the work queue to coders for review, helping maintain workflow efficiency and quality standards.

What stands out most is Juan’s initiative and dedication. He is always looking for ways to contribute, assist the team, and improve processes wherever possible. His reliability, attention to detail, and positive attitude make him a valuable asset to both the customer and our team.

What's a hobby or passion you have that might surprise your coworkers?

Besides Op Surgery coding, one of my hobbies is construction in general, drywall, painting, laying floors. I have performed several projects in our home, such as renovating a full bath, savings thousands of dollars.

I have been growing my skills by watching DIY videos and improving my techniques through the years since I purchased a home.

Beach Volleyball is my favorite sport, wish I could have played it professionally, but I am happy with the level of play I was able to reach. I would love to pass my knowledge and coach someday, it is still a dream.

What's the most memorable trip, adventure, or experience you've had outside of work?

My memories are filled with my kids and wife, Toronto, Cartagena, Barranquilla (Colombia), Tennessee, NY, North Carolina, Orlando, we love to travel. There is a bucket list for many places to go.

If friends and family had to describe you in three words, what do you think they'd say?

Perseverant, Determined, Joyful

🧠Our Education Team wants to make sure you're "In The Know" with our Coding Corner tip series.

🔎 Click here to read this valuable Coding Tip!

Start a Weekly "This or That" Conversation in Teams

Looking for a simple, low-effort way to increase employee interaction and connection? Try posting a weekly "This or That" question in your Teams chat or channel. These fun, lighthearted polls encourage employees to share their preferences, spark conversations, and discover common interests with coworkers.

Whether you post a question every Monday to kick off the week or every Friday as a fun wrap-up, this activity can help build relationships and create a more connected workplace culture.

Why It Works

Remote and hybrid employees don't always have the casual conversations that happen naturally in an office setting. "This or That" questions create opportunities for team members to engage with one another in a relaxed and informal way.

Benefits include:

• Encouraging participation from all employees
• Creating natural conversation starters
• Helping team members learn about one another
• Building connections across departments and locations
• Increasing engagement in Teams channels
• Bringing a little fun into the workday

These small interactions can strengthen workplace relationships and make employees feel more connected to their colleagues.

Easy “This or That” Questions

Keep questions simple, fun, and inclusive.

Examples:

• Coffee or Tea?
• Beach Vacation or Mountain Getaway?
• Early Bird or Night Owl?
• Pizza or Tacos?
• Dogs or Cats?
• Sweet Snacks or Salty Snacks?
• Summer or Winter?
• Books or Movies?
• Work from Home or Work from the Office?
• Text Message or Phone Call?

You can even tie questions to seasons, holidays, company events, or upcoming weekends.

Tips for Success

• Keep It Consistent
• Choose a regular day each week so employees look forward to participating.
• Make It Easy to Answer
• Encourage employees to simply react with an emoji, vote in a Teams poll, or share a quick comment.
• Join the Conversation
• Managers and leaders should participate too. Seeing leadership engage helps encourage others to join in.
• Encourage Friendly Discussion
• Ask employees to share why they chose their answer. You may uncover new interests, recommendations, or common hobbies among team members.

Mix It Up

• Alternate between fun, personal-interest questions and work-related topics to keep engagement fresh.
• Create Connection Through Conversation

Employee engagement doesn't always require a major initiative. Sometimes a simple question can spark meaningful conversations, help employees discover common ground, and strengthen workplace relationships. A weekly "This or That" post is an easy way to create connection, encourage interaction, and bring a little extra energy to your Teams channel.

As AI-assisted coding tools and technology-enabled workflows continue to evolve, hospitals are facing increased denial pressure, documentation scrutiny, and audit complexity - all while trying to maintain compliance, coding quality, and revenue integrity.

That’s why experienced audit talent matters more than ever. ✅

🌟 e4health’s audit professionals bring deep expertise across academic medical centers, Level I trauma centers, large health systems, and complex specialty environments. Our teams help organizations strengthen audit readiness, reduce denial risk, improve documentation integrity, and proactively identify operational gaps before they become larger financial issues.

💡Recent insights from Gina Stewart, MBA, BSN, RN, CCDS, CCS explore how healthcare organizations can take a more proactive, data-driven approach to audit readiness and coding quality:

🔹 Elevating Coding Audits: Click Here

🔹 Strengthening Audit Readiness in a High-Pressure Environment: Click Here

A focused 100-chart external audit identified more than $32K in positive financial impact - averaging $323 per encounter reviewed and projecting an ROI exceeding 229%.

When scaled across the annual discharge volume of an organization, even small improvements in coding accuracy and capture of clinical complexity can translate into millions in recoverable revenue opportunity while strengthening compliance and reimbursement integrity. 📈

🧾 The patient safety 'iceberg': What reporting dashboards miss

Explores why traditional safety dashboards miss near misses, workarounds, and other hidden risks, and why organizations need a stronger reporting culture. 🔗 Source

🧾 'Who watches the watchmen?' CMS tightens oversight of accrediting bodies — 8 things to know

Summarizes CMS' new rule increasing oversight of accrediting organizations and what it means for hospital compliance and survey readiness. 🔗 Source

🧾 CMS' accreditation overhaul: What it means for hospitals

Breaks down the broader implications of CMS' accreditation changes and how hospitals should prepare for increased regulatory scrutiny. 🔗 Source