Volume 9, Number 50 — August 19, 2020
Dear Healthcare at Home Colleague,
This out-of-control pandemic poses a threat not only to your body but to your business. International cyber-criminals have quadrupled their efforts to break through your firewalls and anti-virus software. However, according to what you told us in our recent survey ("Will Working From Home Become the New Normal?"), you plan to have some staff working from their homes for the foreseeable future, perhaps permanently. Some of you mentioned that you are looking forward to reduced rent. Not so fast. Have you looked at the cost of making sure all these home networks are secure? Are you expecting your workers to pay for the security upgrades or are you taking on that responsibility?
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The growing threats to cyber security, largely a result of the pandemic, are the focus of this week's issue. Beware of the attitude, so common in our industry, "Oh, it's not going to happen to me." If you are leaning in that direction, refer back to our series of articles about a home health & hospice software vendor's recent ransomware attack. You will see, it can happen to you.
Whether you are home health, home care, hospice, or a tech company, click on each of the headlines below to read our survey of several expert viewpoints on the security risks of working from home. You will read about phishing schemes, bogus postcards in your mail, and measures you need to take.
In Other News:
In this week's Vendor Watch column, we offer the announcement of New Jersey contracting with HHAeXchange to be the state's EVV data aggregator. You will also hear about Axis Care signing of one of the nation's largest franchise home care organizations.
Worth the (Virtual) Trip
The Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina will hold its annual conference online, September 28-30. Scroll down for a link to the schedule of speakers and registration information.
Have a great week. Stay healthy and keep making a difference!
Are Your Remote Working Conditions Secure Enough?
You told our survey you are thinking of keeping some people working from home after the pandemic subsides. If so, are you ready to invest in the necessary security enhancements in every home?
Phishing Attacks Hiding in Google Cloud May Steal Microsoft Account Credentials
— Hackers are now using cloud services to catch unsuspecting users in their phishing lures.
— NGS warns of a postcard that does NOT come from them.
New COVID Evidence Changes the Way Healthcare is Delivered
Scientists finally understand the difference between aerosols and droplets. In-home caregivers need to understand as well.
Vendor Watch
— HHAeXchange Wins New Jersey Aggregator Contract
— Amada Senior Care Franchise Network Selects AxisCare for Scheduling Software
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During the 4th Quarter of 2020, web sites of the above advertisers were visited by home care and hospice executives and staff 4319 times. To inquire about placing your message here, contact: Kristin@rowanresources.com As of this date, approximately 38,709,000 Baby Boomers have become Medicare eligible. |
Last Week's Most-Read Stories:
Netsmart Advancing in Hospice Sector
Will Working From Home Become the New Normal?
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FREE WEBINAR: How Technology Enhances Home Care in an Increasingly Remote World *
Sponsored by: Care Connect
Moderator: Tim Rowan
Panelists: Mike Gelman, President COO, CareConnect; Jim Rolla, SVP, VNSYNY Partners in Care; Steve Pellito, SVP, Provider Sales, Sandata
Date: November 12
Time: 1:00 pm EDT
FREE WEBINAR: Cybersecurity in Healthcare: Assess Threats & Reduce Your Risk
Presented by: Netsmart
Featuring: Randy Pargman, Binary Defense senior director of threat hunting and counterintelligence; Sharon Hicks, MBA, MSW, OPEN MINDS senior associate; and Mike Murray, Netsmart director of Plexus Technologies,
Date: December 9
Time: 1:00 EST
Healthcare organizations are often at risk of cyberattacks due to a lack of dedicated IT and reliance on traditional reactive approaches. To learn how to protect your data, register now to join Randy Pargman, as they map the risk landscape and provide guidance for safeguarding your organization.
Key takeaways:
• Cyber threats in healthcare
• Impacts of a data breach
• Best practices for securing your data
FREE WEBINAR: Can you collect Cash faster?Sponsored by: Savii
Date: Tuesday, January 12
Time: 2:00 pm EST
With small margins in home care it has prompted the question, “Can we collect cash faster?” And what would this do for an agency? One thing we know is margins are small and have become more challenging than ever to for agencies to profit. This doesn’t mean it impossible for agencies to survive; it means a focus on collecting cash faster will be ever so important.
Agency leaders will first need to develop a timeline cadence of when to address claims based on when they were submitted for payment. In addition it will be pertinent to understand their own agency metrics such as DSO (Daily Sales Outstanding) and how they compare to industry standards.
On this webinar you will walk away with how to develop a timeline and your own DSO dashboard for benchmarking. All of these topics will weave into strategic steps to take toward collecting cash flow faster.
FREE WEBINAR: The Rise of Hospital at Home: A Roundtable Discussion
Sponsored by: AlayaCare
Featuring: Dr. Bruce Leff, Hospital at Home Pioneer & Professor, John Hopkins School of Medicine; Adrian Schauer, Founder and CEO
AlayaCare; Joel Theisen, Founder and CEO, Lifesprk; Brady Murphy, VP Sales & Marketing, AlayaCareDate: Wednesday, January 27
Time: 1:00 EST
Information and RegistrationAgenda
Across the U.S., the Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative from CMS is taking off amid the pandemic with at least 80 approved participants to date. As hospital-at-home models become more popular and more beneficial to both patients and health care organizations, those that have recognized the perks of home-based care prior to the COVID-19 crisis may have the upper hand.
Join us on Wednesday, Jan 27th at 1:00 pm EST for a roundtable discussion with industry experts such as Dr. Bruce Leff, Hospital at Home Pioneer and Professor at John Hopkins School of Medicine who deserves his reputation as a founding father of this virtual hospital concept, to learn about the hospital-at-home model and its impact on the home care industry.
FREE WEBINAR: 6 New COVID-19 ICD-10 Codes to Learn Webinar
Presented by: Healthcare Synergy
Featuring: Michael Tidd, HealthCare Synergy Clinical ManagerDate: Thursday, February 4
Time: 11:00 - 11:30 PST
COVID-19 has resulted in multiple waivers along with changes to programs and treatments to patients. April 1 had an unexpected release of a new diagnosis code for the COVID-19 disease. October 1 had additional diagnosis codes for agencies to learn and use. January 1, 2021 brings six additional diagnosis codes that CMS released the week of Thanksgiving. These will not be listed in your existing diagnosis coding manuals until a new manual is released later in August.
Objectives:
Michael Tidd has over 19 years of experience in the Home Care Industry and is a frequent speaker at HealthCare Synergy Workshops and Webinars. He is a Software Developer, LVN and Certified in ICD-9/10 Coding and OASIS (COS-C, HCS-D). As the Clinical Manager for HealthCare Synergy, he directs the Outsourced Management Services, assists in directing the development of the Healthcare Assistant Web Edition, oversees the Clinical Documentation Auditing provided to clients and directs the Clinical Form Development for the Healthcare Assistant Web Edition. Michael continues to educate agencies in the ongoing regulations that CMS produces, the proper application of the Medicare Conditions of Participation and completing timely, accurate and defendable clinical documentation to survive in the current Medicare Reimbursement Model.
FREE Webinar: Practical Application of Information Blocking and Interoperability Rules for Post-Acute Care Providers
Sponsored by: Complia Health and Kno2
Date: February 18
Time: 1:00 ESTJoin healthcare technology experts Alan Swenson, VP of Interoperability at Kno2, and Melissa Turner, Director of Integration at Complia Health, on Thursday, February 18th at 1pm Eastern to learn about information blocking and what it means for your post-acute care organization today and looking ahead to the future.
Virtual Conference: Winter Leadership Summit
Presented by: National Association for Home Care and Hospice
Date: February 23, 2021
FREE WEBINAR: The Future Home Health Patient: An Exclusive Conversation with Encompass Health’s Bud Langham
Sponsored by: Synzi
Date: February 25
Learn how Encompass Health is planning for post-pandemic patient care and evolving its use of virtual care to improve patient outcomes. During this upcoming session, Bud Langham, PT, MBA (Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Encompass Health - Home Health and Hospice) will discuss what the future home health patient looks like post-COVID and how Encompass Health is preparing for the shift in care delivery.
Time: 12:00 PM EST
FREE WEBINAR: New, Science-Based Methodology Reduces Cost of Recruitment and Retention
Presented by: MiliMatch
Featuring: Eric Becker, CEO
Date: Thursday, February 25
Time: 3:00 pm EST; Noon PST
Information and Registration
Agenda:
Every time a home care agency hires and trains a new caregiver, it invests about $4,500, which is wasted if that new hire does not work out, often before working a first shift. MiliMatch CEO Eric Becker will explain the company's patented product/service, based on the science of Applied Cognitive Linguistics, which has been proven to help home care agencies avoid those costly bad hires.
FREE WEBINARS: Virtual Seminar Series
"Building the Bridge to Hospice" and "How to Increase Referrals"
Sponsored by: WellSky
Featuring: Cindy Campbell, Jody Holmes-Dion, Bob Parker, Melanie Stover
Dates: March 2, 16, 30; April 6
Time: 1:00 - 2:30 ESTRegister for one or both webinars
Building the bridge to hospice: Leveraging connections between home health, palliative, and hospice care
Presented by consultants Cindy Campbell and Jody Holmes-Dion of WellSky and Bob Parker of Intrepid USA
CE credit offered – approved for up to 1.25 contact hours
Tuesday, March 2 | Tuesday, March 30Turn up the volume! How to increase referrals in a value-driven market
Presented by Cindy Campbell and sales and marketing expert Melanie Stover of Home Care Sales
Tuesday, March 16 | Tuesday, April 6
Homecare 100 *
Presented by: Lincoln Healthcare Leadership
Date: June 27-30, 2021
Venue: JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, FL
https://www.homecare100.com/
*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
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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.