Hospice Management Advisor articles from June 2009

Hospice Management Advisor archives from June 2009

Across the U.S., hospices meet swine flu challenge with education.
June 1, 2009... Across the U.S., hospices meet swine flu challenge with education Take time to review pandemic emergency plans Increased education and diligent observation of families and patients are the key steps initially taken by hospice staff...

Symptoms, treatment for the swine flu.
June 1, 2009... Symptoms, treatment for the swine flu According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms of swine flu are the same as the symptoms for seasonal flu: fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or...

Emergency plans for pandemic get live test.
June 1, 2009... Emergency plans for pandemic get live test Pay attention to work force issues Although no one is happy to see a potential pandemic, the swine flu situation does give home health agencies the opportunity to test their emergency plans in...

Clinical pathways help hospices improve care.
June 1, 2009... Clinical pathways help hospices improve care Meet CoP requirements with outcome data Change is difficult but hospices have to change the way they approach patient care due to the requirements of the Conditions of Participation (CoPs)...

Medicare payments to decrease in 2010.
June 1, 2009... Medicare payments to decrease in 2010 Proposed rule includes other recent requirements Payments to hospices are estimated to decrease by 1.1% with the update to the Medicare Hospice Wage Index for fiscal year 2010, according to the...

New approach to budgeting can improve bottom line.
June 1, 2009... New approach to budgeting can improve bottom line Flexible budget gives a true picture You've just finished reviewing the monthly financial statement for your agency, and you're pleased to see little variance in the projected expenses...

Staff members choose to stay, preserve seniority.
June 1, 2009... Staff members choose to stay, preserve seniority With layoffs occurring, retention is no problem Job cuts, company closures, and salary reductions are in all of the headlines today, but an uncertain job market can be a good thing for...

Outsource billing, coding to get best use of staff.
June 1, 2009... Outsource billing, coding to get best use of staff Benefits: Improved cash flow, increased productivity The detail and precision required to code and submit claims to Medicare keeps increasing, and smaller home health agencies struggle...

Reasons that patients experience pain differently.
June 1, 2009... Reasons that patients experience pain differently Why would two patients with the same condition and treatment report vastly different levels of pain, and are genetic factors mainly responsible? Pain is a variable personal experience...

Joint Commission appoints home care director.
June 1, 2009... Joint Commission appoints home care director The Joint Commission has announced the appointment of Margherita C. Labson, RN, as executive director of the Home Care Accreditation Program. A certified green belt, Labson is a veteran...

What is next to address HIV/AIDS epidemic?
June 1, 2009... What is next to address HIV/AIDS epidemic? The HIV/AIDS epidemic has wreaked havoc among African-American communities in the United States in the past decade, and the government's slow response is partly to blame, one AIDS advocate says....