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For internal use only. Please do not distribute.
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Weekly Newsletter for Employees of VNA Care Network Foundation
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To ensure you're seeing the Connecter in its entirety:
- PC Users: right-click on the download images button at the top of this email.
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CONNECTER
ARCHIVES
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Below is this week's issue of the Connecter newsletter, which is required reading for all employees. The next edition will be published on Monday, February 1, with articles due to connecter@vnacarenetwork.org by Friday, January 30. |
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Key Dates this Week
- Monday, Jan 25: Encore Update
- Tuesday, Jan 26: Safety Inservice
- Wednesday, Jan 27: VNA Web Portal Available in Epic
- Monday, Feb 1: Mutual of America in Charlestown
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IN THIS ISSUE:
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPDATES
CLINICAL APPLICATIONS
CLINICAL SERVICES
HUMAN RESOURCES
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
QUALITY AND RISK MANAGEMENT
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January 25, 2016
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Volume 5, Issue 4
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Service Standard of the Week:
Service Standard #4: Professional Language
We communicate with respect and courtesy to colleagues and patients. We address patients, families, and customers based on their preference, using Mr., Mrs., Ms. or their preferred name.
Here are some behaviors that demonstrate standard #4:
- Convey professionalism by using verbiage that enhances the patient experience.
- Substitute common words and phrases such as "hi" and "no problem" with "Good morning/afternoon" and "I'd be happy to."
- Be careful not to use inappropriate words/phrases like - Hon, Honey, Sweetie, Darling, Girlfriend, etc.
- Be polite in speech using words like "please" and "thank you."
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CONNECTER QUIZ!!!
Professional language is an important part of the customer experience. The language used during any interaction can have a lasting impact on how the customer perceives the person they are working with or even the entire organization.
We've all had amazing customer experiences...and some that maybe were not so great. Think of a memorable experience (good or bad) that was influenced by the language used during the interaction and enter to win an American Express gift card! We'll share some of the highs and lows in upcoming editions of the Connecter.
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'Mr.' And 'Ms.': A Courtesy To Be Respected
By Wendy Drake, Rehab Services Manager and Service Excellence Champion
I was raised to treat everyone with respect. As a kid, one way my parents taught me to do this was by always addressing adults by Mr., Mrs., or Miss followed by their last name. It is important to respect people we are treating in this same manner until you are invited to call them something else. Many of our patients may find it rude or inconsiderate to be called by their first name when they first meet you. Furthermore, calling them "Honey", or "Sweetie" may also not be welcomed.
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Service Excellence Champion Group
The Service Excellence Champion group meets monthly to discuss ways to further our organization's commitment to exceptional service excellence.
Key Initiatives Being Worked On:
- Streamlining communication methods and tools
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- Town Hall Meetings
- Service Excellence training for new employees
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- Improving patient experience
- Huddle strategies
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Please contact the Champions listed below if you would like to have an initiative or issue reviewed at the next meeting. Thank you!
- Ann Bohac
- Debbie Brown
- Katie Callahan
- Jen Casper
- Simone Charpentier
- Lori DeRosa
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- Wendy Drake
- Jill Enwright
- Kelly Frew
- Dave Hanley
- Brielle MacDonald
- Cheryl Milas
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- Mary Ann O'Connor
- Adele Pike
- Lorraine Potter
- Dave Rose
- Geri Spina
- Charlvic Williams
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Submitted by Julie Winslow, Hospice RN in the Needham office about Lori Morini, RN in the Worcester office
Can I just express my appreciation for the help and support you extended to me during this particularly heavy workweek? I am very grateful to you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my emails. With your help and that of the Worcester Team, we are able to effectively and seamlessly care for the needs of patients and their caregivers. Your organizational skills and can do attitude are so refreshing. It seems as if there is no problem that you can't solve. Thank you again for everything. You simply are the best!
Submitted by Marlene Desautels, Patient Accounts Representative about Donna Ross, Managed Care/Insurance Verification Assistant
Donna Ross, Verification Team, Southborough, should be commended for her incredible patience and pleasantness when speaking with patients and/or health insurance companies. She will review the subject matter until she is completely sure the patient understands. She reassures the patient that she will resolve the issue & get back to them - which she does.
From the conversations I overhear, I know the other members of the Verification Team look to her for guidance and consider her to be their 'Team Leader" as her wealth of knowledge is just unbelievable. When listening to her on the phone, I learn something new every day about health insurance.
Submitted by Laura Lawrence, Administrative Assistant with VNA Care Advantage at New Horizons on behalf of a resident
I really want to thank my care staff; they are always so pleasant and do a great job. "I just have a good feeling when then help me." I really appreciate all they do and the way that they do it. They always make me feel like it is no problem. All the staff is great.
I especially want to thank Jesca Were, who goes above and beyond to help me. She is always willing to help by picking things up that have fallen and to help me locate items that I have dropped. She even looks under the bed. She found one item I had lost that I was so happy to have gotten back. She is so kind. I really appreciate all she does for me.
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 Scenes from the Street
Share your pictures from the office or the field with us by sending them to connecter@vnacarenetwork.org!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPDATES
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Making Referrals Easier!
The Worcester Referral Center now has extended hours to better serve our patients and referral sources!
Beginning next Monday, February 1, the Referral Center will be answering calls from 8a - 8p Monday through Friday and 9a - 5:30p weekends and holidays.
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VNA Web Portal Available in Epic!
Effective January 27, 2016, a VNA web portal will be available in Epic, giving Atrius Health providers access to view only documentation of Atrius Health patients seen at the VNA within 60 days.
This web portal will provide Atrius Health users improved access to information in order to coordinate and improve care for our shared patients, while driving down total medical expenses.
The next phase of this project includes a similar portal going in the opposite direction, making it easier for VNA clinicians to access Epic information for your Atrius Health patients. Stay Tuned!
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Length of Service Award Recipients
Our employees are our greatest asset and best indicator of our success...and based on our HomeCare Elite status and 4-4.5 CMS Star ratings, we have an exceptional team! We are lucky to have so many dedicated employees who commit themselves to our organization and the patients we serve.
Over the next several weeks we will go office by office and recognize all those who have reached milestone anniversaries. Congratulations!
Charlestown Office
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Michelle Coote
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30 Years
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Annette Grenier
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30 Years
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Mary Helen Mahoney
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30 Years
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Ruthann Britten
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20 Years
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Joy Ferrara
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20 Years
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Jeanne Gentry
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20 Years
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Angela Lee
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20 Years
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Merle McKenzie
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20 Years
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Maryann Palizzolo
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20 Years
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Paul Albushies
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25 Years
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Gaille Anderson
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25 Years
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Joanne Hemenway
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25 Years
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Fran Kenney
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25 Years
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Jane Shea
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25 Years
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Judy Sojack
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25 Years
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Teresa Burgess
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15 Years
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Jennifer Carpenito
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15 Years
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Barbara Johnson
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15 Years
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Mary Maughn
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15 Years
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Christine Mello-Byrne
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15 Years
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Chris Schultz
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15 Years
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Kathleen Sciarratta
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15 Years
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Simone Charpentier
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10 Years
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Mary Donovan
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10 Years
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Nancy Egger
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10 Years
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Kelly Frew
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10 Years
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Kelly Mullen
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10 Years
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Elaine Pacheco
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10 Years
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Sharon Picard
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10 Years
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Kathy Schuft
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10 Years
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Barbara Belony
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5 Years
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Sarah Desir
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5 Years
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Lorraine Johnson
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5 Years
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Deborah Jones
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5 Years
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Ellen Kennedy
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5 Years
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Kristopher McGravey
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5 Years
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Tarita Silvey-Joshua
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5 Years
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Rachel Symes
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5 Years
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Todd Thetonia
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5 Years
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Laura Wise
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5 Years
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Attention Encore Users: Patch 06.00.0220
By Christine Day, Clinical Applications Specialist
On Monday night January 25, Patch 06.00.0220 will be applied to the server. Encore will be unavailable after 8PM for approximately 30 minutes while the Citrix servers are updated. You will receive an email when the server is back up.
The purpose of the patch is for minor updates and clinicians should see no changes in Encore.
Laptop Users: Your laptop will pick up this patch during your communication/synch on Tuesday afternoon should take approximately 15 minutes. Check to see you are on version 06.00.0220.
Note: Please communicate your laptops again after picking up the patch.
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Behavioral Health Update
When might you call on the behavioral health team?
When a patient: - Verbalizes feeling "down" or "blue"
- Struggles with pain management or a new diagnosis
- Struggles with loss, grief and the "way my life used to be"
- Has a lack or decrease in motivation or energy
- Presents with soiled clothing or a disheveled appearance and verbalizes impatience with caring for themselves
- Refuses to take medications
- Verbalizes difficulty in sleeping or wakes frequently throughout the night
- Verbalizes anxiety about: making decisions, about the future, about the past
- Has family issues and relationship concerns
- Asks for help in working through negative thoughts or emotions
- Desires an alternative way to think about their life and current environment
- Has anxiety and/or depression that interferes in their ability or desire to move on to a more healthy way of thinking and living
Just some quick reference points: - Please make sure there is a documented diagnosis of depression, anxiety or early onset dementia. The BH team will help clinicians with this process.
- When clinicians are transferring patients to the BH team, please do not discharge patient but rather transfer patient to behavioral health. Behavioral health clinicians are all RN'S and will become the primary under SN.
- Behavioral health program can accept Medicare and Medicaid insurance.
- BH clinician's focus is on the behavioral health program. Thus, if a patient has been accepted for the behavioral health program and SN is in for medical needs, behavioral health clinicians will wait for SN/medical needs to be resolved before behavioral health program will begin. During this waiting period, the behavioral health clinician will call patient weekly to check in.
Have questions about the program or a possible patient that you want to discuss further? Please call Molly at 774-502-5545 or email mlukason@vnacarenetwork.org.
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Telemonitoring Update for Nursing and Rehab
By Lyn Torrence, Manager of Population Health To All Clinical Staff When taking visit vital signs on patients with telemonitoring equipment installed, please ask the patient to use the equipment. This insures more accurate and consistent measurement of vital signs with consistent equipment. It also helps the patient to demonstrate the proper use of the equipment.
If for some reason the equipment is not working properly, please call the Telemonitoring Department at >508-751-6802.
We are requesting Rehab use the equipment for visit vital signs. Please continue to assess patient safety with scale use. Proper use of the scale is key for most of our patients. They have chronic conditions that will require them to check their weight daily after services are discharged.
***Telemonitoring should continue for the patient after skilled nursing has discharged and therapy is still active. Please remember to call 508-751-6802 with any questions/concerns and to let us know that the patient is being discharged from the agency. The Telemonitoring Department appreciates your assistance with this clinical practice.
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What Does 'Homebound' Really Mean?
By Judy Walsh, Director of Rehabilitative Services
I encourage you to take 22 minutes to listen to this podcast put out by the APTA regarding homebound status. It is an excellent resource which I hope will challenge your thought process, as it did mine!
The definition and topic are vast, and often times leave clinicians questioning whether or not their patient is in fact 'homebound'.
Click the FULL ARTICLE button below for what is listed as criteria for homebound status in the Medicare policy manual.
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Mantoux Testing in February/March
By Beverly Salate, Wellness Manager
BEGINNING IN 2016 ALL MANTOUX TESTING WILL BE IN FEBRUARY/ MARCH...MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!
Wellness will be doing Mantoux testing for all staff around the first quarter OASIS education sessions. This is a change for both VNAB and VNACN. We will be in each office 1-hour before the session starts and will stop 5 minutes before the program begins. We will also be available 1-hour after the program to administer Mantoux. We cannot plant a Mantoux on a Thursday, as staff would have to come in on the weekend to have it read, so I have added additional sessions in a few of the offices that are not around OASIS sessions. Wellness will also be available 2 days after the Mantoux is planted to read the results All visiting clinicians are required to have a yearly Mantoux (or complete a positive rector's form). Mantoux can be safely given 7 days apart and it is recommended that pregnant women be tested as well. Schedules will be finalized soon and communicated in upcoming Connecter newsletters. Questions? Contact Beverly Salate at 888-663-3688 ext. 5603 or bsalate@vnacarenetwork.org.
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Inservice: Safety Issues For Home Health Care Providers
We are pleased to announce that Safety Education in-services, presented by our Security Consultant, Clare M. Schroeder, are now being offered organizational-wide. Below are sessions being offered in the Needham and Worcester offices. Please note that we will be planning these offerings in other office sites over the year. Title: Safety Issues For Home Health Care Providers. Tuesday, Jan 26 | 8:30- 9:30am Needham office | Training Room Thursday, February 4 | 9 -10am Worcester office | Main Auditorium
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Mutual of America Rep On-site in Charlestown
Michael Maguire, our Mutual of America representative, will be on-site in the Charlestown office Monday, February 1. To schedule your individual consultation, call Michael at (508) 366-2418 or email michael.maguire@mutualofamerica.com.
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Employee New Hire Referral Bonus Program
The new hire referral bonus program includes employee referrals for RNs, LPNs, PTs, PTAs, OTs, COTAs, and SLPs. If you would like to refer a friend, family member, or colleague, please inform the appropriate Human Resources Representative at your location prior to the applicant coming in for an interview. Please note, when two or more employees refer the same applicant, the referral bonus will be split equally amongst the employees. Referral bonuses are paid out after the referred employee's three and six month anniversary, as long as they are in a paid status at those intervals. Please contact Cheryl Milas at cmilas@vnacarenetwork.org or Debbie Brown at dbrown@vnab.org for more information.
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Job Postings - VNAB and VNAHC
To learn more about career opportunities listed in the links above, contact Debbie Brown, Human Resources Manager at dbrown@vnab.org.
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Job Postings - VNACN and VNAHC
To learn more about career opportunities, contact a human resources representative:
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Employee Advisory Team Suggestions
To suggest an area of focus to the Employee Advisory Team (EAT), please email your suggestion to EATSuggestionbox@vnab.org. Suggestions can include ideas to improve current processes and procedures, remove redundancies, or even to provide feedback on something you think is/is not working. Please feel free to discuss any issues that you would like brought to EAT with the following members of the committee:
- Liz Bourne
- Ray Brackett
- Linda Britt
- Kim Dio
- Kelly Frew
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- Mary Helen Mahoney
- Susan Marlin Procter
- Mary McCarthy
- Ilona O'Connor
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- Mary Ann O'Connor
- Mae Powers
- David Rose
- Danny Yang
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EAT is also on the lookout for new members. If you're interested in participating, or for more information on what EAT is all about, please reach out to any of the members listed above. Meetings are held monthly in the Charlestown office.
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MIS Department On-Call Staff for Week of 1/25/16
For Encore issues including communications, Encore laptops, WebVPN and general technology
- Through Friday, January 29, 11:59 PM - John Severin (781) 775-7982
- Beginning Saturday, January 30, 12:00 AM - Gary Weller (774) 239-6064
For McKesson issues including iPads and laptops and general technology (support is provided weekdays 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, weekends and holidays 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM)
- Through Tuesday, January 26, 10:00 PM - Jose' Parra (617) 913-3003
- Beginning Wednesday, January 27, 6:00 PM - Cathy Langone (617) 913-3003
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| QUALITY AND RISK MANAGEMENT |
Value Based Purchasing - Part 4 of 4
By Donna Peters, Director of Quality Assurance and Risk Management
Massachusetts has been randomly selected to participate in the pilot group for the CMS proposed quarterly reporting payment system based on quality outcome data. CMS is looking to develop a greater transparency of Medicare data within the market to deliver care based on value of care over volume.
The goals per CMS are to:
- Incentivize HHA to provide better quality with greater efficiency
- Study new quality and efficiency measures
- Enhance the public reporting processes
Home Health Value Based Purchasing (HHVBP) will test whether incentives for better care improve outcomes of care delivery. The aim is to support a payment system that rewards providers who deliver the highest quality outcomes, based on OASIS, Patient Satisfaction and Claims data.
This pilot, for data collection begins January 1 2016 for our agencies and extends through 2018.
The 6 domains that CMS will target are:
- Clinical quality of care
- Communication and care coordination
- Population Health
- Person and caregiver centered experience
- Safety
- Efficiency and cost reduction
Each of these areas are covered by OASIS, patient satisfaction or claims data. We will be evaluating our performance in these areas, as we have been doing through quality review, CMS/QI committee and utilization review teams. The accuracy and validity of our OASIS data is extremely important as we are part of this pilot through 2018. The quality team is prepared to work with all staff in the agency for understanding these measures, assisting in outcome reporting and working to improve our scores. To date we are doing exceptionally well, with VNAB at 5 STARS and VNACN at 4.5 STARS. Thanks to all of you, our challenge is to continue to excel with 5 STARS as our continued goal.
Keys to success for Home Health Value Based Purchasing:
As a key care provider of care to patients in the community our agencies strive to deliver the best quality through best practice implementation. To achieve these goals a few key items to remember when caring for our patients in the community:
- Adhere to compliance standards...do things right the first time and always
- Achieve better outcomes...what have we learned and how may we improve
- Patient/Caregiver satisfaction...have we done all we could and do we ask if the patient/caregiver needs anything further before we leave the home
- We are in competition...are we committed to customer satisfaction internally and externally, as someone is always looking to infringe in our business
- Fiscally responsible...are we capturing all the correct information and ensuring that our billing information, insurance information and authorization is accurate
As clinicians in the field our focus should be on the process of care improvement, not the task. Following the nursing/health care process for care delivery: assess, identify patient needs, establish patient goals with the patient, plan interventions that are reasonable and achievable, coordinate and collaborate with interdisciplinary team, deliver quality care, evaluate, resolve and reassess as indicated.
We are in a multifaceted health care environment and we need to ensure that we are assessing the patient as a whole, through all venues of care delivery - primary provider, nursing, rehab, social work, home health aid, resource staff, administrative staff, scheduling, etc...
More to come on HHVBP, stay tuned for the ongoing progress of this new initiative/pilot program.
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OASIS M1030 - Clarification and Update
By Maura Vitello, Patient Care Manager and Elaine Gardner, Patient Care Manager The following includes a question discussed in the most recent CMS Quarterly OASIS Q&As, 1/20/2016, as well as in OASIS Answers guidance:
Scenario 1: How do you answer this question when admitting a patient with an IV line and there are orders to start the IV medication or fluids on a day following the SOC date?
Answer: Select Response 1 , if intermittent meds or fluids are to be administered at home via IV line. Also, select Response 1 for peritoneal dialysis in the home or there is ongoing infusion therapy at home via central line, subcutaneous infusion, epidural infusion, intrathecal infusion, or insulin pump. If the patient will receive such therapy as a result of this SOC/ROC or follow-up assessment (for example, the IV will be started at this visit or a specified subsequent visit), mark the applicable therapy.
Scenario 2: How do you answer this question when a patient has a biliary tube catheter in place for drainage of bile and the agency is ordered to irrigate with NS daily?
Answer: Select Response 4., since there is NS flushing of a tube/catheter used for bile drainage and not for infusion. Also, an irrigation of the bladder is not included when completing M1030 Therapies at Home.
This question is asked at SOC, ROC, and Recert, and is both a PPS and Risk item.
Sources: Instant OASIS Answers 2016, OASIS Answers, Inc., pp.214-215, & OASIS Answers Webinar January 20, 2016
Please contact the Patient Care Manager in your office with questions.
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Q1 OASIS Education
The QA Department is committed to providing continuing quarterly education sessions for OASIS guidance and accuracy into 2016. As we move into Value Based Purchasing, our care and the measurement of our outcomes is key to the future. Please see following Q1 schedule for the office dates and times. The sessions are 90 minutes and mandatory. As always, you may go to an office of your choosing to complete the education. Please coordinate with your manager. We look forward to seeing you at the sessions.
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Office
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Day/Date
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Time
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Presenter
| | Charlestown | Sunday, March 6 | 8-9:30am | Elaine/Kyra | | Charlestown | Wednesday, March 2 | 2-3:30pm | Elaine/Kyra | | Charlestown | Tuesday, March 15 | 8:30-10am | Elaine/Kyra | | Charlestown | Thursday, March 31 | 2-3:30pm | Elaine/Kyra | | Danvers/Gloucester | Wednesday, March 2 | 8:30-10am | Marilyn | | Danvers/Gloucester | Tuesday, March 15 | 8:30-10am | Marilyn | | Danvers/Gloucester | Thursday, March 24 | 8:30-10am | Marilyn | | Danvers/Gloucester | Tuesday, March 29 | 2:30-4pm | Marilyn | | Leominster | Thursday, March 10 | 2:30-4pm | Surabhi | | Leominster | Wednesday, March 23 | 8:30-10am | Surabhi | | Needham | Wednesday, March 2 | 8:30-10am | Maura | | Needham | Tuesday, March 8 | 8:30-10am | Maura | | Needham | Sunday, March 13 | 8:30-10am | Maura | | Needham | Monday , March 14 | 8:30-10am | Maura | | Needham | Thursday, March 24 | 8:30-10am | Maura | | Quincy | Tuesday, March 8 | 2-3:30pm | Kyra/Carol | | Quincy | Thursday, March 24 | 8-9:30am | Kyra/Carol | | Southborough | Weds., February 24 | 2:30-4pm | Maria/Surabhi | | Southborough | Tuesday, March 1 | 8:30-10am | Maria/Surabhi | | Southborough | Thursday, March 3 | 2:30-4pm | Maria/Surabhi | | Southborough | Tuesday, March 15 | 2:30-4pm | Maria/Surabhi | | Weymouth | Wednesday, March 16 | 8:30-10am | Kyra/Carol | | Weymouth | Thursday, March 31 | 2-3:30pm | Kyra/Carol | | Worcester | Tuesday, February 23 | 2:30-4pm | Chris | | Worcester | Thursday, March 3 | 2:30-4pm | Chris | | Worcester | Sunday, March 6 | 8:30-10am | Chris | | Worcester | Friday, March 11 | 8:30-10am | Chris | | Worcester | Tuesday, March 15 | 8:30-10am | Chris | | Worcester | Tuesday, March 22 | 2:30-4pm | Chris |
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PATIENT CARE MANAGERS
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Name
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Email
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Cell
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Position
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Covering Office
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Bowden, Marilyn
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774-502-7478
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Patient Care Manager
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Danvers and
Gloucester
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Dunn, Maria
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508-688-2449
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Patient Care Program Manager
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Leominster and Southborough
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Gardner, Elaine
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617-680-1105
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Patient Care Manager
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Charlestown
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Gill, Christine
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774-502-5725
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Patient Care Manager
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Worcester
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Mihalick, Kyra
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617-913-6823
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Patient Care Manager
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VNAB Therapy
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Morris, Carol
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617-913-3006
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Patient Care Program Manager
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Quincy
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Saxena, Surabhi
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774-463-7336
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Patient Care Manager
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Leominster and Southborough
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Vitello, Maura
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774-502-7475
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Patient Care Manager
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Needham
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QI SUPPORT
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Covering Office
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Name
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Email
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Office Phone
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Position
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All VNAB
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Hughes, Kim
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617-886-6501 x5419
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QI Support Coordinator
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All VNACN
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Schultz, Chris
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617-886-6501 x6527
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QI Support Coordinator
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All VNACN
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Rao, Shamala
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508-756-7176 x6876
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QI Nurse
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| January 25, 2016 |
The Connecter
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Volume 5, Issue 4
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FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
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Confidentiality Notice: The Connecter newsletter is an internal communication intended only for employees of VNA Care Network Foundation and Atrius Health. Information contained within this newsletter includes confidential, proprietary, and privileged content. Unauthorized forwarding, printing, copying, distribution, and/or negligent handling is strictly prohibited and could result in disciplinary action.
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