HEALTHCARE AT HOME:
THE  ROWAN TECHNOLOGY REPORT

by Tim Rowan, Editor

We met with Scott Schwartz recently, the Chief Revenue Officer for New York-based HHAeXchange, a provider of agency management software for Home Health and Home Care providers operating in the Medicaid space. Like others before them, notably Healthcare Synergy on the West Coast, HHAeXchange has grown its menu of products and services as much as, if not more than, by partnering with other software companies as by building new products of its own. Curious about how "Partner Connect" works, we prepared some questions for Mr. Schwartz.

 

What led you to create the program?

We founded HHAeXchange's Partner Connect program in April 2021 as a way to connect our homecare agency customers directly with vendors whose solutions complement ours. Partner Connect is an online marketplace, built on our platform, that offers a selection of best-in-class vendors with products to improve workflows and experiences for both back-office users and caregivers.

What are the benefits to partners and your joint customers?

The program helps its partners gain exposure to thousands of home- and community-based service providers and caregivers across the nation, agencies that are looking for innovative solutions for their business needs. The benefit to Home Care agencies comes from our goal to empower them to enhance every aspect of their operations.

Customers can easily connect their HHAeXchange platform to any partner solution for a fully integrated experience and the convenient ability to build or change business functions and workflows as needed.

Can you talk about some of the recent growth you’ve seen with the program?

In the program's first two years, we have added over 20 partners covering 15 different "swimlanes." Hundreds of providers have purchased two or more partner solutions. We built this momentum through introducing a variety of partners that enhance our ability to provide Home Care agencies with the tools and resources they need to effectively run their businesses. Recently, we announced the addition of five new partners to the program, and we are actively pursuing others.

Who are your partners? What types of products do they offer?

Let's start with our most recently added partners:

• ADP, the provider of payroll and cloud-based human capital management solutions. We were impressed with ADP's experience and technology.
• Caribou Rewards, an incentive platform proven to boost employee recruitment, retention, and staff performance through gamification, recognition, and rewards.
• Perry is a caregiver incentive program that increases caregiver productivity and retention while preventing caregiver burnout and improving quality of care for patients.
• Vitable Health offers an online occupational health solution that provides primary care health benefits for employees. Its cost-effective solution for occupational health helps reduce onboarding times and supports compliance.
• Keeper is an online app that allows employees instant access to pay they already earned but have not yet received. It supports recruiting, retention, and last-minute replacements.

The services and products offered by our partners in the program are complementary to HHAeXchange's platform. They allow our customers to select from a variety of solution providers, from eLearning and Quickpay, to Care Intelligence, Health Screening, and others. Customers can then integrate their chosen solutions into their HHAeXchange platform.

What will the future bring for this program?

We hope to continue growing the program and plan to expand it to include an even wider range of offerings designed to suit agencies' ever-evolving needs. No matter what type of vendor or service our customer may need, we would like it to be available through Partner Connect. The demand for home care will not be letting up any time soon – particularly as the older population expands and members express a preference for receiving care in their homes.

In fact, the global home healthcare market is expected to increase 8.4 percent within four years. As a result, it has become more important than ever for all stakeholders in the home care ecosystem to have the tools and technology they need to make their agencies more efficient and effective. Partner Connect has the potential to provide all of those tools and technology in one convenient location.

Let's talk about cost. Are there discounts for using a partner product?

At their discretion, every partner offers different incentives and promotions for HHAeXchange customers. It is the convenient integration that reduces administrative burden, saves time for owners and workers, and helps them save money by eliminating the need to use disparate platforms and manually execute tasks.

For example, thanks to single sign-on technology, caregivers can access any Partner Connect services their agencies subscribe to through HHAeXchange's app. It serves as a hub, eliminating the need for multiple apps and login credentials. Plus, agencies can choose the partner services that best suit their specific needs and combine them with HHAeXchange software to build a customized solution that supports their specific needs.

We partner with top-notch companies with successful track records, so our agencies can rest assured that the solutions they choose are among the very best available.

Is HHAeXchange open to additional partners?

Absolutely! HHAeXchange is always looking to add new providers to the Partner Connect program, as long as they add value. We encourage all companies interested in partnering with us to go to hhaexchange.com/become-a-partner and complete the form. A member of our team will reach out to learn more about their interests and services.

Are there any specific services or niches you are currently looking to fill?

We are looking to partner with any company that provides resources, services, and other offerings that help Home Healthcare agencies address their operational needs. Most companies we bring into the program are referred to us by our customers, who suggest partnerships that would provide specific services they are looking for or are already using. Their recommendations help us to offer solutions that may help other agencies improve efficiency and patient care.

 

©2023 by Rowan Consulting Associates, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in Home Care Technology: The Rowan Report. homecaretechreport.com One copy may be printed for personal use; further reproduction by permission only. editor@homecaretechreport.com