Tag: Education

Annual Conference Education (ACE): Virtual Edition is Now Open!

ACE Virtual introduces 27 educational webinars covering topics ranging from PDGM, COVID-19, Staff Retention, IT Security and more!

Although it is a chaotic time, and personal energy probably barely exists outside of work – we know that we must continue to offer opportunities for all to stay educated as we adjust to the “new normal”.

The sessions in this new virtual conference have been made available in a recorded format with the option for members to purchase as individual sessions, packages of 5 (based on tracks), or the full series. Thanks to sponsors, you will also be given the opportunity to receive significant discounts on products (up to 50% off!)!

Download the brochure

If a staff member that is in the position of Director or higher agrees to have one-on-one phone calls with our Premium Sponsors you earn significant discounts!

Use the following codes:
3 Sponsor Calls: 30% OFF – ACE30
5 Sponsor Calls: 50% OFF – ACE50

register for the full series or packaged tracks here
Register for individual sessions here
An example of what the platform looks like per webinar
learn more about the conference & supporting sponsors

2020 NEHCC Program Released!

You have been waiting, and now it’s here, The 2020 New England Home Care & Hospice Conference and Trade Show Program has been released! Join colleagues from throughout the region from May 13-15 in Newport, RI for the best home health and hospice event of the year!

You have been waiting, and now it’s here, The 2020 New England Home Care & Hospice Conference and Trade Show Program has been released! Join colleagues from throughout the region from May 13-15 in Newport, RI for the best home health and hospice event of the year! This fabulous conference will feature renowned keynoters and informative workshops that will give you new ideas and insight to take back to your agency. Sessions include Pre-Conferences on PDGM: Lessons Learned, and Medicaid Healthcare Reform; Keynotes on Caregiver Trends, Navigating Change, The Future in Home Health Through Data, and Bridging the Gap Between Life and Death. With 25 additional break-out sessions, you are bound to find topics that appeal to you and your staff as there is something for everyone!

Looking to find new partners with your agency regarding things like software systems, consulting, staff benefits, etc? Our exhibit show is the largest home health gathering in the Northeast with close to 80 exhibitors! See who is currently exhibiting here.

Don’t miss this great event close to home. Check out the brochure here

Learn more about the conference at www.nehcc.com

2019 Private Care Management Conference Agenda Announced

2019 Private Care Management Conference Agenda Announced!

Labor Management Relations, Robert Brooks, Labor & Employment Partner, Verrill Dana
Learn strategies to develop an effective plan of action when dealing with the current labor laws. This session will review recent and ongoing developments relating to handling your employees; such as, hiring, firing, discipline, and payment of wages. Additionally, hear more on the new Massachusetts Home Care Worker Registry Act and how it impacts your organization.

Recruiting, Onboarding & Educating the Caregiver Workforce of the Future,Helen Adeosun, EdM, Co-Founder & CEO of CareAcademy
Educating caregivers is the number one health intervention for today’s home care agency. Learn staffing best practices to help find new caregivers and educate existing caregivers to meet the growing needs of clients in their care. Attendees will learn several actionable steps that agency owners and management can take today to ensure that their caregivers have the knowledge they need that a structured training program can offer, and the positive impact for retention, home care ROI and business.  

Preventing Verbal Abuse of Workers: The Safe Home Care Project,Margaret M. Quinn, ScD, CIH, Professor and Director, Safe Home Care Project, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, UMass Lowell
Previous studies have found that violent behaviors, including verbal abuse as well as physical assault, by patients towards health care workers is common and leads to injuries, illness, burnout and job turnover.  The Safe Home Care Project team conducted a survey of nearly 1,000 Massachusetts home care aides and found that about 1 in 4 experienced verbal abuse from clients within the past year. The study identified home care conditions under which verbal abuse was most likely to occur and recommendations for prevention that can improve safety for both aides and their clients.  

Key Metrics to Motivate Staff, Improve Retention and Promote Growth, Kunu Kaushal, Senior Solutions Home Care
Learn from the Senior Solutions Home Care founder and CEO Kunu Kaushal who grew his Tennessee-based home care business from zero to $18+ million in nine years, with 800+ clients and 10 locations. The first session will share actual usable metrics, and formulas to help operate your agency at peak performance. Areas covered will include financials, operations, staffing, and recruitment. Move beyond revenue metrics to incentivize staff and provide more clarity around roles related to scheduling, recruitment and human resources. This simple, budget-driven model uses national metrics and KPIs that consider salaries and profitability for setting goals, defining responsibilities and motivating your staff.  

Building Your Leadership Team, Kunu Kaushal, Senior Solutions Home Care
In the second session you will learn his culture “secrets”, what makes a company’s culture great, how employee engagement can impact that culture. Kunu will share how he managed to build an attractive work culture, recognize when it’s time to let someone go, how to manage accountability, and more. Additionally, Learn how a great leadership team is built, including how to identify when it’s time to add to the team, ways to divide roles in order to maximize the team’s efficiency and key skill sets to identify when hiring.

Download the Brochure Here

Registration:
$99 – Members
$199 – Non-Members

HCA of MA Has Got You Covered for PDGM Education

HCA of MA is providing 4 unique opportunities at free or discounted rates to learn comprehensive elements of the new Medicare Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) being introduced this January.

HCA of MA is providing 4 unique opportunities at free or discounted rates to learn comprehensive elements of the new Medicare Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) being introduced this January.

PDGM: 4-Part Preparedness Series: August 6, 7, 13, & 14
Online Webinar Series

Is your agency prepared for the all the changes that will come with PDGM? This 4-part webinar series with Melinda Gaboury will give you the essentials your agency will need to prepare for PDGM. This series will cover coding changes, OASIS integrity, financial structure changes,LUPA’s, changes revenue cycles, and more!
• August 6th – PDGM Structure and Financial Changes
• August 7th – PDGM Coding & OASIS Integrity
• August 13th – PDGM Operational Decision Necessities
• August 14th – PDGM Revenue Cycle Changes
Instructor: Melinda Gabourey, Healthcare Provider Solutions

REGISTRATION
HCA Members: $379/Line for Full Series
HCA Potential Members: $599/Line for Full Series

All webinars are recorded

2020 Home Health Final Rule: September 11
Online Webinar

The 2020 Home Health Proposed Rule will be a seismic change in home health care. Learn from experts in the industry to help
understand the propsed rule and its impacts. Topics will include a review of Medicare’s new payment rates for home health, changes in use of PT assistants, and informed feedback to provide to CMS by the comments deadline of September 9, 2019, and more!

REGISTRATION
HCA Members: FREE
HCA Potential Members: $99/Line

PDGM Bootcamp: September 24, 9:00-4:00
Methuen, MA

Home Health Care Clinical Managers/Supervisors of Clinical Services, Quality Management staff and Clinical Educators will play a key role in the successful implementation of the new Medicare Patient Driven Groupings payment Model (PDGM). In this interactive session, attendees will learn the four key elements of the PDGM scoring system: admission source and timing, clinical groupings, functional levels and comorbidities. Managers will leave with specific techniques for obtaining accurate information to support coding, scoring and billing. All, while using the least resources to produce the best outcomes. Areas covered include: optimizing complex care, episode utilization and case management, interdisciplinary teamwork, care coordination and collaboration. The session will also describe key PDGM measures and monitoring techniques to optimize efficiency, achieve success and prevent pitfalls.

REGISTRATION
HCA Members: $159/Person
HCA Potential Members: $399/Person

PDGM Education by the National Association for Home Care
Online Webinar Series/ Videos

In a partnership with the National Association for Home Care, we are pleased to extend a special NAHC discount on several PDGM educational offerings all members of HCA of MA!

PDGM Video
If you’re familiar with PDGM but aren’t sure what the first steps are, this 5 ½ hour introductory course is for you. Leading industry experts will equip you with what you need to know to about the most significant change to impact home health in decades.

Webinar Series
If you want a deeper understanding of PDGM and how certain components will affect your business, this seven-part series is what you’ve been looking for. These webinars will focus on all parts of your agency, including risk factors, documentation review, clinical management and more. If you can’t attend the live webinar, don’t worry each of them will be recorded and available on- demand. You and your staff will have unlimited access.

Learn more on all education and register at:
www.thinkhomecare.org/Education

New PDGM Bootcamp Announced!

HCA of MA has introduced a new full day training on PDGM for Clinical Managers/Supervisors and Quality Management Staff.
https://www.thinkhomecare.org/resource/resmgr/event_forms/PDGM_Bootcamp_Flyer_and_Reg.pdf

Home Health Care Clinical Managers/Supervisors of Clinical Services, Quality Management staff and Clinical Educators will play a key role in the successful implementation of the new Medicare Patient Driven Groupings payment Model (PDGM). In this interactive session, attendees will learn the four key elements of the PDGM scoring system: admission source and timing, clinical groupings, functional levels and comorbidities. Managers will leave with specific techniques for obtaining accurate information
to support coding, scoring and billing. All, while using the least resources to produce the best outcomes.

Areas covered include: optimizing complex care, episode utilization and case management, interdisciplinary teamwork, care coordination and collaboration. The session will also describe key PDGM measures and
monitoring techniques to optimize efficiency, achieve success and prevent pitfalls.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES (At the completion of this session, participants will be able to….)

  • Describe key elements of Medicare’s PDGM payment model
  • Explain the impact of the new regulations on clinical operations and clinical managers
  • Identify key clinical operations changes that will be required for PDGM success
  • Create an initial action plan for successful PDGM implementation

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Barbara Katz, RN, MSN is an experienced clinician, manager, trainer and health care consultant. Barbara has been a hospital registered nurse, an APRN in internal medicine, a site manager for a Kellogg Foundation self-care education grant, a training manager and a manager of clinical operations for a network of medical practices. She has been Vice President for Clinical Program Development in a large home health care agency where she founded a family caregiver support network.
Barbara provides training in leadership for value based payment, patient self-management support, family caregiver support, process improvement tools and techniques, population health strategies, the use of data
in daily work, communication, teamwork and motivational interviewing.

REGISTRATION:
Members: $159/Person
Non-Members: $399/Person

Or Download the Registration Form Here

“To get others to be involved: This conference was an eye opener to areas we need to improve upon and the tools provided will help in the process. This really brings it all together and a better understanding of PDGM.”

“This was excellent very informative. Made PDGM clear & understandable. Great tips to get started & to stay on task. Barb is a great presenter & her use of handouts was helpful.”

HCA Offers Monthly Aide Webinars to Help with 12-Hour Education Credits

The Home Care Alliance of MA partners with the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina to put on monthly Aide education webinars. These webinars help satisfy the mandatory 12-hours of education your staff needs to remain complaint.

Take a look below for the following opportunities available until next June! All webinars are just $95/Line for HCA of MA members!

August 8, 2019
TOPIC: The Aide’s Role in Nutrition and Hydration
Speaker: Cindy Morgan, RN, MSN, CHC, CHPN

Description: Nutrition and hydration are necessary to sustain life. The provision of food and water is frequently related to the providing of comfort and nourishment as well as to the giving of life and preserving of life. Adequate nutrition has many advantages to the human body. This presentation will explore some of those, such as: healing, prevention and good health. We will also discuss the element of safety related to nutrition and hydration with a focus on the patient with advanced illness and those at end of life.

September 12, 2019
TOPIC: The Aide’s Role in Advance Directives & Patient Rights
Speaker: Jane Garrett, RN, BSN, MHSA

Description: Legal and ethical responsibilities of the healthcare staff regarding Advance Directives are described from the patient and caregiver’s perspectives. The types of various Advance Directives are explained along with examples and the practical application of this fundamental patient right.

October 10, 2019
TOPIC: The Aide’s Role in HIPAA and Confidentiality
Speaker: Michelle White, DNP, RN, CNL

Description: This workshop will focus on assisting your In-Home Aides in understanding HIPAA and confidentiality guidelines. This workshop will offer practical tips to ensure that the para-professional adheres to the required privacy standards. Also included: the impact of social media such as Facebook, My Space, YouTube and cell phones, text messages, etc.

November 14, 2019
TOPIC: The Aide’s Role in Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Speaker: Kathie Smith, RN, BSN

Description: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a type of dementia that affects thought, memory and language.  As the disease gets worse, people often need more and more care. This can be hard for caregivers and can affect their physical and mental health, family life, job and finances. In home aides play a vital role in helping to care for these patients and provide important respite to family caregivers. This teleconference will assist the in-home aide in being able to describe the role they play in helping to manage patients with AD.

December 12, 2019
TOPIC: The Aide’s Role in Maintaining Client Dignity
Speaker: Cindy Morgan, RN, MSN, CHC, CHPN

Description: It is the responsibility of every health care staff member to maintain the dignity of their patients with every contact they have with them. The Nurse Aide works with most patients in an intimate way with the duties assigned to them. This presentation will list strategies to ensure the patient’s dignity is protected.

January 9, 2020
TOPIC: The Aide’s Role in Falls Prevention
Speaker: Jane Garrett, RN, BSN, MHSA

Description:  In this session, there will be a discussion of the many challenges aides face daily in protecting their patients from injury, particularly those resulting from accidental falls. Additionally, as the number of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia continues to grow, we all have the added challenge of managing the manifestations of dementia that may increase the risk of falls.

February 13, 2020
TOPIC: TBD
Speakers: John Conrad and Libby Hart, RN

March 12, 2020
TOPIC: The Aide’s Role in Infection Prevention and Control
Speaker: Michelle White, DNP, RN, CNL

Description: This workshop will focus on understanding the basic principles of infection prevention and control. This workshop will also focus on Blood Borne Pathogens and the principles surrounding transmission and methods in which the aide can protect themselves and the patient.

April 9, 2020
TOPIC: The Aide’s Role in Home Care Safety
Speaker: Kathie Smith, RN, BSN

Description: Safety hazards can exist in many areas of the client’s home and the hazards may increase the risk of client falls and other injuries. This workshop will cover ways the In-Home aide can help the client to make their home safer and avoid injury to the client and worker.

May 14, 2020
TOPIC: The Aide’s Role in Understanding the Role of Animals in Patient Care
Speaker: Cindy Morgan, RN, MSN, CHC, CHPN

Description: Do you find that many of your patients have animals as pets and do you wonder why? This presentation will explain the importance of animals to patients. The animal may provide a level of love and care for patients that they get from no other source. There may be times that having to deal with animals in the home are challenging and we will discuss strategies to consider making your visits as pleasing as possible despite those challenges.

June 11, 2020
TOPIC: The Aide’s Role in Recognizing Violence and Patient Abuse
Speaker: Jane Garrett, RN, BSN, MHSA

Description: Many cases of abuse in elderly patients are not reported because they often must decide whether to tell someone they are being hurt or continue being abused by someone they depend upon or care for deeply. This webinar will provide information on recognizing signs of patient abuse and violence and the importance of reporting appropriately.

Check out our calendar at https://www.thinkhomecare.org/page/education for the most up to date information on these webinars and all other education being offered!

New Emergency Prep 4-Part Webinar Series

Agencies continue to struggle with the development of a disaster preparedness plan that will not only be in compliance, but realistic in an event. Areas of weaknesses in the process have been identified by CMS and accrediting bodies. On top of that, there were changes made to regulations at the end of 2018 and appeared in the 2019 interpretive guidelines. This series of one-hour webinars will provide in-depth knowledge of the requirements that home health and hospice organizations are subject to, with specific focus on: an overview of the regulations, starting the agency-specific plan, building the plan, development of policies and procedures, communication, and testing and training.

Program Goals: Through attendance in this web series, participants will increase their understanding of the newly updated federal emergency preparedness requirements that are part of the home health and hospice
Conditions of Participation (CoPs) and become knowledgeable in how to apply the federal requirements for disaster preparedness in their own specific agencies. Enhance disaster plan development for all community based agencies.

Following is the planned content and schedule for the live webinar sessions; for those who are unable to attend the live sessions, recorded sessions will be available.
Please note there is limited seating in the live sessions so please register early.

Part 1: OVERVIEW OF THE REGULATIONS – June 4, 2019, 1:00-2:00 pm EDT
Including Lessons Learned, Home Health and Hospice’s Role in an Event, All-Hazards Approach, Regulatory changes since 2018 and survey findings from the first year under the disaster preparedness CoPs.
Part 2: STARTING AND BUILDING THE PLAN, – June 11, 2019, 1:00-2:00pm EDT
Including Four Phases of Emergency Management, Incident Command System, and Hazard Vulnerability Assessment , Infection control and prevention, Continuity of Operations (Defining Essential Function, Succession Planning, Human Resources, Alternate Location, Defining Patient Populations, and Data Management)
Part 3: DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – June 18, 2019, 1:00-2:00 pm EDT
Patient Classification Systems, Transportation Classifications, Surge Capacity, HIPAA/IT, Tracking Patients and Staff, and Roles and Definitions., Organizing the plan.
Part 4: COMMUNICATION/TESTING AND TRAINING – June 25, 2019, 1:00-2:00 pm EDT
Health Care Coalitions; Specific Hospice Requirements; MOUs; Government Emergency Telecommunications System; Collaborative Relationships with Local, State, Federal, and Indian Tribe Nations; Annual/Orientation Requirements, Documentation of Training, Types of Exercises (Tabletop, Functional, Full-scale), After Action Report, Revising and Updating the Plan

REGISTER AT:
https://www.rbclimited.com/product/edp-4-part-series/

DISCOUNT CODE: RBCEDP

Good for all community-based, home care, hospice & Medicare certified home health agencies

New PDGM Educational Material Now Available!

In a partnership with the National Association for Home Care, we are pleased to extend to you a special NAHC discount on several PDGM educational offerings. As a member of HCA of MA, you will receive the NAHC member rate* when you purchase any or all of the following:  1) the PDGM: Strategies for Success in 2020 and Beyond video;  2) the individual webinars;  3) seven-part Webinar Series;  or 4) the package,  which includes both the PDGM Video and the PDGM Webinar Series – at an unbeatable price!

Registration includes giving your entire team access to these materials. Each individual can access them separately or you can use them for a group education.  It’s  up to you!

Click on the links below to get started!

For one low price, you and your entire team will have access to these materials, access them separately or as a group, it’s up to you!

Click on the links below to get started!

PDGM Video

We’ve developed an intensive, in-depth, online training that will prepare you and your entire Medicare home health agency to transition smoothly and successfully to PDGM in 2020 and beyond. If you weren’t able to attend one of the 12 National Summits across the country, don’t worry. PDGM: Strategies for Success in 2020 and Beyond features the same top PDGM experts who educated thousands at our National Summits, and you can learn their insights without leaving your home or office. Even better, for one low price all of your staff can receive the training they need. Purchase the video

Webinar Series

These webinars will be recorded for access anytime and anywhere.  For descriptions and objectives, click here

PROMO CODE FOR INDIVIDUAL WEBINARS: PDGM-Ind-MA01

Date & Time Title Presenter
May 2, 2019
2:00-3:00 PM ET		 PDGM Practical Overview Sue Payne REGISTER
May 9, 2019
2:00-3:00 PM ET		 PDGM Operations Impact: Referral Source & Intake Maria Warren REGISTER
May 21, 2019
2:00-3:00 PM ET		 PDGM Operations Impact: 30 Day Periods, LUPAs, Supplies Diane Link REGISTER
June 6, 2019
2:00-3:00 PM ET		 PDGM: Coding / Documentation Review / Revenue Cycle Melinda Gaboury REGISTER
July 11, 2019
2:00-3:00 PM ET		 PDGM: Interdisciplinary Considerations Karen Vance REGISTER
August 15, 2019
2:00-3:00 PM ET		 PDGM: Electronic Medical Record Readiness Matt Garcia REGISTER
August 16, 2019
2:00-3:00 PM ET		 Clinical Management of PDGM Risks Karen Vance REGISTER

Registration

PRODUCT State Association Member Price w/ Code Register
Single PDGM Webinar (1 of 7) $99 use links above
PDGM Webinar Series (all 7) $199 PURCHASE
PDGM Video (5.5 hrs) $199 PURCHASE
PDGM Video (5.5 hrs) and PDGM Webinar Series
 $349 PURCHASE

PROMO CODES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Individual Webinar Code – PDGM-Ind-MA01

PDGM Webinar Series (all 7 webinars) Code – PDGM-MA01

PDGM Video Code  –  PDGM-MA01

Combo – PDGM Video and Webinar Series (all 7 webinars) Code – PDGM-Combo-MA01

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Education Doesn’t Stop for Winter: It’s Webinar Season!

The Home Care Alliance of MA is proud to top education to our members on important and relevant topics. There are roughly 5-8 programs held a month and during the winter, they mostly belong to webinar education! Webinars are a cost effective way of educating your staff – you pay an affordable price for one line and have staff gather in a room to listen together, or access the recording for a later date training.

Below you will find some of our current webinars being offered which range in topics from Coding to CASPER reports to Aide education.

There are continuously new programs offered including on-site education, trainings, and conferences. Check out our calendar on our website to stay the most informed!

Contact Megan Fournier at mfournier@thinkhomecare.org or 617-482-8830 for any questions!

Full Quality & Compliance Conference Agenda Now Available!

Join us for our first annual Quality & Compliance Conference being held on Thursday, March 29th in Worcester, MA. This conference has been created due to the overwhelming new regulations that agencies need to understand to remain compliant.

After surveying members, HCA determined some of the most important topics that will be discussed during this full day conference.

Members are able to register for the LOW price of $50/person.
5 Nursing CEUs will be awarded!

The agenda is as follows:

 

 

  • ADRs, Pre-Payment Reviews, Post-Payment Audits and Suspensions – Navigating Medicare’s Administrative Appeal Process.
    Robert W. Liles, J.D., M.B.A., M.S., Managing Member, Liles Parker Attorneys & Counselors at Law
    Pre-payment reviews are now being conducted by both UPICs and ZPICs. While the government has placed some restrictions on their use, contractors continue to exercise great latitude in their scope and the length that they are imposed. Similarly, contractors remain in control of post-pay-ments conducted and suspension actions recommended to CMS. In this presentation, Robert W. Liles, J.D., will discuss these enforcement actions and outline the adverse impact each action can have on your agency and discuss your rights under the Administrative Appeal Process.
  • The COPs are Here, is Your Agency Complying?
    Susan M. Filshie, RN, Director of Clinical Consulting, QIRT
    The Conditions of Participation have been here since January, here is what we are seeing that is wrong! Quality in Real Time consults their clients regulary on the new home health standards. Filshie will take a deep dive into what what they have seen regarding the COPs and will give you the steps needed to ensure you are complying with the new regulations. A major focus will be spent on Patient Rights, which has been pinpointed as one of the more “heavy hitters” for the industry.
  • Developing a QAPI Project and the Fundamentals to Make it Successful
    Cheryl Pacella DNP, HHCNS-BC, CPHQ, COS-C, HCS-D, CAP Consulting
    We all celebrated the fact that quarterly record reviews and an annual agency evaluation are no longer required under the new Conditions of Participation. HOWEVER, agencies do need to comply with a robust Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program. We need to utilize data from record reviews and various reports to prioritize Performance Improve-ment Projects (PIPs). Agencies need to identify at least one QAPI project by July 2018. So where do you start? The goal of this program is to help you identify target areas and provide you with the tools to implement a successful Plan of Action.
  • Panel Discussion: Real Examples of Successful Performance Improvement Projects
    Suzanne Clark, PT, DPT, GCS Direction of PI & Education, NVNA and Hospice
    Melinda Monteverde, RN, MSN, WCCN, Executive Director of Nursing Operations, Steward Home Care
    Kate Mercier, Vice President of Operational Excellence, Brockton VNA
    Three Home Health Agenices in Massachusetts have been put together to show real example of successful Performace Improvement Projects. Panelists will explain how they implemented their projects, what worked, and what didn’t. Q&A time will be available!

DOWNLOAD THE FULL AGENDA HERE!

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