Hospice Management Advisor articles from September 2008

Hospice Management Advisor archives from September 2008

Hospice managers think outside the box to address the rising costs of gasoline.
September 1, 2008... Hospice managers think outside the box to address the rising costs of gasoline Hybrid vehicles, fuel surcharges evaluated for effectiveness A creative approach to getting travel costs under control will mean an annual savings of least...

Market basket increases payments by 2.5% in 2009.
September 1, 2008... Market basket increases payments by 2.5% in 2009 Hospices serving Medicare beneficiaries will see a 2.5% increase in their payments for 2009, according to a final regulation published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)....

Divide lease fleet into mileage groups to save.
September 1, 2008... Divide lease fleet into mileage groups to save Using car for personal use keeps program simple The idea of an agency-leased fleet of cars for use by employees might seem overwhelming to some home care managers, but careful planning,...

New NPSG addresses central line infection risks.
September 1, 2008... New NPSG addresses central line infection risks Requirements on anticoagulation therapy cut The importance of reducing deadly drug- resistant, health care-acquired infections is the basis for the requirement in The Joint Commission's...

Interim deadlines keep you on track to compliance.
September 1, 2008... Interim deadlines keep you on track to compliance Milestones must be met for infection control goal The newest requirement for compliance with Goal 7 of the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals from The Joint Commission is "implement...

Should you upload info to a personal health record?
September 1, 2008... Should you upload info to a personal health record? Use of online PHRs raises questions, concerns Hospice nurses are accustomed to point-of-care technology for completing charts and assessments. But, is your agency prepared for access...

Tips to keep in mind for personal health records.
September 1, 2008... Tips to keep in mind for personal health records Not many hospice nurses have had patients offer them access to their online personal health records (PHR). However, but now is the time to prepare for that offer, suggests Karen Golden...

Difficult decisions faced during financial crises.
September 1, 2008... Difficult decisions faced during financial crises Closing, changing services may be best move It's a tough time to be a hospice manager. For years, you've implemented new processes designed to strengthen your agency, but it's hard to...

Agency discontinues private duty home care.
September 1, 2008... Agency discontinues private duty home care When the decision was made to close the private duty home care division of Riverside Home Health in Kankankee, IL, the good news for employees was the opportunity to accept other positions in the...

Medicare addresses how to report charges.
September 1, 2008... Medicare addresses how to report charges The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted a question and answer that is of interest to hospice providers. * Question: Change Request (CR) No. 5567 provided instructions for...

Journal Review: Bereaved family members rate care from hospices.
September 1, 2008... Journal Review Bereaved family members rate care from hospices How to achieve an 'excellent' rating A survey of bereaved family members shows that good communication, emotional support, accurate information, and a single caregiver...

CMS issues report on RAC demonstration.
September 1, 2008... CMS issues report on RAC demonstration According to the recently released report on the Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) three-year demonstration program, RACs recouped $992.7 million in overpayments to providers, while $37.8...