coming up final 2018 hhpps rule expected this week · to secure u.s. senate and house support on...
TRANSCRIPT
COMING UP
Your Source for HOME CARE News, Policy and Advocacy Vol. 2, Issue 39 | October 30, 2017
Quality &TechnologySymposiumNov. 16 & 17Suffern
The SecondAnnual Women inHealth CareLeadershipSummitDec. 7 & 8Saratoga Springs
Northeast HomeHealth LeadershipSummitJan. 16-18, 2018
Boston
INSIDE
Registration for allHCA programs isonline at http://hca-nys.org/events-education/upcoming-events.
See HHGM p. 4
DOL Posts Long-AwaitedStatement on 24-Hour/Live-InRegulationRetroactivity issue indirectly addressed, asdiscussed during member call last week As reported in a member alert, the stateDepartment of Labor (DOL) last week posted along-awaited notice of emergency adoption forits October 6 emergency regulation regarding24-hour/’live-in’ cases.
Hotel Deadline for Quality &Technology SymposiumExtended to Friday, Nov. 3 HCA has extended the deadline to secure aroom at the HCA discount rate for our fast-approaching Quality & TechnologySymposium, one of HCA’s final signatureconferences of 2017 (to be held on November16-17). The new hotel deadline is this comingFriday, November 3.
See SYMPOSIUM p. 6
Final 2018 HHPPS Rule Expected This Week.......................................................1DOL Posts Long-Awaited Statement on 24-Hour/’Live-In’ Regulation.................1Hotel Deadline for Quality & Tech Symposium Extended to Nov. 3........................1NY House Members Well-Represented on HHGM Letter.....................................5HCA Data Webpage Now Includes Q4 2016 PACE & MLTC MMCOR Data...............6CMS Issues Draft CoP Interpretive Guidelines...................................................7DOH to Activate 2016 CHHA, LTHHCP & Hospice Statistical Report.......................8Governor Signs HCA’s Priority Essential Personnel Bill, Sepsis Initiative.............8HCA Conference Presents Three Women ‘Start-Up’ Leaders..............................9State and National Experts, HCA, Launch Sepsis Steering Committee...............10Important Upcoming Deadlines.....................................................................12
Member Hiring Announcement.........................................................................12HCA Provides Recommendations on Post-Acute, Telehealth Regs......................13HCA Participates in LTC Need Methodologies, Models Workgroup.......................14DOH Announces LTC Workforce Investment Organization Approvals...................15Home Health Compare Data Refreshed............................................................15UAS-NY to be Upgraded on Nov. 7........................................................................16Additional Paid Family Leave Forms Posted.......................................................16Long Island Bootcamp Open for Registration......................................................17CMS Seeks Hospices to Pilot Test Draft HEART Assessment Instrument................18Fall eMedNY Training Schedule Announced........................................................18Resources.....................................................................................................................19
Final 2018 HHPPS Rule Expected This WeekStatus of HHGM Proposal Highly Anticipated
The final 2018 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HHPPS) rule is expected to be postedthis week, following a review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The final HHPPSis due November 2, in just three days, with an effective date of January 1, 2018.
OMB is not permitted to reveal information on the HHPPS package, including whether thedocument contains the major Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM) rate changes.
See DOL p. 2
LTC WORKFORCE ORGs
DOH has announced thedesignees to serve asregional LTC workforceimprovement organizationsunder $245M program.
HCA DATA
HCA’s members-onlydata page nowincludes newMMCORspreadsheets.
PAGE 13 PAGE 15PAGE 6
PAC REGULATIONS
HCA makes recommendations togroup examining post-acute care(PAC) regulations, includingprogram flexibility available underHCA-developed collaboration law.
CoP GUIDELINES
CMS has posted theInterpretive Guidelines forthe home healthConditions of Participation,which are effective inJanuary.
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The Situation Report is a weeklypublication of the Home CareAssociation of New York State(HCA). Unless otherwisenoted, all articles appearingin The Situation Report are theproperty of the Home CareAssociation of New YorkState. Reuse of any contentwithin this newsletterrequires permission fromHCA.
Joanne CunninghamHCA President
Roger L. NoyesDirector of Communications,Editor of The Situation Report
Al CardilloExecutive Vice President
Patrick ConoleVice President,
Finance & [email protected]
Andrew KoskiVice President,
Program, Policy & [email protected]
Laura Constable Senior Director,
Membership & [email protected]
Celisia StreetDirector of [email protected]
Mercedes Teague Finance Manager
Jenny KerbeinDirector of Governance &
Graphic [email protected]
Billi Wilson Manager, Meetings & Events
Teresa BrownAdministrative Assistant
Home Care Association of New York State (HCA)388 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12207
Tele: 518-426-8764; Fax: 518-426-8788; Website www.hcanys.org
The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017
DOL from p. 1
A link to the relevant pages of the State Register is posted to HCA’swebsite at https://hca-nys.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/NYS-Register102517emergencyreg.pdf. “This emergency regulation is needed to preserve the status quo,prevent the collapse of the home care industry, and avoidinstitutionalizing patients who could be cared for at home, in theface of recent decisions by the State Appellate Divisions that treatmeal periods and sleep time by home care aides who work shifts of24 hours or more as hours worked for purposes of state (but notfederal) minimum wage,” says the statement, posted on October 25.“This emergency adoption amends the relevant regulations to codifythe Commissioner’s longstanding and consistent interpretationsthat such meal periods and sleep times do not constitute hoursworked for purposes of minimum wage and overtime requirements.” While the regulation does not expressly provide for a retroactiveeffective date, the provisions of the regulatory intent present a cleardesire for maintaining the status quo and codifying the DOLCommissioner’s guidance. The October 6 emergency regulation followed recent AppellateDivision rulings that have declined to enforce DOL’s so-called “13-hour rule” guidance for 24-hour/’live-in’ cases. The Appellaterulings have determined that, based on the regulation languageitself, non-residential aides should be paid the minimum wage forall 24 hours of their shifts, regardless of whether they were afforded8 hours for sleep (including 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep time) andthree hours for meals (aka, the “13-hour rule”). While the October 6 emergency regulation applies the 13-hourstandard to 24-hour/’live-in’ cases going forward, it is not clear ifthe courts would also apply this standard retroactively and thusoffer retroactive protection to home care agencies. HCA advocatedfor, and DOL included, language in the notice of emergencyadoption that could serve as a basis for courts to apply theemergency regulation on a retroactive basis. Over the past several months, HCA sought an emergency regulatorychange that would align the regulations and DOL’s longstanding 13-hour standard, which was separately established in a 2010 DOLopinion letter. This advocacy prompted DOL’s October 6 emergency
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regulation and last week’s notice of regulatory adoption which, altogether, appear to provide thisurgently needed alignment.
Anticipating the regulatory statement’s release, HCA on Thursday held a members-only conference callto discuss the document. Key takeaways from this call are as follows:
The regulatory impact statement makes it abundantly clear in multiple places the codification ofexisting regulations and that the intent of those regulations, pertaining to the 13-hour standard,is not something new.
The operative phrase “status quo,” in addition to other language in our reading of the impactstatement, suggests DOL’s intent for the emergency regulation to be applicable bothretrospectively and prospectively.
As an emergency regulation, it goes into effect immediately for a period of 90-days, at whichpoint it could be promulgated again on an emergency basis; or the Department could work topromulgate a final version of the regulation. Typically, a department of jurisdiction will post aproposed final regulation at some point during the cycle of an emergency regulation.
The emergency rule and accompanying impact statement could be a new factor in the ongoing courtcases related to this issue, should the litigants decide to file a motion or enter the emergency rule/impact statement into the record during appeals.
During HCA’s call last week, a number of questions were raised about the impact statement’s reference to“home care aides” and whether this terminology applied to all aide-level categories (i.e., home health aides,personal care aides, home-attendant aides, etc.). This terminology question is addressed in a follow-upmemorandum from our legislative-affair representatives at Hinman Straub. The memo (available at https://hca-nys.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-10-27HinmanMemoNYSDOLEmergencyReg24-HourLive-in.pdf)indicates that “home care aide” is not defined in the minimum wage regulation or under the Labor Law.However, the Public Health Law “does define ‘home care aide’ to include the following: ‘home health aide,personal care aide, home attendant, personal assistant performing consumer directed personal assistanceservices pursuant to section three hundred sixty-five-f of the social services law, or other licensed orunlicensed person whose primary responsibility includes the provision of in-home assistance withactivities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living or health-related tasks.’”
HCA members are urged to discuss this regulatory impact statement with your legal counsel, especiallyin the event that you provide 24-hour/‘live-in’ services. Additional advocacy As communicated to members in recent editions of our newsletter, HCA has also filed an amicus brief, inconjunction with the New York State Association of Health Care Providers and the Home Care Associationof America, to support the appeal effort in the Tokhtaman v. Human Care, LLC case (one of three casesinvolving 24-hour/’live-in’ services). The brief calls on the Court of Appeals to “grant leave to appeal andreview” the Appellate Division, First Department’s decision in the Tokhtaman case.
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The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that HHGM would reduce paymentsto home care by $950 million nationally. However, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice(NAHC) estimates a 15 percent average reduction for home health agencies under HHGM, or nearly $3billion nationally in 2019. HCA estimates the New York impact could be approximately $150 millionannually.
HHGM has remained a top target of advocacy by HCA and federal partners, including our collective workto secure U.S. Senate and House support on bipartisan letters to the CMS urging it to reject the HHGMproposal in the final rule. Through the intense advocacy of HCA, our members, and the work of our federallegislative affairs representative (Brett Heimov of Envision Strategy), 20 out of the 27 House members inthe New York Delegation have signed onto the letter. (See related article on next page.)
Also, as reported to the membership on October 6, the House Ways and Means committee has separatelyintroduced legislation that would codify the HHGM (including the change from a 60-day to a 30-dayreimbursement increment) legislatively, along with some other provisions. HCA posted a campaign on ourLegislative Action Center for providers to write their Congressional Representative opposing the HouseWays and Means approach.
In a new development, NAHC last week pitched a counterproposal to the House Ways and MeansCommittee in an effort to mitigate the proposed HHGM cuts. The proposal is one of the various movingpieces in negotiations that hinge on the outcome of the final HHPPS expected later this week.
As reported to members, the original House Ways and Means proposal not only seeks to codify HHGM,but it also attempts to mollify opposition from the industry with a provision to extend the home healthrural add-on; yet, as we’ve argued, this rural add-on provision only provides token support for rural healthcare in the form of a payment that was already being developed separately on a bipartisan basis.
According to Inside Health Policy, a legislative discussion draft circulated by the Senate FinanceCommittee includes an extension of the Home Health Rural Add-on, among other program extenders. In2018 and 2019, the add-on would increase from 3 percent to 4 percent for counties with a populationdensity of six or fewer people per square mile. The add-on would go back down to 3 percent in 2020, 2percent in 2021 and 1 percent in 2022 for those counties. “The summary also notes that congressionalMedicare advisors have said many rural counties have above average home health use and few barriers toaccessing care, and in those counties, the home health add-on would be less – 1.5 percent in 2018 and0.5 percent in 2019,” reports Inside Health Policy. “For other rural counties, the home health add-on wouldbe extended in 2018 at current rates, and then reduced to 2 percent in 2019 and 1 percent in 2020.”
As providers may have read in HCA’s biweekly news clips, the HHGM proposal has been the subject ofseveral trade publication news reports, op-eds and letters to the editor as associations and individualproviders push the public-relations front to gain steam against the change. Among these is an op-ed by Dr.Steven Landers, President and CEO of VNA Health Group, in The Hill, an influential news publicationamong Capitol insiders. You can read the article at http://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/356945-untested-proposals-will-cut-medicare-and-hurt-seniors.
HCA will continue discussing the HHGM impact with Members of the Congressional Delegation and willimmediately inform the membership as soon as the final 2018 HHPPS rule is posted, including our analysis
HHGM p. 1
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NY House Members Well-Represented on HHGM LetterHCA thanks Delegation for bipartisan stance on HHGM
With support from HCA members and our legislative-affairs firm, Envision Strategy, New York’sCongressional Delegation was incredibly responsive in signing onto a letter raising concerns aboutthe Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM) proposed by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and MedicaidServices (CMS). (See related p. 1 story.) The letter specifically calls on CMS to exclude the HHGMfrom its final 2018 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HHPPS) rule, expected to be postedlater this week.
The letter, dated October 25, is linked to HCA’s website at https://hca-nys.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Abraham-Sewell-HHGM-Letter.pdf. It is signed by 20 of the 27 members representing NewYork in Congress. The letter includes 174 Members of Congress nationally.
“We have heard from a number of stakeholders who are concerned that the proposed rule lacks keymethodology and data points,” the bipartisan letter states. “While we support efforts to increaseefficiencies in Medicare, we believe this must be done in a prudent manner that does notcompromise access to care.”
HCA specifically thanks and recognizes the following Members of Congress for lending theirvoice to the Congressional letter on behalf of the New York home care provider and beneficiarycommunity:
Yvette Clarke (D-9)Chris Collins (R-27)
Joseph Crowley (D-14)Eliot Engel (D-16)
Adriano Espaillat (D-13)John Faso (R-19)
Brian Higgins (D-26)John Katko (R-24)Peter King (R-2)
Gregory Meeks (D-5)Jerrold Nadler (D-10)Sean Maloney (D-18)
Carolyn Maloney (D-12)Kathleen Rice (D-4)
Louise Slaughter (D-25)Elise Stefanik (R-21)
Tom Suozzi (D-3)Paul Tonko (D-20)
Nydia Velázquez (D-7)Lee Zeldin (R-1)
of its critical elements for providers, and any corresponding grassroots advocacy related to the rule andcompanion legislative initiatives.
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Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State
Be sure to make your reservations as soon as possible by contacting the Crowne Plaza Hotel (inSuffern) directly at 1-800-227-6963. Ask for the group code HCA to reserve your overnight accommodations.
HCA’s Quality & Technology Symposium is designed for home care clinical managers, Directors of PatientServices, quality improvement officers, and other strategic planners (including the leadership executives atyour agency) who need to know the latest trends, policy developments, quality program requirements, andtechnological opportunity areas to fulfill your mission in the home care, managed care and hospice arenas.
In recent communications, we’ve highlighted for you several sessions at the conference, including: a previewof clinical considerations for the upcoming Advanced Home Health Aide (AHHA) law; a leading LHCSA’s use ofdisease-management platforms to reduce hospital lengths of stay; and an interactive workshop forimplementing your agency’s soon-to-be-required QAPI program under the new home health Conditions ofParticipation (CoPs).
These are just a few of the ten focus topics to support your agency’s clinical outcomes, compliance withquality requirements, and efficient management of clinical resources. Register and make your overnightaccommodations today. A brochure is at the back of this week’s newsletter. Online registration is at http://tinyurl.com/ybkwdhtl.
SYMPOSIUM from p. 1
HCA Data Webpage Now Includes Fourth Quarter 2016 PACE & MLTC MMCOR Data
This week, HCA staff posted to our HCA Data website an HCA-developed spreadsheet of the fourth quarter 2016Medicaid Managed Care Operating Reports (MMCORs) from each MLTC and Program of All-Inclusive Care forthe Elderly (PACE) plan in the state.
Important: HCA Data is a members-only page that provides data reports to assist home care and hospiceproviders and managed care plans in their benchmarking efforts, understanding of system-wide trends, andaccess to reimbursement and premium rates. The page is not visible on our site unless you are logged in withan HCA member website account.
Our log-in page is here: http://hca-nys.org/login. Upon login, the HCA Data link will appear in the site menu atthe top right. You can also enter your e-mail address to obtain your password. Or, simply e-mail HCA’sCommunications Director Roger Noyes at [email protected] if you do not yet have an HCA website account.
HCA’s spreadsheets of the fourth quarter 2016 PACE and MLTC MMCOR include multiple sheets summarizingkey MMCOR data, including such items as: plan enrollments; per-member-per-month premium revenue andpremium income; unit costs; utilization data; balance sheet data and other information.
Earlier this year, HCA posted a spreadsheet with data from the 2015 Medicaid Cost Reports for all non-hospitalbased CHHAs and LTHHCPs in the state.
For further information, contact Patrick Conole at (518) 810-0661 or [email protected].
Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State
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CMS Issues Draft CoP Interpretive Guidelines
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has prepared a draft set of interpretiveguidelines for its changes to the Medicare Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs), which are set togo into effect in January.
HCA is reviewing the draft and working with association partners on our ongoing analysis. You can read thedraft at https://hca-nys.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/3819-F-HomeHealthAgency-CoPs_IGs.pdf.
As extensively reported to members, the CoPs contain the most sweeping regulatory changes to home caresince 1989. HCA was the first association to call upon CMS to delay the CoP effective date, leveragingsupport from Congress to achieve a six-month delay – from July 13, 2017 to January 13, 2018. (Please notethat the emergency preparedness regulations still go into effect on November 16, 2017; and QualityAssessment and Performance Improvement/QAPI project requirements are effective on July 13, 2018).
Our calls for the CoP delay reflected, in part, the fact that CMS had yet to issue interpretive guidelines, whichprovide critical clarifications on the substance of the sweeping CoP changes, as well as directions to state-level surveyors on enforcement actions. HCA will notify the membership on all relevant updates from ourreview of the guidelines and related developments with the CoPs.
QAPI Component a Highlight of November 16-17 Quality Conference
One component of the CoPs is a requirement that senior leaders develop, implement and lead a robust andeffective organization-wide Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement (QAPI) Program.
HCA’s upcoming Quality and Technology Symposium, on November 16 and 17, includes a focus session onthis CoP component, which requires agencies to monitor and address the full scope of agency services,clinical outcomes and patient service gaps.
During this practical and interactive program, senior leaders will learn how to structure an effective QAPIprogram, create a quality indicator monitoring system, identify high-impact performance gaps, and launchand guide process improvement teams that can meet the CoP requirements for Performance ImprovementProjects (PIPs). Participants will leave with a specific and detailed action plan for implementing QAPIrequirements in their own organizations.
This session is being led by Barbara Katz, RN, MSN, of BK Health Care Consulting, who was a popularpresenter at one of HCA’s programs on value-based payments. Register for the Symposium today at the linksbelow:
Read the brochure: https://hca-nys.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-Quality-and-Technology-Symposium-Brochure.pdf
Register online: https://www.eventville.com/Catalog/EventRegistration1.asp?EventId=1012269
Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State
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DOH to Activate 2016 CHHA, LTHHCP & Hospice Statistical Report
The state Department of Health (DOH) Division of Home and Community Based Services will activate the2016 annual statistical report for Certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs) and Long Term Home HealthCare Programs (LTHHCPs) as well as the 2016 Cost and Utilization Report for Hospices on November 1,2017.
The announcement came via a DOH Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) which also includes instructions forcompleting and submitting the reports. The DAL can be downloaded at: https://hca-nys.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/DAL_CHHALTHHCP-2016-Statistical-Report-Hospice-Report_102517.pdf.
The report will be activated and available for completion from November 1 through December 29, 2017.After December 29, 2017, these reports will be de-activated from the Health Commerce System (HCS).
DOH uses these reports to collect qualitative and quantitative information for policy decisions regarding thehome care industry. DOH stresses the importance of complete and accurate data, given “the rapid changesoccurring in the health care delivery system and the increased emphasis and reliance on the availability ofhome and community based services.”
All CHHAs, LTHHCPs, and Hospices are required to complete and submit the 2016 reports. Failure to submitall required information in the appropriate format may subject the agency to an enforcement action underSection 12 of the Public Health Law resulting in the agency being liable for civil penalties in violation ofArticle 36 (for CHHAs and LTHHCPs) or Article 40 (for Hospices) of the Public Health Law and New York StateMedical Facilities Code.
Administrators should be aware that DOH’s ability to make an affirmative statement to the agency’scharacter and competence will be negatively impacted if an enforcement action for failure to submit ispursued. Furthermore, any pending certificate of need (CON) applications will not be processed for agenciesdetermined to be delinquent.
Provider agencies are strongly encouraged to enter and submit data as early as possible. Agencies that waituntil the last week to enter data may encounter extended system delays and wait times for support due tolimited system and personnel resources.
Providers that have questions about completing or submitting the reports can send them to DOH at:[email protected].
Governor Signs HCA’s Priority Essential Personnel Bill, Sepsis Initiative into Law
Governor Cuomo last week signed HCA’s priority “Essential Personnel” bill into law (Chapter 385). He alsosigned into law a sepsis education bill supported by HCA and congruent with our efforts to raise awarenessabout the risks of sepsis in community-based settings (Chapter 347). The Governor’s long-awaited support of our “essential personnel” bill (S.5016-A/A.6549-A) establishes avital statutory basis to assure home care and hospice provider input into local emergency planning,
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including “essential-personnel” access for home care and hospice staff to reach vulnerable patients whendisasters strike. HCA worked closely and arduously with the bill’s legislative sponsors, Assemblyman Michael Cusick andSenator Andrew Lanza (both of Staten Island), to overcome the Governor’s vetoes of past legislative versionswhich, like S.5016-A/A.6549-A, were unanimously approved by the Legislature. We thank the Governor,Assemblyman Cusick and Senator Lanza for seeing this bill through to fruition. Both legislators described theimportance of the measure in a press release jointly issued by their offices. (An HCA version of the pressrelease is at: https://hca-nys.org/press-releases/gov-cuomo-signs-lanza-cusick-bill-supporting-home-care-hospice-role-in-reaching-vulnerable-patients-during-emergencies.)
Please be on the look-out for more information, guidance, resources and recommendations on ways thatproviders can utilize this new statutory authority to interface with local emergency management officials onbehalf of patients in the emergency planning process. Sepsis bill
The Governor has also signed legislation (S.4971-A/A.6053-A) establishing a sepsis awareness, preventionand education program within the Department of Education to educate students, parents and schoolpersonnel about sepsis. This initiative dovetails with HCA’s own work in raising awareness about the risk,incidence and need for sepsis screening in non-hospital settings.
As reported to the membership, HCA was recently awarded a prestigious New York State Health Foundation grantfor statewide training and implementation of HCA’s first-in-the-nation sepsis-intervention protocols in home careprovider settings. (See our press release at https://hca-nys.org/press-releases/hca-awarded-nyshealth-grant-for-sepsis-screening-in-community-settings.) The Steering Committee for this initiative, which we are calling “StopSepsis at Home NY,” met on Wednesday to discuss next steps. (See related p. story.)
Among these steps, HCA is developing a website and program/training schedule for this important initiativewith further information coming to the membership soon.
As NPR Reveals Biases for Women Entrepreneurs, HCA Conference Presents ThreeWomen ‘Start-Up’ Leaders Offering Insights for SuccessRegister today for HCA’s Women in Healthcare Leadership Summit to gain insights on the entrepreneurialspirit
NPR’s Marketplace Morning Report last week featured a troubling, yet instructive, report on “Why femaleentrepreneurs get less funding than men” (see https://www.marketplace.org/2017/10/25/business/why-female-entrepreneurs-get-less-money-men).
The report references a study published by the Harvard Business Review about the different questions thatmale versus female entrepreneurs get when they pitch ideas to potential investors, and why entrepreneursneed to be aware of these prevalent biases. An entrepreneurial spirit is vital to your success as a leader in health care, whether you are pitching a start-upor delivering a value proposition for contracting with health care partners. It’s especially important for women
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leaders to understand the unique challenges facing entrepreneurs, as well as the strategies for overcomingthem. HCA’s Women in Healthcare Leadership Summit on December 7-8 will include a fascinating and insightfulpanel session with three women leaders who have emerged as a driving force in the advocacy for anddevelopment of the cannabis industry.
These entrepreneurs (Kristin L. Jordan of Cannabis Practice Group, Tanya Osborne of Women Grow,and Hillary Peckham of Etain, LLC) will offer lessons learned from their experiences. Such lessons aretransferable to your own work in developing tools and strategies for entrepreneurial success in home care andacross all enterprises. The session will be moderated by Dr. Bernie Lee of HCA member MJHS Hospice andPalliative Care, who was an extremely popular presenter at HCA’s Annual Conference earlier this year. HCA’s second annual Women in Healthcare Leadership Summit, on December 7 and 8, is our final signatureevent for 2017, and a perfect capstone for professional development leading into 2018. We offer this uniqueprogram to reach, inspire and provide tools for women leaders in healthcare, a field where women are highlyrepresented but nevertheless need dedicated leadership training to meet their full potential.
Please join us or encourage a colleague to do so. Please also consider joining the summit with acolleague by taking advantage of our discount mentor/mentee rate.
Details are in the brochure at https://hca-nys.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-Quality-and-Technology-Symposium-Brochure.pdf.
Register online at https://www.eventville.com/Catalog/EventRegistration1.asp?EventId=1012269.
State and National Experts, HCA, Launch Sepsis Steering Committee
State and national sepsis leaders and prestigious stakeholders joined with HCA last week to launch HCA’ssepsis steering committee as part of our New York State Health Foundation grant.
This exceptional committee is convened by HCA to help guide and advise our grant components and rollout.
The overall purpose of the Foundation grant is to lend key support for statewide implementation of HCA’sHome Care Sepsis Screening and Intervention Tool through training sessions, tools and other elements.
The committee lent their expertise and input on the following elements:
Promote and support statewide adoption and use of this screening and intervention initiative withinthe home care sector and by other applicable providers.
Conduct training on the tool, and broadly in sepsis education.
Provide technical support for providers and practitioners.
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Coordinate with cross-sector clinical partners (e.g., hospitals, physicians, EMS, health plans).
Conduct community/public outreach.
Create and maintain a dedicated “Stop Sepsis At Home” website with all training and support details, aswell as resources and links to our partners.
Collect and analyze data for provider support, feedback, improvement, research, evaluation and policy.For this component, HCA member IPRO has established a HIPAA-compliant data portal that will allowproviders to transmit data derived from the HCA sepsis tool/agency EHR.
In addition to HCA and the HCA Board chair, the Committee members include leadership from national SepsisAlliance, the Rory Staunton Foundation for Sepsis Prevention, IPRO, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control andPrevention, hospitals and home health agency clinicians, the state medical society, state and regional hospitalassociations, Conference of Blue Cross-Blue Shield Plans, NY Health Plan Association, New York StatewideSenior Action Council, State EMS associations, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, theVisiting Nurse Association of America, and others.
Notably, on October 23, the Governor signed a comprehensive new state law for sepsis education in schools.(See related p. 8 story.) It incorporates sepsis as part of the professional infection control training required forclinical licensure of RNs, physicians, and other health clinicians.
HCA-NYS Foundation Grant Stakeholder Launch Sessions
To learn more and prepared for our Stop Sepsis at Home initiative, please be sure to attend one of twoupcoming launch sessions:
Via Webinar: November 9, 11 a.m. to noon, hosted by HCA member IPRO. (Registration informationcoming soon.)
In-person: November 16 as part of HCA’s Quality and Technology Symposium. Register for theSymposium at https://www.eventville.com/Catalog/EventRegistration1.asp?EventId=1012269.
Details on Regional Training, Cross-Sector Sessions and Data Sharing
HCA will be sending a detailed alert for the membership on upcoming regional sessions, and the HCA-IPROdata sharing component. These will take place on the following months and regions:
December – Western and Central New York January – The broader Capital District and Hudson Valley February – New York City (2 borough sites) March – Long Island (one in Nassau and one in Suffolk)
For further information, please contact Al Cardillo at [email protected], Celisia Street at [email protected],or Billi Wilson at [email protected].
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Important Upcoming Deadlines
Requirement/Change Effective/ Due Date More Information
2016 LHCSA Statistical Report Nov. 3, 2017 https://commerce.health.state.ny.us/public/hcs_login.html (HERDS application)
Emergency Response Drill Nov. 6 8, 2017 https://commerce.health.state.ny.us/public/hcs_login.html (HERDS application)
UAS NY Updated Nov. 7, 2017 [email protected] or 518 408 1021
MLTC Cost Report and Supplemental Minimum
Wage Reconciliation Cost ReportNov.15, 2017 [email protected]
Federal Emergency Preparedness Rule in Effect Nov. 16, 2017 https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR 2016 09 16/pdf/2016 21404.pdf
2016 & 2017 CHHA Special Needs Semi Annual
ReportsNov. 17, 2017 https://commerce.health.state.ny.us/public/hcs_login.html (HERDS application)
2016 CHHA/LTHHCP Statistical Report
(opens November 1)Dec. 29, 2017 https://commerce.health.state.ny.us/public/hcs_login.html (HERDS application)
2016 Hospice Cost and Utilization Report
(opens November 1)Dec. 29, 2017 https://commerce.health.state.ny.us/public/hcs_login.html (HERDS application)
Implementation of Universal Billing Codes for
Home and Community Based Long Term Care
Services under Managed Care
Jan. 1, 2018
https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/long_term_care/reimbursement/letters/dal_2017 09
22_billing_codes.htm
Revised Medicare Home Health Conditions of
Participation in EffectJan. 13, 2018 https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR 2017 01 13/pdf/2017 00283.pdf
Start of Transition Period for Using Health
Insurance Claim Number (HICN) or Medicare
Beneficiary Identifier (MBI)
April 1, 2018 https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/New Medicare Card/index.html
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER The Chief Financial Officer assists the Chief Executive Officer in the administration of all financial aspects of the Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk, Inc. The Chief Finance Officer provides overall direction and supervision of all finance and related budgetary functions, and participates in agency strategic planning.
Qualifications: Graduation from an accredited college with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance. Master’s in business administration preferred. CPA desirable. Five years progressive financial responsibility. Two years experience in health care finance preferred. Demonstrated ability to utilize data processing systems. Demonstrated ability to communicate.
A complete job description may be viewed at https://secure3.entertimeonline.com/ta/6140706.jobs?ShowJob=151203473&prevScreenX=0&prevScreenY=0 To apply for this position, please email your résumé to [email protected] Visiting Nurse Service and Hospice of Suffolk offers a rich benefits package and a competitive salary commensurate with credentials and experience. EOE
13
The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017
HCA Provides Comprehensive Recommendations on Post-Acute and TelehealthRegulatory Modernization
HCA has provided the state Department of Health (DOH) with comprehensive recommendations on post-acute and telehealth care for the Department’s regulatory modernization team initiative.
DOH established regulatory workgroups on these and other health programs several months ago. HCA hasprovided active input throughout this process, seeking important new opportunities for regulatory flexibility,infrastructure support, as well as functionality and innovation for home care in partnership with othersectors.
However, these discussions have also introduced areas of major concern, as various hospitalrepresentatives seek their own direct path to in-home care outside of federal and state home care laws,rather than through collaborative models.
HCA’s recommendations address all the above areas, such as:
Adjusting reimbursement to secure critical home care infrastructure needs (workforce andoperations) and targeting state budget capital funding to the support of home care healthinformation technology, exchange and interoperability.
Improving and streamlining hospital-homecare-physician care transition and management processesthrough clear and expanded guidance on permissible flexibility, innovation and roles, as well asremoving barriers. This would also include leveraging the HCA-coauthored “Hospital-Homecare-Physician Collaboration Law” (public health law 2805-x) to support innovation and new partnershiproles for home care in primary care, public health, medical management, pre-acute, and post-acutetransition and care.
Supporting the cross-training, credentialing and integrated use of health personnel across settings.
Eliminating barriers to billing.
Educating hospitals, physicians and other system partners on home care and its capabilities underflexible laws and regulations.
Providing flexibility for home telehealth, as well as clear and adequate capability for telehealthcoverage by managed care plans and managed long term care plans, and ensuring plans are properlyfunded to cover this service with home care (a long overdue policy update).
Bringing home care into the mainstream of health coverage.
These and other HCA proposals would greatly help realign the policy and program environment for homecare and partners in the changing system. DOH will be looking to select proposals for the coming legislativeand budget sessions, or otherwise pursue administrative approaches, where possible.
Continued on next page
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The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017
Draft DAL circulated for comment
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) has just circulated a draft Dear Administrator Letter (DAL)seeking HCA’s comment on guidance to providers for leveraging the Hospital-Homecare-PhysicianCollaboration Law. DOH’s document is based on a draft that HCA submitted to the Department severalmonths ago.
HCA is currently analyzing the draft, which contains some departures from HCA’s original submission butis largely consistent with HCA’s intent and purpose. We will keep the membership apprised of thedevelopments on these and other Departmental directions as the process moves forward.
For additional information, please contact Al Cardillo at [email protected].
HCA Participates in ‘LTC Need Methodologies and Innovative Models’Workgroup
This past week, HCA participated in a conference call to discuss the goals for the state Department ofHealth (DOH) Long Term Care Need Methodologies and Innovative Models Workgroup, of which HCA is amember.
The purpose of the Workgroup is to provide feedback to DOH on “regulatory reforms to facilitateprovision of innovative models of care to meet the needs of communities, including rural communities.”In addition, the goal is to explore the possibility of new need methodologies and licensing policies whileincorporating the Olmstead plan principles on the nursing home bed need regulations.
The first meeting of the Long Term Care Need Methodologies and Innovative Models Workgroup will takeplace on November 7th in Meeting Room 6, on the main level of the Empire State Plaza in Albany from12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
The Workgroup is being asked to address a series of questions related to need methodology, quality,technology and other issues for Certified Home Health Agencies, Licensed Home Care Services Agencies,Hospices, Nursing Homes and other Home and Community-Based Services.
Lora LeFebvre, past SUNY Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, will be leading the discussionalong with Mark Kissinger, Special Assistant to the Commissioner at the state Department of Health.
HCA also participates in other DOH Regulatory Modernization Initiatives, including workgroups on: Post-Acute Care Management Models and Telehealth. (See related p. 13 story.)
Information on these and other workgroups is at https://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/regulatory_modernization_initiative/.
Continued from previous page
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The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017
DOH Announces LTC Workforce Investment Organization Approvals
The state Department of Health (DOH) has issued the list of approved Long Term Care WorkforceInvestment Organizations (LTC-WIOs). See the list at https://hca-nys.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LTC-WIO-Designation-Announcement.pdf. The designees are broken into the current MLTC regions: New YorkCity; Long Island; Hudson Valley; Northeast; Central; and Western New York.
Under this program, DOH will make available up to $245 million (during 2018-2020) for “initiatives toretrain, recruit and retain healthcare workers in the long term care (LTC) sector.” DOH intends to issuefurther guidance on the structure of this initiative in the coming weeks.
According to previous presentations on this initiative, DOH will require MLTC plans to contract with theDOH-designated LTC-WIOs to: invest in initiatives to attract, recruit and retain LTC workers; develop plansfor reducing health disparities through placement of LTC workers in high-need areas; analyze the trainingneeds of each region the center serves; and support the expansion of home care and respite care, enablingthose in need of LTC to remain at home and reduce Medicaid’s costs associated with LTC.
MLTC plans will receive Workforce Development Program funds which will be used to contract with LTC-WIOs for the provision of workforce development initiatives to the health care providers that participatewith the plans. Plans and LTC-WIOs will also be required to collaborate on strategic planning to recruit andtrain new LTC workers.
Funds will be allocated to plans based on the percentage of each plan’s enrollment relative to all planenrollment, and distributed via increases to their capitated rates. Plans will need to notify theirparticipating providers that they can send workers to LTC-WIOs to participate without charge. Plans willdistribute funds to the LTC-WIOs with which they contract to reimburse them for providing workforcedevelopment initiatives.
HCA has requested a high-level meeting with DOH to discuss the details of its program to ensureadministrative simplicity and avoidance of new burdens on plans, as well as funding flexibility to ensuretargeting of support to areas and disciplines in greatest need and/or shortage crisis. HCA will follow-upwith the members on further developments from discussions about the structure and roll-out of this newinitiative.
HCA had provided extensive input to DOH as this program was constructed over the past year and a half. We had sought a streamlined and direct approach to determining, assessing and paying for the training,and suggested training topics that would help workers and agencies as the system evolves.
Home Health Compare Data Refreshed
Home Health Care Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS) survey resultsare now reported on the Home Health Compare website based on responses from patients who receivedMedicare-certified home health services from April 2016 through March 2017. (See the link at http://www.Medicare.gov/.)
HHCAHPS survey results are updated each calendar year quarter.
Continued on next page
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The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017
Continued from previous page
These data for home health agencies (HHAs) are also available on the HHCAHPS website through the“Archived Publicly Reported Data” link under the “General Information” tab. On this webpage, agencies canaccess:
HHA-level data State and national averages Star ratings cut points Patient mix adjustment coefficients for the linearized data used to construct the Star Ratings
As a reminder, information on how the Star Ratings were constructed is provided in the “Technical Notes” athttps://homehealthcahps.org/Portals/0/HHCAHPS_steps_calculate_composites.pdf?ver=2016-11-07-101103-157.
See the link below for more information about how the data were analyzed and for the patient-mixadjustment factors that were used to statistically adjust the results reported on Home Health Compare:
https://homehealthcahps.org/Portals/0/PublicReporting/PMAandHHCAHPSresults_OctPublicReporting2017.pdf
UAS-NY to be Upgraded on November 7
The state Department of Health (DOH) has announced the UAS-NY software will be upgraded to version 1.3a(v.1.3a) on November 7, 2017.
In addition to the Online Upgrades related to release v.1.3a, DOH will also be releasing v.1.3a of the OfflineClient. This is a required upgrade for all Offline Client users. Complete instructions for upgrading the UAS-NY Offline Application will be available in the UAS-NY Training Environment Reference and Resources 8500Online and Offline Application by no later than close of business on November 3, 2017.
The UAS-NY now houses multiple assessment instruments across several domains; therefore, release notesspecific to each domain will be forthcoming.
Questions can be directed to the UAS-NY Support Desk at (518) 408-1021 or [email protected].
Additional Paid Family Leave Forms Posted
The state Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) has released additional Paid Family Leave (PFL) forms. Thisincludes a general Request For Paid Family Leave form (PFL-1), as well as various certification formsdepending on the type of leave.
The following forms are needed to apply for PFL:
Combination PFL-1 form and PFL-2 (a bonding certification form) to bond with a newborn or a newlyadopted or fostered child (https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/bonding.pdf)
Continued on next page
The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017
17
Combination PFL-1 form, as well as PFL-3 (a release of personal health information form) and PFL-4 (ahealth care provider certification form), to apply for PFL to care for a family member with a serioushealth condition (https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/careforfamilymember.pdf)
Combination PFL-1 form and PFL-5 (military qualifying event form) for a qualifying exigency arising fromservice of a family member in the U.S. Armed Forces (https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/military.pdf)
As we mentioned in the October 16 edition of The Situation Report, the WCB has also released:
PFL-Waiver: “Employee Opt-Out of Paid Family Leave Benefits” (https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/PFLWaiver.pdf)
PFL-135: “Employer’s Application for Voluntary Coverage” (https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/PFL-135.pdf)
PFL-136: “Employer’s Application for Voluntary Coverage” (Employee Contribution Required) (https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/PFL-136.pdf)
Lastly, the WCB has posted an Employer Checklist at https://www.ny.gov/new-york-state-paid-family-leave/new-york-state-paid-family-leave-employers.
PFL, when fully implemented (starting January 1, 2018 and phased in over 2018 to 2021), will provideemployees up to 12 weeks of paid family leave in any given 52-week benefit period. Leave can be used to: 1)care for a family member (including a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, spouse or domestic partner) witha serious health condition; 2) bond with an employee’s newborn or newly placed adoptive or foster child duringthe first 12 months following birth or placement; or 3) address any qualifying exigency to a spouse, domesticpartner, child or parent who is serving on active military duty.
Long Island VBP Bootcamp Open for Registration
Registration for the Value Based Payment (VBP) Bootcamp in Long Island is now open. Registration will closeon November 8, 2017.
The VBP Bootcamp in Long Island will take place on November 15, 2017 at The Long Island Marriot (101 JamesDoolittle Boulevard, Uniondale, New York 11553) from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Registration is at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vbp-bootcamp-20-long-island-tickets-37813431993.
While the state has already held Bootcamps in New York City, Albany, and Lake Placid (Rochester will be heldon November 3), we have been informed that DOH plans to hold another one in New York City in January. Moredetails on that one will be coming.
VBP Bootcamps are a regional learning series created by the state Department of Health to equip VBPcontractors and interested parties (such as Managed Care Organizations, Providers, Associations, andCommunity Based Organizations) with the knowledge necessary to implement payment reform. The daylong
Continued from previous page
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The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017
Continued on next page
VBP Bootcamp is designed to be an interactive training session that will give participants a thoroughunderstanding of VBP.
This event is free and open to all interested parties. Space is limited, and space will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is limited to no more than four participants from each organization.
Questions can be sent to mailto:[email protected].
CMS Seeks Hospices to Pilot Test Draft HEART Assessment Instrument
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has contracted with RTI International to developthe Hospice Evaluation & Assessment Reporting Tool (HEART), an expanded item set covering thecomprehensive patient assessment for hospice providers.
As part of the HEART development process, RTI will be pilot testing the draft HEART instrument byconducting two sequential pilot tests.
Hospices that are interested in participating in the pilot should complete the pilot interest formlocated in the download section of the HQRP Requirements and Best Practices webpage at: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Hospice-Quality-Reporting/HQRP-Requirements-and-Best-Practices.html. The form can be e-mailed to [email protected] by October 31,2017.
The RTI project team will reply to further discuss the pilot project. If you have questions about the pilot,please contact Jennifer Tierney Lyden at (919) 541-7447 or at [email protected]. The contract name is HospiceQuality Reporting Program Measure Development, Maintenance and Support. The contract number is HHSM-500-2013-13015I.
Fall eMedNY Training Schedule Announced
The eMedNY Training Schedule for October through December is now available. Registrations forseminars and webinars are currently being accepted.
Some of the topics offered include:
ePACES for Dental, DME, Free Standing and Hospital Based Clinics, Institutional, Nursing Home,Professional (Real-Time), Physician, Private Duty Nursing, Transportation, and Vision Care
Medicaid Eligibility Verification System (MEVS)
eMedNY Website Review
New Provider/ New Biller
eMedNY training seminars are being held at the following locations:
Canandaigua
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The Situation Report: the Home Care Association of New York State Volume 2, No. 39 October 30, 2017
Plattsburgh
Poughkeepsie
Rensselaer
Hauppauge
To view the training schedule and register, visit https://www.emedny.org/training/index.aspx. Questionscan be directed to the eMedNY Call Center at 800-343-9000.
More information is at https://www.ny.gov/programs/new-york-state-paid-family-leave.
Resources
“Employers’ Checklist: What You Need to Do Now (under Paid Family Leave),” New York StateDepartment of Labor
https://www.ny.gov/new-york-state-paid-family-leave/new-york-state-paid-family-leave-employers
“Creating a conduit for better health: Technology connects medical and social services,” by Rocky
Mountain Health Plans
https://www.rmhpcommunity.org/sites/default/files/resource/RMHP-Oct2017.v5.pdf
“Medicare Enrollment at Age 65, “NYS DOH Administrative Directive (October 24, 2017)
https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/publications/pub2017adm.htm
For more information, contact Andrew Koski at (518) 810-0662 or [email protected].
19
Crowne Crowne Crowne Crowne Plaza HotelPlaza HotelPlaza HotelPlaza Hotel3 Executive Blvd.
Suffern, NY 10901
TechnologyQuality
AND
To be truly effective, all health care quality programs must embrace innovative technological solutions for achieving process improvements, data sharing, and communication capabilities that drive improvements in patient care, analytics and oversight.
Health care technologies, for their part, are only useful to the extent that they support the qualityof care that you deliver to patients – which is the lifeblood of your overall mission and a marker of your agency’s reputability and viability in an increasingly competitive health care marketplace.
HCA’s signature Quality and Technology
Symposium, on November 16 and 17, is designed for home care clinical managers, Directors of Patient Services, quality improvement officers, and other strategic planners (including the leadership executives at your agency) who need to know the latest trends, policy developments, quality program requirements, and technological opportunity areas to fulfill your mission at this fundamental intersection of quality and technology in the home care, managed care and hospice arenas.
Crowne Crowne Crowne Crowne Plaza HotelPlaza HotelPlaza HotelPlaza Hotel
3 Executive Blvd.
Suffern, NY 10901
AGENDAAGENDAAGENDAAGENDA
Thursday, November 16
8:30AM Registration and Light Breakfast
9:00 AM HCA Opening Remarks
9:15 –10:15AM
NYS Vision & Directions in Quality Marcus Friedrich, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Office of Quality
and Patient Safety, New York State Department of Health
In this opening session, Dr. Marcus Friedrich will present the state’s
overall vision and direction for quality. He will address: quality in the
evolving health care system; priority areas of quality focus; priority
state policies and initiatives; and implications for each sector,
including home care, managed care and hospice. The session will
also describe tools, resources and supports that the state envisions
for providers and managed care plans to help achieve these priority
goals.
10:15 – 11:15AM
‘Disruptive Technologies’ in Home HealthCarl Queton, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, OperaCare
As governments continue to squabble over the future of health care,
home care remains the victim of constant regulatory change. With
the advent of Value Based Purchasing, our industry is not just forced
to evolve but to innovate. However, the path to innovation is
compounded and complicated by three top issues already facing
home care: 1) shrinking margins; 2) an unprecedented caregiver
shortage; and 3) a cascade of regulatory requirements.
Within this environment, third-party software and hardware vendors
are rising to the top, focusing their work on how to help fix one – or
all – of these problems. These new approaches can be characterized
as “disrupters,” which simply means a kind of innovation that upends
traditional markets, models, or value systems in the business world.
This session will discuss some of these marketplace competitive
factors, as well as innovations and opportunities, including many
that are already available to home care providers, such as:
• The role that telehealth, telemedicine and remote patient
monitoring plays in reducing readmissions;
• How artificial intelligence and predicative analytics can remove
variables that lead patients to enter the hospital in the first place;
• The place of online education, not just for the caregiver but also
for the client; and
• The growth of private-duty home care, and how it is becoming
“Uber-ized” through new business models that are potentially
circumventing traditional methods of home care delivery.
Continued…
1
Thursday, November 16 - continued
11:15AM – 12:00PM
Surviving Sepsis: a Cautionary Tale & Insights for Community-Based InterventionsJoe Caruso, Sepsis Survivor (Invited)
Alan Sanders, M.D. (Invited)
After spending a week in a coma and experiencing significant organ
failure, Joe Caruso triumphantly emerged from his life-threatening battle
with sepsis. Hear his firsthand account of how hours and minutes made
the ultimate difference in surviving this brutal condition. This session will
also highlight the critical role of early sepsis recognition and treatment
protocols in community-based settings. These insights will offer a
compelling framework for home care to tackle the sepsis crisis head-on,
including through HCA’s first-in-the-nation community-based sepsis
screening tool, which is one component of a New York State Health
Foundation grant recently awarded to HCA for clinical efforts in sepsis
prevention.
12:00 – 1:00PM Lunch
1:00 – 2:00PM
Opportunities for Advanced Home Health Aides to Support Quality OutcomesRebecca Fuller Gray, Director, Division of Home & Community Based
Services, NYSDOH
In 2018, the state will be implementing a new law (enacted last year) to
authorize Advanced Home Health Aides (AHHAs). Under an RN’s
supervision, AHHAs will be able to perform advanced care functions,
including some tasks that otherwise fall under the scope of nursing
practice. Hear how the use of AHHAs in a home care plan-of-care can
support quality patient care, and what quality procedures are critical to
consider in this process.
2:00 - 3:00PM
How One Home Care Provider Used a Novel Health IT Platform to Achieve Concrete Quality OutcomesBrian A. Schiel, Vice President, Bestcare, Inc. and Ilyne Rabinowitz, RN,
Vice President, Clinical Services, Bestcare, Inc. (Invited)
Case studies of the real-time disease management platform, eCaring, are
demonstrating positive results in preventing unnecessary health care
utilization, as well as increasing employee and patient satisfaction. Hear
from a home care agency that is using this platform, and learn about the
agency’s experiences and promising preliminary outcomes with this
innovative technology.
3:00 – 3:30PM Extended Break & Exhibitor Networking
3:30 – 4:30PM
Integrating Behavioral Health with Chronic Care to Improve Patient OutcomesKatherine Vanderhorst, RN, BSN, President, C&V Senior Care Specialists
Patients with chronic medical conditions often face “double jeopardy” in
the form of co-occurring behavioral health issues. This session will cover
the steps for a successful behavioral health program that improves patient
care, outcomes and, ultimately, the agency’s star rating by integrating
behavioral health into a patient’s care plan.
4:30PM Day One Wrap Up and Adjourn
Friday, November 17
8:00AM Light Breakfast
8:30-9:30AM
Best Practices for Quality ManagersTBA
Quality alignment among collaborating clinical partners – and,
indeed, across the continuum – is crucial in coordinating,
measuring, and promoting excellence in care. This is especially
true under integrated systems and in models like DSRIP, value
based payments and managed care. What should quality
directors working in each sector be doing to best align and
facilitate quality and performance with their clinical and
organizational partners? This session will discuss strategies,
protocols and best-practices for achieving seamlessness in your
clinical partnerships.
9:30-10:45AM
Climbing Out of Chaos – A Roadmap to Sanity for Clinical Managers Barbara Katz, RN, MSN, BK Health Care Consulting
For home care clinical managers, juggling constant change while
running an effective clinical operation is a daunting and
exhausting task. This interactive seminar will use self-
assessments and class exercises to provide managers with a
toolkit of practical techniques for staying sane while working
efficiently in the new world of health care. Participants will leave
knowing how to: balance change and daily work; use data to
distinguish real work from wasted effort; apply proven time
management techniques to gain control of their time; and create
a personal resilience recipe.
10:45 – 11:00AM Break
11:00AM – Noon
The Quality and Value Proposition for Palliative Care in Home CareMadeline Jacobs, MPA, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Palliative care can be the most critical factor in the quality of a
patient’s care and life. It is also critical in preventing avoidable
hospitalizations and emergency care episodes, containing costs,
and promoting achievement of priority quality goals, which are
core elements of virtually all new health care models. In this
session, we will learn about palliative care as a serious illness
strategy for improving quality and value in home care.
12:00- 12:30PM Lunch
2
Friday, November 17 - continued
12:30 – 4:00PM
Implementing QAPI Program Requirements for Senior ManagersBarbara Katz, RN, MSN, BK Health Care Consulting
The new Medicare Home Health Care Conditions of
Participation (CoPs) require senior leaders to develop,
implement and lead a robust and effective organization-
wide Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement (QAPI)
Program. This program must monitor and address the full
scope of agency services, clinical outcomes and patient
service gaps.
During this practical and interactive program, senior leaders
will learn how to structure an effective QAPI program, create
a quality indicator monitoring system, identify high-impact
performance gaps, and launch and guide process
improvement teams that can meet the CoP requirements for
Performance Improvement Projects (PIPs). Participants will
leave with a specific and detailed action plan for
implementing QAPI requirements in their own
organizations.
By the end of this program, senior leaders will be able to:
• Explain Medicare QAPI CoP requirements;
• Create a QAPI structure that meets requirements;
• Build or refine a quality key indicator system;
• Choose priority areas for improvement and identify two
potential PIP projects;
• Implement a QAPI committee;
• Create mechanisms for launching and guiding quality
teams; and
• Develop a process for sustaining improvements
4:00PM Wrap Up and Adjourn
3
Hotel InformationCrowne Plaza Hotel
3 Executive Blvd.
Suffern, NY 10901
A small block of rooms has been
secured at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
for the evenings of November 15 and
November 16 at a discounted rate of:
To make your overnight accommodations, call the hotel
directly at 1-800-227-6963 before October 25th and ask for the group code HCA.
$119/night
4
Thanks to our Thanks to our Thanks to our Thanks to our
Sponsors!Sponsors!Sponsors!Sponsors!
Thanks to our Thanks to our Thanks to our Thanks to our
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Registration Registration Registration Registration Registration Deadline: November 6
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Full Conference (November 16 & 17)
� HCA Member Rate $299
� Prospective HCA Member Rate $429
One-Day Pass (Indicate date and rate)
���� November 16 or ����November 17
� HCA Member Rate $169
� Prospective HCA Member Rate $259
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations received in writing via email to [email protected] by
November 7 are refundable less a 25% administrative fee. No refunds are
permitted after this date or for no shows. Substitutions are permitted.
Pay by Check:
Make checks payable to HCA and mail to 388 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12207. Checks must be received by November 6th.
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Crowne Crowne Crowne Crowne Plaza HotelPlaza HotelPlaza HotelPlaza Hotel
3 Executive Blvd.
Suffern, NY 10901
TO:
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FOURTH FLOOR
ALBANY, NY 12207
November 16 & 17, 2017 November 16 & 17, 2017 November 16 & 17, 2017 November 16 & 17, 2017
Crowne Crowne Crowne Crowne Plaza Hotel Plaza Hotel Plaza Hotel Plaza Hotel
3 Executive Blvd.
Suffern, NY 10901