Volume 10, Number 44 — January  27, 2021



Dear Healthcare at Home Colleague,

Only one topic today in this special edition of Home Care Tech: The Rowan Report. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the renewed effort by the federal government to battle it, some shocking statistics have emerged that deserve the attention of all healthcare providers.

According to a report from The Human Rights Watch, coronavirus is hitting low-income communities harder than others. They cite the prevalence of service jobs that cannot be done from home, often crowded, multi-general living conditions, and less access to insurance:

"While the virus infects people regardless of wealth, the poor will be most affected due to longstanding segregation by income and race, reduced economic mobility, and the high cost of medical care. Low-income communities are more likely to be exposed to the virus, have higher mortality rates, and suffer economically. In times of economic crisis, these vulnerabilities will be more pronounced for marginal groups – identified by race, gender, and immigration status:

 

 

You are in healthcare. You probably already know most of these things:

This brief list should be understood as the tip of the iceberg. I want to introduce you to the national association focused on the entire problem.

 

 

National Minority Health Association

The National Minority Health Association was formed to reduce healthcare inequality through education and advocacy. Recently, it attracted the attention of the White House Healthcare Task Force. Executive Director Burgess Harrison spoke with us about how the in-home care sector can help.

NMHA was founded in 1988 by Dr. David L. Dalton, with the mission to establish Offices of Minority Health in all 50 states. That mission has been accomplished. Today, the NMHA is working at making those offices obsolete by eliminating the healthcare disparity gap. According to E.D. Burgess, "To achieve this, we are deploying new programs that utilize patient centered, value based care, and pathways to help lower costs and improve outcomes for minority and under-served communities."

Among those programs, Harrison told us, is the "Health Equity Action League." "HEAL is for healthcare companies. Those who join will accept the guiding principles and ask themselves, 'What did we do to further health equity?' Every home health, hospice, and home care agency should be a part of HEAL; every software company should participate.:

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

NMHA asks every business in America to adopt its Guiding Principles and join their fight to eliminate the minority healthcare gap.

Step One is to join as a member NMHA. Step Two is to agree to the NMHA Guiding Principles and implement them. There are also sponsorships available on different price levels to fit with the size of your organization.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES: Acknowledge — Create — Transform

Acknowledge that, even in the wealthiest of countries is a well proven process, backed up by more then 600 peer reviewed case studies. Activation is a term used to describe a person’s capability and willingness to take charge of their own health care.worldwide, there are significant disparities, biases, stereotypes, and inequalities in the healthcare of minority communities. These disparities often lead to less than optimal outcomes.

Create pathways for healthcare equality to provide a means for change.

Transform the health care system to be more inclusive, less costly, and more accessible.

Read more about the guiding principles by clicking on the headline below.

 

PATIENT ACTIVATION MEASURE

Lastly, NMHA recently launched "Operation Healthy You™," an effort to help reduce the disparity between how minorities and under-served populations manage chronic diseases as compared to how more affluent and better-insured populations manage the same disease states.

A lynchpin of this effort is an exciting tool NMHA is promoting and that you can use. The "Patient Activation Measure" is a well proven method for determining a person’s activation level, backed up by more then 600 peer reviewed case studies. Activation is a term used to describe a person's capability and willingness to take charge of their own health care. Click on the headline below for a complete description of PAM and links to evidence of its efficacy.

"Every software company should participate," Harrison urged. "They can help support the collection of PAM scores by building its 10-question survey into their systems, thus supporting the secure and anonymous transfer of data to a new research repository currently being developed. Our industry can be a leader...and should be."

As I mentioned at the top, this is an important enough topic that I feel justified in focusing this week's entire issue to it. We will be back to our regular breaking news and analysis next week.

Editor signature
Tim Rowan


NMHA Guiding Principles
Get to know The National Minority Health Association.

What is the Patient Activation Measure?
The National Minority Health Association has thrown its weight behind a measurement tool that can help healthcare providers slash costs.


During the 1st Quarter of 2023, web sites of the above advertisers were visited by home care and hospice executives and staff 4163 times.

To inquire about placing your message here, contact:

Kristin@rowanresources.com

As of this date, approximately 40,480,000 Baby Boomers have become Medicare eligible.

 

Last Week's Most-Read Stories:

Payers Livid About CMS Final Rule
Matt Eyles, president and CEO of AHIP, issued this statement following the release of the CMS final rule on relaxed prior authorization processes.

Four Home Care Agencies Solve Expensive "Bad Hire" Problem
What does it cost when a new caregiver disappears after orientation and training, never taking a first shift? How often does it happen? One franchise organization has found a way to lower this risk, saving $4,500 or more every time a bad hire is avoided.




Upcoming Events

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, AlayaCare

Date: Wednesday, January 27
Time: 1:00 EST

Information and Registration

Agenda
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: 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 EST

Information and Registration

Join 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. 


FREE WEBINAR: Tech Titans Join Forces to Tackle Post Acute Care Challenges

Sponsored by: KanTime

Featuring: Terra Vicario (Moderator) CMO, Viventium; Malka Trump, Director of Compliance, Viventium; Kristen Duell, EVP, KanTime; Kim Spence, RN, Customer Success Division Leader, KanTime; James Cohen, CEO & Co-Founder, Nevvon

Date: Thursday, April 22

Time: 11:00 am PDT, 2:00 pm EDT

Register

2021, in many ways, is a continuation of challenges from 2020 and more! During this webinar, experts from companies with solutions for talent/retention and compliance issues, along with the continued challenges that COVID-19 has presented to our industry, will cover rules, regulations, and programs you need to stay on top of so your company can thrive amidst the pandemic.

2021 Home Care and Hospice Conference and Expo *

National Association for Home Care and Hospice

Date: October 3-5
Venue: New Orleans

Sadly, this conference has had to be postponed, due to the hurricane in New Orleans and COVID situation in Louisiana.


FREE WEBINAR: Targeted Probe & Educate: Where Do You Stand?

Presented by: Healthcare Synergy
Featuring: Michael Tidd, COS-C, HCS-D, HealthCare Synergy Clinical Manager

Date: Wednesday, November 3
Time: 11:00 am PDT / 2:00 pm EDT

Register

Overview:
Targeted Probe and Educate is a CMS initiative to seek a better understanding of agencies practices in order to protect the Medicare funds. Agencies self-identify themselves and request reviews by their actions and the data they provide to CMS. Are you aware of the signals you might be sending and how to protect yourself?
Objectives:
Speaker:
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: Admit more Patients & Stop Nursing Burnout!

Presented by: OperaCare

Date: November 10

Time: 1:00 pm EST; 10:00 PST

Information and Registration

The nursing shortage is getting much worse and will most likely impact your business if it has not already.
During this event we will demonstrate how to complete an entire OASIS in approx. 60 minutes or less. This includes ICD-10 coding, entry and revision of medication’s, all the OASIS items, and Quality Assurance while the nurse is with the patient in the home.

The result: Eliminating 100% of after-hours documentation, increasing clinical productivity, and reducing your labor costs.

The Benefit: The ability to significantly increase your recruitment and retention efforts by providing your clinicians with a sane and humane work life balance.


Important Final Rule Discoveries Every Agency Needs to Know: Examining HH PPS for CY2022

Presented by: HealthRevPartners

Featuring: John Reisinger, CPA

DATE: November 18

TIME: 2:00 - 3:00 EST

VENUE: Online

FEE: NONE

Register Here

One of the major changes in CMS’ final rule for the Home Health Prospective Payment System announced is this — ???2022 will be a "pre-implementation year for the HHVBP, which was originally scheduled to begin in January.

Learn exactly what you need to do in 2022 for HHVBP.

Additionally, we will cover these final rule changes and more:

And, do you know how much your Medicare revenues are projected to change?

There will be a 3.2% increase ($570 million) in home health spending for CY2022.

 


*The Rowan Report will see you there.

FREE WEBINAR: New, Science-Based Methodology Reduces Cost of Recruitment and Retention

Presented by: The Rowan Report

Featuring: Eric Becker, CEO, MiliMatch

Date: Thursday, March 18

Time: 3:00 pm EST; Noon PST

Recorded version available.

 

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 WEBINAR: Combat the Great Resignation and Reduce Employee Turnover by 40%

Presented by: National Minority Health Association

Date: Tuesday, May 24

Time: 10:00 AM Pacific; 1:00 PM Eastern 

Information and Registration

 

Agenda
As organizations plan for the future, they must cultivate a happier, healthier workforce. Most CEOs, CFOs, HR professionals, and other business leaders are eager to know the true impact of financial wellness. We are gathering to discuss and explore how prioritizing employee financial wellness can help increase caregiver retention and productivity at no cost to your businesses.

 


Gulf Coast Regional Conference & Exposition

Presented by: Home Care Associations of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama

Date: July 18-20

Venue: Grand Hotel Marriott Resort

Location: Point Clear, Alabama

Information and Registration


2022 NAHC Financial Management Conference & Exposition *

Date: July 24-26
Venue: Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas

Information and Registration

 

Register for the in-person conference - starting at $750 for NAHC members or $1,025 for non-members - or for the digital only content - $400 for members and $600 for non-members. If you register for the in-person conference, you'll get access to all of the digital content.


2022 ONC Virtual Tech Forum 

Sponsored by: Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT

Location: Online

Dates: September 9, 16, and 23

Information and Registration

ONC has posted the high-level agenda and opened up registration for the 2022 ONC Virtual Tech Forum on HealthIT.gov. This year's event takes place during three consecutive Fridays in September (9th, 16th, 23rd). As in years past, the Tech Forum will feature industry perspectives on the progress made in health IT over the past year, and highlight how we can continue to advance health technology to improve patient care, health equity, data exchange, and interoperability.

MHCA 52nd Annual Meeting & Expo

Sponsored by: Minnesota Home Care Association

Date: October 12-14
Venue: Breezy Point Resort
City: Breezy Point, MN

Information and Registration

2022 NAHC Annual Meeting & Exposition *

"Connection 4.0: Linkup"

Date: October 23-25
Venue: America's Center Convention Complex
Location: St. Louis, MO

Information and Registration

This year, we want to celebrate one of the most meaningful touchstones of our industry — connection. At the Home Care and Hospice Conference and Expo, we'll explore ideas around connection and community to help attendees reach their stakeholders in authentic and meaningful ways.

New technology, workforce developments, and the importance of high standards in quality care continue to push our community of clinicians and providers to revamp their strategies and skill sets. This event is the meeting point for you to uncover groundbreaking ideas, discover new interests, and network with industry pros.

Meet us in St. Louis, Missouri, once known as the "Gateway to the West." So, it is perfectly centered to make those connections even easier for members and attendees from all ends of the U.S. We look forward to linking up with you this October!


2022 Annual Conference
New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice Care

Date: November 3
Venue: CNM Workforce Training Center
City: Albuquerque

Information and Registration

Featuring:


20th Annual Northeast Home Health Leadership Summit

Sponsored by: State Associations of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (HCA), New York (HCP), Rhode Island, VNAs of Vermont

Dates: January 17-19

Venue: Revere Hotel, Boston

 

Information and Registration


Homecare 100 *

Presented by: Lincoln Healthcare Leadership

Date: January 22-25, 2023
Venue: Ritz-Carlton, Orlando, Grande Lakes, FL

Registration Information


 

Shine Your Light
Illinois HomeCare & Hospice Council Annual Meeting and Exposition

Dates: April 9-10
Venue: NIU Naperville

Information and Registration


FREE WEBINAR: CMS’ Proposed Hospice FY2024 Payment Rule: Implications for Agencies and the Hospice Community

Sponsored by NAHC
Featuring: Theresa Forster, Katie Wehri

Date: April 11
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 EDT

Details and Registration

 

Description: In addition to routine annual payment changes, CMS proposed FY2024 Hospice Payment Rule, issued on March 31, contains valuable updates on the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP). Perhaps most notable, the rule's deep dive into utilization trends signals an intensified interest in hospice care patterns, potentially inappropriate behavior in the hospice sector, and program integrity concerns.  Join two of NAHC's hospice experts as they detail proposed changes, including a new requirement that hospice certifying physicians be Medicare enrolled (or to have validly opted-out) and CMS' Requests for Information on hospice utilization and health equity, and examine their potential impact on hospice practice going forward.

Faculty: Theresa M. Forster, NAHC VP for Hospice Policy & Programs
Katie Wehri, NAHC Director of Home Health & Hospice Regulatory Affairs


WEBINAR: Audits: What to Do

A 90-minute Lunch & Learn Audio Conference by Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq. Health Care Attorney

Date: Thursday, April 6
Time: 1:00 - 2:30 EDT

Encore date: April 13
On-demand recording available 24/7
Option to purchase recording and handouts

 

Information and Registration

 

Audio-Conference Description: Home care providers of all types; including home health agencies, private duty agencies, hospices and HME companies; remain targets of audits by various regulators, including but certainly not limited to United Program Integrity Contractors (UPICs). The results of these audits can be devastating because they may threaten the ability of providers to remain in business, especially when overpayments are extrapolated to millions of dollars. Audits of all types must be taken seriously and providers must take action to close audits as quickly as possible! The first thing providers must do is to review records requested by auditors.

The purpose of this teleconference is to give providers detailed steps to follow to avoid adverse consequences of audits. Examples of common issues targeted by auditors will be provided and there will be time for questions and answers.


 

First Joint Conference of the Carolinas

Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina & South Carolina Home Care & Hospice Association

Dates: April 23-26

Venue: Westin

City: Charlotte

Information and Registration 



Rise Above!

Michigan Home Care & Hospice Association Annual Conference

Dates: May 3-5
Venue: Grand Traverse Resort & Spa

Registration and Information

The theme for the Conference is “RISE ABOVE” a fitting recognition of the challenges our industry and each of you overcame in your personal lives and professional careers to navigate the challenges of the past three years.

The MHHA conference presents an opportunity to meet new friends and reacquaint with peers. What better place to rise above, than at the spacious and beautiful Grand Traverse Resort & Spa? This conference has a little bit for every service line and discipline. Wednesday offers a track for Volunteer Managers and Thursday offers a track for Palliative Care as well as many other sessions for Certified Home Health, Hospice, DME and Private Duty Home Care.


2023 Annual Home Health & Hospice Conference
Homecare and Hospice Association of Utah

Date: May 10-11

City: Sandy

Attendee Registration

Exhibitor/Sponsor Registration


2023 Rocky Mountain Home Care, Home Health & Hospice Conference *Presented by: Home Care and Hospice Association of Colorado

Dates: May 18-19
Venue: Beaver Creek


Information and Registration for Attendees and Exhibitors


Home Care Innovation Forum*Presented by: The Influence Group

Dates: June 4-6
Venue: Park Hyatt Aviara 
City: Carlsbad, CA


Information and Registration

Featured Speakers:

Partial list of topics:


HI2: Home Care Innovation and Investment Conference *Presented by: Lincoln Healthcare Leadership

Dates: June 12-14
Venue: Swissotel 
City: Chicago


Information and Registration

Featured Speakers:


leading ONE vision

Homecare Homebase User Group Meeting

Dates: June 12-14
Venue: Sheraton Dallas Hotel

Information and Registration

Clinical Education Credits
Nationally recognized speakers, eight clinical sessions. Clinicians are encouraged to sign up for the clinical sessions, but are free to jump between clinical and non-clinical topics. Clinical topics include a homecare focus on Wound Care, Value Based Purchasing, Clinical Leadership, conflict resolution, Quality Report, Oasis and more.

Featured Speakers:


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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