Hospice Management Advisor articles from April 2005

Hospice Management Advisor archives from April 2005

Open access can provide financial rewards for enterprising organizations: experts in open access offer tips for success.(In-depth report: open-access hospice on rise)
April 1, 2005... (Editor's note: Hospice Management Advisor presents in this issue the second of a two-part series on how increasing numbers of hospices are adopting an open-access policy, in which all eligible hospice patients are welcomed, regardless of...

Hospice patient education handbook wins award: patients, staff use book with each visit.(Covenant Hospice)
April 1, 2005... A Florida hospice has created an education program that helps it handle its rapid growth while improving patient and family satisfaction. Each year, Covenant Hospice of Pensacola, FL, gives away more than 1,000 patient education handbooks...

Medicare program reduces amputations and spending: face-to-face sessions cornerstone of success.
April 1, 2005... An intensive face-to-face care management program for severely ill Medicare patients with advanced congestive heart failure and/or complex diabetes has paid off for XLHealth, a Baltimore-based disease management firm. The company reduced...

Chronic care success requires innovation: agencies provide special training for clinicians.
April 1, 2005... While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduces new programs designed to address the care of chronically ill patients, home health agencies continue to find innovative ways to provide care to diabetic and congestive heart...

Hospice teaches nursing students about end of life: program wins national award.
April 1, 2005... The Hospices of Henry Ford, Saint Clair Shores St. Clair Shores, MI, have developed an extensive nursing education program for area colleges, ensuring many nursing students will have a greater appreciation for hospice and palliative care. ...

Feds receive thousands of HIPAA privacy complaints: 108 cases referred to Department of Justice.(Guest Column)(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
April 1, 2005... The deadline for compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rule--April 14, 2003--came and went with little fanfare. What has happened since that date in terms of enforcement? There has been one...

Fixed performance areas for random JCAHO surveys.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The fixed performance areas for random, unannounced surveys of home care organizations by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in 2005 are: assessment and care/service, patient safety, information management, and...

CMS codes, coverage for wheelchairs and scooters.(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... In its continuing effort to improve Medicare coverage and payment for power wheelchairs and scooters while protecting the Medicare program and taxpayers from abuse, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released draft...