2006 Annual Meeting Educational Sessions

Sunday,October 15
11:30am-1:00pm Educational Programs
1:15pm-2:45pm Educational Programs

Monday,October 16
10:30am-12:00pm Educational Programs
2:30pm-4:00pm Educational Programs
4:15pm-5:45pm Educational Programs

Tuesday, October 17
10:30am-12:00pm Educational Programs
2:00pm-3:30pm Educational Programs
3:45pm-5:15pm Educational Programs

Sunday, October 15 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Clinical & Disease Management

The New American Nurses Association Scope and Standards of Home Health Nursing Practice

This program will present an overview of the process and outcomes of the newly revised ANA, "Scope and Standard of Home Health Nursing Practice."

Objectives:

• Discuss the updated scope of nursing practice as defined by the ANA "Scope and Standard of Home Health Nursing Practice."
• Identify the Standards of Care for Home Health Nursing.
• Describe the Professional Performance as defined by the ANA "Scope and Standard of Home Health Nursing Practice."

Faculty: Jeanie Stoker, MPA, RN, BS, Director, AnMed Health, Anderson, SC; Marilyn Harris, RN, MSN, CNAA, BC, FAAN, Executive Director, AMH Home Care - RETIRED, Abington Memorial Hospital (AMH), Hatboro, PA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Financial, Leadership

How to Secure Financing for Working Capital Requirements

Banks don't understand the healthcare industry! Growing providers need access to capital for M&A and to fund working capital requirements. Many growing home care agencies need access to capital for acquisitions and to fund working capital requirements. This presentation is a plain talking, nuts & bolts description of what types of financing are available to home care providers and what is needed to qualify.

Objectives:

• Identify three major types of financing available to home care providers.
• Decide which financing options are best suited to various operating environments.
• Prepare for the application process and underwriting criteria expected by lenders.

Faculty: Jack Eskenazi, Senior Vice President , American HealthCare Capital, Los Angeles, CA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Physician, Marketing & Business Development

Physician-HHA Collaboration Models in a Pay for Performance World

Home medical care visits by physicians and APNs have grown by 25% in the last five years. Many patients served need traditional home care. Physicians making house calls are therefore a new source of referrals. This session will feature three different models of non-employment, non-contractual collaborative arrangements between HHAs and house call providers.

Objectives:

• Describe the Washington Hospital Center/Medstar House Calls Medicaid Demonstration Program.
• Discuss ElderPAC "PACE Without Walls" Program.
• Describe VNA of Greater Philadelphia's Chronic Care Program.

Faculty: George Taler, MD, Director of Long Term Care, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC; Jean Yudin, NP, Director, ElderPAC Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Karen Alston, RN, MSN/MBA, Senior Vice President of Home Health, Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Emergency & Pandemic Preparedness, Clinical & Disease Management, Management & Human Resources

Infection Control

One of the most basic but important issues related to good health care is use of proper infection control methods and equipment. As concerns about a potential pandemic in our future grow, this topic takes on new meaning and importance. This session will serve as a survey course of infection control precautions, including an update on the latest equipment available for protection of health care workers.

Objectives:

• Recount basic infection control practices.
• Identify appropriate equipment and precautions and the circumstances under which they should be used.
• Describe ways in which these precautions can be applied in the home setting.

Faculty: Cynthia J. Mueller, RN, BSN, CIC, VP of Operations, RBC Limited, Staatsburg, NY;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Marketing & Business Development, Financial, Leadership

Managing the Transitions from Hospital Affiliation to Independence to Growth

This program focuses on the current climate and rationale for hospital disaffiliation of home health agencies. The presentation includes a nuts and bolts approach to orchestrating these transitions and discussion of the human resource elements involved to maintain staff morale during a tumultuous time.

Objectives:

• Identify the most critical factors to determine viability of an agency assuming independence.
• Select appropriate processes to successfully establish and independent agency from a hospital based system.
• Identify human resource issues that will impact retention and recruitment of staff.

Faculty: Anne Rich, RN, M.Ed., CHCE, Executive Director, Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Southwestern CT, Stamford, CT; Robert Grestini, BA, Director of Finance and Reimbursement, Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Southwestern CT, Stamford, CT;

Course Level: Advanced; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Telehealth & Technology, Quality & Outcomes, Hospice

Point of Care Technology: The Key to Outcome Improvement

Agencies are feeling pressure to invest in systems that can help them achieve their organizational goals but need options that are affordable and cost-effective. Fortunately, point of care systems are becoming more sophisticated in terms of functionality that create an environment for improved outcomes with integrated disease management programs, care planning and reporting. Systems today can provide greater accountability and inter-disciplinary communications that ensure the team is working together to improve care as the presenters will show.

Objectives:

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of current hardware and wireless technology choices for use by the clinical field staff.
• Formulate a strategy for evaluating their agency's point of care needs, determining if their system meets those needs and what options are available now.
• Design, implement and measure a clinical outcomes improvement plan by more effectively utilizing point of care systems available today.

Faculty: Robin Finkelstein, Marketing Director, Homecare Homebase, Dallas , TX; Susan Freeman, RN and IT Director, Director of Information Technology, Alacare Home Health and Hospice, Birmingham, AL; April Anthony, CPA, Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Homecare Management Inc, Dallas, TX;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Marketing & Business Development, Financial

Models of Long Term Home Care: A Critical Analysis

Medicaid is the largest payor of long term home health care in the country and New York City has the largest personal care program in the country. To assist in controling Medicaid costs and delivering required services, three programs are compared; the Task Based Assessment Program, the Nursing Home Without Walls Program, and the Managed Long Term Home Health Care Program. This presentation, aimed toward home care administrators, financial managers and policy makers compares these three programs and makes conclusions and recommendations.

Objectives:

• Differentiate between three long term home health care programs.
• Discuss the three models of long term care in terms of their degree of success in meeting patient and cost goals.
• Discuss conclusion and recommendations.

Faculty: Warren Balinsky, PhD, Chairman, Health Services Management and Policy, The New School University, Setauket, NY; Robert Shick, PhD, Assistant Professor, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY;

Course Level: Advanced; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Quality & Outcomes, Clinical & Disease Management, Management & Human Resources

Creative Wound Care In-Services

Wound care scores low? No one showing up for the mandatory i.e. "master blast"? Education should be individualized and fun. If you have a hard time with per diems attending educational programs many vendors offer web casts, on-line education or teaching days. Let us show you some creative ways to achieve those essential wound documentation outcomes you desire.

Objectives:

• List two tips to implement an effective wound staging training program.
• Discuss the financial benefits of teaching your staff to document well.
• Identify two benefits of having a wound care specialist assist in training your staff.

Faculty: Elizabeth O'Connell-Gifford, BSN, MBA, RN, ET, CWOCN, DAPWCA, Clinical Education Consultant, Medline Industries, Inc., Mundelein, IL; Mary Jo Nethaway, RN, BSN, ET Nurse, Community Health Center, Johnstown, NY;

Course Level: Novice; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Hospice, Financial

Be Proactive in Containing Drug Costs: Preferred Drug Lists and Capitation Fees

In light of rising pharmacy drug costs, a program was developed to allow close management of drug costs and keep drug costs in check. Hospice, pharmacy, and the medical director developed a comprehensive list of drug categories used by the presenter's hospice patients. Average patient drug costs were calculated based on current charges. Patient drug capitation rates were developed after comparing the existing drug rates to the rates based on using the new preferred drug list. A benchmark dollar figure was calculated to cover all of the patient drug expenses. Cost sharing was put in place so that both pharmacy and hospice would cost share the gains and/or the losses if the benchmark was not met. Collaborative efforts between hospice staff and pharmacy resulted in improved patient care and drug cost containment.

Objectives:

• Develop a tool for preparing a preferred drug list for hospice patients.
• Explain how pharmacies can interact with hospice providers to apply a preferred drug list to their hospice setting.

Faculty: Karen Truesdell, Pharmacist, Fellow American Consultant Pharmacists, Manager, Pharmacy, Genesis First Med Pharmacy, Davenport, IA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Quality & Outcomes, Clinical & Disease Management, Telehealth & Technology

How to Build a Successful Wound Care Specialist Program

Treatment of wounds and ulcers, particularly in a geriatric population, is a highly specialized field. Yet home care agencies seeking to utilize wound care consultation nurses historically faced significant resource constraints. The advent of digital photography has lessened these resource constraints, as visual assessment of wounds can take place over a large catchment area. Participants will learn how to operationalize wound care consultations as part of routine care using digital photography and the impact wound care consultations can have on OASIS outcomes.

Objectives:

• Identify how to craft a wound care consultation protocol.
• Explain the impact of wound care quality on publicly reported measures and for Pay for Performance.
• Discuss the impact on OASIS wound outcomes of a wound consultation program.

Faculty: Marilyn Hecker, BSN, MSNAdmin, MAEd, Vice President, Staff Development, Metropolitan Jewish Health System, Brooklyn, NY; Eliot Fishman, Ph.D., Vice President, Research and Policy, Metropolitan Jewish Health System, Brooklyn, NY;

Course Level: Novice; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Management & Human Resources, Financial, Leadership

Thriving Agency: Combining Staff Recruitment/Retention with Strategic Planning to Build Success

By allowing clinicians to use their clinical skills and judgment in providing individualistic, progressive care, staff satisfaction will increase and clinician visits per episode will decrease by as much as 25% as the presenters will report. With consumers expecting comprehensive, holistic care, the challenge exists for agencies to find the delicate balance between reimbursement options and generalist versus specialist care delivery models. Tailored marketing strategies will also assist in promoting overall agency success with the new, innovative programs and progressive practice patterns.

Objectives:

• Discuss successful strategies for recruitment and retention of staff and the opportunities this provides an agency.
• Identify the therapy related financial components that can increase operating margin.
• Describe how to prepare your agency for the future with new and creative therapy focused programs and approaches.

Faculty: Lisa Anderson, PT, Director of Rehabilitation, Trinity Home Health Services, Novi, MI; Barbara Samson, RN, BSN, MS, CRRN, Professional Services Manager, Mercy Homecare/Trinity Health, Bloomfield Hills, MI;

Course Level: Advanced; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Legal, Regulatory & Risk Management, Hospice

Hiring Practices: Safely Navigating the Immigration Laws

Workforce shortages in health care have lead to increased use of foreign staff. Nurses from the Philippines, Ireland, and other far off locations have been a significant resource to the home care community. Personal care service providers may be tempted to hire low cost caregivers. This program provides the essential knowledge to safely navigate the complex rules when hiring immigrants.

Objectives:

• Identify federal laws applicable to hiring immigrant workers.
• Explain standards to follow when hiring a foreign worker with a proper visa.
• Discuss the consequences of hiring an illegal immigrant .

Faculty: TBD ;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Hospice, Clinical & Disease Management

Beyond Opioids: Adjuvant Drug Therapy

Approximately one in five adults or 48 million Americans suffer from chronic pain and over 30 million Americans suffer from chronic, non-malignant pain. Untreated pain can cause detrimental effects on a patient's social and spiritual well-being. Pain is a subjective experience and it is whatever the patient says it is. Choosing a pain management regimen should include adjuvant therapy whenever possible if it can maximize total pain relief. Adjuvants can be used to manage neuropathic, bone and visceral pain syndromes. By the end of the course, each participant should be able to recognize the effects of untreated pain and ineffective pain management; describe how pain is classified, and recommend appropriate adjuvant therapies based on the suspected pain etiology, type of pain and various patient specific factors.

Objectives:

• Discuss the effects of untreated pain and ineffective pain management.
• Describe how pain is classified.
• Recommend appropriate adjuvant therapy.

Faculty: Rebecca Lewis, PharmD MBA, VP, New Business Development, Excellerx, Philadelphia, PA; Nippa Doshi, RPh, PharmD (c), Assistant Director, New Business Development, Hospice Pharmacia, Philadelphia, PA;

Course Level: Advanced; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Private Pay, Financial

27 Techniques to Boost Your Private Pay Revenues Overnight

This interactive program will deliver to attendees 27 high growth strategies that have been proven to deliver results at agencies across the country. The presenters will offer the participants an interactive program designed only for those agencies that are serious about growing their business dramatically. The 27 strategies encompass real world sales and marketing tactics that include: advertising, direct mail, collateral materials, sales strategies, closing techniques, intake processes, leveraging the investment in sales and marketing, tracking systems, and much more!

Objectives:

• Identify the best strategies to grow hours and census.
• Cite marketing techniques to make the phone ring.
• Utilize sales training for all agency staff.

Faculty: Michael Ferris, Managing Principal, Home Care Marketing Solutions, Chapel Hill, NC; Heather Rooney, President, H2 Marketing, Seattle, WA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Clinical & Disease Management, Financial

ICD-9-CM Basics: Coding for Compliance

Correct ICD-9-CM coding is critical for accurate outcome measurement and payment. This program will provide a basic overview of diagnosis coding purposes and principles for home health agencies. Guidance will be given on how to develop and maintain a coding compliance/reference manual to ensure up-to-date and accurate primary and secondary diagnosis coding including manifestation codes and V-codes. Advice on how to code accurately for PPS case-mix will be provided. New information on ICD-9-CM coding changes effective 10/1/06 that impact home health will be presented.

Objectives:

• Discuss coding principles and OASIS coding guidance that are the basis for primary and secondary diagnosis codes.
• Describe components of a coding compliance manual.
• Identify appropriate case mix diagnoses and their impact on case mix weight calculation.

Faculty: Ida Kay Blevins, RHIA, Supervisor, Reimbursement and Information Management, St. John's Hospital Home Health Services, Springfield, IL;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Quality & Outcomes, Clinical & Disease Management, Telehealth & Technology

Guaranteed or Your Money BackHow to Reduce Rehospitalization

In this session you will learn about a system guaranteed to reduce rehospitalization and emergent care. Audit tools, risk assessments, telehealth protocols, best practices, TelephonicVisits SM/Care Calls components, and team communication methodologies will be presented that have proven to produce dramatic results in improving these critical outcomes for one home care company. All home care providers are focused on improving acute care hospitalization and emergent care outcomes. As pay for performance and disease management loom closer, that focus becomes vital to survival in tomorrow's home care environment.

Objectives:

• Discuss and identify national and organizational goals for reduction of acute care hospitalization.
• Describe specific areas of focus common to most home health agencies.
• Identify best practices to achieve best outcomes.

Faculty: Lynda Laff, BSN, Chief Operating Officer, Island Health Care, Inc., Savannah, GA; Ellen Bolch, MSN, MHA, President & CEO, THA Services and Island Health Care, Inc., Savannah, GA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Managed Care, Financial

A Primer on Medicare Advantage

With the onset of the new Medicare drug benefit and the increase in financial support from Congress, the Medicare Advantage program is taking on a new role in the life and times of home care. Increasing enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) has home care rethinking how to do business with the various types of plans. This program provides a primer on the MA program: the variety of MA plan types, the scope of the home health benefit, provider qualifications, provider payment rate requirements, provider contracting requirements, beneficiary cost-sharing standards, notice and appeal rights, MA marketing limitations, enrollment/disenrollment standards, and more.

Objectives:

• Identify the types of Medicare Advantage plans available.
• Describe the responsibilities of MA plans with respect to the scope of the home health benefits.
• Explain the nature of the discretion that MA plans have on establishing provider payment rates and beneficiary cost-sharing.

Faculty: Christine C. Rinn, Esq., Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP, Washington, DC;

Course Level: Novice; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Emergency & Pandemic Preparedness, Financial, Management & Human Resources, Hospice

Business Resiliency: The Key to Surviving a Disaster

This seminar will focus on effective business continuity and resiliency planning skills. Agencies need to be prepared for any and all types of disasters. This means having the ability to resume business as usual, as quickly as possible. Statistics show that 80 percent of businesses that are not up and running within one to two weeks after a disaster will most likely go out of business. Topics to be discussed in this session are communications, notification systems, financial reserves, insurance, and much more.

Objectives:

• Identify the key variables in business resiliency.
• Develop an agency specific recovery plan.
• Discuss management's role in business resiliency.

Faculty: Barbara Citarella, RN, BSN, MS, CHCE, CHS-III, President, RBC Limited, Staatsburg, NY; Patricia W. Tulloch, RN, MSN, Senior Consultant, RBC Limited, Staatsburg, NY;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Marketing & Business Development, Telehealth & Technology

Marketing Telehealth: Top 10 Practices Revealed!

An emerging technology, telehealth is increasingly being evaluated and implemented by home care providers as a tool to increase revenue, decrease costs, and improve patient outcomes. While there are many dimensions to implementing a telehealth program successfully, marketing strategy is critical. Attendees will learn specific strategies that will help them grow patient referrals, gain new referral relationships, generate positive PR in their communities, and increase the return on investment.

Objectives:

• Describe the context for telehealth marketing.
• Cite the top 10 methods for marketing telehealth.
• Discuss a VNS case study to market telehealth to private payors.

Faculty: Heather Rooney, President, H2 Marketing, Seattle, WA; Patricia Mulhern, RN, MN, Vice President, Patient Services, Visiting Nurse Services of the Northwest, Mountlake Terrace, WA;

Course Level: Advanced; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Marketing & Business Development, Hospice

How to Win Accounts from Your Competitors without Saying Anything Bad about Them

Mediocre service benefits no one! Learn how to get the competition fired! Participants will discover how to win new business by getting your prospects to see they are being underserved without saying anything bad about the competition. Learn the selling strategies of how to drive a wedge between your customer and your competitor.

Objectives:

• Identify how to drive a wedge between your prospect and inferior providers.
• Identify the research you need to find your competitive advantage.
• Discuss the six steps of the Wedge Sales Call and the five money-making activities of sales people.

Faculty: Judy Wilson, RN, BSN, Vice President Business Development, Restorative Health Care, San Antonio, TX; Greg Mazick, RN, BSN, Director of Pediatric Services, Restorative Healthcare, San Antonio, TX;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Telehealth & Technology, Quality & Outcomes

Incorporating Telehealth into Standard Clinical Practices

Telehealth is gaining prominence as a highly practical and economic solution to overseeing a growing population with fewer and fewer nurses. Two home health agencies, through lessons learned, barriers, and best practices, will demonstrate how telehealth can be successfully incorporated into the best nursing practices. Proven telehealth models will be discussed in detail, including patient selection, staffing, costs, level of effort, implementation, training, return on investment, and improved outcomes.

Objectives:

• Identify best practices for implementing a telehealth program.
• Formulate a return on investment equation for a telehealth program.
• Recognize the ways in which telehealth improves quality of care and patient outcomes.

Faculty: Gina Petersen, RN, MSN, CPHQ , Chief Information Officer, Neighborhood Health Agencies, Inc., West Chester, PA; Amy Peck, RN, Clinical Project Manager, McKesson, Springfield, MO; Karen Grant, RN, MSN, CPHQ, Director of QI / Staff Education, Valley Home Care, Inc., Paramus, NJ; Ellen McAndris, RN, MPA, CNA,C, Director Professional / Clinical Services, Valley Home Care, Inc., Paramus, NJ;

Course Level: Novice; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Management & Human Resources

Health, Humor and Harmony in Home Care

This program will get everyone singing about Home Care for the Health of it! A TeachSING method will be utilized involving the participants in de-stressing while recognizing that the therapeutic use of humor can be just what the doctor ordered for the client and the caregiver. Learn how to decrease your stress while finding opportunities to meet the many challenges you face in home care.

Objectives:

• Explain the significance of the Holms-Rhae Social Readjustment Ratings Scale on illness.
• Identify at least two physical and psychological benefits of using or receiving humor.
• Demonstrate participant's current use of humor and its perceived effect on self and others.

Faculty: Lawrence Brennan, BSN, MS, RN, Administrative Supervisor, Community-General Hospital of Greater Syracuse, Syracuse, NY; Rosa Cunha, BSN, RN, Performance Improvement Manager, Englewood Hospital & Medical Center, Englewood , NJ;

Course Level: Novice; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Financial

Cost Report 101A: How to Complete a Medicare HHA Cost Report

Cost reports provide critical information for rebasing PPS payments. Yet more than 20% of home health cost reports are improperly prepared, with unusable cost data. This program is designed to demonstrate the basic structure of the Medicare cost report. The program will explore in depth the various worksheets that make up the cost report, along with the CMS 339 questionnaire and other required attachments. This session will also help participants understand what information can be developed from an accurate and completed cost report.

Objectives:

• Explain the basic structure and understanding of the Medicare cost report.
• Describe the worksheets that make up the cost report along with the 339 questionnaire and other required attachments.
• Assess what information can be developed from an accurate and completed cost report.

Faculty: Thomas Boyd, BA, MBA, Principal, Boyd & Nicholas, Inc., Rohnert Park, CA; Vern Peterschmidt, BS, President, Reimbursement Specialist, Peterschmidt & Associates, Albuquerque, NM;

Course Level: Novice; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Quality & Outcomes, Management & Human Resources

Investing in Staff Performance for Higher Returns in P4P

Agency leaders are striving to find ways to enhance staff accountability as they prepare for pay for performance (P4P). The agency competency assessment and performance evaluation are excellent vehicles that, if revised, can be used to achieve new standing. Today's competency assessment and performance evaluation tools are primarily subjective, and not often designed to achieve this end. These tools need a fresh, new design to support home health leadership as it prepares to transition to an outcomes-based culture necessary to succeed in a pay for performance environment. Attendees will be shown concise steps for revising their existing tools. Take-home examples will be provided.

Objectives:

• Describe how staff competency and performance can affect care quality and affect agency financials.
• Integrate agency's best practices and clinical outcomes into staff competency and performance.
• Determine the financial impact of employee performance on agency financial outcomes.

Faculty: Melinda Huffman, MSN, CCNS, Principal Consultant, OUTCOME Logics, Inc., Winchester, TN; Sherry Taylor, AD, CHCE, Director, Homecare Operations, Quorum Health Resources, Brentwood, TN;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Clinical & Disease Management

Treating the Whole Patient: Detecting and Managing Depression

Ithaca-New York-based Cornell University's Weill Medical School has been engaged in a project with three home health agencies in Westchester County, NY, to address mental health issues of home health patients. The project is called the Cornell Homecare Research Partnership. Depression is a condition that frequently goes undetected but can have a significant impact on the well-being and recovery of patients. Participants will learn about late life depression in home care, its impact on service utilization, and general strategies for depression detection and care management by non-mental health clinicians that were found to be highly successful during the project.

Objectives:

• Describe the prevalence of late life depression in home care and impact on service use and outcomes.
• Identify core symptoms of depression in the context of OASIS assessment.
• Describe the five core components of effective antidepressant medication management.

Faculty: Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH, Professor of Sociology in Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, White Plains, NY; Thomas Sheeran, PhD, ME, Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, White Plains, NY; Amy Mlodzianowski, MS, LMSW, Research Coordinator, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, White Plains, NY;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Hospice

LifeWorks: A Planetree Palliative Care Model for a Rural Outpatient Population

Palliation of mind/body/spirit distress and discomfort is often helpful when patients continue seeking curative therapies including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. An interdisciplinary team is used to respond to patient needs, provide pain management, facilitate end-of-life care planning, and maximize quality of life/patient vitality. The team also works to prepare the patient, his or her family, and physician for the transition to hospice in keeping with patient readiness, eligibility, end of life care planning, and physician orders. Availability of private/public funding partnerships will also be shared.

Objectives:

• Describe the LifeWorks Palliative Care Program Model.
• Discuss integrative medicine approaches to pain and symptom management.
• Discuss patient outcomes and highlight plans for the future.

Faculty: Joyce Stone, RN BSN, RN Case Manger, MidColumbia Medical Center, The Dalles, OR; Susan Shipman, RN, M.Div, Director of Spiritual Care, MidColumbia Medical Center, The Dalles, OR; Kathleen Martin, MSW, LCSW, Social Worker, MidColumbia Medical Center, The Dalles, OR;

Course Level: Novice; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Hospice

Bereavement Care in Hospice

In order to understand the complexities of bereavement, concepts and theories of grief and loss will be explored, focusing on Kubler-Ross and Worden's theories. Hospice professionals and volunteers who support patients, families, and survivors will be educated on the normal expressions of grief, the different styles of grieving, disenfranchised grief, and grief in the workplace (particularly the hospice setting). The hospice bereavement program will be discussed, including a comprehensive bereaved risk assessment upon which the plan of care is based, and methods of supporting survivors, both in hospice and in the community.

Objectives:

• Define two concepts of grief and loss.
• Identify three manifestations of grief.
• Identify three aspects of a hospice bereavement program.

Faculty: Susan Blakeslee, MA, LMHC, Clinical Associate, UHSA, Inc., Atlanta, GA; Melanie Gossard, RNC, Director of Nursing, UHC, Inc., Bellefontaine, OH;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Monday , October 16 10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Private Pay, Marketing & Business Development

Targeting the Baby Boomers: Try These Innovative Private Pay Services

The baby boomer generation has influenced American society throughout their adult lives. The marketplace across all industries has developed products and services to meet their needs and desires. Now they need to take care of Mom & Dad who are aging. This presents an opportunity for you to connect directly with the decision makers who will look to private pay providers to take care of Mom & Dad. This workshop will first explore the demographics of the baby boom generation, then how to market to them effectively and finally introduce several innovative types of services that baby boomers will be looking to obtain for their parents.

Objectives:

• Evaluate how the demographic trends presented will impact private pay home care.
• Employ marketing and communication techniques to reach baby boomers.
• Create an implementation plan for three new types of home care services targeted to baby boomers as customers.

Faculty: Patricia Drea, VP Operations, Visiting Angels, Havertown, PA; Mike Ferris, Principal, Home Care Marketing Solutions, Chapel Hill, NC; Panel of providers offering innovative services. ;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Monday, October 16 10:30am – 12:00pm

Quality & Outcomes, Financial, Clinical & Disease Management, Hospice

Outcome Management: Achieving Financial and Clinical Accountability

In this fast paced workshop, participants will learn why Outcome Management is an ideal management system for home care, hospice, private pay, and other health sectors, how it works and why it has such a positive effect on staff morale and retention. More importantly, attendees will learn first hand how one home care agency leader opted to move from traditional management to the highly accountable Outcome Management System and the impact it had on her agency's operation and outcomes.

Objectives:

• Discuss the major challenges and limitations to traditional management systems.
• Identify the fundamental components of an Outcome Management type of management system.
• Describe implementation of a new management system and the impact on quality and financial outcomes.

Faculty: Robert Fazzi, BA, M. Ed. and Ed.D., President/CEO, Fazzi Associates, Northampton, MA; Carla Braveman, RN, MEd and CHCE, President and CEO, VNA and Hospice Care of Cooley Dickinson, Northampton, MA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Managed Care, Financial, Leadership

Maximizing Opportunities in a Managed Care Environment

In order to position their agencies to the greatest advantage, key home care staff must have a firm grasp of the growing trends that will affect their standing in the market. Among the trends of greatest concern is the movement of Medicare patients from fee-for-service to the managed care sector. This workshop will provide a broad view of the changes taking place in the Medicare marketplace, the potential impact these changes can have on the provision of home health services, and guidance on ways to position your business to best take advantage of the emerging coverage and payment trends.

Objectives:

• Identify legislative and regulatory changes that encourage a shift from fee-for-service to managed care under Medicare.
• Describe the impact this shift could have on the traditional delivery of home health services.
• Outline ways that agencies can best position themselves for success in the changing financial environment.

Faculty: Jim Hamilton, CPA, Managing Director, David-James LLC, Baltimore, MD; Gary Bowers, CPA, Owner, John Gary Bowers, CPA, Long Green, MD;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Legal, Regulatory & Risk Management, Hospice

Staying Alive: Avoiding Risks of Fraud & Abuse

Home Care and Hospice present unique opportunities to improve the lives of the elderly and disabled. They also are opportunities for unethical and illegal conduct designed to secure great wealth. In between are the complex myriad of rules and regulations requiring constant attention to achieve compliance. This program focuses on today's risk areas for fraud and abuse in Medicare, Medicaid, and other government funded programs with real life experiences and helpful recommendations on how to stay alive through an open-eyed approach to compliance.

Objectives:

• Identify federal and state laws addressing fraudulent or abusive conduct in health care.
• Recognize current home care and hospice activities that are subject to oversight and prosecution.
• Explain actions that aid in the prevention of unintentional non-compliant conduct.

Faculty: William A. Dombi, Esq., Director, Center for Health Care Law, National Association for Home Care & Hospice, Washington, DC; Denise Bonn, JD, Deputy Director, Center for Health Care Law, National Association for Home Care & Hospice, Washington, DC;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Quality & Outcomes, Clinical & Disease Management, Leadership, Hospice

The Service Call: A Radical Approach to Admission Delays

This session focuses on one of the most difficult challenges for agencies today: How to deal with increasing demand and the capacity limits imposed by a nursing shortage. One of the more innovative approaches is to ease the burden of the admission for the nurse by using non-nurse talent to get the admission process going. The service rep model is also very helpful in the hospital setting, when liaisons are finding less time for marketing because of heavy referral volume. This program looks at a different response that can help the referral source while facilitating the admission process.

Objectives:

• Create training tools to help the rep identify key patient and caregiver needs.
• Assess value of admissions nurses and develop training program for them.
• Utilize the service rep in hospital settings and for discharged home care patients.

Faculty: Polly Rehnwall, BA, MA, Senior Consultant, Polly Rehnwall Inc., Salt Lake City , UT;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Marketing & Business Development, Financial

Expanding Business Models Based on Predictive Data

The VNA of Greater Cincinnati took specific steps in developing business models for CHF, diabetes and staffing/utilization. A key factor in success of this agency was the introduction and implementation of a culture change of utilizing data for planning and monitoring purposes. Predictive type data will be presented through a variety of reports from Outcome Concept Systems that led the agency in making decisions. The presentation includes how to evaluate your business , steps to the decision-making process, implementation and monitoring.

Objectives:

• Identify how to evaluate current business patterns and trends to determine priorities.
• Describe the plan of action.
• Describe the steps for implementation.

Faculty: Sue Blockberger-Miller, RN, BSN, Strategy and Planning Executive, Outcome Concept Systems, Seattle, WA; Angi Johnson, RN, Executive VP of Clinical Service, Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Management & Human Resources

Nursing Retention: Stop the Year One Revolving Door!

In today's health care industry there is an increasing demand for and shortage of qualified nursing staff. Many home health agencies are challenged to compete with flexible and attractive employment opportunities offered by hospitals. This program presents a winning strategy used by one agency to improve the turnover rate for new nurses. The audience will be introduced to effective methods to support and retain new hires during that first fragile year of employment.

Objectives:

• Describe two challenges related to nurse recruitment and retention for home health.
• Identify two strategies that management can use to improve nurse retention in the home health environment.
• Discuss two positive outcomes from a nurse support program.

Faculty: Darlene Zakrajsek, M.S., P.T., Executive Administrator of Post Acute Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Cindy Vunovich, R.N., B.S.N, Director Nursing Services, Cleveland Clinic Home Care Services, Independence, OH;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Emergency & Pandemic Preparedness, Clinical & Disease Management, Management & Human Resources, Hospice

Emergency Preparedness for Home Care and Hospice

This presentation will describe the critical elements of emergency preparedness for home care agencies as identified by New Jersey's Home Care Association through a state-funded Emergency Preparedness Grant Project. Particular attention to special needs population plans were addressed in year two of the grant project and will be shared in the presentation. Lessons learned will also be shared to understand the necessary role that home care must hold in every state to ensure the needs of the community's vulnerable patients are met.

Objectives:

• Identify home care and hospice's responsibilities in emergency preparedness planning, including special needs.
• Explain home care's role in planning for special needs populations.
• Illustrate appropriate documentation for emergency situations.

Faculty: Josephine Sienkiewicz, RN, MSN, Director of Education and Clinical Practice, Home Care Association of NJ, Princeton Junction, NJ; Carol Kientz, RN, MA, Executive Director, Home Care Association of NJ, Princeton Junction, NJ;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Private Pay, Financial

Private Pay Start Up: Easy as 1, 2, 3

This in-depth program will walk through evaluating entry into this business line, feasibility studies and implementation of starting a private pay business including: evaluation process, feasibility projections, implementation process, patients, and clients. At the end of the program the participants will have an understanding of determining the viability of starting a private pay agency and an implementation plan.

Objectives:

• Discuss the viability of starting a private pay agency and an implementation plan.
• Formulate feasibility projections for your agency.
• Describe the implementation process for opening a private pay agency.

Faculty: Lucy Andrews, RN MS CHCA, CEO, AT YOUR SERVICE HOME CARE, SANTA ROSA, CA; David Berman, CPA, Principal, Simione Consultants, LLC, Hamden, CT;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Telehealth & Technology, Hospice

Implementing Technology to Improve Patient Care in Hospice

This session will detail the successful transition from a paper-based management system to an electronic technology solution. Saint John's installed a home care software package that improved patient quality of care while enhancing organizational and financial performance. Increasing access to critical patient data, this system allows home care and hospice workers to capture and integrate data in real-time. The presenter will outline needed components of a balanced program, and provide an outline for ensuring that technology enhancements equal better patient care.

Objectives:

• Identify the challenges hospices face transitioning from a paper-based management system to an electronic solution.
• Describe how hospices automated their management systems to improve operations and overall patient care under a case study.
• Illustrate how hospice patient care is positively affected after installing an electronic home care system.

Faculty: Kim Jule, M.H.A., Executive Director, St. John's Hospice of Indiana, Anderson, IN;

Course Level: Advanced; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Financial, Clinical & Disease Management

Dancing With Your Data: All the Right Moves

The intersection of art and science is here. Learn how to waltz into the pay for performance (P4P) and disease management environment with data as your partner. Thriving under P4P and disease management will require high -level performance. You must focus on the right data and outcomes that relate to ICD-9s, risk-adjusted outcomes, adverse events, cash and patient satisfaction. Know the right steps, stay in rhythm, know your competition, and make sure that the finance and clinical field staffs can do a mean tango instead of just a tap dance!

Objectives:

• Define the key clinical, operational, and financial data necessary to thrive in a pay-for-performance environment.
• Describe the best methods for timely data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Identify steps to take to ensure that clinical and financial staff are effective partners and, together, win the top 10% competition.

Faculty: Pat Laff, CPA, Principal, Laff Associates, Hilton Head Island, SC; Barbara Rosenblum, BSN, Founder, Strategic HealthCare Programs, Santa Barbara, CA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Leadership, Hospice

Embracing the Future, Leaving the Past

This workshop will address the human responses that occur during change in the business environment. It analyzes the effects of system changes, mergers, acquisitions and changes in ownership on employees. Using the tasks of grief as a model, it proposes a process that management can facilitate to help the change proceed smoothly. It discusses the type of staff reactions and behavior as well as activities that will address staff issues. A case study is presented as an example of how one agency director facilitated change in clinical operations when clinical management was replaced.

Objectives:

• Identify the stages and process employees go through during change.
• Describe the tasks of grief.
• Discuss strategies and activities for facilitating change.

Faculty: Kate Colburn, MA, President, Strategic Options, Kings Park, NY; Denise Palsgaard, BSN, President, California Home Care and Hospice, Merced, CA;

Course Level: Advanced; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Hospice, Legal, Regulatory & Risk Management

Strategic Electronic Methods to Meet Hospice Conditions of Participation

The Proposed Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospices were announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in 2005. The Hospice CoPs ensure that hospice patients receive high quality of care during the dying process. The goal of this presentation is to help the hospice community understand what the new CoPs include and how an electronic medical record can help agencies meet the CoPs.

Objectives:

• Describe an overview of the proposed CoPs and how it will affect agencies.
• Discuss how an electronic system can help hospices meet the CoP's.
• Identify methods for implementing an electronic system in the hospice setting.

Faculty: Sarah D'Orvilliers, Senior Solutions Designer, Cerner BeyondNow, Overland Park, KS; Catherine J. Boyne, President, Hospice of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Hospice

BEING FASHIONABLE: Recruiting and Retaining the 30-50 Something Volunteers

Baby Boomer demographics challenge volunteer leaders to design programs that will attract and maintain the 30-50 something volunteer. Every level of your hospice organization can be energized by the presence of committed and enthusiastic young adults. Join these dynamic presenters to learn successful ways to bring enthusiasm to your volunteer corps.

Objectives:

• Discuss components of innovative programs that will attract volunteers, ages 30-50 years old.
• Identify 3 new recruitment sources.
• Describe innovative, effective training and retention techniques.

Faculty: Gail Rink, MSW, Executive Director, Hospice of Santa Barbara, Inc.-a volunteer hospice organization, Santa Barbara, CA; Cindy Skovgard, Executive Director, Pathways Volunteer Hospice, Long Beach, CA;

Course Level: Novice; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Clinical & Disease Management, Telehealth & Technology

How to Grow your Business Using Advanced Technology of Monochromatic Infrared Photo Energy

The presenting agency is one of the first organizations to introduce Mono-chromatic Infrared Photo Therapy (MIRE) - Anodyne* Therapy to the Colorado Front Range. Being on the cutting edge of technology has given them an edge by providing a unique treatment modality that has produced excellent outcomes in wound healing, peripheral neuropathy, pain management, and other conditions. This presentation will outline the science behind the therapy, implementation of the program, patient and financial outcomes, and road blocks to success.*not paid by Medicare

Objectives:

• Explain the mechanism of action for nitric oxide.
• Cite the modality use and outcomes of MIRE related to treatment of peripheral neuropathy, wounds,pain, edema, inflammation, and osteoblastic proliferation.
• Identify the benefits and challenges of implementing a MIRE program in your home care agency.

Faculty: Sonya Neumann, RN, BSN, Agency Administrator, Physicians Home Health Care, Colorado Springs, CO; Sharon Burt, RN, BSN, CWOCN, Wound Program Coordinator, Physicians Home Health Care, Colorado Springs, CO;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Pediatric Home Care, Clinical & Disease Management, Quality & Outcomes

Providing Synagis in the Home: Improving the Outcome

Synagis (Palivizumab) is a drug used to prevent serious respiratory illness caused by Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV) in pediatric patients at high risk of RSV disease. Cincinnati Children's Home Care Services enrolled approximately 385 patients in a home-based Synagis program last season. In order to successfully manage this patient population, a multidisciplinary team was created. This program will demonstrate how a home-based Synagis program can improve patient outcomes.

Objectives:

• Discuss RSV and identify the criteria for Synagis administration.
• Describe the components of a home care Synagis team.
• Cite an advantage to providing Synagis therapy in the home.

Faculty: Sylvia Rineair, RN, BSN, Clinical Director, Cincinnati Children's Home Care Services, Cincinnati, OH; Monica Borell, RN, Lead Synagis Coordinator, Cincinnati Children's Home Care Services, Cincinnati, OH; John Myers, RPh, MBA, Operations Manager, Cincinnati Children's Home Care Services, Cincinnati, OH;

Course Level: Advanced; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Monday, October 16 2:30pm – 4:00pm

Emergency & Pandemic Preparedness, Clinical & Disease Management

Federal Efforts to Assist in Provider Pandemic Preparation

The federal government has become increasingly concerned about the potential for an avian flu pandemic that would create limitless challenges for the entire health care provider network. The home care field, with its community base and its genesis in the public health model, is well-positioned to play an important role in helping to prevent, detect, and extinguish this serious threat to the nation's health and well-being. In this workshop, a representative from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will provide attendees with the latest guidance and government resources available to plan for and participate in pandemic relief efforts.

Objectives:

• Identify available government resources on pandemic preparedness for the public and home care providers.
• Outline steps the U.S. government is taking to prevent and minimize the spread of potentially deadly viruses.
• Define the role the home care community can play in addressing issues related to the threat of a pandemic.

Faculty: Representative , U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Managed Care, Financial, Leadership

Look Before You Leap: Best Practices in Managed Care Contracting

Many home health agencies are finding that increasing numbers of their patients have enrolled in managed care plans, while others are watching the enrollment growth trends and putting forth efforts to contract with managed care organizations to provide vital home health services. As was learned during the managed care boom of the 1990s, it's important to look before you leap. This session will provide important guidance on contracting with managed care entities from a seasoned professional.

Objectives:

• Identify steps an agency should take prior to beginning discussions with a managed care organization.
• Describe key considerations for agencies in managed care negotiations.
• Explain different methods for pricing services for managed care contracts.

Faculty: Sherl Brand, Executive Director, The Home Care Association of New Jersey, Princeton Junction, NJ;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Leadership, Financial

Outcomes: No where to run, no where to hide

It is inescapable. Outcomes are here, they are public, and they will be the driving economic force in home care for the foreseeable future. In this session we remove the fear and confusion surrounding Outcomes, as we show you how agencies across America are responding to the challenge. The speaker will present data, much of it seen for the first time in public, that is based on thousands of episodes. This real-world Outcomes data will give you insight into your agencys position in the marketplace. Additionally, youll learn simple, concrete, strategies that insure success. The speaker will demonstrate how to set goals and monitor your agency progress against your market, your region, and the nation. Participants will gain enhanced understanding of why the individual performance of clinicians is fundamental to success, demonstrated by the techniques and tools that will turn your clinicians into outcomes superstars.

Objectives:

• Discuss how successful home care agencies manage using outcomes-centered decision support tools.
• Explain how to use data from outcomes-centered decision support tools to drive major agency decisions and direction.
• Relate the primary concepts: Outcomes-centered decision support, Circle of Refinement, Agency Effectiveness Assessment.

Faculty: Jeff Lewis, President/CEO, Lewis, Inc, Baton Rouge, LA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Quality & Outcomes, Hospice

CMS Quality Improvement Update

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is focusing ever-increasing attention and resources on improving the quality of care delivered by Medicare home health and hospice providers. During this session representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will provide the latest available information about CMS quality initiatives. The presentation will focus on, but will not be limited to: a P4P update; up-to-the-minute results from the QIO 8th SoW including resultant collaboratives and initiatives; and current special projects such as the "Hospice Quality Improvement," "Transitions of Care," "Home Health STAR," and "Care Management Across the Continuum." A look into plans for future work on home health quality, including stakeholder partnerships, will also be presented.

Objectives:

• Identify CMS plans for implementing P4P in home health.
• Describe the QIO 8th Scope of Work.
• Discuss the CMS Hospice Quality Improvement initiative.

Faculty: Debbra Hattery, Deputy Director, Quality Measurement and Health Assessment Group, CMS, Baltimore, MD; LT. David Dietz, Government Task Leader, Home Health Quality Improvement, Quality Improvement Group, CMS, Baltimore, MD; Cynthia Pamon, Home Health/Nursing Home Quality Improvement Specialist, Quality Improvement Group, CMS, Baltimore, MD;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Management & Human Resources

Latest Research on Benefits Designed for Limited Wage and Part-Time Workers

Don't know what to offer your low wage workers? This session will help HR professionals and business owners better understand their workers' situation relative to being one of the 43 million working Americans who don't have health insurance. This session will share the results of research done in 2006 by HealthAllies and the Center for Health Access Solutions that includes studies with ineligibles to determine who they are, whether they are uncovered and what they want to buy. It will also share the results of studies with eligible actives who opt out to determine why they opt out, wether they're uncovered and what they want to buy.

Objectives:

• Cite current research to profile service workers, their health care insurance needs and preferences.
• Demonstrate the business case for offering either eligibiles or ineligibles low cost alternative.
• Discuss the relevance to the session's attendees.

Faculty: Cathy Cather, Sr. Vice President, Health Allies, A United Health Group Company, Lake Forest, CA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Marketing & Business Development, Hospice

How to Sell and Market Hospice Services

Sales and marketing tactics proven to drive more hospice referrals & get them earlier. This is a fast paced session packed with practical methods used nationally by successful hospices. Differentiating the hospice by distilling a clear story that can be used in the community will cement referral relationships. Crafting a message that will resonate in the community is important to successful marketing program development. Tracking and calculating results is the next step in the process, including calculating return on investment (ROI). Attendees will build a plan to implement upon return to their hospice.

Objectives:

• Distinguish between sales and marketing; and define the importance of each.
• Identify the nuances of building the sales team and arm them with top notch collateral materials.
• Describe successful ways to work with skilled nursing facilities to build strong referral relationships.

Faculty: Michael Ferris, Home Care Marketing Solutions, Chapel Hill, NC; Elizabeth Brennen, MSBA, Business Development, Treasure Coast Hospices, Jupiter, FL;

Course Level: Novice; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Private Pay, Legal, Regulatory & Risk Management

Risk Management for Private Pay Home Care Agencies

The home care industry has had a honeymoon period with regard to legal liability. The party now seems to be coming to an end. Agencies are under increasing fire from patients and their families. Key areas of risk include theft by agency employees, non-compliant patients, and caregivers, abuse of patients by caregivers, liability for abandonment when agencies must discontinue services to patients, and admitting and continuing services to patients who are not appropriate for home care. The purpose of this presentation is to identify potential areas of risk for private pay agencies and to provide practical strategies for managing these risks.

Objectives:

• Identify three key areas of potential risk for home care providers.
• Describe four requirements of proof of negligence; three (3) requirements of proof of abandonment.
• Describe three practical strategies for managing risks of liability in home care.

Faculty: Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq., Burtonsville, MD;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Leadership, Telehealth & Technology, Management & Human Resources, Hospice

Don't Pull Your Hair Out: Implementing Technology and Process Change

Successful introduction of new technology in the operation of a home care organization is dependent upon three key factors. The organization must apply the principles of change management, address the organizational culture change required by the technology initiatives, and plan an implementation that addresses both the technology and the process changes throughout the organization. In this presentation, home care leaders intending to implement major change initiatives, particularly those involving information technologies, will learn basic change management principles, and key elements of the model used by the presenter to successfully apply these principles.

Objectives:

• Identify change management principles that impact technology application in a home care setting.
• Describe and discuss the activities that are essential to preparing an agency's culture for large-scale technology implementation.
• Provide a case study and discuss the project management approach that resulted in a successful technology implementation.

Faculty: Linda Scott, MSHA, RN, BSN, General Manager, Professional Healthcare Resources, Inc., Annandale, VA; Kate Jones, MSN, Principal, Health Care and Human Resources, MSC Consulting, Inc., Laurel, MD; Wanda Strickland, BSN, CHPN, HCS-D, COS-C, Director of Performance Improvement Program Development, Professional Healthcare Resources, Inc., Annandale, VA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Financial, Legal, Regulatory & Risk Management, Hospice

Fraud Detection, Deterrence, and Prevention: Are You Really Doing Enough?

Post-Sarbanes/Oxley, most financial executives are keenly aware of the risks of fraud. But are they doing enough to actually prevent it? Learn how to mitigate the likelihood of fraud in your organization to prevent loss of shareholder value, reduce reputation risks, and personal liability.

Objectives:

• Discuss fraud control strategies that mirror the COSO framework and create a culture of fraud awareness.
• Identify fraud risk assessments that encompass activities at the entity and process levels.
• Describe methods for mitigating fraud risk, including tools and processes for monitoring and responding to potential occurrences of fraud, and effective use of internal audit.

Faculty: Jeffrey G Blumengold, FHFMA, CPA, Partner and Leader, Health Care Forensic & Dispute Services, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, LLP, New York, NY; Bruce J. Gavioli, Jr., Partner, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, New York, NY; Stephen G. Curry, Jr., Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP, New York, NY;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Quality & Outcomes, Clinical & Disease Management

Clinical Documentation: Magic Wands and Improvement Strategies

Documentation reflects the quality of care provided. One agency decided that pain needed to be a focus area for documentation and OBQI/OBQM efforts, and that the agency needed standards to support OASIS case mix items. They initiated an evidenced-based approach to staff education that included interrater reliability for pain rating scales and alternative approaches to pain management. Speakers will share useful strategies, and participants will evaluate documentation in relation to pain management, best practices, and OBQI/OBQM.

Objectives:

• Identify the benefits of using a quality improvment action plan for documentation.
• Discuss the key components of a successful quality improvement action plan for documentation.
• Involve participants in documentation review that focuses on pain management.

Faculty: Karen Martin, RN, MSN, FAAN, Health Care Consultant, Martin Associates, Omaha, NE; Leslie Larsen, RN, Home Care Supervisor, Polk County Home Care, Balsam Lake, WI;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Clinical & Disease Management, Quality & Outcomes

The Team Approach to a Urinary Incontinence Program

Home health care agencies can successfully develop and implement an interdisciplinary team approach to treating urinary incontinence. There are multiple resources available in the home care industry to aid an agency in proper planning, training and implementation of a urinary incontinence program. Learn how one agency utilized a physical therapist consultant specializing in women's health services to educate and train the nursing and rehab staff, resulting in a competent team of clinicians successfully providing positive patient outcomes and improvements in quality of life for the home care patient.

Objectives:

• Discuss the scope of urinary incontinence problems within the home health setting.
• Identify the educational requirements needed to develop and implement an interdisciplinary urinary incontinence (UI) program.
• Demonstrate the ability to provide cost-effective utilization of services with the UI program, incorporating assessment data directly onto the OASIS.

Faculty: Theresa Gates, PT, Director of Professional Services, Home Care Advantage, Jacksonville, FL; Cynthia Neville, PT, Corporate Director of Women's Health Rehabilitatio, Rehab Institute of Chicago, Jacksonville, FL;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Hospice, Legal, Regulatory & Risk Management

Enhance Hospice Care While Preparing for the New COPs

With the new Hospice Conditions of Participation (COPs), America's hospices now confront a need for better information about all phases of their operations, including costs, service utilization, clinical aspects of care and outcomes. Evaluating the outcomes of the domains of self-determination, comfort, safety, and effective grieving is simplified using systematic methods of information collection and retrieval. Participants will gain insight into information required by the new COPs, how to collect the information and how to use it to enhance patient care.

Objectives:

• Discuss the continuous, integrated health care process that a patient/family experiences across all aspects of hospice care.
• Incorporate outcome-oriented quality assessment and performance improvement.
• Facilitate flexibility in how the hospice meets performance expectations.

Faculty: Teresa Craig, CPA, CEO, Suncoast Solutions, Largo, FL; Betty Oldanie, RN, Vice President of Planning, The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, Clearwater, FL;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Legal, Regulatory & Risk Management, Management & Human Resources, Hospice

Employment Law Update 2006: Understanding Unions, Employment Discrimination, and Federal Wage and Hour Laws

Health care is viewed as one of the most fertile areas for unionization. It also is an area that requires ongoing attention to the various federal laws that impact on hiring, firing, and compensation. This program explores the forces that drive unionization and the laws that regulate collective bargaining-the rights and responsibilities of employees and management. In addition, the workshop will cover developments in federal employment law under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Essential information for all employers is offered.

Objectives:

• Identify recent developments in employment discrimination law.
• Recognize home care-specific concerns in employee compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• Identify basic rights and responsibilities of management and labor with respect to unionization under the National Labor Relations Act.

Faculty: Joseph Maddaloni, Esq., MPA, Partner, Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, PC, Morristown, NJ; John Buck, Executive Director, Visiting Homemaker Service of Hudson County, Jersey City, NJ;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Hospice, Leadership, Quality & Outcomes

Innovative Methods for Patient Comfort and Caregiver Satisfaction

This workshop will focus on skills and techniques for implementing integrative therapies within the confines of the routine home care or hospice visit; improved outcomes for patient pain and symptom management when patients are unable to tolerate or more traditional methods fail to be effective; And improved outcomes of caregiver satisfaction in managing patient symptoms using a combination of traditional methods of pain and symptom management along with CAM methods. Workshop participants will be guided through hands-on experiential exercises to determine how they may broaden the scope of their practice to include these valuable tools in daily practice.

Objectives:

• Identify five integrative therapies appropriate for your setting.
• Cite three reasons why integrative therapies are an effective method to use with traditional pain and symptom management strategies.
• Identify clinical applications of at least three integrative therapies that can be implemented within 10 - 15 minutes during a routine home visit.

Faculty: Esther Johnson, RN, BSN, PHN, Hospice Nurse Case Manager, Integrative Therapies , Pathways Home Health, Hospice & Private Duty, Sunnyvale, CA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Pediatric Home Care, Quality & Outcomes

Precious Outcomes: Measuring Quality in Pediatric Home Care

Benchmarks derived from OASIS data and other standardized sources since the introduction of the prospective payment system have become commonplace when evaluating the quality of care delivered by home health agencies. Established assessments and metrics address the experience of adult patient populations receiving home health services. In this session, presenters will speak to the development of assessments and metrics that address the experiences of pediatric patients or their families.

Objectives:

• Describe the value of measuring quality outcomes for pediatric home care population.
• Discuss the steps to develop an online pediatric data entry and reporting tool to produce quality outcome reports and inform performance improvement plans.
• Describe how key components of OCS-Pediatric can inform performance improvement plans.

Faculty: Tina Schwien, MN, MPH, Senior Data Consultant, Outcome Concept Systems Inc., Seattle, WA; Dale Valentine, Vice President of Compliance and Quality, Pediatric Services of America, Norcross, ID; Jeff Gilbert, Director of Data Consulting, Outcome Concept Systems, Inc., Seattle, WA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Monday, October 16 4:15pm – 5:45pm

Quality & Outcomes, Legal, Regulatory & Risk Management

Bad Ideas for OASIS Accuracy

This session will highlight a number of strategies and practices that some agencies have implemented in efforts to improve OASIS data accuracy. In some cases, these practices to "improve accuracy" are in fact inefficient and counterproductive, and in some cases down-right noncompliant. Attendees will be introduced to a model to analyze OASIS data collection practices for effectiveness and compliance. A review of current problematic industry practices will be exposed and resolved.

Objectives:

• Identify examples of operational strategies and practices that may unintentionally have unfavorable effects on OASIS data accuracy.
• Identify opportunities and strategies to improve OASIS accuracy and compliance.
• Describe a process for critically evaluating data accuracy efforts for effectiveness and compliance.

Faculty: Linda Krulish, PT, MHS, COS-C, President, OASIS Answers, Inc., Redmond, WA; Patricia Sevast, BSN, RN, Nurse Consultant, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Baltimore, MD;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Managed Care, Financial

Lessons Learned: Agencies' Experiences with Managed Care

Implementation of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit has granted new opportunities for health maintenance organizations to expand and market their Advantage plans. As enrollment goes up, an increasing number of home health agencies are facing numerous financial, operational, and clinical challenges that accompany contracting with managed care organizations (MCOs). This panel of home care leaders will share their agencies' experiences and challenges, and the insights and perspectives they have gained from their recent dealings with MCOs.

Objectives:

• Identify financial challenges that accompany contracting with MCOs.
• Describe operational changes to better manage managed care patients.
• Discuss adaptations to clinical practice for managing patient care under managed care plans.

Faculty: Kristy A. Wright, BSN, RN, MBA, FAAN, President/CEO, VNA of Western Pennsylvania, Butler, PA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Marketing & Business Development, Management & Human Resources

Selecting, Hiring, and Managing Home Care Sales Professionals

Many home care executives have been frustrated by the process of selecting, hiring, and managing individuals to sell home care services. Many times, the person selected for the position does not have the needed selling style, motivation, or skills to bring in new referrals. Grow your home care business by selecting, hiring, and managing your home care sales representatives more effectively. The presenter will provide research-based evidence to increase your referrals.

Objectives: