Sessions

Conference Sessions By Track

CAHSAH continues to refine the conference tracks to meet all member needs. There are 51 sessions in these seven tracks below:
? Pre-Conference
? Private Duty
? Hospice/End of Life Care
? Medicare Certified Track 1
? Medicare Certified Track 2
? Leadership
? General Interest

Level of difficulty
Look for the session level of difficulty indicated by the symbols:
Beginner=★
Intermediate=★★
Advanced=★★★

For specific session topics, please see below:

PRE-CONFERENCE

A100 - Hospice Billing
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Billing is a very critical part of hospice reimbursement. This series will lay a concrete foundation for hospice billers, as well as, any hospice staff that need to more effectively understand the Medicare regulations. The 3-part series will include Medicare verifications with HIQA screen examples, field by field on Notice of Election and claim forms and sequential billing requirements. We will review the regulations for billing all hospice services (SN, HHA, MSW and therapy), face-to-face encounters and additionally home health providing care while a patient is on service with hospice. The program will conclude with many of the day-to-day scenarios that billers face such as: transfers, discharge, revocation, re-election and room and board.
Part 1 - Eligibility Requirements & Notice of Election
Learning Objectives:
List the basic eligibility requirements for admitting patient to Hospice under Medicare Benefit
Define Benefit Periods and Certification Requirements
Detail criteria for billing Hospice Notice of Election
Part 2 - Details of Medicare Claims Processing
Learning Objectives:
Recap the distinct levels of care and specifics of billing them
Detail criteria for line item billing Hospice Claims to Medicare
Itemize services provided under hospice benefit
Part 3 - Face-to-Face, Rates & Special Billing Issues
Learning Objectives:
Detail Face-to-Face Requirements
Calculate Hospice reimbursement rates
List steps for solving hospice billing issues/denials, etc. that may arise in the day-to-day billing process
Melinda Gaboury, Healthcare Provider Solution, Inc.
★★

A200 - Wound VAC
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
"Here I come to save the day!!!" was the theme song Mighty Mouse sang for years on Saturday cartoons. A superhero who overcame incredible odds battling his arch nemesis, Mighty Mouse flew in, performed good deeds and then flew into the sunset. Today?s SuperHeros in Home Health are asked to do the same thing for patients with wounds-overcome incredible odds, while battling the arch nemesis of wounds in our patient population.

This session will focus on the Vacuum Assisted Wound Therapy, aka "Wound V.A.C." a superhero in it?s own right. Want to be "Faster than a Speeding Bullet" and "Able to Leap over Buildings in a Single Bound" in wound care? Come learn the what all superheros need to know about NPWT-the science, patient selection, dressing techniques and evidence based decisions that will help you and your agency meet the demands of this changing healthcare environment.
Learning Objectives:
Gain insight into the mechanisms of action of NPWT
Review evidence based guidelines regarding patient selection
Properly perform a dressing application and removal
Cory Hartley, KCI
★/★★/★★

Newly Added Pre-Conference Session by Dr. Nancy Collins
A400 - Improving Home Health Outcomes with Nutrition Intervention
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Malnutrition and age-related muscle loss or sarcopenia have serious health and economic consequences. A comprehensive plan has three stages. The first step is to enact a validated nutrition screening program to identify those at risk or already suffering the consequences of under nutrition. The second step is to educate these patients as to how they can improve their quality of life by harnessing the power of nutrition. And finally, periodic monitoring with modification to the interventions as needed provides long-term success. This cutting edge session will show participants a case study where one home care agency has succeeded in improving outcomes when fully realizing the power of nutrition. The clinical data on the relationship between malnutrition and outcomes is sure to be a motivating factor and inspire participants to create their own quality improvement initiatives.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the connection between nutrition and home health outcomes
Review case study demonstrating how a home health agency elevated role of nutrition in patient care
Identify and implement new approaches to improve outcomes and ultimately reduce cost of care

Improving Wound Healing Through Targeted Nutritional Therapy
This session will review the nutritional interventions for wound healing with an emphasis on the importance of lean body mass. Muscle loss is highly prevalent in those >65 years old and leads to negative outcomes such as functional decline, rehospitalizations, and poor quality of life. Illness often exacerbates muscle loss leaving many clients unable to consume sufficient calories and protein, which are desperately needed for recovery and wound healing. Timely nutrition intervention is an often overlooked strategy but one that can offer a win-win situation for both the patient and the agency.
Learning Objectives:
Compare and contrast healing and chronic wounds
Discuss the relationship between lean body mass loss and wound healing
Explore functional amino acids and explain the role of HMB, Glut + Arg in your plan of care
Dr. Nancy Collins, RD411.com, Inc. Where Healthcare Professionals Go for Information
★/★★/★★

PRIVATE DUTY TRACK

P100 - Everything Is Marketing: How to Compete and Win the Battle for Business
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM
In today?s world, everything is marketing. Every contact with the public is a marketing opportunity for your agency but most agencies sadly do not see this and thus are not prepared to capitalize on these opportunities. We will address best practices in three key areas of management: advertising, sales and recruitment/retention of caregivers. The presentation will examine each area individually as well demonstrating how they all work to together to make a successful home care business in today?s competitive environment. Learning Objectives:
Do a brand audit and know if their brand is being clearly communicated
Make smart decisions on how to spend their marketing dollars
Measure all aspects of their business in terms of marketing outcomes
Cynthia Clotzman, Trusted Hands Network
★★★

P200 - Changes and Important Highlights in Wage & Hour Laws As It Relates to Homecare
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
This presentation will cover several subject areas related to homecare in the context of employment law. Examples include recent court decisions that have helped clarify the limitations and impact of Wage Order 15 and other laws that will go into effect January 2013.
Learning Objectives:
Identify situations that could be problematic and lead to litigation
Recognize when to consult an employment attorney to ensure that a minor complaint is resolved in an efficient matter
Prepare for audits and limit the potentially harmful effects of an employee complaint
Liz Murphy and Archana Acharya, Murphy Law Group
★★

P300 - Attract Referrals with a Care-Transition Program
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM
Become a preferred provider for an ACO by positioning your agency as a go-to partner for managing patients with chronic conditions and creating a smooth transition between settings. Find out what programs are most attractive to ACOs, and get detailed instructions for marketing your program to reap future rewards.
Learning Objectives:
Describe two goals of the Care Transitions and Accountable Care (ACO) Programs
Describe two strategies to improve PVD collaboration in Care Transitions and Accountable Care (ACO) Programs
Describe two strategies for marketing PVD as a collaborative partner in Care Transitions and Accountable Care
Joan Haizlip, Eventium
★★

P400 - Merging Geriatric Care Management and Licensed Home Health/Private Duty
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM
Participants attending this session will be able to identify the opportunities offered by diversifying their business to incorporate a Geriatric Care Management and Private Duty Services. Participants will be able to identify the planning and implementation strategies to successfully develop the uniting of these two programs.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the complimentary aspects and challenges of blending a Geriatric Care Management and Private Duty Services
Demonstrate the role of the PGCM (Professional Geriatric Care Manager) in managing private duty cases
Identify the issues and barriers to developing a successful combined Geriatric Care Management and a Private Pay Program
Ginny Kenyon, Kenyon HomeCare Consulting
★★★

P500 - Home Care Licensure - Where We've Been, What We've Learned and What We're Doing About it Now
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
It is no longer a question of "IF" home care will be licensed in California, but "WHEN." The questions that remain are what will licensure look like, and how will the home care industry cope with it. This session will summarize the recent history of licensure for home care in California, analyze the battles we have won and lost, and detail the current CAHSAH sponsored licensure bill. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the politics at play, and learn how to get involved to support the home care industry to help ensure the most favorable outcome.
Learning Objectives:
Learn about the history of home care aide licensure from someone who was on the inside
Learn what's contained in the current licensure bills(s)
Learn what you can do to help ensure the best outcome for CAHSAH's current licensure efforts
Trevor O'Neil, Colonial Home Care Services
★★

P600 - Technology Provides A Competitive Edge for Private Duty Home Care
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Caught between healthcare reform, an aging population and increasing competition, Private Duty providers must offer services that set them apart. This session will describe and critique a range of new technology tools that can help, including patient portals, vital sign monitors, social media and other that will soon be standard equipment.
Learning Objectives:
Describe a range of new technology tools and understand their use in home care
Determine which of these new technologies are best suited for their unique patient population
Understand the impact of the Affordable Care Act on their operations and future technology choices
Tim Rowan, Rowan Consulting Associates, Inc.
★★

P700 - Create Compensation Packages That Encourage Sales
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Increase your gross revenue by 30% and margins by 10% by incentivizing caregivers to pass referrals to intake and sales reps. One of IMDmarketing?s client agencies accomplished just that. Find out how to develop effective compensation packages to motivate your entire staff from caregivers to sales reps, and you?ll benefit from an internal marketing program that delivers more referrals than you dreamt imaginable.
Learning Objectives:
Learn how to structure effective compensation packages that increase business
Use incentives to motivate, train, and build teams with your staff
Develop an internal marketing development program
William Sloan, IMDmarketing
★/★★/★★★

P800 - Negligent Hiring and Background Checks-Best Practices and Legal Compliance
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Employee problems are caused by problem employees, and this session will health care Givers and HR professionals avoid bad hires in the first place by practicing due diligence in their hiring programs, including legally complaint background checks in order to avoid the legal and financial nightmares of a bad hire.
Learning Objectives:
Learn why background checks and due diligence have become mission critical for health care providers
Understand the basics of a negligent hiring lawsuit and defenses that work and do not work
Get acquainted with best practices and cutting edge issues such as the new EEOC focus on criminal records and credit reports and the use of social network sites and learn how to spot fraudulent employment and education credentials
Lester S. Rosen, Employment Screening Resources
★★

HOSPICE/END OF LIFE TRACK

H100 - Patient and Family Centered Systems
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM
Providing greater interaction in the health record for patients and family caregivers has been debated in the United States for nearly a decade. Yet despite all the discussion, all we have achieved is incremental progress with our hospitals and doctor offices. These elements include the ability to schedule appointments, managing admission forms, insurance forms and online payments. Yet when it comes to the interaction of the patient and caregiver with the health system and the information of themselves or a loved one, this duty still remains in the hands of healthcare administration. We are at an evolutionary stage of technological innovation where meaningful advances in the personalizing the health record and collaborating with patients and caregivers is no longer another discussion point, but rather needs to become a priority. Hospice today is in the unique position to be a leader in patient and family centered systems, as we strive to provide high value to patients at a low risk to the health record. In this presentation, we will discuss how innovation and technology can lead us towards this goal, including looking at point of care tools, patient portals or Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), and the place of social networking in home care and hospice.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how technology will need to be more patient centered
Understand why portals or Health Information Exchanges are important to the future of healthcare
Learn how social media will play in hospice and palliative care
Rebecca MacKinnon, Procura
★★★

H200 - "While You Are Up...Can You Get Me A Grant?"
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Sounds so simple and easy but raising $$?s is a tough, hard business and in some respects it is a business inasmuch as you are promoting your mission and therefore you need to approach this task in the same way corporations launch a product to market. You must let the community know who you are, what you do and what you need in order to do it.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the most frequently cited CoPs for Home Health and Hospice
Describe the most common reasons for the citations
Discuss strategies for monitoring and implementing practices for consistent compliance
Tina Del Piero, Central Coast VNA & Hospice
★

H300 - Best Practices - Making the Hospice Covered Drug Benefit Decision
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM
Every day hospice staff is faced with deciding whether medications are covered under the hospice per diem or billed through Medicare Part D or private insurance. Mistakes can unnecessarily raise a hospice drug expense or expose the hospice to claims of fraudulent billing. This session presents best practices for appropriate decision making.
Learning Objectives:
Understanding the hospice responsibilities for the Medicare Part A drug benefit
Awareness of most common areas of potential problems
Operational procedures to ensure appropriate decision making
Mark Livingston, CareRx
★★

H400 - Keeping Your Hospice Team In Tune
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM
It has been said, ?teamwork doesn?t tolerate the inconvenience of distance.? A team that is in tune to the needs and visions of its members translates to delivery of excellence in patient care, team satisfaction and individual empowerment. (This presentation will include an opportunity for audience participation but is not required)
Learning Objectives:
Describe methodologies for building team relationships valuing personality types
Define the role of the leader in achieving team competence
Describe constructive behaviors and skills in conflict management and articulate the team member?s role in achieving goals through cooperation
Lores Vlaminck, The Corridor Group Inc. (TCG)
★★

H500 - Hospice Outcomes
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
While hospice agencies are currently not required to report outcomes to CMS for public reporting, hospices leaders are eager to identify standard data definitions and adopt protocols to measure outcomes. Outcomes are often subjective in nature as reported by the patient and/or families perception of the interventions. Plan to attend this interactive presentation to acquire skills and tools for meaningful use.
Learning Objectives:
Define outcomes that improve patient/family care through measures of that have been categorized by CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid)
Consider challenges and success in data collection methodology
Discuss meaningful use of measurable data and opportunities for improvement in outcomes
Lores Vlaminck, The Corridor Group Inc. (TCG)
★★

H600 - Preparing For Home Health and Hospice Audits
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
With soaring health care costs, CMS continues to recoup money through overpayments in hospice and home health. This session focuses on charting strategies to ensure medical records have the right data to support the services if audited.
Learning Objectives:
Risk areas for audits and how to avoid charting mistakes
Understand the overpayment process from audit to appeal
Know the auditors and what they are looking for
Aaron Lachant and Carol Scott, Fenton Nelson
★

H700 - Utilizing a Risk Assessment to Identify Areas for a Preemptive Compliance Audit
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
An effective Compliance Plan includes preemptive audits in order to identify, correct and prevent fraudulent activity. This session will include the critical components to consider in the design of your audit plan in order to ensure the preemptive audits focus on areas of high risk to your organization.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the components of a risk assessment
Prioritize risk areas in organization
Develop a pre-emptive audit plan
Karen Bommelje, Simione Healthcare Consultants
★★

H800 - Get Invited to the Care Continuum Conversation: Understanding the Changes in Hospital Reimbursement and Adjusting Your Marketing Strategy Accordingly
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
This session describes to hospices how to develop programs focused on favorable re-hospitalization outcomes and how to present them to the hospital partners in their communities, ensuring repeat hospice referrals in an environment of restricted hospital reimbursement.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the approach to developing a program designed to decrease re-hospitalizations
Cite outcomes from such programs
Demonstrate techniques for presenting re-hospitalization programs to your hospital referral partners
Kara Osborne and Katherine Northcutt, Simione Healthcare Consultants
★★

MEDICARE CERTIFIED TRACK 1

M100 - Transforming Home Health Across the Continuum
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM
Yesterday?s vision of home health delivery will not thrive within the future of community based care. With increasing demand for better yet less expensive healthcare delivery, today?s home health, private duty and hospice agencies are compelled to be forward thinking as they evolve into a more collaborative and advanced home health continuum. Leaders are forging new relationships, building innovative business models with increasing integration of technology, and strengthening clinical and cultural accountability to achieve maximal efficiency and effectiveness. The heart of what we do must now manifest in smart leadership of the new age of community based care; focusing on person-centered models, quality of life, self-care, chronic disease management, and end of life care.
Learning Objectives:
Attendees will be able to understand the context of the current market demands for an advanced home health continuum
Attendees will be able to identify their service lines? optimal value proposition within healthcare reform and the changing marketplace
Attendees will be able to describe specific methodology to better plan, prepare and position their business for maximal success today and moving into the future
Cindy Campbell, Fazzi Associates, Inc.
★★

M200 - A Competency Program to Lessen Your Risk and Increase Your Quality
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
This session will discuss how to develop and implement a quality competency program for all of your staff. Knowing the ongoing competency of your staff is not only a regulatory requirement but is so necessary to protect your organization from legal risk. This session will provide examples of competencies, and discuss how to implement a thorough competency program that can be used for new hires, ongoing and for all disciplines.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the meaning of a quality competency program, and differentiate it from in-service education
Develop a competency program for the organization for all disciplines and levels of employees
Implement the competency program
Sharon M. Litwin, 5 Star Consultants
★★

M300 - Facing ADR's, Audits and Denials Head-on
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM
For several years we have been discussing, waiting for and dreading cuts to our MCR dollars. Well, unfortunately, many of us have not had to wait very long. Many agencies, your or someone you may know has already had to face any # of auditors?.MAC?s, RAC?s, ZPICs and even auditors from the OIG. None of these are ever easy not to mention, time consuming and costly. Join Jennifer as she helps you understand how to face some of the issues head-on and perhaps avoid some of these audits.
Learning Objectives:
To define the different types of audits and the atmosphere in HH necessitating ADR's and audits.
Attendee will be able to identify and understand the top reasons for ADR's and audits in HH
Discuss the steps involved to respond to and answer ADR's and denials correctly.
Jennifer Warfield, PPS Plus Software
★★

M400 - Home Health PPS Update - Part 1
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM
Agencies struggle with grasping the financial and management aspects of Home Health PPS. Financial staff as well as clinical staff will benefit from this session by understanding the effect OASIS-C has on case-mix weight, financial calculations, quality reporting, eventual Pay for Performance and the day-to-day management of the agency. Included in this review will be information on Non Routine Supplies, how the reimbursement is calculated using OASIS-C items and how the supplies should be tracked and reporting on the claims. These sessions will also review the detail of the HHRG calculation with emphasis on the recalculation of final claim payment as related to therapy. In addition, these sessions will provide a review of the possible rate cuts ahead and revamping of case-mix structure.
Learning Objectives:
Calculate the HHRG, corresponding HIPPS code and determine case-mix weight
Establish processes that need to be strengthened at agency regarding OASIS-C completion and review
List efficiencies affecting financial impact of OASIS-C
Melinda Gaboury, Healthcare Provider Solutions, Inc.
★★

M500 - Home Health PPS Update - Part 2
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Agencies struggle with grasping the financial and management aspects of Home Health PPS. Financial staff as well as clinical staff will benefit from this session by understanding the effect OASIS-C has on case-mix weight, financial calculations, quality reporting, eventual Pay for Performance and the day-to-day management of the agency. Included in this review will be information on Non Routine Supplies, how the reimbursement is calculated using OASIS-C items and how the supplies should be tracked and reporting on the claims. These sessions will also review the detail of the HHRG calculation with emphasis on the recalculation of final claim payment as related to therapy. In addition, these sessions will provide a review of the possible rate cuts ahead and revamping of case-mix structure.
Learning Objectives:
List New PPS Rates & changes to CaseMix Weight
Discuss reimbursement changes that affect payment
Identify changes to Homebound Status Definition & Face-to-Face
Melinda Gaboury, Healthcare Provider Solutions, Inc.
★★

M600 - SESSION CANCELLED - Documentation withstanding the scrutiny of the CMS ALJ
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Learn how to develop and incorporate key elements into your OASIS, Initial Nursing and Therapy Evaluations, to substantiate the initial need for Home Care. Create comprehensive follow up documentation that assures payment and decreases CDPH survey deficiencies.
Learning Objectives:
Properly perform an OASIS assessment and create an OASIS document supportive of Medical necessity
Assure skilled need is documented in each and every patient encounter
Understand the 4 types of patient care plans most commonly utilized in home care and the documentation complexities intrinsic to each of them
Michael McGowan, Medicare Appeals Development, LLC
★

A300 - MOVED FROM PRE-CONS - True Confessions from Referral Agency Auditors
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Do the ever-increasing costs of being an employer leave you considering a change in your business model?? Know before you go to a referral agency model. In this session you will hear from actual EDD and IRS auditors what they see in the field. These are the facts you need to know about this hot industry topic!
IRS and EDD speakers INVITED
★/★★/★★

M700 - BE PREPARED - Are you ready for a HIPAA Compliance Audit?
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
This session will address the HIPAA Audit Protocols recently published by the HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR). The Audit Protocols identify requirements that are to be assessed by the OCR HIPAA audit program. The HIPAA audit program, implemented as a pilot program in 2011-2012, is mandated under the HITECH Act of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The mandate requires HHS to provide for periodic audits to ensure covered entities and business associates are complying with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules and Breach Notification standards. This session will address the initial findings of the pilot HIPAA audit program and how providers may be able to utilize these findings to assess their own HIPAA compliance programs. The session will assist covered entities, including home health agencies and hospices, to understand and utilize these Audit Protocols to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of their existing HIPAA Compliance Program and privacy and security policies and procedures and to identify and correct potential risks and vulnerabilities. The detailed HIPAA Audit Protocol and discussion of audit procedures provides valuable information about the types of questions asked by HIPAA auditors. These audit procedures should be carefully considered by covered entities as a means of ensuring preparedness for a HIPAA compliance audit and as a means of ensuring that the organization's policies and procedures adequately address the compliance standards applicable the home care or hospice provider's organization.
Learning Objectives:
The participant will become familiar with the comprehensive HIPAA Audit Protocol published by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
The participant should be able to use the OCR Audit Protocol to evaluate his or her organization's preparedness for a HIPAA audit
The participant should be able to use the OCR Audit Protocol to evaluate the sufficiency and appropriateness of his or her organization's HIPAA Compliance Program and privacy and security practices and identify potential risks and vulnerabilities
Anne E. Ferguson, Anne E. Ferguson A Professional Law Corporation
★★★

M800 - The Top 10 Most Documented CoPs: Any apply to your agency?
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
The presentation will consist of a review and comparison of the Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for Home Health and Hospice with an emphasis on the most frequently cited CoPs as published by CMS. Participants will hear practical and useful approaches for performance monitoring for compliance.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the most frequently cited CoPs for Home Health and Hospice
Describe the most common reasons for the citations
Discuss strategies for monitoring and implementing practices for consistent compliance
Gwen M. Franzgrote, Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP), Inc.
★★

MEDICARE CERTIFIED TRACK 2

C100 - Are You Ready for the Transition to ICD-10?
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM
The 2013 Proposed Rule for Home Health gives us every indication that health care will adopt and begin using ICD-10 CM Coding System on OCT 1, 2014. That?s 2 years away! Seems like a long time doesn?t it? Well when you consider how much work will need to be put into this project, it?s not a long time at all. Join Jennifer as she walks you through how to start preparing your agency for a successful ICD-10 implementation.
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the benefits of converting to the ICD-10 coding system
Recognize similarities and differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10
Identify features found in ICD-10
Jennifer Warfield, PPS Plus Software
★★

C200 - Understanding the Home Health PPS
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
This is a basic session which describes the key elements of Medicare PPS. The session will cover the 60 day episode, episode executions, billing management and compliance issues, and accounting and management reporting.
Learning Objectives:
Understand PPS full episode payments and episode exceptions
Appreciate the relationship between OASIS and PPS payments and quality indicators
Understand the importance of accounting and management reporting to PPS success
Joe Hafkenschiel, Consultant and Educator (Past CAHSAH President)
★

C300 - Home Health Makeover: Prepping your agency & staff for the ACO/Bundling Models
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM
2-part session presentation. Post-Acute Bundling models are the Part A patient management protocols that will outline how patients who leave the hospital will be managed in the community. In a departure from the current delivery system, clinical content management will replace length of stay as the primary variable in what type of care the patient receives. Nursing and therapy interventions will be vetted for savings and efficiency, not just coverage. Clinical programs will be managed by patient response to treatment, and better clinical care and communication will be the order of the day. Don?t wait until these models arrive to prepare; the winners in these scenarios are working towards these ends today. Find out how to improve your care production and management to survive the Bundling requirements of tomorrow.
Learning Objectives:
Be successful, according to the new management protocols, in treating patients who have left the hospital and are being managed in the community
Maintain and utilize a complete understanding of the nursing and therapy intervention process, including coverage
Improve your care production and management to survive the Bundling requirements of tomorrow
Arnie Cisneros, Home Health Strategic Management
★★

C400 - Managed Care 101
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM
It is now estimated that upwards of 90 percent of Americans with health insurance are covered by some form of managed care. And government financed health coverage is moving rapidly in that same direction. Managed care simply saves money and is becoming more prevalent as time goes on. This session will provide the basics of managed care and how home care fits into the managed care model.
Learning Objectives:
Describe how managed care work
Explore how home care fits into the managed care model
Identify current trends in managed care and how they apply to home care
Speaker TBD
★/★★/★★★

C500 - Opportunities in the Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI)
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
The Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI), including the eight-county Dual Eligibles Integration Demonstration, stands to change the way long-term services and supports are provided through Medi-Cal in critical ways. Managed care will play the primary role in care coordination and care planning. This session will provide an update on the implementation of the CCI, including the Demonstration, and present opportunities for providers in this new managed care environment.
Learning Objectives:
Understand what is the current status of the Coordinated Care Initiative
Identify opportunities for their organizations to engage with managed care
Lisa Shugarman, The SCAN Foundation
★★

C600 - Transitions in Care? ? A New Home Health Care Product Line Opportunity
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
The provisions of ?Transitions in Care? begin to effect hospitals in January, 2013 beginning with a penalty of 1% to 3% in 2015 of total Medicare receipts if their 30 day (or less) re-hospitalization exceeds the yet to be determined threshold by CMS. . Home health agencies have an opportunity to partner with hospitals by providing a saleable service to reduce their potential exposure. This program will describe more about the need, the necessary services and clinical technology components, the costing and the pricing.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the ingredients of the ?Transitions in Care? opportunity for Home Health Agencies
Identify the services to be included to meet the goals of reduced Emergency Department incidents and re-hospitalizations of the non-post-acute referred patients
Identify the direct costs related to the desired services and developing price points for selling these services
Patt Laff, Laff Associates; Barbara Rosenblum, SHP
★★★

C700 - Partnering with Your Local Hospitals to Reduce 30-Day Readmissions
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Over one in five Medicare patients receiving home health care services in California are readmitted back to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. It is estimated that three-quarters of readmissions could have been prevented. To reduce readmissions, effective transitions from one healthcare setting to another must occur. Collaboration and communication across settings is vital to ensure that systems are in place so that critical details are not missed. Learn how home health agencies across the state are successfully working with their local hospitals and community partners to improve transitions, optimize patient care and reduce readmissions.
Learning Objectives:
Partnering with Your local hospitals to reduce 30-day readmissions
Across the great divide?Care Transitions between Healthcare settings
Preventing 30-Day readmissions for high-risk patients
Jennifer Wieckowski, Health Services Advisory Group of California, Inc.
★/★★/★★★

C800 - Managing Compliance Requirements Pro-actively leveraging Technology
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Technology brings additional resources to the fingertips of nurses and homecare professionals at the frontline to support their clinical decision-making and contribute to improved client outcomes. With day to day changing patient needs, there is increasing evidence that technology and applications will transform the industry and facilitate faster and better communications, prevent fraud, and proactively manage compliance requirements.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how technology can assist in pro-actively manage compliance and risk
Understanding strategies required to manage compliance through indicators to ensure a successful compliant audit
Agency testimonial and how you can capture data in real-time at the point of care to keep compliant
Michael K. Wons, CellTrak Technologies
★

LEADERSHIP TRACK

L100 - Shepherding Your Staff; A Leader's Guide to Mentoring
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM
This session will help you to identify employees in your organization who are qualified for advancement and mentor them through the process of developing their management skills. You will learn how to provide management training to clinical staff and chart a career path for middle managers.
Learning Objectives:
Identify employees capable of advancement within the organization
Foster them through the process of management training
Mentor the new manager long term to ensure success
Sharon M. Litwin, 5 Star Consultants
★★

L200 - Boost Your Profits! Expanding Home Care Margins & Cash Flow
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Home care is extremely competitive, and market forces are always pushing margins down and cash flow out. This presentation will provide you with tips and tricks to expand your margins and bring cash into your business faster.
Learning Objectives:
Implement techniques to increase business profitability and improve cash flow
Identify progress metrics to analyze technique effectiveness
Know what to do when things go wrong & a turnaround is inevitable
Jason Grinstead, Care at Home, Inc.
★

L300 - Competing in a Reformed Health Care Environment
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will create a new environment for home care providers. Competing in this environment will require a new set of competencies in culture and governance, market positioning, financial agility, operational performance and infrastructure and human resources.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the basic elements and opportunities under the ACA
Review agency readiness based on the results of the ORASI survey
Understand the basic competencies necessary to compete
Joe Hafkenschiel, Consultant and Educator (Past CAHSAH President)
★★★

L400 - Developing a Culture of Safety, Leadership?s First Imperative in Establishing a Culture of Excellence
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM
Research has defined how high reliability organizations produce sustained excellence over time, but no health care organizations function at this high level of sustained safety. How do we create the blueprints for hospices to build high reliability? Explore the responsibility of leadership and governance in developing a culture of safety where trust, accountability and a collective mindfulness effectively manages very serious hazards well, and discovers and fixes unsafe conditions early
Learning Objectives:
Identify the impact of health care reform on the demand for High Reliability Organizations
Explore the role of leadership in developing an organizational culture of safety
Consider the implications for using a culture of safety as a foundation for organizational excellence
Margherita C. Labson, The Joint Commission
★★

L500 - Benchmarking and Best Practices: Understanding How To Establish Home Care Benchmarks That Reach Organizational Goals
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
The pressure to make good decisions is more intense than ever. Do you really know if you're making the correct ones? Using industry specific benchmarks can help your organization focus on making good sound business decisions. Learn how to use benchmarks to maximize your financial outcomes and provide a measurable matrix that provides insight into your organizations success.
Learning Objectives:
Learn what key benchmarks are used to measure success
Understand how benchmarks play an integral part of budgeting
Understand the driving forces that comprise all benchmarks
William J. Simione III, Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC
★★★

L600 - Synergy Strategic Planning-A Blueprint for Organizational Planning and Execution
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
An audience participative, powerful, upbeat, session focused on 4 easy-to-implement steps that will lead an organization to success through high-performance teamwork. The core principle is that organizational effectiveness is achieved through leaders and empowered individuals working in teams toward a shared destiny.
Learning Objectives:
Create an exciting, challenging and attainable vision
Create a clear set of believable and livable values
Create inspirational goals that manifest the vision and lead to increasing profitability, productivity and performance
Chris Alexander, Synergy Executive Education
★★

L700 - Strategy Bootcamp for Healthcare Professionals.
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Those in the medical field entering the world of business often find their clinical skills are not enough to be effective in the areas of strategic management, operations and marketing. Former Management Professor and Private-Duty Agency owner, Lindsey Rehfeld, M.A. will introduce and discuss concepts designed to strategically position your organization.
Learning Objectives:
Find your unfair advantage
Determine whether the juice is worth the squeeze
Execute or be executed (?)
Lindsey Rehfeld, Visiting Angels
★★

L800 - Reducing Risk through a Strong Compliance Program
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Have you ever wondered why your agency should add a Compliance Program to your already overloaded workload? At this time, having a Compliance Program is not a requirement for Hospice agencies, but with the increased scrutiny on fraud and abuse, developing a strong Compliance Program can save time, money and resources in the long run. Learn how to set up a Compliance Program, write policies & procedures and more importantly, educated staff on how their day to day practices may be perceived as fraudulent behavior.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the daily practices of front line staff that can be perceived as fraudulent behavior
Describe the key components of a strong compliance
Explore ways to educate and involve employees in the prevention of fraud and abuse
Lisa Meadows, Accreditation Commission for Health Care
★★

GENERAL INTEREST TRACK

G100 - The Affordable Care Act and California's Home Health Industry
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM
Agencies need to understand the Affordable Care Act to achieve two important goals: 1. Human Resources: Empower your staff and employees to remain in compliance with the act for their own health insurance needs. 2. The Law and Home Healthcare Industry as a whole: Business Model Adaptation to Utilize the incentive structures of the Act.
Learning Objectives:
Obtain compliance with the mandates of the Affordable Care Act
Understand California's developing legislation implementing the Affordable Care Act
Learn new models and theories of health coverage to improve home health coverage in California
Jason Brown, Murphy Law Group
★★

G200 - What Does Your "Super Star" Medical Biller Look Like?
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Participants will learn what steps need to be taken to successfully recruit and hire a great medical biller. They will learn what questions to ask, as well as be provided assessment tools to use.
Learning Objectives:
To be able to identify a superstar biller
Use personality profiles to your advantage
Use the questionnaire to produce desired responses
Petria McKelvey, Precision Medical Billing
★★

G300 - Best Practices in Implementing New Technology
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM
After spending many long hours sitting through countless software demonstrations, a decision has finally been made. Your organization is making a huge investment in a new technology. Now what? Implementations are difficult and although the end result is usually favorable, tough times are ahead. Position your organization for a smooth transition and success by learning best practices to avoid the common pitfalls associated with many technology implementations.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the basic questions to ask about new technology
Understand your requirements - what you need and want
Describe the steps of an implementation plan including the who, what, where, when and how
Peggy Patton, The Corridor Group, Inc.
★★

G400 - Building the Value and Negotiating the Sale of a Home Care Agency
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM
Learn how large corporate buyers and private equity groups develop a price they are willing to pay for an agency. Using that information, show how that price can be increased, along with mistakes to avoid. Includes detailed information on completed transactions. An entertaining review of an actual transaction, a "no-holds barred" negotiation between an owner & buyer. Fun & you will leave with an understanding of the issues that make up a win-win transaction.
Learning Objectives:
Develop an understanding of the formulas that buyers utilize to calculate the price they are willing to pay for the purchase of a home health agency. Describe the entire process of buying and selling an agency
Develop an understanding of the various structures and financing that big buyers utilize to purchase home health care agencies Identify common problems encountered with buying and selling
Identify how to increase the value of an agency by understanding the risk factors. Explain the numerous documents involved in the buying or selling process including the Letter of Intent, and the Purchase Agreements
Donald Cummins, Stoneridge Partners
★★

G500 - Closing the Loop: Developing a Successful Teach-Back Program
Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Agencies face ever-changing regulations, reimbursement decreases, shrinking length of stays and poor patient outcomes. Tackling these issues begins with the first visit and continues through the episode. The ?teach-back? method successfully improves outcomes and reduces re-hospitalizations. Join Jennifer as she introduces the ?teach-back? method of patient and caregiver education.
Learning Objectives:
Learner will understand the importance of developing a successful teach-back program
Learner will recognize the patient population that should benefit from a teach-back program
Attendee will discover how to implement and evaluate a teach-back program
Jennifer Warfield, PPS Plus Software
★★

G600 - Three Winning Strategies to Drive Referral & Revenue Growth?and?Five Killer Mistakes to Avoid
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
In this interactive session Home Health/Hospice leaders and marketing professionals will learn three proven strategies for using their Agency?s culture to drive referral and revenue growth. These strategies, along with five killer mistakes to avoid, have succeeded throughout California and can strengthen your brand value and lead to better bottom-line-results.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the role of organizational culture, including how it can be ?brought outside of the organization and into the field? to drive referral and revenue growth
Discover the five killer mistakes that Home Health and Hospice Agency?s often make that can destroy their brand credibility and reduce their referral/revenue potential over time
Learn to strengthen your Agency?s culture while diagnosing and solving fundamental problems in the sales/referral cycle
Jesse Sostrin and Mark Wilson, Wilshire Health & Community Services
★

G700 - High-Tech - High Touch: Home Care in the XXI Century
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Combining comprehensive care with innovative technology is an efficient solution to keep elders safe and aging within their own homes regardless of whether they are healthy and engaged or dealing with any chronic illness like any dementia including Alzheimer?s, Parkinson?s, or mental illness.
Learning Objectives:
Learn about the gero-technology that could enable elders to age in place
Understand a new model of care is needed for the 89% of seniors who do not want to leave their homes
Learn the importance of hospitality-driven training to deliver a more comprehensive model of care for seniors
Dr. Doris Bersing, Living Well Assisted Living at Home
★★

G800 - Home Care and Hospice: The Pre-Acute Solution
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
It is vital that home health and hospice agencies are able to demonstrate the value to the referral community of identifying patient referrals prior to hospitalization. It is the number one growth strategy for most agencies and is our obligation. It only makes sense to deliver care at home and prevent un-necessary hospitalizations.
Learning Objectives:
Describe our passion for the difference we make in the community
Discover how each member of the home health or hospice agency can play a part in getting the referral of patients on a pre-acute basis
Take home a plan to implement at least three things to increase appropriate utilization of home health and hospice services in their community
Michael Ferris, Simione Healthcare Consultants
★