1HOME CARE ALLIANCEM A S S A C H U S E T T Sof

of the

Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts

&

Foundation for Home Health

2013 Annual Report

www.thinkhomecare.org

2Dear Members and Friends:

How do you keep abreast of the latest challenges facing the home health care industry?

Where do you obtain educational and other support services to improve your staff performance?

How can you stand with others in home care behind a unified message that our expertise is the solution to so much of what our health system is grappling with today?

At last years Annual Meeting, I spoke of people (and home care agencies) as being divided into three groups: those who make change happen, those who watch change happen, and those who ask what just happened? During our Year of Engagement this past year, the Alliances Board of Directors committed to being part of the first group those making change happen and keeping our members from falling into that latter group of those who discover change only after it happened.

As the largest home care association in New England, with more than 200 certified home health and private care members, the Alliance played an active role in 2012/13 with state and federal lawmaking bodies, regulatory agencies, and fiscal intermediaries to interpret, challenge, and propose policy and regulations that affect the home care industry. At the same time, we expanded our efforts to establish and promote the value of home care to the public.

Our message that our members provide evidence-based, cost-effective, high-quality services when patients need them in the place they prefer to live is becoming more openly accepted, as evidenced by the number and types of entities who are all now trying to do what we already do, and do well.

As I complete my first year as the Alliances president, and look to embark on my second, I am committed to keeping the Alliance as the vibrant, forward-leaning organization that my predecessors shaped, and to making a positive difference for our industry each and every day.

Message froM the President

Beverly Pavasaris President of the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts

3The Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts is a statewide association of home care agen-cies and their allies, dedicated to promoting home care as an integral part of the health care system. Founded in 1969, the Alliance is the definitive voice for home care in Massachusetts and represents more than 200 agency providers from every corner of the state. It builds public awareness of home care, helping citizens of the Commonwealth understand the scope of home care services and how to make wise health choices.

The Alliance works with government officials, legislators, and other advocacy organiza-tions on legislative and policy initiatives. Some issues affect the entire home care industry, while others are more narrowly focused on specific matters such as telehealth and nurse delegation. The Alliance gives voice to members concerns by commenting on proposed legislation, the budget process, and health care reform initiatives. Addi-tionally, it hosts and attends advocacy events across the state and in Washington, DC, and sits on policy-making committees to raise the profile of the entire industry.

Another of the Alliances primary functions is to help its members refine and improve their service to their clients. For instance, in 2010, the Alliance created an accreditation program the only one of its kind in the state for its private pay members in order to establish standards for these agencies and provide them with a form of best practices. More than sixty such agencies are currently accredited.

Also in this vein, the Alliance holds an annual awards ceremony to recognize excellence and innovation within the industry. Additionally, the Alliance fosters communication and sharing among its members by keeping them informed of regulatory and market changes through our professional interest groups, listservs, eNewsletters, and publica-tions.

Through its educational subsidiary, the Foundation for Home Health, the Alliance also supports its members efforts to continually improve their clinical excellence by offering workshops, teleconferences, and other educational events throughout the year. The Foundation also collaborates with the five other home care associations in the region to organize the annual New England Home Care Conference & Trade Show, the largest home care conference in the region.

In addition to these services, the Alliance also publishes directories of its members to help referral sources make informed decisions, provides its members with group purchase programs, and hosts the New England Home Health Career Center website.

about the alliance

4about the alliance

Jann Ahern, South Shore VNA

John Albert, Home Health VNA, Inc.

Keren Diamond, VNA of Boston & Affiliates

Meg Doherty, NVNA and Hospice

Joanne Kramer, VNA Care Network

Larry Levine, Home Care Assistance

Kathleen McDonough, Comm Health Ntwk

Laurie Rubin, Quality WORKS

Elaine Stephens, Overlook VNA

Robert Tonti, Vineyard Nursing Assoc

Kathleen Trier, Community VNA

Joan Usher, JLU Health Records Systems

Patricia KelleherExecutive Director

Tim BurgersAssociate Director

Colleen BayardDirector of Regulatory

& Clinical Affairs

Royce Tyree

Meetings & Education Manager

Tom MeyerMembership & Information Services Coordinator

James FuccioneDirector of Legislative

& Public Affairs

Stephanie DrakesAdministrative Assistant

Jon EzrinAccountant

Alliance Staff

Board of Directors 2012-2013Beverly Pavasaris, Brockton VNA, President

Shawn Potter, All Care VNA & Hospice, Treasurer

Jeanne Ryan, VNA & Hospice of Cooley Dickinson, Vice President

Wayne Regan, MetroWest HomeCare, Secretary

Patricia OBrien, Hebrew SeniorLife, Past President

52012-2013 financials

Support & Revenue

Membership Dues $897,327 (64%)

Workshops & Seminars $450,561 (32%)

Publications & Other $34,467 (2%)

Royalties $8,996 (1%)

TOTAL Support & Rev. $1,391,351

Royalties

Publications

Conferences, etc.

Dues

1%

2%

32%

64%

Operating Expenses

Salaries, Etc. $647,652 (49%)

Conferences & Meetings $328,811 (25%)

Consulting & Prof. Fees $104,238 (8%)

Occupancy $99,424 (8%)

Equipment & Operation $60,069 (5%)

Travel $25,010 (2%)

Printing & PR $18,664 (1%)

Dues & Subscriptions $11,586 (1%)

All Other Expenses $14,885 (1%)

TOTAL Operating Exp. $1,310,339

Non-Oper ActivitiesContributions $1,265

Investment Return ($7,471)

Total Non-Operating Activities

($6,206)

Total Assets $1,225,457

Total Liabilities $348,459

Total Net Assets $876,998

Beg. Net Assets $802,192

Change in Assets $74,806

All Others

Equipment & Operations

Occupancy

Consulting, etc.

Conferences & Meetings

Salaries, etc.

Assets & Liabilities

6The Alliance provided more than two dozen educational in-person and online workshops this past year. These programs promoted strong agency management, supported agencies in meeting or exceeding national quality or industry patient centered outcome measures; and promoted the competency of direct care staff, including home care aides.

Clinical topics for these programs in 2012/13 included: Managing Audits and Appeals; Complying with Changes to HIPPA/HITECH; Rehospitalization Rate Reduction; Comply-ing with Human Resources Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and Medicare Home Care 101. For home health aides, programs included: Treating and Managing Pain and Understanding Professional Boundaries.

Additionally, the Alliance coordinated two regional events: The Northeast Home Health Leadership Summit, and the 2013 New England Spring Conference & Trade Show. It also hosted its annual Summit on Private Duty Care, as well as a Financial Managers Conference.

The Alliance published 50 issues this year of its weekly eNewsletter, Update, providing current public policy, legislative, and industry information. This publication is supple-mented by regular memoranda and legislative action alerts on both state and federal issues.

Our online presence and traffic also increased this past year. Since July 1, 2012, www.thinkhomecare.org received just over 101,000 page views (up 9.7% from last year) from 25,831 unique visitors (up 6.4%). During that same period, our newsfeed/blog received 22,812 page views (up 6.7%) and our followership on Twitter increased to a total of 1,209 (up 39.4%).

Promoting Inter-Agency and Cross Continuum Collaboration

2012/2013 saw a rapid rise locally in federally-funded demonstration programs testing new health care delivery models and payment incentives. Across the state, shared accountability for patient care goals is replacing silo-ed approaches to care. The Alliance has engaged in many collaborative efforts designed to put home care in a favorable place as systems become more fully or virtually integrated.

The Alliance worked with the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) to incorporate home health outcome data and information into the Patient Care Link website.

In collaboration with the Mass Medical Society, the Alliance developed an online webinar and self-directed course for physicians on Home Based Palliative Care for Patients with Advanced Illness.

2012/13 in review

7In group and individual meetings, all of the states One Care Plan integrated care organizations for the states dual eligible demonstration project were briefed on home care programs and payment methodologies. The Alliance has represented the industry at various joint stakeholder implementation meetings.

The Alliance has worked collaboratively with MHA, Mass Medical Society, Health Care For All, and others on efforts to assure that any new federal Medicaid dollars are dedicated to Medicaid rates and expansion rather than being dropped into the states General Fund.

Through legislative advocacy, the Alliance won support from the Massachusetts Hospital Association and others for its Certificate of Need legislative language and retained a multi-organization coalition in support of the Nurse Delegation language improvement.

The Alliances many listservs, committees, and regional membership forums continued to provide members the opportunity to share ideas, network, and raise awareness on issues pertinent to their agencies.

The Alliance continues to co-chair the states Falls Prevention Coalition, was named to the advisory committee to the states Health Policy Commission, and has a named representative to the Community Health Worker Advisory Committee along with a seat on the Behavioral Health Task Force.

Promoting Home Cares Value

The Private Care Advisory Committee developed a 4 Reasons to Choose an Agency brochure to educate the public about the advantages of choosing an agency over an independent worker. Over 8,000 copies of the brochure have already been distributed to a wide range of information and referral sources as well as families, policy makers, and government officials.

Working with ElderCareSKILLS, a Video Task Force of agency members developed a series of nine Home Care How-To videos and published them on the Alliances YouTube channel. Designed for families, these short videos explore some of the most commonly asked questions about home health care.

The Alliance also sold or distributed over 2,800 copies of the redesigned Home Health Resource Directory (a new record) and over 9,000 copies of the Guide to Private Care Services to hundreds of councils on aging, hospitals, case managers, geriatric care managers, and state legislators, as well as a host of other referral sources.

2012/13 in review

8Member Operating Efficiency

The Alliance has partnered with The CIP Group as our preferred agent to provide health insurance and compliance advisory services for member agencies related to the Accountable Care Act.

A task force of Alliance members worked with the MassHealth TPL Unit to redesign and expand the use of the Homebound Assessment form, significantly reducing the burden of TPL on member agencies who serve a high volume of dually-eligible patients.

Alliance staff helped reduce research time for member agency staff, handling dozens of calls and emails monthly on state and federal regulations.

Supporting & Recognizing Innovations

Innovation requires leaders to articulate a new possibilities, to demonstrate their value, and then to encourage their integration into the work flow. The Alliance sponsored a number of opportunities for its members to hear, share, and be part of a broader health care innovation agenda.

The Alliances work with the Mass E-Health Institute (MeHI) brought home care into the states plan for electronic health information exchange and helped several members to win grants to support interoperability.

The 2012 Northeast Home Health Leadership Summit featured leading-edge perspec-tives on the industry from the leader of the nations largest freestanding, non-profit home health agency and the former leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

The Alliances Private Care Accreditation Standards continued to set the bar for a high quality private care agency. As of June 2013, 64 members are currently accredited.

The 2013 Innovation Showcase Our Time to Shine featured new thinking on dementia care using video conferencing, achieving gains in population health through serving an entire community, and local partnering to provide enhanced care for the most at risk patients.

2012/13 in review

9star award winners

Manager of the Year: Sue Sullivan Community Nurse & Hospice Care

Physician of the Year: Dr. James Everett Hospice of the South Shore

Manager of the Year: Barbara Brooks VNA Care Network & Hospice

Clinician of the Year: Shirley Lucier VNA Care Network & Hospice

Clinician of the Year: Patricia Darling VNA of Boston

Aide of the Year: Ginger Shugrue Home Instead Senior Care of Pittsfield

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Legislator of the Year: Rep. Kate Hogan

Massachusetts Legislature, D-Stow

star award winners

Home Care Champion: Val Halamandaris, National Association

for Home Care & Hospice

innovation award winnersHealth Care Cost Containment

Winner: VNA of Greater Lowell Health Care Affordability Begins At Home

Innovation in Patient CareWinner: NVNA & Hospice Alzhiemers Specialty Team Advanced Practice

Hon. Mention: Home & Health Resources First Day Home

Cross-Continuum CollaborationWinner: Baystate Health/Bay State VNA & Hospice Reducing Avoidable Readmissions with a Cross-Continuum Partnership

Hon. Mention: Partners Health Care At Home Private Care Skilled Nursing for Low Income Frail Elders

Excellence in Staff DevelopmentWinner: HouseWorks First Ever Schwartz Center Rounds for Home Care

Hon. Mention: Nashoba Nursing Service & Hospice Visiting Volunteers Program

Excellence in Community OutreachWinner: GVNA Healthcare The Face of Home Care on the Street

Hon. Mention: VNA of Middlesex-East & Visiting Nurse Hospice HomeMed Monitoring Kiosk

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24 Hours CareAbbott Home Health Care, Inc.ABC Home Healthcare ProfessionalsAble Home Care, LLCABP Best Home Care AgencyAcclaim Home Health CareAce Medical Services, IncActon Public Health Nursing ServiceAdvantage Home Health Care ServicesAll At Home Healthcare, LLCAll Care Resources, Inc.All Care VNA & HospiceAllied Home Health Care, Inc.AlphaCare Home Health AgencyAlternative Home Health Care, LLCAlways Best CareAlways Here Home Care, Inc.Amedisys Home Health of AgawamAmedisys Home Health of WalthamAmeriCare At Home, Inc.Apex Healthcare Services, Inc.Assisted Daily Living Inc.Associated Home Care, Inc.At Home Elder Care Inc.Auburn VNA Health Network, Inc.Aviv HomecareAyah Caregivers for Homecare LLCBancroft Private Care, Inc. (Auburn VNA)Bay State Senior Care, Inc.Bayada Assistive CareBAYADA Home Health CareBaystate VNA & HospiceBerkshire VNA/Berkshire Medical Center

Best Home CareBest of Care, Inc.BrightStar Care Boston NorthBrightStar Care of Milford & WorcesterBring Care HomeBrockton VNABrooksby Village Home SupportBrooksby Village VNSBullock's Nursing + Home Health CareCapuano Home Health Care, Inc.CARE @ HOMECare From The HeartCare ResolutionsCare ResourcesCareGroup Home CareCareProviders Visiting Nurse AgencyCaretendersCaring Companion Home Care, LLCCaring Solutions, LLCCeltic Angels, Inc.Central Home Health CareCentrus Premier Home Care, Inc.Charlesbank Home CareChicopee VNA, Inc.Clark Care, Inc.Collective Home Care Inc.Colony Care At Home, Inc.Comfort Home Care LLCComfort Keepers of South Shore, Cape Cod & MetrowestComfort Keepers of the North ShoreCommonwealth Caregivers, Inc.Commonwealth Clinical Services, Inc.Commonwealth Registry of Nurses, Inc.

MeMbershiPAgencies

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Community Health Network, Inc.Community Nurse & Hospice Care, Inc.Community VNA Private CareCommunity VNA, Inc.Comprehensive Home CareDodge Park At HomeElder AchieversElite Home Health Agency, Inc.Emerson Hospital Home CareExcel HomeCare ServicesExcella HealthcareEzra Home Care, LLCFamily Care ExtendedGlenmeadow at HomeGMVNAGreat to be Home Care (Chicopee VNA)Guardian Angel Senior Services, Inc.Guardian Healthcare, LLCGuardian Home Health CareGVNA Healthcare, Inc.Habilitation Assistance Corp.Hahn Home Health Care, Inc.Hallmark Health VNA & Hospice, Inc.Hampden County Visiting Nurses and Home Care ServicesHealthAlliance Home Health & HospiceHebrew SeniorLife Home Health CareHolyoke VNA & Hospice Life CareHome Again Health Care, LLCHome Care AssistanceHome Health MatesHome Health VNA, Inc.Home Instead Senior Care Hearthside, IncHome Instead S. C. of Berkshire County

Home Instead S. C. of Boston NorthHome Instead Senior Care of Cape CodHome Instead Senior Care of LexingtonHome Instead S. C. of North AndoverHome Instead S. C. of North DartmouthHome Instead S. C. of N. Bristol CountyHome Instead Senior Care of NorwellHome Instead Senior Care of NorwoodHome Resources, Inc.HomeCare, Inc.HouseWorks, LLCIndependence Home Care, Inc.Integra Home Health AgencyInternational Health SolutionsJewish Family & Children's Service VNAJHC HomeCare & HospiceKeystone Home Care ServicesLife Care at HomeLivHOME, Inc.Living Wisdom Home Health AgencyLoving Care Agency Pediatric HomecareManuel R Grell Home CareMedical Resources Home Health Corp.Memorial Hospital of RI Home CareMercy Home CareMetropolitan Home Health Care, Inc.MetroWest HomeCare & HospiceMulticultural Community Services of the Pioneer Valley, Inc.Multicultural Home Care, Inc.Nashoba Nursing Service & Hospice / Nashoba Assoc. Boards of HealthNatick VNA, Inc.Neighborhood Home Care

MeMbershiPAgencies

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New Century Homecare Services, Inc. New England Home Health Services, Inc.New England Homecare Solutions, Inc.New Outlook Homecare, LLCNizhoni Health SystemsNoble Visiting Nurse & Hospice ServicesNorth Hill Home Health CareNortheast Clinical Services, Inc.Northeast HomecareNurses R Us, Inc. Home Care ServicesNVNA and HospiceO'Connell Professional Nurse Service, Inc.Overlook Visiting Nurse AssociationParmenter VNA & Community Care, Inc.Partners HealthCare at HomePartners HealthCare at Home - Priv. CarePathways Healthcare, LLCPatriot Home Care LLCPCP Extraordinary HomecarePersonal Touch Home CarePointecare Home Health AgencyPorchlight Home CarePorchlight VNAPrivate Home Care, Inc.Profess. Nurse & Home Care of Cape CodRehab at HomeRight at Home of BedfordRight At Home of Boston NorthRight at Home of Boston-South ShoreRight At Home of Boston-SouthwestRight at Home of E. Worcester CountyRoyale Care, Inc.

RSSI Home CareSenior Bridge Family CompaniesSenior Comfort ServicesSenior Helpers - NortheastMassSenior Helpers of the South ShoreSenior Helpers of Westford & Marlb.Seniors Helping Seniors of ReadingServiceNet Home Care/ServiceNet, Inc.South Shore Visiting Nurse AssociationSouthcoast Visiting Nurse AssociationSpectrum Home Health & Hospice CareSteward Home CareStoughton Public Health & VNASuburban Home Health Care, Inc.T.L. Connections, Inc.Vine Home Care & StaffingVineyard Nursing Association, Inc.Visiting Angels of Cape CodVisiting Angels of ChelmsfordVisiting Angels of LittletonVisiting Angels of NewburyportVisiting Angels of Newton and CantonVisiting Angels of North AttleboroVisiting Angels of West SpringfieldVisiting Nurse & Community Health, Inc.Visiting Nurse Assoc. of Greater LowellVNS of Newport & Bristol CountiesVizion OneVNA & Hospice of Cooley DickinsonVNA & Hospice of Northern Berkshire, Inc.VNA and Hospice of Greater Milford / Salmon VNA & HospiceVNA Care Network & Hospice

MeMbershiPAgencies

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VNA of Boston & AffiliatesVNA of Cape Cod, Inc.VNA of Eastern Mass., Inc.VNA of Middlesex-East & VNHVNA of Southern Worcester County, Inc.VNA Private Care (VNA of Boston)

Walpole Area VNAWebster Light Home Health Agency, LLCWhittier Home Health Care AgencyWinchester Home CareWing VNA and HospiceWorldwide Staffing

MeMbershiPAgencies

Abbott NutritionAlzheimers Assoc. MA/NH ChapterAnoto, Inc.Ansaphone ServiceAtlantic Charter Insurance CompanyBaker, Newman & NoyesBe Well Home Healthcare Services, Inc.BlackTree Healthcare ConsultingBoston Business SystemsBrad Borbidge P.A.Byram Healthcare Centers, Inc.Cap Consulting LLCCaregiver Homes of MassachusettsCHAMPCommunity Health Accr. Program (CHAP)Deyta, LLCEnos Home Oxygen & Medical SupplyEnterprise / Fleet ManagementFazzi Associates, Inc.Feeley & Driscoll, P.C.Fred C. Church, Inc.

Geek Office SolutionsHarvard Pilgrim Health CareHealth and Home Care Training CenterHealthcare Synergy, Inc.HealthTrust SoftwareHMS Healthcare Management SolutionsHome Health LineHoneywell HomMedHospice & Palliative Care Fed. of MAIT ResourcesLarsonAllen, LLPLGC&D LLPMA Council for Home Care Aide ServicesMA Hospital AssociationMarcum LLPMassproMcBee Associates, IncMedical Recruitment Specialists, LLCMedline IndustriesNational Private Duty AssociationPerryville Marketing Associates, LLC

Allied

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Philadelphia Insurance CompaniesPhilips Home MonitoringPT ResearchQuality WORKSSallop InsuranceSimione Healthcare Consultants

Southwest TechnologiesStaples Business AdvantageUnemployment Services Corp.USI Consulting GroupVNAs of New England

Jo Anne AraminiLawrence BakerKaren CarneyRichard Chesney

Valerie DonnellySandra MahoneyRachel McGourthyCheryl Pacella

Joan UsherRod WeaverRonald WoodDavid Wudyka

MeMbershiPAllied

Individuals

HOME CARE ALLIANCEM A S S A C H U S E T T Sof

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2013 Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, Inc. 31 St. James Ave., Ste. 780, Boston, MA 02116

Ph: (617) 482-8830 Fx: (617) 426-0509