Volume 10, Number 44 — January 6, 2021
Dear Healthcare at Home Colleague,
"HAPPY 2021," everyone has been saying to each other, sounding more like a prayer than a greeting. Healthcare continues under a stressful cloud of uncertainty, "Will there be enough PPE?" "When will we get our vaccine?" I wish I had better news, but, when this is over, home health, hospice, and home care will be faced with another problem, if one South Dakota VA hospital nurse's prediction comes true. "When this is over," nurse Kristen Cline told a reporter, "those of us who don't die are going to quit." Here is a link to her full story.
Turning to better news, we are proud to present the second in our series of CEO interviews. This month, meet CEO Tony Ott and President Keith Crownover of Delta Health Technologies. We asked them for their predictions for 2021. With Crownover's four decades in home care, his perspective carries a lot of weight. Click here to view this video interview. Or click here for the audio only version. We are grateful to sponsors like Delta for making this free service possible. I am in the process of scheduling other CEOs for upcoming video conversations. Watch this space!
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As you know better than I, the nursing shortage Ms. Cline is predicting will likely trickle down to home health, but is not the only staffing challenge in post acute care. Recruiting and retaining quality caregivers seems to be the primary concern that keeps non-medical home care agency owners awake at night. I personally have had many owners tell me they cannot believe how many applicants quit right after orientation and training, costing them thousands of dollars per failed hire. If your home care agency struggles with this, we have good news for you this week.
What would you say if I told you there is a new technology that can detect likely "bad hires" before training, before orientation, before you hand them a W-4 form to fill out? This technology has completed beta testing, where it produced significant increases in retention and decreases in the case of the disappearing new hire, and is ready for prime time. If you are a staff-strapped home care agency, please take the time to study our description of this new technology and the results it has produced for four of your peers. Click below on "Four Home Care Agencies Solve Expensive 'Bad Hire' Problem."
In the last and fourth lesson of his series, Arnie Cisneros concludes his instructions on how to convert your home health operations to succeed in a value-based reimbursement era, starting with adapting to PDGM for better patient outcomes and profit margins. If you have missed earlier segments of this landmark series, you will find links to them within this final episode. Click below on "Stop Nibbling At The Edges! Part 4: Discharge for Outcomes."
Wait, private duty people, don't turn away from this paragragh yet. CMS has announced a new model for Managed Care Organizations to deal with beneficiaries who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. This could be relevant to both home health and home care. Click below on our "CMS News" column.
There are two free webinars tomorrow, Thursday, that both dovetail with the news we have brought to you in this issue. KanTime is sponsoring an event titled, "Tactics for Mastering Recruitment, Retention and Team Development — from Agency Owners," featuring Jessica & Clint Nobles, Co-Founders of Nobility Care Solutions and HomeCare Ops.
Healthcare Synergy is also offering a Thursday webinar, "Three Tools to WOW! Referral Sources." Home Health sales representatives will want to hear Michael Tidd's expertise on this topic. Scroll down for information and registration on these and several other free upcoming webinars.
Stop Nibbling At The Edges! Part 4: Discharging for Outcomes
This 4-part series addressing Impact Act reforms for Home Health concludes with a focus on a Value-Based Operational Model that addresses PDGM and prospective IMPACT Act reforms.
CMS News: Dual Eligibles and Managed Care
CMS Announces New Model Opportunity for Medicaid Managed Care Organizations Serving Beneficiaries Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
American Telemedicine Association Offers Mixed Reaction To Telehealth Provisions In The Pandemic Relief Package
National association keeps pressure on for permanent Telehealth access.
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During the 2nd Quarter of 2023, web sites of the above advertisers were visited by home care and hospice executives and staff 4976 times. To inquire about placing your message here, contact: Kristin@rowanresources.com As of this date, approximately 40,249,000 Baby Boomers have become Medicare eligible. |
Last Week's Most-Read Stories:
No-Pay RAPs and Late RAP Penalties: How To Thrive Under PDGM 2021
PointClickCare Acquires Collective Medical
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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: 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.
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
experts from companies with solutions for talent/retention and compliance issues, along with the continued challenges that COVID-19 has presented to our industry,
2021 Home Care and Hospice Conference and Expo *
National Association for Home Care and Hospice
Date: October 3-5
Venue: New OrleansSadly, 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 ManagerDate: Wednesday, November 3
Time: 11:00 am PDT / 2:00 pm EDT
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
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
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:
- Individual payment rate changes ranging from:
- An increase of 35.7%, to
- A decrease of 34.6%
- 2022 will be the last year of the Rural Add-on
- Significant changes with all 432 Case-Mix Weights
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.
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
2022 ONC Virtual Tech Forum
Sponsored by: Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT
Location: Online
Dates: September 9, 16, and 23
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
Information and Registration
Venue: Breezy Point Resort
City: Breezy Point, MN
2022 Annual Conference
New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice CareDate: November 3
Venue: CNM Workforce Training Center
City: AlbuquerqueFeaturing:
- Lisa McClammy on "Navigating the New World of Home Health Value-Based Purchasing"
- Petria McKelvey on "Medicare Advantage & Third Party Payers: How to Get Paid!"
- Tim Rowan on "Technologies to Improve Staff Recruiting & Retention"
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
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 ExpositionDates: April 9-10
Venue: NIU Naperville
FREE WEBINAR: CMS’ Proposed Hospice FY2024 Payment Rule: Implications for Agencies and the Hospice Community
Sponsored by NAHC
Featuring: Theresa Forster, Katie WehriDate: April 11
Details and Registration
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 EDT
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
Encore date: April 13
Time: 1:00 - 2:30 EDT
On-demand recording available 24/7
Option to purchase recording and handoutsInformation 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.
- What must providers do when reviews show deficiencies in documentation?
- When and how can providers amend or supplement records prior to submission to auditors?
- Should providers send summaries to auditors along with patient records?
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.
Rise Above!
Michigan Home Care & Hospice Association Annual Conference
Dates: May 3-5
Venue: Grand Traverse Resort & SpaThe 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.
Home Care Innovation Forum*Presented by: The Influence Group
Dates: June 4-6
Venue: Park Hyatt Aviara
City: Carlsbad, CAFeatured Speakers:
- Mark King, CEO, Taco Bell
- Darryl "DMC" McDaniels
- David Causby, President & CEO, Gentiva
- Susan Benoit, CEO & President, CenterWell Home Health
- Bruce Greenstein, EVP, LHC Group
- Bill Dombi, President, NAHC
Partial list of topics:
- AI-enabled Remote Patient Monitoring
- Recruitment/Retention strategies
- AI and Automation for Better Hiring
- Developing an Effective MA Strategy
- The Future of Telehealth
- Taking on Risk
HI2: Home Care Innovation and Investment Conference *Presented by: Lincoln Healthcare Leadership
Dates: June 12-14
Venue: Swissotel
City: ChicagoFeatured Speakers:
- Vin Gupta, CMO, Amazon
- Patrick Conway, MD, CEO, Care Solutions
- Kevin Ban, MD, Global CMO, Walgreens
- Andy Slavitt, Founder, Town Hall Ventures, former CMS Administrator
leading ONE vision
Homecare Homebase User Group Meeting
Dates: June 12-14
Venue: Sheraton Dallas HotelClinical 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:
- Mark Scharenbroich: Award Winning Author, Emmy Award® Winner for an ABC TV special, National Speakers Association Hall of Fame Inductee, Golden Apple and Silver Screen Film award for his movie, "The Greatest Days of Your Life…(so far)," International film festival award winner.
- David Glickman: David has been a professional speaker and entertainer for over twenty years and has presented over 2000 programs. Before transitioning from "show business" to "speech business," he worked with everyone from Steve Martin to Ellen DeGeneres and performed at private parties for singer Gloria Estefan and former President Jimmy Carter. He also appeared on "Evening At The Improv" and several other national television shows.
2032 NAHC Financial Management Conference & Exposition
Date: July 16-18
Venue: Hilton Riverside, New Orleans
In addition to NAHC president Bill Dombi, featured speakers will include:
- Brent Korte, CEO, Frontpoint Healthcare
- Dexter Braff, MBA
- Jennifer Sheets, RN
- Mike Dordick
- Susan Benoit
- Zac Long, JD, MHA
- Melinda Gaboury, COS-C
54th Annual Meeting: "Bring Care Home"Presented by: Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice
Dates: August 28-31
Venue: Grand Hyatt Riverwalk
City: San Antonio
FREE Webinar: "The Role of the Hospice Physician in Organizational Compliance"Presented by: FEMA
Date: September 6
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, EDT
Collaborating with the Administration for Community Living, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Office of Policy, Planning, and Innovation, and the Schoharie County, NY, Area Agency on Aging, the webinar is designed to equip organizations with strategies to ensure seamless service continuity during an emergency.
2023 NAHC Annual Meeting & Exposition *
"One Voice, Many Stories"
Date: October 15-17
Venue: Gaylord
Location: National Harbor, MDKeynote Speakers:
- Ben Nemtin, New York Times bestselling author of "What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?"
- Summer Napier, NAHC Director of Grassroots Advocacy
- Bill Dombi, NAHC President
Vision – Plan – Succeed: 2023 Leadership Conference
Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina
Dates: October 29-31
Venue: Renaissance Hotel
City: Ashville
Featured speakers:Bill Dombi, Melinda Gaboury, Tim Rogers, Nick Seabrook, Mark Sharp, Robert Markette, Mark Kulik, and more.
Conference Title: 2023 Annual Hybrid Hospice & Palliative Care Conference
Sponsoring Association: Hospice & Palliative Care Association of New York State
Date(s): November 13-14, 2023
Hotel or Conference Center, City, State: Albany Marriott Hotel, Albany, NY
URL: www.hpcanys.org
?~Kim
Kimberly Ryan ?
Education & Membership
Hospice & Palliative Care Association of NYS (HPCANYS)
Advance Care Planning Center for Excellence
119 Washington Ave, Suite 302
Albany NY 12210
518.446.1483 x 224 |www.hpcanys.org
Call for Speaker Proposals
Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina (AHHC) Annual Convention and Expo
Dates: April 7-10, 2024
Venue: Raleigh Convention Center
Click this link to learn more and to submit your proposal: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6RRNNY3
The deadline to submit a proposal is November 15, 2023.
2023 Virtual Annual Conference
Virginia Association for Homecare and HospiceOpening Date: November 15
*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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