| In This Issue |
Expert Corner:
Building Quality
Feature Focus:
Patient Financials
HHA eXchange at HCA Conference
Sep. 13-14, New Paltz
Welcome:
Hebrew Hospital Home
Partner Focus:
Midatlantic Professional Services
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Recent Webinars
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July 15
Telephony & Audit Calls
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Upcoming Webinars
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September 16
Patient Financials
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Upcoming Events
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HCA's Senior and Financial Managers Retreat
Date: September 13-14
New Paltz, NY
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NAHC 30th Annual Meeting
Date: October 1-5
Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas, NV
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2011 Connected Health Symposium
Date: October 20-21
Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers
Boston, MA
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2011 HCP Annual Conference
Date: October 25-27
Crowne Plaza
Albany, NY
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14th Annual Private Duty National Conference & Expo
Date: November 2-4
Caesars Palace
Las Vegas, NV
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Expert's Corner: By Karen Murphy
R.N.,C. MHSA President, Adept Resources
Building Quality
 I have the opportunity to review the actions of many Quality Improvement Committees in my professional practice. There are some "basics" that emerge in my reviews. One of the most important foundations in building agency quality is the membership assets of the Quality Improvement Committee.
I recommend that agencies appoint individuals whose education and experience qualify them to help the agency improve. However, many times I see that QIC members are employees of the agency and associates of the agency.
While there is no prohibition to appointing agency employees, this practice does not meet the intentions of the regulations. The regulations position the QIC between the operations staff of the agency and the governing authority. The QIC is supposed to review the actions of agency employees and report to the governing authority.
If you were appointed to review your own work, I am certain that you would judge the work good. We all do the best we can. In fact, you are employed to give the agency your best work each day. The agency should already have your best ideas, innovations and recommendations.
This is precisely why the agency needs a broader perspective, new eyes and different experiences to bring to the QIC table. I am particularly interested in the quality of nursing advice on the committee. Nurses who have home care experience or who work in fields with consistent home care interests provide their experience to the committee. While it is frequently helpful to appoint an agency nurse to the committee, assign this individual responsibility to serve as an information resource to the committee regarding agency policy and practices. Do not allow the agency nurse to participate in record reviews. Require appointed, experienced non-agency nurses to review your care records.
This process allows the QIC to look at the agency's records with new eyes; questions may emerge, information may be sought. This is the value of new eyes. The QIC record reviewers are supposed to have an outside perspective (like surveyors) but knowledge of requirements and standards.
Who can we have serve on the QIC? My favorite asset is the nurses from my contractors operations. If you have any contract to provide services, you should invite an RN from the contractor organization to serve on your committee. Also, offer your agency nurse to serve the contractor organization as well.
This provides an incredible learning experience for your agency because you are able to access advice from your contractor organization while your agency nurse also learns other organization's practices, solutions, ideas.
Most agencies are afraid to invite the contractor to sit on the QIC. This is a function of self- doubt. Throw that self- doubt off. My agency has routinely invited professional employees of our contractors to sit on our QIC. Not only have we enjoyed knowledgeable advice and solutions, but improved relations and an INCREASE in referrals.
These appointees routinely leave our agency impressed with how serious we are about improved quality, resolved complaints and serving very difficult client situations. Reach out! Get some specific home care expertise! Listen! Learn! Change! Improve! Enjoy the benefit of professional collaboration with your partners in care.
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Feature Focus: Viewing Patient Financials
Welcome to the new patient "Financials" section in HHA eXchange! Here, users can review the invoices, payments, e-billing submissions, e-billing submission denials, accounts receivable notes, and a general summary for all financial information related to a given patient.
On the Summary page, users are shown totals for all invoices that have not yet been paid by the contract for a given patient (A/R), organized into "Aging" columns. The patient's billing history includes received service types along with the total amounts invoiced to per type. Users can compare amounts billed to the contract for services against the amounts paid to caregivers for performing those services, or the gross Profitability.
The Invoice page shows the status of each invoice of the given time period via color-coding: Paid (no color background), Partially Paid (orange), or Not Paid (yellow).
The Payments tab enables users to view all payments recorded in the system for the given patient. Users can filter by date and contract, and also click any hyperlinked Check/Ref/Note item to view more details.
Additional features such as viewing electronic invoice submissions (by invoice or batch), e-billing submissions that were denied, and the entering of A/R notes with full audit trail are also included within our new patient Financials functionality. Don't hesitate to give us a call to learn more, and current users can look forward to our upcoming webinar on this exciting new feature set. |
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HHA eXchange Exhibiting at HCAs Senior and Financial Managers Retreat
September 13-14, New Paltz, NY
 Join HHA eXchange at HCA's Senior and Financial Managers Retreat on September 13 and 14 at the majestic Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz. This premier educational event is designed for CEOs, CFOs and other administrators who want to advance their understanding of the latest challenges and opportunities that affect a home care organization's bottom line, from both reimbursement and regulatory angles. HHA eXchange is looking forward to exhibiting the latest Home Care Software Platforms and introducing new venues to the healthcare professionals to ensure their success in the ever-changing NYS healthcare environment.
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Hebrew Hospital Home Partners with HHA eXchange
 Hebrew Hospital Home, located in Westchester and the Bronx, New York, began this month to implement our Enterprise platform within its HHH Home Care division. HHH Home Care serves over 1,000 residents of the Bronx daily, and employs nearly 2,000 dedicated clinicians and health care professionals. Usage of our web-based Enterprise system will ensure more streamlined case management, compliance, scheduling, time and attendance verification, billing, referral management, reporting and personnel management for HHH, and we look forward to taking steps forward with this highly respected agency.
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Partner Focus: Forging a Relationship That Augments our Software Platforms
Bryan Beine
President, Midatlantic Professional Services, Inc.
 In this issue we are pleased to spotlight our relationship with IT expert, Bryan Beine, founder of Midatlantic Professional Services, Inc. - a full-service information technology networking and consulting firm. With the ever-evolving requirements for secure data collection and storage, properly maintaining a computer network is essential and several of HHA eXchange's clients benefit from the network support provided by Bryan. Equally important, Midatlantic's network maintenance and support services enable our web-based software to run seamlessly for these clients.
Midatlantic handles all aspects of network infrastructure - from cabling and installation to 24/7 security and support - for small to mid-sized businesses, eliminating the need for a dedicated tech person on staff. Having previously worked at Dataline Inc. - a software company servicing the Hospital & Health Care realm at the time, Bryan is deeply familiar with the inner workings of the Home Health industry and skillfully navigates the complex regulations and HIPAArequirements, ensuring that client security is never compromised.
"Collaborating with HHA eXchange has been fantastic, and I look forward to further enhancing the customer experience together. HHA eXchange is the most polished and user-friendly platform in our industry today, and they are always one step ahead in anticipating the clients' needs," remarked Bryan. "It is a pleasure working with such a knowledgeable and devoted team, and I anticipate partnering with HHA eXchange on many interesting projects and client engagements for years to come."
For more information about Midatlantic Professional Services, Inc., e-mail: Bryan@MPSTech.net |
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