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For the last decade, James Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Nevvon, a mobile education system for caregivers, has dedicated himself to serving the fastest growing – and most vulnerable – U.S. population, the elderly, chronically ill, and disabled, especially those suffering from long-term disabilities as a result of traumatic brain injuries.

Frustrated by what he perceived to be an inefficient and inconvenient educational system, Cohen decided his talents and experience (York University, M.I.T., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, co-founder of a successful, technology-centric home care provider) were best suited to creating a new standard of excellence in healthcare education. His mission became clear: empower the healthcare staffing industry to better and more efficiently support invaluable healthcare workers to complete mandatory educational requirements needed to meet regulatory compliance. In turn, the effort should result in positive social and economic impact for patients, as well as for agencies and their employees.

With new Federal rules affecting staffing firms, the demand for labor providers with clean compliance records is rapidly increasing. "Agencies face unique risks as the gap between experience and a set standard of education narrows," Cohen told us. "By saving staffing firms the time, hassle and often unsuccessful – or at best mediocre – attempts to schedule the required educational classes for their employees, the cost-savings achieved are enormous."

Nevvon’s Mobile Classroom

Cohen's innovation to save time, hassles, and scheduling problems was to create a mobile classroom solution. Powered by a customized mobile application, Nevvon’s solution for caregivers combines a unique instructional design, an easy-to-use e-learning platform, aesthetically-pleasing animation, 3D unity, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and machine learning. The mobile concept removes the requirement to us more expensive devices and the need to be stationary while learning.

"The ability to learn anytime and anywhere is crucial for healthcare workers who are constantly on the go, Cohen continued. "We live in a world that has become accustomed to accessing information on the spot. When such immediacy and convenience is not available, it gets frustrating." Empathizing with hiring agencies, Cohen added, "They are the ones bearing the financial brunt of educational non-compliance. When healthcare workers fail to complete their educational requirements, it is the agency that is liable, not the individual. Simply replacing a much-loved caregiver with another rarely goes over well with clients."

Remembering the experience with his grandparents that led him to co-found MavenCare, Cohen told us sadly, "bonds are formed and then vulnerable patients are forced to readjust to new caregivers; it adversely affects all parties involved."

Traditional Teaching Methods vs. E-learning

Education experts frequently warn that traditional classroom methods often fail with adult learners for multiple reasons and in multiple ways. Too much information presented in a short period of time is cited as one of the main mistakes. According to Cohen, "Traditional teaching environments require the learner to pay attention and absorb the information as it is presented. If you’ve ever fallen asleep in class, as I know I have, then you understand how helpful it can be to have the freedom to learn anywhere and at your own pace. The Nevvon app gives adult learners the ability to review specific material when, and as often as, needed."

Nevvon's mobile learning app has been structured with more, smaller segments, making material easier to digest and more conveniently scheduled into a busy, often inflexible schedule. "Having the ability to skim known material, or alternatively to spend more time going over new information, has proven to be more efficient and to produce more consistent results," he asserted.

Philosophy-Driven Advocacy

Cohen explained that he was guided by three main core values while developing the Nevvon mobile learning app: relevancy, simplicity and progressiveness. Centered on the belief that current educational practices are formulaic and out of touch with the future of healthcare and its impending demands, Nevvon, he said, has set out to challenge traditional practice in the healthcare learning space. As he put it, "A fast-growing, aging population, plagued by a shortage of available support personnel, means that now is the time for healthcare organizations to demand more value from their educational systems and tools."

Cohen is positioning Nevvon as a value added and complementary service. The company also advocates on behalf of organizations concerning local and state regulatory requirements and is active in all fifty states. The goal of this advocacy is to reduce the time healthcare organizations spend focused on monotonous details that accompany most governmental interactions. "Although healthcare education is our priority, clients really appreciate the extra time this service affords them to focus on their core business," Cohen concluded. "We know that helping healthcare workers remain compliant undoubtedly reduces turnover, which results in enormous cost reductions while creating a time-saving, effortless experience for healthcare organizations."

Cohen can be reached through Nevvon. james@nevvon.com
855-963-8866

 

©2018 by Rowan Consulting Associates, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in Tim Rowan's Home Care Technology Report. homecaretechreport.com One copy may be printed for personal use; further reproduction by permission only. editor@homecaretechreport.com