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This article reports how we matched Common Procedure Terminology (CPT)codes with Medicare payment rates and aggregate Veterans Affairs (VA)budget data to estimate the costs of every VA ambulatory encounter. Converting CPT codes to encounter-level costs was more complex than a simple match of Medicare reimbursements to CPT codes. About 40 percent of the CPT codes used in VA, representing about 20 percent of procedures, did not have a Medicare payment rate and required other cost estimates. Reconciling aggregated estimated costs to the VA budget allocations for outpatient care produced final VA cost estimates that were lower than projected Medicare reimbursements. The methods used to estimate costs for encounters could be replicated for other settings. They are potentially useful for any system that does not generate billing data, when CPT codes are simpler to collect than billing data, or when there is a need to standardize cost estimates across data sources.

This study describes how severity of illness may refine the definition of ambulatory care–sensitive conditions, or ACSCs. Hospital discharge abstract data from Philadelphia were combined with census data to develop population-based adjusted rates of hospitalization for diabetes and asthma, two ACSCs. By stratifying ACSC hospitalization by severity of illness, variations were observed by age, race, and gender. Minority groups may be at higher risk for less access to outpatient primary care and were observed to have higher rates of more severely ill, Stage 3 hospitalization. Geographic map displays indicated wide ranges of age-sex-adjusted rates for high-severity hospitalization in the five-county Philadelphia region. This refined ACSC measure may help to identify specific groups and clinical conditions within a population to assist health care planners estimate health care resources such as facilities, manpower, and programs, as well as to evaluate their outcomes.

Integration of ambulatory pharmacists and their roles in new and emerging models of healthcare / Mary Ann Kliethermes, Kelly Epplen, PharmD, and Starlin Haydon-Greatting -- Planning and steps to building the ambulatory practice model / Christie Schumacher and Elizabeth Van Dril -- Preparing a business plan for an ambulatory practice / Erika Smith, Spencer Crook, and Nasir Salim -- Marketing your ambulatory practice / Tim R. Brown, Mary Ann Kliethermes, Nasir Salim -- Creating the ambulatory patient care model / Michelle L. Cudnik and Kristina L. Butler -- Optimizing information technology / Shelly Spiro and Samm Anderegg -- Generating revenue through healthcare reimbursement / Betsy Bryant Shilliday, Jamie J. Cavanaugh, and Sandra Leal -- Value and quality for ambulatory pharmacist patient care practice / Mary Ann Kliethermes -- The art of pharmacist-provided patient care / Mary Ann Kliethermes.

Introduction to Hospital & Health-System Pharmacy Practice was a text that introduced students of all ages to professional pharmacy practice in the health­ system organization. Overall, it is an excellent introductory text and useful reference to be included in any practitioner's library." -From a review in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Technology "This book is highly recommended and will be an excellent resource for students as well as pharmacists" From a 2011 review in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education Building on the success of the previous edition, this new edition of Holdford's book will address contemporary pharmacy practice, especially the changes that have come about since publication of the previous edition. It will also address the role of pharmacy technicians more explicitly than the previous edition, which will help us to make more progress in the technician education market-a strategy that has been slowed somewhat by the lack of understanding among many technician instructors as to whether the book is appropriate for their students. All chapters will be updated, and the addition of a new chapter on cost control and financial management will address the current state of pharmacy practice. Changes to this edition will include: More focus on pharmacy technicians New chapters, expansion of chapters, new appendices Discussion of Affordable Care Act New chapter on careers for technicians in acute and ambulatory care settings A new chapter on finances, "Basics of Financial Management and Cost Control." This chapter covers: Developing and presenting a business case Opportunities with specialty pharmacy Strategic planning In chapters dealing with the control and distribution of medications, content is added about expanded technician roles. Chapters 18 and 19 were merged into a single chapter on training for pharmacist