Volume 8, Number 43 — November 20, 2019
Dear Healthcare at Home Colleague,
Interoperability will be one of the most important capabilities in 2020 for all post-acute providers, home health, hospice, and home care. Winning collaborative partnerships with health systems, SNFs, rehab hospitals, and other care providers will not be possible if you tell them you can only exchange patient data by phone or by that brilliant technology from 1980, the fax (shudder). Interoperability can be accomplished through your EMR, if your vendor has developed that function. It can also be offered to your partners through a 3rd party service, a Health Information Exchange.
I know, I know, you've looked into HIEs. They are handy but sometimes their membership or subscription fees range from burdensome to outrageous. That is why every post-acute provider needs to read this week's lead article, our interview with Reynold Bunzel, an HIE user in New Mexico. The HIE he uses so impressed payers in that state, they underwrite the cost for New Mexico post-acute providers to participate. The founders of that HIE are working on payers in the other 38 states in which they operate. We titled our article, "HHAs Eschew HIE, Even When It's Free" because, so far, Mr. Bunzel is the only NM home healthcare provider using it. Here's the article's bottom line. Data interoperability has saved him so much money and improved patient care so drastically, he would be using this HIE even if it were not free. Every provider needs to hear his story and, when you read the article, be sure to click on the footnotes for a lot more valuable HIE information.
 |  |  |  |
We have been impressed by the industry insights of Adrian Schauer, founder and CEO of private duty scheduling and EMR software vendor AlayaCare, and not just because they are one of our sponsors. As the Toronto-based company makes its presence more and more known south of the border, non-medical home care providers are beginning to take notice. We asked Schauer what he sees coming in the immediate future for the private duty sector. Read Darcey Trescone's interview with him in "Alayacare Forecasts What 2020 Will Bring for Home Care."
Again in the interoperability category, WellSky sent us two announcements this week about new product and services releases that will help its clients exchange patient data with health systems and payers. Read about both WellSky I/O and WellSky REACH in this week's Vendor Watch column.
The Visiting Nurse Service of New York is developing its population health service and has chosen Netsmart CareManager™ to support its program, known as Care360°Solutions. Details are in the article cleverly titled, "VNSNY Selects Netsmart CareManager™ to Support Its Population Health Management Activities."
 |  |  |  |
We do not have all the details yet, but we heard just as we were wrapping up this week's issue that a longtime EMR software vendor was hit with a ransomware attack recently. Customers were shut down for a few days while they worked through the attack. All it takes is one gullible employee to click on a link or open a document disguised in an apparently legitimate email and the entire company is compromised. I have gotten a few of them recently, some appear to come from people I know. You can always tell they are bogus though. The English is awkward, the greeting is usually "Hi, Friend" or some other wording that does not include your name, and the closing is rarely signed, ending in "Sincerely," and nothing else. Train your people to be on the alert. It could happen to anyone and it can be extremely expensive.
 |  |  |  |
Join me in Columbus next month for a full day exploring the technologies that can ease your transition into, and increase your changes of thriving during, PDGM. Not a Medicare provider? Come along with us anyway. My keynote address to the Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice will include a number of new tech systems specifically designed to help non-medical home care agencies, many of them surprisingly affordable. December 12, Crown Plaza Columbus North-Worthington, 9:00-5:00. Here is the registration link.
No issue next week. Have a terrific Thanksgiving. Keep making a difference!
HHAs Eschew HIE, Even When It's Free
If home health, hospice and home care providers say they avoid using Health Information Exchange services because of high subscription fees, why do they not use this free one? The one agency that does loves it.
Alayacare Forecasts What 2020 Will Bring for Home Care
We were lucky enough to catch Adrian Schauer, AlayaCare CEO to discuss his viewpoints on 2020 and what will be important with technology for the year to come.
VNSNY Selects Netsmart CareManager to Support Its Population Health Management Activities
VNSNY will utilize Netsmart CareManager™ to provide care coordination, data reporting and analytics support for its full range of population health management programs, including VNSNY Care360°Solutions.
Vendor Watch
— Two announcements from WellSky: WellSky I/O, a new interoperability framework; and WellSky REACH a Technology and Services Platform Powering Payer-Provider Collaboration.
|
During the 2nd Quarter of 2020, web sites of the above advertisers were visited by home care and hospice executives and staff 4523 times. To inquire about placing your message here, contact: Kristin@rowanresources.com As of this date, approximately 35,706,000 Baby Boomers have become Medicare eligible. |
Last Week's Most-Read Stories:
What Home Care Providers Need to Know About New Stark Rules
Hospice Expert Wants Home Health Nurses to Understand Hospice
|
Conference: Successful Home Health Transformation
Hosted Dixon Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
Date: December 5-6
Location: Bally's, Las Vegas
Time: 7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Speakers: Richard K. Dixon, Cheryl Peltekis, RN, Meaghan McCormick, Esq., Donna Floyd, RN, BSN, J'non Griffin, RN, MHA, HCS-D, BCCH-C, COS-C, WCC; Annette Lee, RN, MS, HCS-D, COS-C; Cory Mertz, managing partner for a leading healthcare M&A firm.Approved for up to 10 hours of Continuing Nursing Education by Corexcel, an accredited provider by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
WEBINAR: PDGM Preparation: Operational StrategiesSponsored by Kornetti & Krafft Health Care Solutions & MedBridge
Date: December 5
Time: 1:00 pm EST
Knowing that resources are tight as PDGM approaches, Kornetti & Krafft is offering a free overview of OASIS D1 to ensure that changes to this critical data collection instrument do not get lost in the shuffle.
What is Included:
- Highlight key differences between OASIS D and D1
- Make an informed decision about the use of "=" as a response
- As an outsourced OASIS/Coding company, the most commonly seen OASIS errors and proven strategies for success will be included.
Homecare 100 *January 19-22
JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort
Miami, FL
https://www.homecare100.com/
WEBINAR: Key Documentation Issues for 2020 & the Future
A 90-Minute Lunch & Learn Audio Conference by Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq. Health Care Attorney
Date: March 18
Time: 1:00 - 2:30 EDT
Encore date: March 25; On-demand recording available
Information and Registration
Documentation remains a key requirement for home care providers as the consequences for inadequate documentation become more severe.
- What can home health agencies do to avoid denials by ZPICs, RACs, etc., for lack of homebound status and reasonable and necessary care?
- What kind of documentation must home health agencies, hospices, private duty agencies and HME companies maintain regarding gifts to referral sources and payments to physicians who make referrals to them?
- How can providers avoid an increase in enforcement action in this area?
- What kinds of documentation problems are private duty agencies facing with regard to recoupments from state Medicaid Programs?
- What dangers do electronic medical records cause for all types of home health providers?
- Is it true that if it wasn't documented, it wasn't done?
Gather your staff members to emphasize effective documentation yet again. Real examples of cases involving problematic documentation will be presented. Questions and case examples are welcome, and extensive handouts will be provided for use by staff members.
Recordings Available: Pandemic Recovery - Rebuild Stronger Than Ever
Texas Association for Home Care and Hospice
Two days of keynote and breakout presentations for home health and hospice providers.
Free Webinar: Home Care Marketing Best Practices for Medicaid Agencies
Presented by: Ankota
Featuring: Steve "The Hurricane" Weiss
Date: June 18
Time: 12:00 EDT
Fee: FreeHere are a few biographical fun-facts about Steve:
- As a marketer, grew Care Choice, a private duty home care agency from 16 clients to over $5 million in annual revenue
- His company, Hurricane Marketing Enterprises runs marketing boot camps and provides other services to help agencies grow and thrive
- Steve has been a featured key-note speaker in many national conferences
- Check out his website here: homecaremarketing.net
- The best things about a session with Steve are his passion for home care, his great stories and his infectious energy!
Virtual Conference: Virtual Summit on Health System Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Nation’s Health System Leaders Engage in a Real-Time Dialogue on Pandemic Recovery and the Future of Health Care in America
Sponsored by: Global Health Care, LLC
Featuring:
- David Brailer, MD, PhD, Executive Chairman, Health Evolution, Former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Former CEO, CareScience
- Bruce D. Broussard, MBA President and CEO, Humana, Former Chair and Chief Executive Officer, US Oncology
- Michael W. Cropp, MD, MBA President and CEO, Independent Health, Chairman, Alliance of Community Health Plans
- Wyatt Decker, MD, MBA CEO, OptumHealth
Date: June 22-25
The Nation’s Health System Leaders Engage in a Real-Time Dialogue on Pandemic Recovery and the Future of Health Care in America
All health care providers offering full-time, hands-on services to COVID patients click here to register at no cost.
Virtual Conference: ATA Annual Meeting
American Telemedicine Association
Date: June 22-26
Webinar Series: Sales Training, Home Health and Hospice
Presented by: Healthcare Strategica, LLC
Featuring: Michael Ferris
1 - 8-week Hospice & Palliative Care Sales Training Course2 - 8-week Home Health Sales Training
Rowan Report subscribers: Register with this link to receive $100 discount.
We have taken our best of class industry specific sales training bootcamps and are offering them via Webinar to enable you to continue to train your sales team in today's world of limited travel and social distancing.
The Hospice and Palliative Care course will be offered live every Tuesday starting May 19 through July 7, 2020.
The Home Health course will be offered live every Tuesday starting May 21 through July 9, 2020.
Each class will have participation exercises, homework assignments, quizzes and question and answer opportunities.
Each participant will receive their own course materials and individual coaching and feedback. At the conclusion of the course each student will receive a certificate of completion, an invitation to join the exclusive Sales Mastery Group* and opportunity to join the 52-week Sales Training Excellence Course.*
* Only available to Sales Professionals that have successfully completed the 8-week Sales Training Course – additional fees may apply.
Each session will be offered on-demand and if unable to attend the live webinar, you will be able to view the recording and participate in exercises, questions, coaching and quizzes. If you start after the first webinar date, you will be provided with access to those classes missed so that you can get caught up or you may elect to attend via the recorded sessions.
FREE WEBINAR: COVID-19 Forum: How Coronavirus is Reshaping Home Health and Hospice Financial Operations *
Sponsored by: HealthRev Partners
Moderator: Tim Rowan
Panelists: Bobby Robertson, Chip Carroll, Holly Miller, John Reisinger, Rachel Bracken (details below)Date: July 9
Time: 2:00 pm EDT
Not only is the home care industry under tremendous clinical pressure, but you are also likely feeling a financial squeeze. Because of this, forward-thinking agency leaders are exploring new strategies and opportunities to remain solvent. In this webinar, our panelists will chat about ways to achieve financial success when so many are struggling. They will discuss:
Panelists:
Bobby Robertson | President & Founder, Missouri Home Hospice
Chip Carroll | Director of Strategy & Business Development, Playmaker Health
Holly Miller | Chief Revenue Officer, Playmaker Health
John Reisinger | Principal, Innovative Financial Solutions for Home Health
Rachel Bracken | Vice President of Services, HealthRev Partners
Moderated by Tim Rowan | Editor, Healthcare at Home: The Rowan Report
Part III: "Agency Leadership and Operations" is set for July 23.
Virtual Conference: NAHC Financial Managers Annual Meeting
July 27-30
Virtual Conference: SAGE 2020
Hosted by Honor
This is a half day, free conference that will stretch all of us to think about how we are shaping the future of elderhood. Our speakers will cover topics around innovation, technology, the evolving art of caregiving and the future of senior living. I’m very excited that we will kick off with Pulitzer Prize finalist and geriatrician Louise Aronson, author of Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, and Reimagining Life.
Date: September 1 & 2, 2020
Time: 10:00 am - 12:45 pm PST both days
Cost: Free of charge for Rowan Report subscribers
Website: https://network.joinhonor.com/sage-2020
Register
Free Webinar: Carpe Diem: Now is the Ideal Time to Excavate Your Brand Genius
A complimentary webinar & roundtable discussion for executive business leaders
Featuring: Mary Maloney
Date: September 11
Time: 12:00 - 12:45 EDTNow more than ever we need leaders ready to own a new world narrative - those who are brave enough to strategically position and message their voice in the marketplace from a deeper perspective of purpose that connects directly to what lights them up (their brand genius).
Many leaders confess that they have forgotten their greatness or feel lost in a sea of sameness, amongst a fiercely competitive set. They say they struggle with what words will resonate or feel “salesy” when asked, “What do you do?”
Thanks to the pace of technology, we have less than seconds to connect, therefore, it’s no longer all about what you do for a living and the quantifiable goals you achieved; it’s much more about what you stand for, the legacy you want to leave and building trust expeditiously with your tribe.
If 82% of people make buying decisions based on emotion (Capgemini), what emotive messages are you sending?
This webinar will start you on your journey to deliberately make your personal brand come alive.
*The Rowan Report will see you there.
Your state or national association meeting or webinar not listed? Send the details to Conferences@RowanResources.com using this format:
Conference Title
Sponsoring Association
Date(s)
Hotel or Conference Center, City, State
URL
|
|
Did you receive this issue as a forward from a colleague? Would you like to have your own free subscription? Click here.
Home Care Technology Report is published by Rowan Consulting Associations, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. Request reprint permission by writing to editor@homecaretechreport.com.
HCTR is free to subscribers and supported by its generous advertisers. To inquire about presenting your message to our 12,000 subscribers, write to Kristin in our ad sales department, Kristin@RowanResources.com.