Audio conferences are available live and on audio CD
Mix and match — live sessions and CDs!
Register for the entire series and save!

09/16: Patient Coaching
10/21: Transitions and Communication
11/18: Disease Management
12/16: Medication Reconciliation

Government initiatives such as Post Acute Care Payment Reform, State Action on Avoidable Rehospitalization (STAAR), and Home Health Quality Improvement (HHQI) are creating greater scrutiny than ever before and exposing those agencies with high rehospitalization rates. In this audio conferences series, homecare administrators and staff will explore ways to improve quality of care to prevent unplanned rehospitalizations. Our seasoned homecare speaker will cover areas of concern that you need to know and address now.

In just one hour each month, you'll discover care delivery strategies to keep your patients in their homes. Explore ways to partner with hospitals and physicians to improve care transitions across the continuum. Learn how to design a patient education program that deals with compliance, medications, and goals. Plus, find out about patient coaching—a twist on traditional education—and understand patient teaching misconceptions among clinicians. Your staff will collaborate with the patient in the education process and in establishing goals.

Use these sessions to:

• Provide monthly in-services
• Update key personnel
• Keep your entire staff focused on your agency’s success
• Earn CE credits

Who should participate?

• Homecare Administrators and Directors
• Clinical Managers and Educators
• Quality Improvement Managers
• Case Managers
• Key Staff Members
• Compliance Officers

Session Times: 1–2 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)
2–3 p.m. Eastern • 12–1 p.m. Mountain • 11–12 p.m. Pacific

Session 1: September 16
Patient Coaching
This audio conference focuses on patient coaching (a twist on education) and clarifies patient teaching misconceptions among clinicians. We’ll focus on designing a patient education program with an emphasis on compliance, medications, and goals.

You will:

• Learn how to involve the patient so homecare goals meet the patient’s expectations
• Identify patient-friendly, accurate teaching tools
• Develop ways to utilize disease process teaching
• Fine-tune your skills in patient self-management education
• Become knowledgeable in emergency care planning

Session 2: October 21
Transitions and Communication
When home health agencies reduce rehospitalization rates among Medicare and Medicaid patients, referrals and revenues increase. One key is building strong relationships with hospital execu-tives, discharge planners, doctors, and other personnel. This audio conference provides strategies and effective tools to improve transitions through enhanced communication across care settings.

You will:

• Explore ways to partner with hospitals, physicians and other providers, including long term care and assisted living facilities
• Build good relationships with physicians, patients, and families by keeping all informed of patient progress or decline
• Examine ways to improve communica-tion—use of SBAR and the importance of medication information communication
• Learn how to improve the discharge process—including possible future use of the CARE tool and transfer protocols

Session 3: November 18
Disease Management
This audio conference shows agencies how to develop a disease management program that provides covered care to the home-bound patient. A standardized program will help reduce the need for rehospitalization.

You will:

• Focus on top diseases and diagnoses that have the highest rehospitalization rates, including CHF, diabetes, and COPD
• Examine Medicare coverage for observation and assessment, and management and evaluation of the patient care plan
• Explore the use of front-loading, telehealth, and "phone visits"

Session 4: December 16
Medication Reconciliation
The medication error rate for older Medicare patients is 64 percent—that’s nearly 2 out of 3 patients. What’s more, The Home Health Condition of Participation 484.55 mandates drug regimen review with every comprehensive assessment time point. This audio con-ference looks at medication reconciliation and provides tips for reducing adverse drug events and ultimately, rehospitalizations.

You will:

• Examine over- and under-adherence in older adults
• Learn how and when to make an accurate list of ALL medications, including over-the-counter drugs
• Become effective in post reconciliation—assessing the patient’s ability to manage medications
• Understand the many strategies and tools available

Download the brochure (pdf)
 
To register, call our customer service department at 800/553-2041,
or download the brochure and fax your completed order form to 800/639-8511.

Your Presenter
Paula Long, RN, CHCE, is director of both Sullivan County Community Hospital Home Health and Hospice of Sullivan County. As a consultant for Indiana-based Compliance Consultants, she provides guidance to homecare agencies throughout the state. She has more than 15 years experience in home health and hospice and an extensive understanding of the long-term care and hospital markets. Paula serves on the advisory board for the Hospital Home Care Association of America and the regulatory subcommittee of the National Association for Home and Hospice Care. She is active with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Paula is past-president of the board of directors for the Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care and has served as its compliance officer. She also serves on the association’s program, legislative, reimbursement, regulatory, and hospice committees. She regularly speaks to community organizations and business groups, offering education on home health, hospice, health issues, chronic illness, and the value of humor in the workplace and in healthcare.

Beacon Health is a Division of HCPro, Inc.

HCPro, Inc. is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Accreditation.

Each session constitutes educational activity for 1.0 nursing contact hours provided by HCPro, Inc.

For complete CE information, click here.

Audio conferences are available live and on audio CD.
Mix and match — live sessions and CDs!
Register for the entire series and save!

5/20: Medicare Audit Defense (L. Post)
6/17: Eliminating Fraud and Abuse (L. Post)
7/15: PPS Challenges (D. Omdahl)
8/19: Fine-tuning OASIS-C (D. Omdahl)

Challenges such as Medicare audits, fraud, and OASIS-C can be overwhelming and costly if not properly addressed. Our seasoned homecare experts have identified many hot spots that you need to know now.

In just one hour each month, you’ll learn how to correct common regulatory problems and develop the best approaches to puzzling homecare situations. You’ll receive insightful tips that clear up misunderstandings so you can manage these issues to your full advantage.

Use these sessions to:

• Provide monthly in-services
• Update key personnel
• Keep your entire staff focused on your agency’s success
• Earn CE credits

Who should participate?

• Homecare Administrators and Directors
• Clinical Managers and Educators
• Quality Managers
• Homecare Nurses
• Key Staff Members

Session Times: 1–2 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)
2–3 p.m. Eastern • 12–1 p.m. Mountain • 11–12 p.m. Pacific

Session 1: May 20 (L. Post)
Medicare Audit Defense
Don’t risk common mistakes that raise scrutiny. Learn the different types of home care audits, strategies to prevent an audit, and methods to appeal findings to protect the agency’s bottom line.

You will examine:

• The Medicare Fraud Program and the “Threat Matrix”
• Different levels of audit scrutiny: MACs, CERT, RACs, and ZPICs
• How one audit can open the door to others
• Proper documentation and prevention practices
• Responding to medical record requests

Session 2: June 17 (L. Post)
Eliminating Fraud and Abuse
Agencies are under more layers of scrutiny now than ever. This audio conference builds on the concepts presented in the first program of the series and serves as a primer on fraud and abuse practices that continue to press the homecare industry.

You will explore:

• Hotbeds for fraud
• Outlier payments
• HEAT and Strike Force investigation
• Risk management for your agency
• The appeals process
• A blueprint for action

Session 3: July 15 (D. Omdahl)
PPS Challenges
Providing services in the Prospective Payment System (PPS) has presented numerous challenges for homecare agencies. You’ll examine and receive guidance on new requirements and those that continue to be problematic.

You will learn about:

• CMS’ outlier policy and its impact on your agency and patients
• Management and evaluation, the physician certification requirement, and when and how to use—and not
  use—this skilled nursing service
• The impact of CMS’ actions on an agency’s ability to deal with a change in the patient’s condition and resource utilization
• Other nagging issues, including the use of zero as a frequency

Session 4: August 19 (D. Omdahl)
Fine-tuning OASIS-C
OASIS-C has created trouble, frustration, and ambiguity. This session will address some of the contentious and confusing issues brought on by the revised data set.

You will gain a better understanding of:

• How to fit together the date of referral, physician-ordered start of care, and inpatient discharge
• What you must do with the process data elements and what is not required
• M2250 and M2400 through an in-depth look at terms and instructions
• Facts and myths associated with the drug regimen review data elements
• The role of regulations and policy and procedure, when preparing for a surveyor’s challenges

Download the brochure (pdf)
 
To register, call our customer service department at 800/553-2041,
or download the brochure and fax your completed order form to 800/639-8511.

Your Presenters
Diane J. Omdahl, RN, MS, is editor-in-chief and founder of three highly acclaimed newsletters: Homecare Direction™, Homecare Q&A™, and Homecare E-News™. In 1987, she founded Beacon Health. Diane has been a featured speaker at national and state association meetings and at professional gatherings of major homecare corporations. She has been presenting homecare seminars for more than 16 years and consistently receives rave reviews.

Lu Post, RN, MN, COS-C, is president of Home Care Institute, LLC, a technology-based company with a focus on the development of homecare and hospice educational resources. She is certified as a clinical OASIS Specialist from the OASIS Certificate and Competency Board, Inc. She has served in a variety of senior leadership and educational roles for some of the largest homecare and hospice organizations in the country for more than 20 years.

Beacon Health is a Division of HCPro, Inc.

HCPro, Inc. is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Accreditation.

Each session constitutes educational activity for 1.0 nursing contact hours provided by HCPro, Inc.

For complete CE information, click here.

Register for the entire series and save!
Audio conferences are also available on CD.
Mix and match — live sessions and CDs!

By now, most homecare agencies have begun taking preliminary steps to prepare staff for OASIS-C. However, successful implementation requires more than teaching clinicians how to complete the revised form.

By design, many of the new OASIS data elements are process measures that affect clinical practices and focus on specific processes. OASIS-C also measures an agency’s use of evidence-based practices (EBPs). Agencies whose care delivery falls short of these standards are at risk.

How does your agency measure up?

Beacon Health’s new winter audio conference series, OASIS-C Process Measures: Best Practice Strategies that Reduce Risk, will set you on the right path of implementation with insightful tips and guidance into OASIS-C best practices. You’ll learn how to effectively review your agency’s current care practices and determine the need to establish or revise its current set of standards.

Use these sessions to:

Who should participate?

Session 1: January 21
Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers and Other Wounds
Recording

Now that OASIS-C has been implemented, agencies must enhance their understanding of assessment, staff education, and the reporting of pressure ulcers and other wounds.

In this session you will receive:

Session 2: February 18
Implications for PPS Payment and Public Reporting
Recording

The submission of OASIS data is a condition for payment under the 2010 home health PPS, and CMS intends to publicly report OASIS-C outcomes on Home Health Compare (HHC) later on in the year. With the national implementation of HHCAHPS also scheduled for the third quarter of 2010, this session will set the record straight about this increased public scrutiny on your agency’s payment, operations, and image.

In this session you will discover:

Session 3: March 18
A Guide to Falls, Footcare, Flu, and Heart Failure
Session Times: 1–2 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)
2–3 p.m. Eastern • 12–1 p.m. Mountain • 11–12 p.m. Pacific

Although the new OASIS-C process measures are optional now, they could be a step toward a future system of pay for performance. This session will provide support to agencies as they evaluate their current practices and establish best practices for the following measures: falls assessment and prevention, diabetic foot care, flu/ pneumonia vaccination, and heart failure.

In this session you will learn:

Session 4: April 15
Examining Depression, Pain, and High-risk Medications
Session Times: 1–2 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)
2–3 p.m. Eastern • 12–1 p.m. Mountain • 11–12 p.m. Pacific

Implementing best practices prevents exacerbation of serious conditions, improves care received by an individual patient, and helps agencies avoid adverse events. This session will provide education and guidance to agencies as they evaluate their current practices and establish best practices for the following measures: depression, pain, and high-risk medications.

In this session you will receive insightful tips to:

Your presenter for the series will be Laurie Salmons, RN, BSN, principal consultant and managing owner of Outcome Strategies, LLC. Laurie is a seasoned expert in outcome-based disease management, program assessment, and outcomes improvement.

DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE (pdf)

To register, call our customer service department at
800/553-2041

Or download the brochure and fax your completed order form to
800/639-8511

Beacon Health is a Division of HCPro, Inc.
HCPro, Inc. is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Accreditation.
This educational activity for 1.0 (per session) nursing contact hours is provided by HCPro, Inc.
The Presenter for this series is Laurie Salmons, RN, BSN.