Save the Date:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold the next Home Health, Hospice & Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Open Door Forum on Wednesday, January 9, 2013, from 2:00pm – 3:00pm, ET.
To participate in the call, dial: 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 78868196
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CMS is hosting a Special Open Door Forum for all hospice providers on December 19 from 1-2 pm EST. The Special ODF will present information about the Hospice Quality Reporting Program
Agenda Topics will include:
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Registration is now open for the Northeast Home Health Leadership Summit being held at The Colonnade Hotel from January 22 to 24.
This year’s lineup of speakers includes Dr. Bill Thomas, an international authority on geriatric medicine and eldercare, who is revolutionizing the concept of ‘aging’ as we conventionally think of it. His passion will bring new and eye-opening thoughts on how we should view people as they grow old.
The Summit is also pleased to have Dr. Don Berwick, M.D., former Administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who will share his perspectives on the tremendous unrealized potential in health care delivery. Dr. Berwick will recommend how we can take part in shaping a system that satisfies our patients, using our limited resources intelligently, and continuing to support our mission of caring.
To further echo Dr. Berwick’s message, Mary Ann Christopher, President and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, will share how home health leaders can play a leading role when it comes to transitions in care, quality of care and preventing re-hospitalizations as a vital partner to our community hospitals.
December 21 is the deadline to take advantage of early-bird pricing. Full details are available at www.nehomehealthsummit.com, including registration and hotel information and an overview of this signature event, which is designed expressly for home health leaders. Register today!
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Join the Home Care Alliance in celebrating National Home Care Month throughout November by visiting our new webpage www.thinkhomecare.org/homecaremonth.
On that site, the Alliance has posted materials to help home care agencies and advocates celebrate and raise awareness. There are templates for a press release, op-ed’s, and letters to the editor that can be sent to local media as well as downloadable posters that can be posted in your office and community.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter where the Alliance will be posting a “Home Care Fact of the Day” each day in November, along with other important news and updates. We have 142 “Likes” and are aiming to get to 150 and beyond!
HCA has plenty of educational and training events in November so please be sure to check our busy calendar of events this month.
Finally, our radio campaign in partnership with WGBH is still ongoing so stay tuned to 89.7 FM or Classical New England (99.5 FM) to hear great sponsorships from HCA members.
For more info on how to celebrate and raise awareness, or if you would like assistance with the press materials, please contact James Fuccione at the Alliance.
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Madeleine Biondolillo, MD, the Director of Health Care Safety and Quality at MA Department of Public Health informed home health executives this week that efforts by the state to support better care transitions may eventually become more deliberate – possibly by adding care transitions “compliance” to the state survey process. In a discussing her Division’s plans with the executives, Dr. Biondolillo indicated a strong preference for “leveraging her Department’s regulatory clout” to drive improvement in the patient care experience. She shared a draft survey tool that DPH developed with the nursing home industry and that surveyors could eventually incorporate into the state survey process. The tool has been tested in four long term care facilities to date and has been shared with CMS as a possible national model for survey reform. The form incorporates resident/patient interviews using the 3-Item care Transition Measure (CTM-3), which Biondolillo suggested has the endorsement of the National Quality Forum for use in evaluating transition quality.
In response to questions and comments from some of the home health executives at the meeting, Dr Biondolillo:
– reflected on the possibility of introducing a determination of need (DON) process in Massachusetts for home health saying the DON rules may be reopened for changes in the coming year. The compelling argument for home care or hospice would, she said, be quality of care based, not economic.
– indicated a willingness to assist the Home Care Alliance in getting physicians and hospitals to understand the complex Face to Face rule
– expressed from her own personal experience as a physician support for home health efforts to change Medicare practice to allow Nurse Practitioners to sign plans of care
– agreed with sentiments expressed by at least one home health executive that there may be more that can be done to educate physicians that different patients may benefit from different post acute paths (i.e, directly with support home) rather than following a standard for all patients path through a rehab hospital and/or nursing home
October is a busy month for events at the Home Care Alliance with some unique opportunities to hear insight from state government on their activity around care transitions, hospice/palliative care initiatives, and electronic health record implementation. 
The month kicks off with an Executive Breakfast with Madeleine Biondolillo, MD on October 4. Dr. Biondolillo is the Director of the Mass DPH Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality, which is responsible for such efforts as improving care transitions, implementing new End Of Life Care Initiatives, and establishing a health care workforce center.
The Alliance is also pleased to host a free event at the VNA of Boston on October 5th for home health IT personnel as well as other interested agency leaders and staff on the state’s “Last Mile” Implementation regarding electronic health records. This event will involve a presentation and discussion with Lawrence Stuntz who is the Director of the Massachusetts eHealth Institute, the Commonwealth’s entity for health care innovation, technology, and competitiveness. Although there is no cost, HCA is requiring registration.
To see our other events for this month, including informative webinars and meetings, check out HCA’s calendar of events.
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Its not too soon to make plans to be in Boston on Jan 22-24, 2013 for the 2013 Northeast Home Health Leadership Summit. For your consideration:
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Over the past months, the Alliance’s Private Care Advisory Committee has held a series of discussions with employment law attorney Allyson Kurker regarding Massachusetts wage & hour laws as they relate to home care agencies and workers. A labor law attorney with significant experience advising home care agencies, Ms Kurker has researched the broad range of questions raised during those discussions and has prepared a Legal Memorandum on Wage and Hour Issues especially for Alliance members.
The memorandum covers several topics of interest to certified and private care agencies alike, including record keeping and payroll, overtime, exempt vs. non-exempt employees, working time, and issues specific to live-in caregivers. The Memorandum is posted to the MA Regulatory page of the Alliance’s website (link is at the bottom right).
The Alliance will host two free member forums this month during which Ms Kurker will present the substance of the memorandum and address additional questions from the Alliance membership. Agency CEOs and HR specialists are especially encouraged to attend one of the sessions: Tuesday, May 22, at Great To Be Home Care, 2024 Westover Road, Chicopee, or Thursday, May 24, at CareWell Health Group, 141 Longwater Drive, Norwell.
Both sessions will include a continental networking breakfast at 8:30 followed by an Alliance Update presented by Alliance Executive Director Patricia Kelleher at 9:15, and the Wage & Hour presentation at 9:30.
The sessions are open to Alliance members only. Pre-registration is required by calling Stephanie Drakes at 617/482-8830.
Thinking about attending the New England Home Care Conference & Trade Show from May 31-June 1? Keynote speaker Arnie Cisneros is just one of the many great reasons and has a special message for attendees:
Mr. Cisneros, P.T., is president of Home Health Strategic Management and will give the conference’s closing address, “Beyond Business As Usual” on June 1, 2012. As an added benefit to all New England agencies, Mr. Cisneros is offering a FREE webinar regarding Home Health proposals recently included in the sweeping 2012 Med Pac Report to Congress. Visit this GoToMeeting page to learn more and register.
To learn more about Mr. Cisneros — as well as the other speakers, presenters, programs, and exhibitors at the conference — just download the brochure and register today.
And don’t forget that all Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts who register for the conference before April 13 will be entered to win one of two $50 chips to use as the casino!
The Partnership for Patients and the National Priorities Partnership are promoting a free webinar series to help advance patient safety practices and improve both the partnerships between health care providers and the processes within organizations.
The first two webinars are titled “Creating and Sustaining Successful Partnerships between Hospitals and Community Organizations” and “Using Tools to Enable Rapid Cycle Improvement within Your Organization,” which are taking place on February 15th and 23rd, respectively. Visit the webinar series website to sign up.
Also, check out the Home Care Alliance’s calendar of events to find upcoming webinars and teleconferences.
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