Volume 12, Number 36 — November  1, 2023

Dear Friends,

In case you have not heard, I announced my semi-retirement at last month's NAHC and HCAOA meetings. My message was "This Is Not Goodbye." I am thrilled to introduce my successor. Kristin Rowan has been my Marketing Director for the last 15 years, has met many of you, and is ready to step up and keep alive this service to our industry that Tom Williams and I started in February 1998. As you might guess, I have known Kristin all her life, and I do not hesitate to hand her the reins. She is a brilliant marketer and writer, loves our healthcare sector as much as I do, and will most certainly surpass my achievements in no time at all.

February, 2024 will mark 25 years of bringing you the news and urging you to keep making a difference. It seems like this is the right time for me to step back, but not completely. You will see my name on news and analysis articles from time to time, and I will be in the background, helping Kristin get going. She will also be benefiting from the writing skills and AI expertise of our staff writer Heather (Rooney) Thompson, who has graced our pages since April. There is more to my Healthcare at Home journey than fits here. Scroll down and I'll tell you about it inside this week's issue.  

Obviously, Kristin and Heather will need your support as well as mine, but I know you will extend it. This free service is entirely supported by the generosity of our sponsors, and there is always room for one more tech company that wants to extend their message to our growing subscriber list of Home Health, Hospice, and Home Care owners, managers, clinicians, and IT professionals.

Be well. And keep making a difference!

Tim

Dear Home Care Colleagues,

I am proud and excited to pick up the mantle from Tim as he heads into semi-retirement. The last few weeks making this announcement in person at the NAHC and HCAOA conferences, I have been reminded several times that the shoes I am stepping in to are quite large. The task is daunting, but I will do my best to emulate the integrity and dedication to Healthcare at Home that Tim has shown these last 30 years. 

I am humbled by the outpouring of support from agency owners, technology providers, and administrators. I am not surprised, though, as care and empathy are who you are. I know that I am in good company. I feel as though I have been welcomed into a family that has watched me grow up. I've spent the last 15 years helping Tim with the advertising sales that allow us to keep bringing you the news each week and, in that time, I have come to appreciate and love the care at home industry like Tim does. 

I look forward to continuing to learn from Tim and from all of you. I encourage you to reach out with your press releases, guest articles, case studies, and white papers. I will continue to be here to support all of you in your daily efforts to care for our elderly and vulnerable populations and hope you will do the same. Thank you for your kind welcome and optimism.

Keep Making a Difference!

Hello, Goodbye

This week's top news is mostly personal. Read about Tim's journey from home care agency IT lead to 25 years at the helm of The Rowan Report and Kristin's path from Early Childhood Education to Marketing and Business in our special expanded letter to readers below.

AI Updates

The ATA has just published new AI principles that align with Biden's Executive Order. From staff writer Heather (Rooney) Thompson, read the synopsis of the six principles.

Clinical News

Last week, we surveyed companies we met at NAHC and HCAOA with help for your staffing shortage. This week, we focus on two companies who come to the rescue from the other side. One uses advanced AI to enhance Home Health compliance and increase revenue. The other streamlines processes for providers of all types, Home Care, Hospice, and Home Health. Both work with your existing EMR and AMS, perhaps helping you avoid a painful and expensive software replacement choice.

CMS Headlines

A new study summarizes the six-year demonstration of the HHVBP Model and shows drastic savings from nine participating states, but CMS is still planning additional pay cuts for 2024 that are drastic enough to threaten the continuation of Home Health Care. Read a synopsis and evaluation of the CMS study findings in this week's article by the new Rowan Report Editor, Kristin Rowan.

Worth the Time

We are done traveling for the year, but you may not be. Scroll down to see upcoming events to consider. If travel during the last two months of the year isn't possible, there are a number of virtual events and webinars to check out as well. 

Strut Your Stuff

If you or a member of your team is an expert in any area of Home Health Care, consider the two Call for Speakers below from the Indiana and North Carolina Associations for Home Health Care.

Have a great week. Keep Making a Difference!

Milestone: Tim says, "This is NOT Goodbye"
After 30 years in Home Health and 25 years at the helm of Healthcare at Home: The Rowan Report, Tim announces he is handing the day-to-day operations to his daughter Kristin and retells the story of how he started in Home Health and his journey to what is more accurately described as "semi-retirement."

New Editor for The Rowan Report: "This is not exactly 'Hello'"
As Tim Rowan announces his retirement from Healthcare at Home: The Rowan Report, new owner and editor, Kristin Rowan, shares her story and the journey that led her here.

CMS Continues Plan to Cut Payments, Despite Record Savings
A new study shows the impact of the HHVBP Model from the six-year, nine-state demonstration. The Model saved Medicare $1.38 billion, so why is CMS still pushing for pay reductions in 2024?

ATA Published New AI Principles
New AI Principles closely aligned with Biden's Executive Order, just published by the ATA.

Until Staff Shortage is Solved, Cut Costs and Grow Revenue
We met two companies last month with sophisticated, tech-forward solutions to your operational processes. Each allows you to increase accuracy, compliance, and revenue without adding staff. Both come with our recommendation.