Event Program: 2014 VNAA Annual Meeting

2014 PROGRAM BOOK

AnnualMeetingApril 1-4, 2014 | Las Vegas

32nd Annual Meeting | Apr. 1–4, 2014 3

Table of Contents

Annual Meeting Sponsors 4

Mission, Vision and Values 5

Agenda At-a-Glance 6

Venue Map 8

Preconference Sessions 10

Plenary Sessions 13

Poster Session 16

Breakout Session Tracks 22

Breakout Sessions 24

Continuing Education Credits 40

National Award Winners 42

Exhibit Hall Information 45

Exhibit Hall Booth Listing 46

Exhibit Hall Booth Map 47

Exhibitor Profiles 48

Hotel and Transportation 63

Upcoming Events in 2014 64

Acknowledgments 65

VNAA Board of Directors and Staff 66

Corporate Partners 67

Notes 68

4 Visiting Nurse Associations of America

Annual Meeting Sponsors

VNAA would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support which made this year’s Annual

Meeting possible.


Mission, Vision and Values

Our VisionIndividuals and families receive personalized and coordinated care in the home and across the community.

Our Mission VNAA will support, promote and advance nonprofit providers of community-based healthcare including home health, hospice and palliative care and health promotion services to ensure quality care within their communities.

Our Values • Access to Care: We believe all persons should have access to affordable, high-quality,

compassionate home and community-based healthcare, hospice and health promotion services, regardless of the complexity of care or ability to pay.

• Excellence: We strive for the highest possible levels of service, patient care, ethical conduct and integrity as we support the nonprofit mission in delivering healthcare.

• Transparency: We will share information and communicate openly among member organizations, stakeholder groups, VNAA staff and the Board of Directors in order to achieve our mission.

• Accountability: We will generate reliable and accurate data and information, and we are accountable to our members and the public for delivering measurable outcomes and results.

• Member Engagement: Our members guide our work to advance VNAA’s mission.

• Stewardship: We embrace our responsibility for securing and managing available resources efficiently and effectively in pursuit of our mission.

• Leadership: Embracing a sense of optimism, we believe that we can affect major changes in our communities to improve their health.


Agenda At-a-Glance

1:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

6:45 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

VNAA Golf Outing

Golf Reception / New Member Mingle (Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres)

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

8:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Preconference One (Boxed lunch provided)

Board of Directors Breakfast

Board of Directors Meeting

Preconferences Two and Three (Boxed lunch provided)

Opening General Session

Welcome Reception (Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres)

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.

9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m

9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

CEO Breakfast (Invitation only)

Breakfast

Breakout Session 1 A-E


Coffee Break


Thursday, April 3, 2014


11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

3:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Exhibit Hall and Poster Session (Lunch provided)


Beverage Break

Plenary and National Awards Session

Exhibit Hall Reception (Heavy hors d’oeuvres)

Thursday, April 3, 2014 (Continued)

7:30 a.m.

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Breakfast



Quality and Innovation Council / Public Policy Forum

Interest Group LunchClinical Leaders

Financial LeadersBusiness Development

IT LeadersHospice Roundtable

Rural

Friday, April 4, 2014

Agenda At-a-Glance


Venue Map

Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa


Preconference Sessions


Preconference One April 2, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Tangier

Hospice and Palliative Nurse Certification Course

Faculty:

This is an important time for hospice and palliative organizations as they begin to focus on quality measurement and reporting. Crucial to the each organization is the ability to demonstrate high quality care. This one-day prep course is designed to help prepare nurses to take the national Hospice and Palliative Nurse Certification examination. It will provide a general overview of trends in hospice and palliative care, end-stage disease criteria, pain and symptom management, and the important role of advocacy and professional development. The curriculum is based on the content outline for the national certification exam and will prepare participants to pursue this certification.

Preconference TwoApril 2, 12:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Kenitra AB

Connecting Home Care with Health Care Partners

Faculty:

Moderator:

The use of Health Information Exchange (HIE) technology is critical to ensure coordinated care for patients as they move through health care systems. This presentation will highlight the success of the VNA Health System in Shamokin, Pa. and the Keystone Information Exchange (KeyHIE)’s new health exchange. KeyHIE has developed a tool for electronically sharing patient information from the OASIS data set into a standardized continuity of care


Joe Scopelliti President/CEO VNA Health System

Jim Younkin Project Manager Keystone Beacon Community; Director of Information Technology Geisinger Health System

George Richardson Chief Information Officer VNA Care Network and Hospice

Bonnie Morgan, M.Ed., RN-BC, CHPN, FPCN Director of Palliative Care IMS Oncology

Tim Rowan Editor Home Care Technology Report


document (CCD) for use by all clinicians. the OASIS data set into a standardized continuity of care document (CCD) for use by all clinicians. The VNA Care Network in Worcester, Mass. will discuss Project IMPACT. Funded by the Office of the National Coordinator, the Massachusetts Post-Acute Care Transfers (Project IMPACT) improves care transitions using an enhanced electronic Universal Transfer Form (UTF) and electronic health information exchange. Using the Massachusetts Health Information Highway (The Mass HIway), Project IMPACT created a highly efficient system for electronic information exchange between health care providers.

Approved for 3.75 CEU.

Preconference ThreeApril 2, 12:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Rabat AB

Care Modeling: How to Develop and Deliver the Care Programs of the Future Today Faculty:

This interactive and progressive preconference presentation examines the areas of current PPS production for opportunities to improve care

outcomes, both fiscal and clinical, to meet the demands of the future. Learn how to assure case-mix accuracy, essential in the era of rebasing, by employing assessment protocols from outside of the Home Health world. Install nursing proportionally to clinical deficits in the productivity-based style of other CMS providers. Match therapy utilization to clinical specifics identified by CMS as directly related to therapy volumes. Reinvent your financial realities as you optimize the results of your programming, meanwhile honing the skills required for the episodic requirements and new care models of the future. Grab the steering wheel, regain control of your patient programs, and prepare to continue your care mission into the future.


Arnie Cisneros PresidentHome Health Strategic Management



Plenary Sessions


April 2, 4:00-5:30 p.m | Casablanca FGH

The Importance of End of Life Care, Hospice and End of Life Planning

Faculty:

Alexandra Drane is the leading figure in the movement of end of life planning. Having “The Conversation,” regarding health care wishes at the end of life is an important one often missed by patients, caregivers and clinicians. End of life planning is an important movement that will drive home health

utilization. Ms. Drane is also co-founder of Engage with Grace, a not-for-profit movement launched at helping people understand, communicate and have honored their end-of-life wishes.

The Role and Value of Home Health in New Care Delivery and Payment Models

Faculty:

Blair Childs spearheads Premier’s strategic initiatives on key issues impacting healthcare cost and quality. He serves as liaison to the U.S. Congress, White House, healthcare policymakers, and other major bodies involved in health care policy and regulation. Based in Washington D.C., Childs leads

Premier’s Advocacy, Communications, Safety, and Thought Leadership units and serves on the company’s Executive Team. Prior to coming to Premier, Childs was Executive VP of Strategic Planning and Implementation for AdvaMed. Childs has held senior management positions in professional, trade, and advocacy associations and a Fortune 50 company.

Plenary Sessions

Blair Childs Senior Vice President, Public Affairs Premier Health Alliance

Alexandra Drane Former President and Founder Eliza Corporation


April 3, 3:45-4:30 p.m | Casablanca FGH

Supporting Physician Practice Models to Enhance Outcomes

Faculty:

Moderator:

During this session, three physicians will share their thoughts on how home health agencies can engage with physicians to enhance the clinical outcomes of patients. Dr. Bruce Bagley will share how home health agencies can engage and support patient-centered medical home practices, Dr. Eugene Lindsey will provide his insights on the topic on from an ACO perspective and Dr. Thomas Cornwell will offer an overview of Independence at Home and other home health models.

Bruce Bagely, MD CEO TransforMed

Eugene Lindsey, MD Former CEO Atrius Health

Thomas Cornwell, MD President American Academy of Home Care Physicians Marci Nielsen, PhD CEO Patient-Centered Care Collaborative

Bruce Bagley, MD

ThomasCornwell, MD

EugeneLindsey, MD

MarciNielsen, PhD

Plenary Sessions


Poster Session


Poster Session

This year’s poster session covers a wide variety of topics, including the use of simulation in home health, common readmission predictors, and the link between employee wellness, morale and the bottom line.

To meet the poster authors, ask questions and learn more about the programs that interest you, please attend the Poster Session on Thursday, April 3, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in the Annual Meeting Exhibit Hall. Many posters are eligible for continuing nursing education credit hours.

To receive a CNE certificate for attendance of a poster, the attendee must:

1. Attend the poster session at Annual Meeting.2. Complete the required amount of time reading the

poster (30 minutes). You may earn CEUs for up to eight posters in the allotted time.

3. Complete and submit the evaluation for each poster session attended in the poster booklet to VNAA before you leave the Annual Meeting. Your certificate will be emailed to you after the Meeting.

Implementation Science: Answers for Home Health CareMerrily Evdokimoff, RN, PhD Principal M & J Associates | Stow, Mass.

Identifying new ways of providing care that meet the expectations of patients, other providers, payers and our staff is a way of life today in home health care. However, identifying ways to introduce, spread and maintain these new practices remains the challenge.

Implementation science finally sheds light on the complexity and reasons for this challenge. This session utilizes information drawn primarily from the Journal of Implementation Science to address the challenges of implementing an evidence-based practice and how to meet these challenges.

The Brand New Home Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of PracticeTina Marrelli, MSN, MA, RN, FAAN President Marrelli and Associates, Inc. | Venice, Fla.

Home health nursing is a rapidly developing nursing specialty, affected by health care reform, quality initiatives, technological advances and changing demographics. Despite seismic changes in their environment, home health nurses must maintain professional standards of practice. In addition to their state Nurse Practice Acts, the most authoritative source for professional home health nurse practice is the American Nurse Association’s Home Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (1986, 1992, 1999, and 2007). Nurses, administrators, litigators, policymakers and the public use this document to evaluate the role and practice of home health nurses. This presentation will address the professional, quality and legal implications of the six professional practice standards and the eight professional performance standards, with special attention to use by agencies to enhance the


quality of patient care and their commitment to excellence.

Reducing Risk Through a Strong Hospice Compliance ProgramLisa Meadows, MSW Clinical Compliance Educator ACHC | Cary, N.C.

Have you ever wondered why your agency should add a compliance program to your already heavy workload? At this time, having a compliance program is not a requirement for hospice agencies, but with the increased scrutiny on fraud and abuse, developing a strong compliance program can save time, money andresources in the end. Learn how to set up a compliance program, write policies and procedures and more importantly, educate staff on perception of some day-to-day practices fraudulent behavior.

Employee Wellness, Morale and the Bottom LineAlana Negroni, MS Licensed Mental Health Professional Counseling Team International | San Bernardino, Calif.

Our primary goal in this session is to present a description of a wellness program for the home health agency. Administrators need to recognize that there is a link between employee wellness, morale and the bottom line. First, we present facts and myths about stress and review physical and psychological

reactions to stress and depression. We also explore critical incident stress and its effects. Next, we look at compassion fatigue and burnout, common occurrences in the field. Finally, we provide solutions with ways to combat stress, including information from the Harvard Sleep Study, nutrition and exercise trends and ways that stress effects the workplace.

Developing a Pediatric Diabetes Center of Excellence for Inner City ChildrenRoger Warn, MS, RDN, CDE Manager, Pediatric Diabetes Program, Certified Diabetes Educator VNSNY | New York, NY

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions among children and introduces many challenges to parents and families as they manage their child’s diabetes care. This poster session will describe the creation of a Pediatric Diabetes Center of Excellence (Center), developed to meet the needs of inner city children struggling with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The Center includes assessment and training of clinicians, access to Certified Diabetes Educators and the development of a short-term diabetes model of care that provides comprehensive home care services from an inter-professional team to pediatric patients with diabetes. The Pediatric Diabetes Program (Program) emphasizes education and self-management of children

Poster Session


with diabetes, and provides support to families who are having difficulty managing their child’s disease. Our poster will: 1) provide a history of the Center and summarizing its goals and objectives, 2) review the operational components of the Program and the challenges involved in caring for this vulnerable population, 3) discuss future plans for the Program and potential applications for other pediatric populations.

Can Simulation Enhance the Confidence and Competency of Nurses Transitioning to Home Healthcare?Deborah Center, MSN, RN, CNS Education Program Director Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence | Denver, Colo.

The primary goal of this session will be to expose home health leaders to how the use of simulation in home health care can enhance the confidence level of staff. As part of a three-year home health innovations project, we identified the required competencies needed in home health care today and created a three-day simulation event focused on enhancing the knowledge, skills and confidence of nurses transitioning to home care related to 18 high priority competencies. The comparison of baseline and post simulation confidence levels resulted in an average of 40% increase in self-reported confidence. During the session, we will review the three simulation modalities used including

high fidelity simulation, use of standardized patients or actors and case scenarios. We will share how we utilized a train-the-trainer model to develop expert home health care nurses to lead the simulation events. Moreover, how we created a collaborative for multiple home care agencies and schools of nursing to use for simulation training. We will review the high-risk competencies identified for this teaching strategy and identify how enhancing confidence levels of nurses transitioning to home care can enhance retention and ultimately patient outcomes.

Navigating Through the Affordable Act: Navigators in IowaDenise Hotopp, MS VP of Organizational Integrity HCI-VNS Care Services | West Des Moines, Iowa

Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa is one of two VNAA members to receive a Navigator Grant from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Navigators educate the public about the health insurance marketplace, provide fair and impartial information and assist consumers in enrolling in Qualified Health Plans (QHPs). The state of Iowa requires that Navigators o btain additional training beyond the CMS online training and complete an exam in order for licensing by the Iowa Insurance Division. The VNS of Iowa Navigator Program serves 38 of Iowa’s 99 counties, home to approximately half of the uninsured in Iowa. The geographic area ranges from the most rural, poverty-

Poster Session


stricken areas of the state to the most densely populated urban areas. VNS of Iowa provides a variety of supportive services to meet the health and social services need of the community since 1908, and the enrollment assistance provided by Navigators embraces the organization’s mission.

The Cost of Instability: Determining Risks and StrategiesDeborah Center, MSN, RN, CNS Education Program Director Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence | Denver, Colo.

The primary goal for this session will be to disseminate the findings from a three-year home health innovations project intended to strengthen the nursing workforce in home care. As part of a Partners Investing in Nursing, Robert Wood Johnson and Northwest Health Foundation program, The Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence facilitated a collaborative statewide program since 2009 with partners from practice and education in order to identify the costs of staff turnover and implement strategies to improve outcomes. During this session, we intend to share the lessons learned from this evidenced-based program and how the cost of instability evidence is changing hiring practices, on-boarding programs and how schools of nursing are integrating concepts into prelicensure nursing education in Colorado. Participants can expect to examine the evidence for relevancy to their own organization in order to identify strategies to reduce

their risk of turnover and reduce the cost, which will ultimately improve quality and safety outcomes.

Affecting Patient Outcomes Through Specialized Rehab Home Health Aide ServicesJoseph Gallagher, PT, DPT Manager, Rehab Education VNSNY | New York, N.Y.

Christine Gunderson, PT, DPT Administrator of Rehabilitation Services VNSNY | New York, N.Y.

This program will educate participants on how to design a specialized role for home health aides to assist the rehabilitation plan of care. The take away from this session will be the outcomes of a two-year grant funded research study that proves the effectiveness of this specialized role on patient outcomes as well as HHA job satisfaction as a member of the home care team.

Top Ten Surprising Readmission PredictorsW.K. “Cash” Forshee, BS Senior VP Medalogix | Nashville, Tenn.

This poster presentation will cover the Acute Care Shoulder Program from the Visiting Nurse Association in Omaha, Neb. The emphasis of this program is educating potential referral sources in the rehabilitative

Poster Session


capacities of this state of the art postoperative rehab program. The program features the uUpper Extremity (UE) Ranger Assistive Motion Device and its ability to empower their patients to safely influence their acute level recoveries within the home, prior to their outpatient visits. A program covered under most insurance plans is available from the Visiting Nurse Association to ensure achieving both the details invested surgically and optimal outcomes. The Acute Care Shoulder Program primarily targets orthopedic surgeons specializing in shoulder girdle and general upper extremity procedures.

Evolving Orthopedic Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Coming to a Home Near You: Are You Equipped?Dan S. Miller, PT, MS Clinic Director Health Motion Physical Therapy | Omaha, Neb.

This poster presentation will cover the Acute Care Shoulder Program from the Visiting Nurse Association in Omaha, Neb. The emphasis of this program is educating potential referral sources in the rehabilitative capacities of this state of the art postoperative rehab program. The program features the Upper Extremity (UE) Ranger Assistive Motion Device and its ability to empower their patients to safely influence their acute level recoveries within the home, prior to their

outpatient visits. A program covered under most insurance plans is available from the Visiting Nurse Association to ensure achieving both the details invested surgically and optimal outcomes. The Acute Care Shoulder Program primarily targets orthopedic surgeons specializing in shoulder girdle and general upper extremity procedures.

VNA-TV: Making an Impact on Clinical Education Using Customized VideosBrenda Ewen, RN, MSN, CPHRM Risk Manager Christiana Care | VNA, New Castle, Del.

Jason Mallet-Prevost Education Media Technician Christiana Care, VNA | New Castle, Del.

Meeting the educational needs of field staff can be difficult for any homecare agency. This poster will walk you through one agency’s experience with developing a library of customized videos easily used for anytime, anywhere learning. We will provide a demonstration of the benefits of agency specific e-learning modules, including resource conservation, improved staff engagement and increased employee satisfaction. Learn the step-by-step process for script production, filming and editing and discuss needed equipment and related costs.

Poster Session


Breakout Sessions sponsored by


Topic TrackBreakout Session 1

Thursday, April 38:00 - 8:45 a.m.

Breakout Session 2Thursday, April 39:00 - 9:45 a.m.

Breakout Session 3Thursday, April 3

10:00 - 10:45 a.m.

Breakout Session 4Thursday, April 32:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Breakout Session5Friday, April 4

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.

Breakout Session 6Friday, April 4

9:15 - 10:00 a.m.

Business Development

Kenitra AB

Final Days, Final Hours: Crisis Management in

Hospice

How Telehealth Can Improve Your Agency’s

Bottom Line and Referrals

Building a Strong Network With Multi-Channel

Engagement

There’s No Place Like Home…For Fundraising!

Built to Last: Partners for Healthcare Delivery Reform

The BEST Competitive Advantage: The Board

Clinical Operations

Tangier

Capacity Management Capture Compliance Concerns and Reduce Risk

Training New Graduates in Home Health

Nursing and Pharmacy Perfect Together: An Innovative Medication

Management Model

Utilizing Technology to Improve Medication Management

“When Is My Physical Therapist Coming?” One Agency’s Journey Towards Improving Timeliness

Management

Finance Rabat AB

Preparing for Home Health and Hospice Changes

Revenue Cycle Performance: Optimizing

Effectiveness

Leadership in Home Health: Elevating Everyone’s Role

Challenges Facing Home Health and Hospices

HHA Medicare Cost Report: Problems Created by Inaccurate

Reporting, Effects on Rebasing and Repercussions

Contracting with Managed Care in a Risk Arrangement Environment

Information Technology

Casablance Ballroom South

A Collaborative Telehealth Project Delivers a 50 Percent Reduction in

Hospitalizations and a New Revenue Stream

Data vs. Data: Using Technology to Pierce

Through Mounds of Data to Locate Exactly the Info Needed to Orchestrate

Positive Operational Changes

Innovative Telehealth Program Collaboration with

Insurer, PCMH and Rural Home Care Agency

Emergency Management: Are You Ready for the CMS Emergency

Readiness Requirements and for Playing an Essential Role in your

Community’s Emergency Response

Virtual Grand Rounds: Innovative Partnering with a Large Urban

Medical Center

How Mobile Technology is Shaping the Future of Learning and Training

Partnerships Fez AB

Partnering Between Acute and Post Acute

Organizations with Shared Objectives

Partnering Across Providers and Insurers to Transform

Care Delivery

Systems Partnerships to Support Innovation and

Transformation

Care Transitions: Challenges, Innovations and Our Evolving

Standards of Care

The Next Generation of Hospice Care: Comprehensive Longitudinal

Advanced Illness ManagementVNAA Best Practices

Breakout Session Tracks

H

C

FC P C C P

H

ITC H

B H B H

ITC F B IT


Topic TrackBreakout Session 1

Thursday, April 38:00 - 8:45 a.m.

Breakout Session 2Thursday, April 39:00 - 9:45 a.m.

Breakout Session 3Thursday, April 3

10:00 - 10:45 a.m.

Breakout Session 4Thursday, April 32:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Breakout Session5Friday, April 4

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.

Breakout Session 6Friday, April 4

9:15 - 10:00 a.m.


Kenitra AB

Final Days, Final Hours: Crisis Management in

Hospice

How Telehealth Can Improve Your Agency’s

Bottom Line and Referrals

Building a Strong Network With Multi-Channel

Engagement



The BEST Competitive Advantage: The Board

Clinical Operations

Tangier

Capacity Management Capture Compliance Concerns and Reduce Risk


Nursing and Pharmacy Perfect Together: An Innovative Medication

Management Model


“When Is My Physical Therapist Coming?” One Agency’s Journey Towards Improving Timeliness

Management

Finance Rabat AB


Revenue Cycle Performance: Optimizing

Effectiveness



HHA Medicare Cost Report: Problems Created by Inaccurate

Reporting, Effects on Rebasing and Repercussions


Information Technology

Casablance Ballroom South

A Collaborative Telehealth Project Delivers a 50 Percent Reduction in

Hospitalizations and a New Revenue Stream

Data vs. Data: Using Technology to Pierce

Through Mounds of Data to Locate Exactly the Info Needed to Orchestrate

Positive Operational Changes

Innovative Telehealth Program Collaboration with

Insurer, PCMH and Rural Home Care Agency

Emergency Management: Are You Ready for the CMS Emergency

Readiness Requirements and for Playing an Essential Role in your

Community’s Emergency Response

Virtual Grand Rounds: Innovative Partnering with a Large Urban

Medical Center


Partnerships Fez AB

Partnering Between Acute and Post Acute

Organizations with Shared Objectives

Partnering Across Providers and Insurers to Transform

Care Delivery

Systems Partnerships to Support Innovation and

Transformation

Care Transitions: Challenges, Innovations and Our Evolving

Standards of Care

The Next Generation of Hospice Care: Comprehensive Longitudinal

Advanced Illness ManagementVNAA Best Practices

P

P

IT

H

B

F

C

Partnerships

IT

Hospice


Clinical Operations

Finance

C C P

FB P IT

H C H

HP H

C FB H C H C H


Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session 1A-EThursday, April 3 | 8:00 - 8:45 a.m.

Information Technology Casablanca Ballroom South

A Collaborative Telehealth Project Delivers a 50 Percent Reduction in Hospitalizations and a New Revenue Stream

Ann Painter RN, MSN President and CEO VNA of Somerset Hills, Basking Ridge, N.J.

Unplanned, all cause, hospital readmissions cost Medicare billions of dollars a year, with 18.4 percent of patients in 2012 readmitted to the hospital in 30 days. With that in mind, the VNA of Somerset Hills collaborated with New Jersey’s largest multispecialty physician practice, Summit Medical Group, to implement an initiative that would reduce re-hospitalizations and ED visits, improve quality of care, improve coordination and transitions of care, increase patient self-management skills, reduce overall health care costs and provide an alternate revenue stream for the VNA. The two-year project yielded a 50 percent reduction in hospitalizations and a high patient satisfaction score. A conservative estimate of $10,000 per hospital admission demonstrates achieving a significant health care cost savings.


Clinical Operations Tangier

Capacity Management

Linda Taylor, RN BSN MA, CEO Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk, Northport, N.Y.

Cindy Campbell, RN, BS Associate Director Operational Consulting Fazzi Associates, Inc., La Jolla, Calif.

Capacity management optimally provides for the right number of staff, immediately available as well as in development, to handle current caseload, accept new referrals timely, and still allow for growth. Utilizing metrics for objective assessment of staffing needs enables managers to consider the impact of multiple influencing factors by applying agency data to an interactive excel spreadsheet presented for use as a predictive staffing tool. Participants in this workshop will actively play “what if” scenarios using this tool on their own laptops, applying sample data or their own agency data, with consideration of such variables as full time equivalents available, active caseload, visits per episode and staff productivity measures of visits made and cases managed by clinician, to name a few.



Breakout Sessions

Business Development Kenitra AB

Final Days, Final Hours: Crisis Management in Hospice

Bonnie Morgan, M.Ed., RN-BC, CHPN, FPCN Director of Palliative Care IMS Oncology, Mesa, Az.

Is your hospice equipped to manage acute symptoms for short-stay hospice patients? This breakout will discuss how hospice managers can enhance competency levels for their clinical staff. As 10 percent of all Medicare recipients entering hospice had a length of stay of two to three days and 25 percent were on hospice for less than seven days, this creates significant competency issues for hospice nurses. During this session, managers will gain knowledge and skills that will enhance their ability to develop protocols and systems geared toward improving the competency level of their clinical staff. Participants will also learn how to implemented protocols that will ensure excellence in short-stay hospice patients and their families.


Partnerships Fez AB

Partnering Between Acute and Post Acute Organizations with Shared Objectives

Donna Lichti, MBA Vice President, Enterprise Market Development VNSNY, New York, N.Y.

Jane Cholak, BSN Director, Strategic Account Development VNSNY, New York, N.Y.

The VNSNY and a partner hospital created a Sternal Wound Infection Reduction Workgroup in September 2012. The team included senior nurse executives, MDs, NPs and business representatives and implemented a program for home care with the intended outcomes of the program at the forefront. The program’s initial role was to create a seamless experience for the patient from in-patient to post-acute home care services. All parts of the interdisciplinary team played a role in the development of materials and collaterals for patient education, education of staff, patients and caregivers.

The project generated a renewed focus on nursing interventions and patient teaching to prevent surgical site infections for the home care patient. The emphasis was on the management of blood glucose control, rehabilitation, holistic wellbeing, the impact on wound healing and basic infection control practices.



Breakout Sessions

Finance Rabat AB


Patrick Brown CFO Penn Home Care and Hospice Services, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

Mike Puskarich CFO Visiting Nurse Service of St. Francis, Indianapolis, Ind.

Rich Nankee CFO VNA Healthcare, Inc., Wethersfield, Conn.

In today’s health care environment, there are many changes on the horizon. Two years ago, Accountable Care Organizations started with much fanfare, and some have gotten impressive results. Soon commercial insurance will take a stab at developing ACOs for commercial business. The migration to population health management has started. These are scary oncepts for a home health business and many independent organizations wonder how they fit in.

Three leading financial officers from the VNAA membership will address acute concerns from continuous case mix creep adjustments to the expansion of Medicaid and the looming budget deficit reduction talks. All these changes are overwhelming but this panel will discuss ideas to help with these changes. Participants will walk away with tools and strategies for the changing landscape of health care.




Data vs. Data: Using Technology to Pierce Through Mounds of Data to Locate Exactly the Info Needed to Orchestrate Positive Operational Changes

Karen Gomes, RN, MS, CPHQ Vice President of Clinical Services Home Health VNA, Lawrence, Mass.

David Merk President Home Health Gold, Waterville, Maine

Home health agencies are facing an array of challenges as never before with an increase of unforgiving procedural requirements, audits and post-payment reviews. The time and staffing needed to guard against expensive errors is limited. Fortunately, agencies increasingly have on hand computerized data that can, if properly organized, warn them of potential risks and steer them to the situations and cases where a more detailed review will provide the greatest benefits. This presentation will provide many concrete examples, drawn from numerous agencies, of instances where the power of the computer enabled agencies to identify, even at the start of care, situations for more extensive review. This resulted in lower denial rates, fairer reimbursement, improved outcome scores and, in fact, better patient outcomes. Participants will learn through


Breakout Sessions

presentation of concrete examples about the types of data elements and the strategies for its organization that yielded the most positive results.



Capture Compliance Concerns and Reduce Risk

Kathleen Hessler, RN, JD Director of Compliance and Risk Simione Healthcare Consultants, Albuquerque, N.M.

The home health and hospice professions continue to see major initiatives, regulations and investigations rock their foundations. This presentation will provide the participants with practical pointers to forge ahead under the fire. The session will include a review of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) compliance requirements for both home health and hospice followed by practice tips to reduce risk. Emphasis will be on the high priority foci as identified in the annual OIG work plan and or as seen through the investigative actions of the OIG. Additionally, the participants will be exposed to Corporate Integrity Agreements and hear how to incorporate lessons learned into a sound compliance program that will strive to withstand legal scrutiny. Specifically, this session will introduce a review of a CIA and analysis of structures emphasized by the OIG in the context of introducing practical tips for prevention.



How Telehealth Can Improve Your Agency’s Bottom Line and Referrals

Mary Jo Vetter, RN, ANP, GNP Vice President of Clinical Product Development, Managed Care New Service Delivery Model Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, N.Y.

Alison Thebado Vice President of Strategic Account Management AMC Health, New York, N.Y.

AMC Health’s customized, scalable solutions monitor patients in real-time, enabling timely intervention, increased workflow efficiency and avoidance of cost. With real-time, biometric information, nurses will spot issues sooner and make better clinical decisions. By stratifying health data collected through remote patient monitoring (RPM), you can deploy limited nurse assets when appropriate. Instead of deploying nurses on a fixed schedule, RPM drives dynamic, pinpoint field visit scheduling, which increases nurse-to-patient ratios and lowers visits per patient. Not only does RPM contribute to a healthy bottom line, but it is also a competitive advantage for agencies because it boosts referrals from hospitals and third-party payers.



Breakout Sessions

Partnerships Fez AB

Partnering Across Providers and Insurers to Transform Care Delivery

Vicky Hines, MHA President and CEO VNS of Rochester and Monroe County, Rochester, N.Y.

VNS of Rochester actively engaged in community partnerships focused on reducing ambulatory sensitive admissions and improving coordination across the system of care. In this session, participants will learn about two distinct projects: a community collaborative that brought together home care agencies, payers, community organizations and hospitals to adopt the Coleman coaching model as a standard of care; and a grant-funded project to implement a “Virtual Care Center” (VCC). The coaching intervention reduced re-hospitalization rates by up to 25 percent in Rochester and is now becoming a standard of care in the broader region. The VCC is in the first year of a three-year pilot which aims to change the way medical residents communicate across the system of care, improve patient engagement in their own health and clearly connect hospital providers with Patient Centered Medical Homes and community-based organizations for the 30 day post-discharge period.


Finance Rabat AB

Revenue Cycle Performance: Optimizing Effectiveness

Aaron Little, CPA Managing Director, BKD, LLP Springfield, Mo.

The home health and hospice revenue cycles depend on efficient and effective operations leading up to the point of billing, as well as strong processes after that point. This workshop will focus on evaluating, measuring,and managing revenue cycle performance as a means of optimizing cash flow and reducing unnecessary compliance risks.



Breakout Sessions



Innovative Telehealth Collaboration with Insurer, PCMH and Rural Home Care Agency

Brenda Bartock, RN, MPA Director of Program Development Visiting Nurse Signature Care, Webster, N.Y.

The VNS of Rochester demonstrated successful use of telehealth in home care reducing hospital readmission rates up to fifty percent as compared to non-telehealth home care episodes. Building on this, the agency wanted to explore the use of telehealth as a stand-alone intervention outside of a home care episode and evaluate its effectiveness in reducing hospitalization and emergent care use, as well as other qualitative effects in additional populations. Through grant funding from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation, this agency collaborated with a local HMO, a PCMH, and a rural home care agency to expand the use of telehealth in three unique ways. In addition to presenting how we went about developing this collaborative program, we will share the results of a formal evaluation by the New York Academy of Medicine, as well as lessons learned and future directions. The results, both quantitative and qualitative show promise both in reducing costs,

promoting health behavior change and adding value to the health care system.




Kathy Peirce, BSN, MS Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer VNA of Care New England, Warwick, R.I.

Are you having trouble recruiting nurses interested in home health? Have you ever considered hiring and training new graduates? Surprisingly, new graduate nurses are struggling to find jobs today and often they are taking jobs in which they receive poor training and supervision. My agency decided to invest in the profession of nursing and train new graduates to home health. In this session, you will learn how we took novice nurses and moved them along the learning spectrum, what kind of retention we experienced, lessons learned from our experiences and successes we celebrate.



Breakout Sessions


Building a Strong Network with Multi-Channel Engagement

Chip Muston Senior Account Executive Blackbaud, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.

Wendy O’Neil Vice President VNA & Hospice Foundation, Vero Beach, Fla.

Expanding funding sources is a key priority as demand for non-profit community based home healthcare and hospice services grow. Today competition for donors is fierce and supporters seek ways of expressing support beyond donations.

According to the 2013 Convio Nonprofit Marketing and Benchmarking Study, multichannel engagement doubles the lifetime value of supporters while increasing their year over year involvement by 20 percent. In this session we will explore how sound relationship building strategies, combined with multi-channel engagement technology transformed our fund development success.

Wendy O’Neil, VNA and Hospice Foundation of the Treasure Coast, is a fund development leader with social services, healthcare and higher education background and has led numerous multi-million dollar campaigns. Chip Muston from Blackbaud worked in the

nonprofit sector as a technology resource, association manager, and active volunteer. Together these engaging presenters will use real examples of successful multi-channel engagement in action and give suggestions on how your organization can leverage these tools to increase support for your mission.


Partnerships Fez AB

Systems Partnerships to Support Innovation and Transformation

Mary DeVeau, RN, MSM President and CEO Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association, Concord, N.H.

Betsey Rhynhart, MPH Executive Director Concord/Elliot ACO, Concord, N.H.

Now, as never before, home health has the opportunity to step front and center in the health care delivery system. To prepare for this opportunity, home health agencies must understand the guidelines and focus of demonstration projects. Knowing this will help agencies prepare to collaborate with any ACO in their area, or, in an ideal world, is part of one developed by a strong home health agency.


Breakout Sessions

In 2011, Concord Hospital began planning to apply to become an Accountable Care Organization. A steering committee formed, which included the hospital leadership, primary care providers, the CEO of Concord Regional VNA and Riverbend Community Mental Health Center. Over the past three years, the planning and implementation created now expanded Concord/ Elliot ACO. This strategic partnership between the hospital, the medical home (primary care provider), home health and hospice, behavioral health and the long-term care community improved clinical outcomes, patient experience and reduced cost of care.

A key driver of success of the ACO is the relationships across the continuum of care, improvements in the coordination and delivery of care, improvements in communication and information sharing along with robust data analysis.


Finance Rabat AB


Mark Sharp, CPA Partner BKD, LLP, Springfield, Mo.

In 2014, home health agencies will enter into a four-year

period of Medicare payment rate cuts after not getting rates increases to cover inflation over the last 6 years. Along with the rate cuts, CMS and other government agencies continue to increase regulatory requirements to curb perceived abuse. It is critical that agencies continue to look for ways to make sure they are getting the right payment and using the payment efficiently and effectively in providing care. The challenges for home health leaders in maintaining profitable operations while improving patient outcomes will require a partnership of financial and clinical leadership staff. Productivity, case capacity and outcome achievement in the new health care environment point to the necessity for a team of knowledgeable managers to drive organizational performance. Realistic goal expectations should include clinical as well as financial operational measurements that are developed and understood by all leadership responsible for successful operations of the organization. This program explores how a home health leader can take on the role of a strategic team leader to bring about organizational success.



Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session 4A-EThursday, April 3 | 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.


Emergency Management: Are You Ready for the CMS Emergency Readiness Requirements and for Playing an Essential Role in your Community’s Emergency Response

Jane McLeod, MA, BSN, RN Director of Program Development and Project Management Pathways Home Health, Hospice & Private Duty, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Jill Goldstein, RN, MA, MS Vice President, Emergency Response System, Behavioral Health & Infusion Care Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, N.Y.

CMS recently issued proposed rules for emergency preparedness: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Emergency Preparedness Requirements…: Federal Register, Vol. 78, No. 249 dated Dec. 27, 2013. Establishing emergency management planning protocols is crucial in order to continue care and services during any emergency situation. This program will provided an overview of the key elements of the CMS emergency preparedness proposed rule. Two home health and hospice professionals who are experienced in emergency planning and response will share best practices and planning strategies. An additional highlight will be on the unique way agency

staff was deployed to assist emergency services responders in the community response to Superstorm Sandy.



Nursing and Pharmacy Perfect Together: An Innovative Medication Management Model

Mary Anne McCabe, RN, BSN, MS, CCM Director Quality/Accreditation VNA Health Group, Red Bank, N.J.

Pasquale Pontoriero, PharmD, RPh, CCP VP of Clinical Initiatives Farmapack, Lakewood, N.J.

Denise Schoenberger, PharmD Clinical Pharmacist Pathways Home Health, Hospice & Private Duty, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Victoria Ferraresi, PharmD, FASHP, FCSHP Director of Pharmacy Services Pathways Home Health, Hospice & Private Duty, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Pharmacy services are an important and integral part of home health services. This session highlights two successful partnerships of integrating pharmacy services into home health care. In collaboration with Sequoia Hospital, VNAA member Pathways Home Health implemented a transition program featuring pharmacists facilitating medication reconciliation


Breakout Sessions

and medication management as patients transition from the hospital to home with home health services. VNAA member VNA Health Group also launched a collaborative between the agency and Farmapack, LLC. This collaborative aimed to review patient medication profiles assigned to select nursing teams. Pharmacist intervention sheds new light upon resolving medication-related concerns. This program will highlight two agencies successes and patient benefit from pharmacy collaborations that participants can bring home to their agency.




Bridget A. Murphy, CFRE, Chief Philanthropy Officer VNA Health Group Foundation, Red Bank, N.J.

Stacey Weston Vice President of Development Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, N.Y.

Stefanie Steel Director of Hospice Development VNSNY Hospice and Palliative Care, New York, N.Y.

The dramatic changes happening in healthcare with the shift to homecare and hospice provide an unprecedented opportunity for home health, hospice and community based care organizations to

enhance their fundraising operations and maximize philanthropic support. Participants in this session will learn how two VNAs are conducting their fundraising programs and see the results of a national survey on fundraising including data on benchmarking and comparison of their programs.


Partnerships Fez AB

Care Transitions: Challenges, Innovations and our Evolving Standards of Care

Margherita Labson, RN, MSHSA, CPHQ Executive Director Home Care Program The Joint Commission, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.

Erin Denholm, BSN, MSN, MBA CEO Centura Health at Home, Denver, Colo.

Joan Doyle, RN, MSN, MBA Executive Director Penn Home Care and Hospice Services, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

Mary Lou Proch, EdD, MSN, MA, BSN Director of Education Chapters Health System, Temple Terrace, Fla.

The dramatic changes happening in healthcare with the shift to homecare and hospice provide an unprecedented opportunity for home health, hospice and community based care organizations to enhance their fundraising operations and maximize


Breakout Sessions

philanthropic support. Participants in this session will learn how two VNA’s are conducting their fundraising programs and see the results of a national survey on fundraising providing data for benchmarking and comparison of their programs.


Finance Rabat AB


Bob Simione, Managing Principal, Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC, Hamden, Conn.

Lynn Jones, FACHE President Christiana Care VNA, New Castle, Del.

Ellen Rothberg, RN, MPH President & CEO VNA HealthCare, Wethersfield, Conn.

Judy Peterson, CRN President and CEO VNA of Chittenden & Grand Isle Counties, Colchester, Vt.

Nationally known expert in home health and hospice, Bob Simione, will present the state of the industry including the Home Health and Hospice ( is there a Hospice final rule) CMS final rule and the Medicare cuts, The Affordable Care Act and development of ACOs, regulatory scrutiny, and population health management among other topics.

Three outstanding home health and hospice leaders, Lynn Jones, Ellen Rothberg and Judy Peterson, representing both system-based and independent agencies, will join Bob to discuss how their life has changed because of the passage of the Affordable Care Act and the development of ACOs throughout the country. They will share key initiatives and results from their innovative work in the new world of post-acute care.


Breakout Session 5A-EFriday, April 4 | 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.


Virtual Grand Rounds: Innovative Partnering with a Large Urban Medical Center

Geraldine Sanderson, BSN, RN, BC, CDP Case Manager Norwell VNA and Hospice, Norwell, MA

Joan Wright, CDP Community Support and Education/Marketing Communications Manager Norwell VNA and Hospice, Norwell, Mass.

Judith Labossiere, RN, MBA Chief Operating Officer Norwell VNA and Hospice, Norwell, Mass.


Breakout Sessions

Access to major city-based specialists in the field of Alzheimer’s and dementia care can be limited and/or difficult for residents of suburbs outside city parameters. By employing innovative methods that incorporate technology, collaboration with various healthcare providers and patient and/or family participation, alleviation of these obstacles can provide the patient/family with virtual contact and consultation. This session will highlight the highly successful ECHO project that NVNA and Hospice participates in with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. A virtual grand rounds program utilizing teleconferencing, the presenters will illustrate how a multi-disciplinary team approach can positively affect outcomes for Alzheimer’s patients and their families, living over 25 miles south of Boston. Participants will learn about online communication tools that reinforce HIPAA security, reporting methods and the value of investigating a variety of professional perspectives to obtain and provide more responsive symptom management and care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and families.

re-hospitalizations and ED visits, improve quality of care, improve coordination and transitions of care, increase patient self-management skills, reduce overall health care costs and provide an alternate revenue stream for the VNA. The two-year project yielded a 50 percent reduction in hospitalizations and a high patient satisfaction score. A conservative estimate of $10,000 per hospital admission demonstrates achieving a

significant health care cost savings.




Paula Suter, RN, BSN, MA, SCAH Clinical Director Sutter Center for Integrated Care, Fairfield, Calif.

Beth Hennessey, RN, BSN, MSN, SCAH Executive Director Sutter Center for Integrated Care, Fairfield, Calif.

Readmissions associated with medication management errors are a national focus due to poor health outcomes and associated high healthcare cost. Providers must look beyond the reconciliation process to ensure they provide sound interventions for on-going medication management if they want to realize a significant improvement in their re-admission rates. This presentation will outline a comprehensive approach to providing effective best practices in medication management, supported with the assistance of technology. The presentation will illustrate tools embedded in the EMR, from the initial assessment to determine who is at risk for medication errors, to providing supportive tools such as patient friendly medication lists and monitoring tools for high alert medications, to practices that ensure consistent high


Breakout Sessions

quality care. Implementation of these practices will position providers as value-added partners for inclusion in new healthcare delivery and payment models.




Mary Gardner, MPH, RN VP Business Development Community Nursing Services, Salt Lake City, Utah

Tracy Altman, M.H.Ed. Manager, Provider Services and Contracting Molina Healthcare of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

The changing climate in the healthcare delivery environment demands providers and payers collaborate on strategies directed at the financial and quality outcomes required to survive and thrive. In response to the anticipated changes, Community Nursing Services (CNS) and Molina Healthcare initiated a collaborative relationship based on mutual goals focused on improvement in quality of care for patients and reduction in health care cost expenditures. Initially, discussions centered on improvements in the authorization and billing processes and have since evolved to the current position of participation in a more exclusive provider/payer relationship. Two years ago, Molina Healthcare opted to narrow their network

of home care, hospice and skilled nursing facilities in Utah. Molina selected CNS as a critical partner because CNS offers statewide coverage. Molina Healthcare is an established player in the Health Insurance Marketplace in Utah that then opened the door for CNS to become the exclusive home care provider for their Insurance Exchange plans. Early on, both organizations identified the benefits and moving forward, the focus of our discussions is emergent care use and re-hospitalization rates by our patients. Recently, both parties introduced more creative approaches to addressing these critical and costly aspects of care and will continue to identify joint strategies to manage both quality and cost.

Strengthening the foundation of the CNS-Molina over the past several years enabled organizations to build the trust and confidence essential for a long-term partnership.


Partnerships Fez AB

The Next Generation of Hospice Care: Longitudinal Advanced Illness Management

Susan Foster, BSN, RN, CHPN Associate Director Penn Wissahickon Hospice, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

Patricia Gibbons, BS Manager Revenue and Business Relationships Penn Home Care and Hospice Services, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.


Breakout Sessions

Although hospice care is effective, eligibility criteria limits access. This presentation describes the CLAIM program, a demonstration project funded by CMS to provide hospice services to patients for whom hospice is not yet appropriate. The workshop will identify barriers to hospice to overcome through changes to hospice financing. The goal of CLAIM is to help to identify patients who would benefit from the support of an interdisciplinary approach to care earlier in their illness trajectory. The focus of care is on reducing readmissions to the acute care setting by closely managing symptoms. By addressing goals of care right away, you can develop these with the patient and family to meet their needs. The lessons from the CLAIM project may inform innovation around the Medicare Hospice Benefit.


Finance Rabat AB

HHA Medicare Cost Report: Problems Created by Inaccurate Reporting, Effects on Rebasing and Repercussions

Paul Giles Director of Home Health Finance Dignity Health, Yorba Linda, Calif.

Tom Boyd, MBA, CFE Vice President Of Reimbursable Services Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC, Rohnert Park, Calif.

This program will focus on documentation provided by CMS and subcontractors describing the issues found due to inaccuracies in reporting causing 40 percent of the reports eliminated from the database used to determine average costs of Home Health Agency services. A cause and effect approach will attempt to speculate on how the problems may have caused the result of lower rates. This program also appeals to attendees who want to understand the purpose and need for the cost report, improve their knowledge of the cost report or want to save time when preparing the report. It will address the importance of the cost report along with the regulatory requirements and the basic structure and the cost report package of documents.


Breakout Session 6A-EFriday, April 4 | 9:15 - 10:00 a.m.



Dave Asheim CEO & Founder Train by Cell, San Francisco, Calif.

Train by Cell is the largest provider of easy-to-use platforms that enable health organizations to build and


Breakout Sessions

manage mobile training. Providing staff with on-the-go patient education they can share is something that has not been easily available until now. Many health organizations struggle with engaging, training and communicating with not only their employees but also more importantly their patients. In an increasingly mobile society, people are now expecting to engage and access content with a mobile device. Venturing into mobile can be challenging, but with a mobile content delivery platform it is easy to jumpstart your mLearning initiatives.



“When is My Physical Therapist Coming?” One Agency’s Journey Towards Improving Timeliness

Marybeth Glasheen-Wray, PT, MMSc., Rehab Supervisor Christiana Care VNA, New Castle, Del.

Pamela Szczerba, PT, MPT Rehab Consultant Physical Therapist Christiana Care VNA, New Castle, Del.

Delays in timely initiation of care can negatively impact patient safety and outcomes. The goal of this session is to share our agency’s experience with using the lean rapid process improvement methodology to identify factors affecting timeliness of our physical therapy services. Our rehab team focused on opportunities

that would have the greatest impact and this included work reallocation, scheduling and automating reports. Changes made resulted in a 12 percent improvement in overall timeliness and optimized use of valuable therapy resources.



The BEST Competitive Advantage – The Board

Norene Mostkoff, MBA President and CEO HCI-VNS Care Services, West Des Moines, Iowa

What is your BEST competitive advantage? It should be your board. This workshop with provide the BEST framework for board operations and attracting, engaging, and retaining board members. Participants will leave with the beginning of an action plan to insure that your board is your BEST competitive advantage.


Partnerships Fez AB

VNAA Best Practices

Margaret (Peg) Terry, PhD, RN VP, Quality and Innovation Visiting Nurse Associations of America, Arlington, Va.


Breakout Sessions

Mary Lou Proch, EdD, MSN, MA, BSN Director of Education Chapters Health System, Temple Terrace, Fla.

Translating research and evidence-based practices into concrete and useful approaches is the challenge for health care providers. VNAA made a commitment to develop and offer Best Practices for home health and hospice leaders. Join VNAA staff as they review the latest offering of Best Practices for Hospice and Palliative leaders. These practices will offer guidance to hospice leaders recommending tangible approaches to assure consistent high-quality care for each patient and family. This interactive session will encompass practices for pain screening, pain assessment and pain treatment, dyspnea screening and treatment, as well as practices involved in treatment preferences. VNAA will share updates on home health best practices to include technology and clinical conditions.


Finance Rabat AB


Mary Jo Vetter, RN, ANP, GNP VP, Clinical Product Development, Managed Care New Service Delivery Model Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, N.Y.

May Schee VNSNY CHOICE VP, Network Development & Contracting and Provider Relations Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, N.Y.

Frank Sequra VP, Managed Care Contracting, Managed Care Administration Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, N.Y.

With managed care organizations emerging as the main payor for provider business, it is prudent for agencies to embrace managed care as an industry. Rather than see managed care organizations as antagonistic, our objective is to promote understanding of how to best partner with managed care organizations and support them in their goals.

Experts estimate that as many as 20 percent of US hospitalizations are rehospitalizations within 30 days of discharge. Approximately 34 percent are rehospitalized within 90 days. These rehospitalizations are costly, potentially harmful, and frequently avoidable. It is the poor transition of older adults from hospital to home that is most associated with the high rates of preventable poor discharge outcomes, including rehospitalizations. Individual and system factors contribute to these adverse outcomes.



The Maryland Nurses Association an accredited approver by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation approved these continuing nursing education activities.

To receive a CNE certificate for a breakout session, the attendee must:

1. Sign in and out of the session on the attendance sheet.

2. Attend the session from start to finish.

3. Complete and submit the evaluation at the end of the session and turn into room volunteer.

4. Receive certificate from Room Volunteer onsite.

5. The licensee must retain the certificate for a period of six (6) years after completing the course.

To receive a CNE certificate for attendance of a poster, the attendee must:

1. Attend the VNAA poster session on site at Annual Meeting.

2. Complete the required amount of time reading the poster (30 minutes). You may earn CEUs for up to 10 posters in the allotted time.

3. Complete and submit the evaluation for each poster session attended in the poster booklet to VNAA before you leave the Annual Meeting. Please ensure email address is legible.

4. Your certificate will be emailed to you after the Meeting.

5. The licensee must retain the certificate for a period of six (6) years after completing the course.

Continuing Education Credits


2014 National Awards


National Award Winners

Quality Team of the Year Brenda Bartock | VNS Rochester/Monroe Cos.

Brenda Bartock has been with VNS Rochester for more than 20 years, and has earned a reputation as a transformational leader. Her team received grant funding from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation to expand evidence-based protocols for

effective use of telehealth in a broader rural region and to test the effectiveness of the use of biometric monitoring as a stand-alone (without home care) tool to improve health outcomes for patients with chronic illnesses. In the case of this project, she spent a lot of 1:1 time working directly with the insurance plan partners to build trust. Brenda exuded leadership in facilitating such a diverse and strong-willed, expert team and brought to the table willing and able to break down any barriers to progress.

Clinician of the Year Heather Smith | Advanced Home Care

Even though Heather Smith has only been in homecare for a few short years, she has fallen in love with her job and those who benefit from her expertise as a Physical Therapist. The reason that

The VNAA National Awards celebrate the unique qualities and contributions of individual leaders and staff within nonprofit home health care and hospice. This year’s luncheon provides a perfect opportunity for every organization and individual connected to the VNAA mission to come together and recognize the outstanding contributions made by the award winners.

Administrative Leader of the Year Marki Flannery | VNSNY

Marki joined VNSNY 32 years ago and became President of Partners in Care in 1996. Under her leadership, Partners in Care has become the largest licensed home care agency in New York, and Marki led expansions in staffing, service geographies and new product

lines. Marki is widely respected as a homecare industry expert, evidenced by her countless media appearances, her column for The Huffington Post and her frequent presentations made at national and statewide conferences. Throughout her tenure as President, during blizzards, heat waves, transit strikes, blackouts, the Sept. 11 terror attack and superstorm Sandy, Marki has never ceased to demonstrate commitment to VNSNY’s 121-year mission.


National Award Winners

she enjoys her work is because, according to her, “Homecare=Reality care.” With the patient’s safety at heart, Heather understands that home exercise plans are generally boring, so she designs interesting, innovative programs that her patients

enjoy. Heather challenges all of us to rise above the norm and give our patients the extraordinary care

that they truly deserve.

Innovative Leader of the Year Rose Madden-Baer | VNSNY

A visionary leader in health care, Dr. Rose Madden-Baer, Vice President, Clinical Operations Strategy and Development at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, develops and disseminates evidence based models of care that have informed community

based service delivery at our organization and at the national level. As VNSNY’s clinical nursing leader charged with developing new models of care, Rose has initiated systems of care that translate patient characteristics into clinical program development,

federal and state funding modification, and cross continuum partnerships.

Agency Board Member of the Year Carol M. Kanarek | VNA of the Treasure Coast

Carol Kanarek remembers clearly the tears that flowed the first time she gave her dying father an insulin injection. She was so concerned about doing it correctly that she practiced on an orange first. During those difficult times as a daughter-

caregiver, she was touched by the tender dedication and skills of a team of VNA nurses who cared for her father. A year later, Carol said yes to a friend who had been urging her for months to join the VNA’s Hospice Committee and later the VNA board of directors. With her father’s memory alive, Carol set her sights on a new vision – helping the people in her community build on the same high level of VNA care that her father received.


Exhibit Hall sponsored by


Exhibit Hall Hours

Thursday, April 3

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

sponsored by

Exhibit Hall ReceptionThe 2014 VNAA Annual Meeting Exhibit Hall sponsored by VaxServe will host a reception for attendees on Thursday, April 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

sponsored by

Exhibit Hall BingoThe 2014 VNAA Annual Meeting Exhibit Hall prize drawing this year consists of a new twist on past raffles. This year, it’s Exhibit Hall Bingo.

Bingo RulesEach attendee will receive a Bingo Card in their tote bag at registration. On the Bingo Card will be 25 squares. Each of the squares represents an exhibitor, or group or individual for you to connect with while you are here in Las Vegas.

Once you make a connection with the group or individual in each box, ask them for one of their stickers to place in that square. Once the card is complete, place your Bingo Card in the drum at the VaxServe Booth (Booth #303). Winners will be announced during the Exhibit Hall Reception Thursday evening.

*Only one prize per attendee

*VNAA staff, exhibitors and sponsors are not eligible for participation

Prizes2 FitBit Bands2 FitBit Pendants2 $250 American Express Gift Cards1 Sonos Play 5 Bundle

Exhibit Hall Information


Exhibit Hall Booth Listing

ACHC 115

Agility Recovery 504

Allscripts Inc 406

American Healthcare Capital 411

Amramp 116

AtHoc 415/417

Axxess Technology Solutions 508/510

BKD 403

Blackbaud 409

BlackTree Healthcare Consulting 103

Bosch Healthcare 412

Briggs Healthcare 512

Byram Healthcare 317

Cardiocom 217

Care Watch 312

Career Builder 302

CareZips 408

CellTrak 506

CHAP 416

Covidien 215

Delta Health 305

Fazzi 117

Ferris Mfg. Corp 105

GlaxoSmithKline 111

Healthcare Market Resources (HMR) 211

HealthWyse 313

Home Health Gold 404

Home Healthcare Solutions 104

Homecare Homebase 308

HoneyWell 102

iReferDR 107

iTacit Healthcare USA, Inc. 207/209

Kinergy Health 212

Leading Home Care: A Tweed Jeffries Company 307

Lockton Affinity 311

LogicMark 110

McBee Associates, Inc. 306

McKesson Med-Surg 203

McKesson Provider Technologies 202

Medical Alert, a Connect America Company 204

MedScope 402

Merck 405

Net Motion 206

Novartis Vaccines 414

Omni Medical Supply 210

Passport USA 410

Philips 214/216

PlayMaker CRM 106

Procura 109

Quality in Real Time 114

Sandata Technologies 205

Sansio 413

Select Data 314/316

Simione 310

Strategic Healthcare Programs, LLC 100

Suture Sign 113

The Corridor Group 208

The Joint Commission 315

Time Warner 514/516

Transpirus 502

UBS/RAM Group 112

UST 309

VaxServe 303

WellTrackMD 213

Willis/Smith Bell Thompson 304

Wolters Kluwer Health 407


Exhibit Hall Booth Map


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 100 Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP)

Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) provides home care organizations with the entire spectrum of quality and performance data in real-time, from one dash-board. Over 5,500 clients utilize SHP to improve patient care, financial and operational performance, and patient satisfaction ratings. Home Health, Hospice, HHCAHPS, FEHC, FEBS and more – all from one source.

www.SHPdata.com

Booth 102 Honeywell | VNAA MVP Vendor

Honeywell HomMed telehealth and remote patient monitoring enables healthcare providers with an end-to-end solution in ongoing or transitional patient care, from disease management to wellness coaching. Gen-esis Touch, a personal health device, redefines quality of care by providing patients ease-of-use and flexibility, while delivering a richer experience through simple video visits. LifeStream Management Suite increases the value to patients and providers by providing a suite of “back-end” services, so providers can effectively monitor patient data.

www.hommed.com

Booth 103 BlackTree Healthcare Consulting

BlackTree Healthcare Consulting provides financial, reimbursement, and operational consulting services exclusively to the healthcare industry. It is our goal to partner with our healthcare clients to assist them in better achieving their financial and operational goals through the delivery of exceptional client-centric consulting services. Recognizing the operational stresses placed on healthcare organizations through increased regulatory scrutiny and reimbursement cuts, BlackTree is committed to assisting our clients during these challenging times.

www.blacktreeheathcareconsulting.com

Booth 104 Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP)

Home Healthcare Solutions has decades of patient-di-rect medical supply management and logistics expertise through partnerships with Home Health and Hospice organizations across the country. The Mobile Supply Closet® Program allows for elimination of on-site inven-tory while ensuring episodic and per diem cost savings, supply accountability and operational efficiency.

www.hh-solutions.com


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 105 Ferris Mfg. Corp. - PolyMem & SPORTSWRAP

Founded in 1977, Ferris Mfg. Corp. is dedicated to developing innovative advanced wound care products that bring desired and effective results to the heal-ing process. Ferris is a privately owned small business producing and distributing PolyMem® and Shapes® by PolyMem wound care dressings, and SportsWrap®. All products are made in the USA at Ferris headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas.

www.polymem.com

Booth 106 PlayMaker CRM

Founded in 2008, PlayMaker CRM is one of the leading customer relationship management solutions in the home health, hospice and post-acute care markets. This cloud-based solution is designed specifically for home care to assist companies in increasing sales efficiency, growing market share and increasing profitability.

www.playmakercrm.com

Booth 107 iReferDR

Use the iReferDR Patient Referral App to bring in more referrals and increase your census. We customize the

App to represent your branding and increase your mar-ket share. We’ve created several VNA apps including VNA SoCal and VNA Philly. Contact [email protected] or call 702-575-2172 today!

www.iReferDR.com

Booth 108 Volo Recovery

VOLO provides a suite of communications tools used for both regular and emergency communications with employees located in-house or out in the field. The VOLO Recovery solution includes Mass Notification, Automated Severe Weather Warning, a 2-Way Toll Free Information Hotline, and Back-Up PBX Phone System. 386-676-0326.

www.volorecovery.com

Booth 109 Procura

Procura’s complete home health suite offers the opera-tional, financial, clinical and point of care tools neces-sary to improve care and business intelligence while capitalizing on the efficiencies, growth and flow of your organization. Procura is the complete software solution tailor made for a VNA.

www.goprocura.com


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 110 LogicMark

Founded in 2006, LogicMark has revolutionized the per-sonal emergency response system (PERS) industry by incorporating patented two-way voice communication technology directly in the medical alert pendant. With a focus on innovation, LogicMark provides a unique offer-ing of medical alert systems that contribute to improv-ing the quality of life for those choosing to continue to live independently.

www.logicmark.com

Booth 111 GlaxoSmithKline | VNAA MVP Vendor

GlaxoSmithKline is a leading research-based pharma-ceutical company with a powerful combination of skills to discover and deliver innovative medicines. We offer a number of programs to support effective health man-agement strategies and improve patient care. Please visit our exhibit to learn more about our products.

www.gsk.com

Booth 112 The RAM Group/UBS Financial Services

UBS is a global firm providing financial services to private, corporate and institutional clients. Through DC Advisory, you and your organization can benefit from

the resources of a global financial services leader com-bined with the specialized retirement plan expertise and experience we bring to the table.

www.ubs.com

Booth 113 Suture Health, Inc.

Built by physicians, SutureSign is healthcare’s only electronic signature service – designed as a network to maximize profitability and physician satisfaction. Boast-ing the only Medicare-reviewed Face-to-Face tool, it also enables physicians to eSign all orders in one place while capturing their signature-related revenue.

www.suturesign.com

Booth 114 Quality in Real Time

Quality in Real Time’s services are designed to help you create the optimal Quality Assurance Program for your agency. Our Homecare and Hospice Solutions are designed to ensure your agency meets regulatory requirements and receives reimbursement for services performed in one cost-effective package. We offer Chart Reviews, ICD-9 Coding, OASIS Review, and Staff Competencies.

www.qualityinrealtime.com


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 115 Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC)

Accreditation Commission for Health Care is a nation-ally-recognized accreditation organization synonymous with providing the very best in customer service, integ-rity, and value. ACHC offers a collaborative approach to accreditation with service-specific standards that align with national regulations and industry best practices. Call (919) 785-1214 or visit www.achc.org to learn more.

www.achc.org

Booth 116 Amramp

Amramp, America’s Leading Wheelchair Ramp, helps your clients with activities of daily living and provides safe patient handling in the home environment. Our accessibility solutions include: Amramp Modular Wheel-chair Ramps; Stair Lifts; Vertical and Inclined Platform Lifts; Patient Lifts; Portable Roll-in Wheelchair Showers; Pool Lifts and Other Unique Assistive Devices. [email protected]. 800-649-5215.

www.amramp.com

Booth 117 Fazzi Associates

Largest provider of outsource coding services. Largest provider of OASIS audits, training and testing. Strategic partner with some of the biggest firms in the nation on

business intelligence and best practice research and state of industry studies. Complete consulting, bench-marking, distance learning and research company.

www.fazzi.com

Booth 202 McKesson Corporation

Find out how McKesson can help better connect to field staff, referral sources, other providers and patients. View McKesson Homecare MobileCare, McKesson Tele-health Advisortm, McKesson Homecare Mileage Advisor and McKesson Homecare Wound Advisor – all designed to help you stretch agency resources by reducing trans-portation costs and optimizing clinician visits.

www.mckesson.com

Booth 203 McKesson Medical-Surgical | 2014 Gold Partner

Quality in Real Time’s services are designed to help you create the optimal Quality Assurance Program for your agency. Our Homecare and Hospice Solutions are designed to ensure your agency meets regulatory requirements and receives reimbursement for services performed in one cost-effective package. We offer Chart Reviews, ICD-9 Coding, OASIS Review, and Staff Competencies.

www.mckessonhomecare.com


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 204 Medical Alert, a Connect America Company

Falls and medication non- adherence are the leading causes for hospital readmissions. In addition to our standard, cellular and Mobile GPS personal emergency response devices, Connect America provides the latest in fall detection, medication dispensing & compliance and telehealth technology in the industry today. For more information contact Toni Scully: [email protected].

www.connectamerica.com

Booth 111 GlaxoSmithKline | VNAA MVP Vendor

GlaxoSmithKline is a leading research-based pharma-ceutical company with a powerful combination of skills to discover and deliver innovative medicines. We offer a number of programs to support effective health man-agement strategies and improve patient care. Please visit our exhibit to learn more about our products.

www.gsk.com

Booth 205 Sandata Technologies

Sandata is a leading provider of workforce and opera-tional management solutions that enable homecare

providers to manage and optimize the delivery of homecare services. Sandata has been focused solely on homecare for 35 years, enabling agencies to maxi-mize the value of every homecare encounter, improve effectiveness for Payers, and optimize efficiency for Providers.

www.sandata.com

Booth 206 NetMotion Wireless

NetMotion Wireless develops software to manage and secure wireless data deployments for organizations with mobile field workers. Our products address the unique challenges introduced by the use of wireless, enabling our customers to maximize their return on investment in workforce automation. More than 2,500 of the world’s most respected organizations across multiple industries including healthcare, utilities, tel-ecommunications, public safety, government, insurance, manufacturing, and many others use our products.

www.netmotionwireless.com

Booths 207 and 209 iTacit Healthcare USA Inc.

Itacit Healthcare is a provider of cloud software special-izing in workforce optimization. Over 75,000 employees use Itacit every day to learn, train, communicate, recruit,


Exhibitor Profiles

and manage compliance which leads to the reduction of staff management costs. Itacit creates better resident care through better staff care.

www.itacit.com

Booth 208 The Corridor Group (TCG)

The Corridor Group (TCG) has expertise, tools and resources to help your organization thrive. Services include Coding/OASIS Review, Consulting, Talent Solu-tions, Products and TCG CHEX eLearning.

www.corridorgroup.com

Booth 210 Omni Medical Supply, Inc. | VNAA MVP Vendor

Omni Medical Supply is a supplier of medical products for the home health care market. Products include Telemedicine monitoring units, ProTime monitors, EKG machines, sphygmomanometers, thermometers, nursing bags, diapers, underpads, gloves, urological catheters and wound care supplies. VNAA members are eligible for discounts on certain supplies.

www.omnimedicalsupply.com

Booth 211 Healthcare Market Resources (HMR)

THE leader in providing informational tools and vital insights to home health, hospice & SNF leaders focused on growing revenues and profits by better understand-ing their market, competition and referrals sources, including MD’s. Its customized market profiles provide critical local market data in order to grasp local market dynamics, size up competition and benchmark versus local competition. HMR’s referral source reports can guide organizations in the formation of post-acute net-works by showing which providers and settings receive patients.

www.amramp.com

Booth 212 Kinergy Health

Kinergy Health is dedicated to simplifying care man-agement. State of the art technology allows patients, families and providers to communicate and provide continuity of care. We provide services that will move your organization toward Meaningful Use 2 compliance by achieving the targeted 5% of patients viewing and sharing their medical records online, facilitating care transitions, reducing duplication of effort, improving pa-tient education, and strengthening the patient-caregiver connection.

www.kinergyhealth.com


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 213 WellTrackMD | 2014 Associate Partner

The WellTrackMD™ solution is intuitive software that streamlines the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) process. Our solution is recognized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a preventative care service that assists with the education of seniors in regards to potentially life-threatening conditions while promoting proactive lifestyle changes.

www.welltrackmd.com

Booths 214 and 216 Philips Lifeline | 2014 Gold Partner

Part of Philips Home Healthcare Solutions, Philips Lifeline is the leading medical alert service, providing seniors and their caregivers the confidence and peace of mind to continue to live independently in their own homes. Philips Lifeline provides 24-hour medical alert services to more than 700,000 subscribers in North America.

www.philips.com

Booth 215 Covidien

Covidien is a world class manufacturer of medical sup-plies. The comprehensive portfolio of products offered by Covidien serves the home care needs of patients and providers alike. A specialized, highly trained home

care sales force is dedicated to supporting the needs of customers who provide for individuals in the home.

www.covidien.com

Booth 217 Cardiocom | 2014 Gold Partner

Cardiocom®, Experts in TelehealthSM, is a proven leader in Integrated Clinical Telehealth Services. Cardiocom is a world-class developer, manufacturer and clinical telehealth solutions provider. Cardiocom’s innovative home telemonitoring equipment and tel-ehealth services enable health professionals to identify symptomatic patients and intervene early to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. Cardiocom addresses Heart Failure, COPD, Asthma, Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity and other complex conditions.

www.cardiocom.com

Booth 302 CareerBuilder | 2014 Platinum Partner

CareerBuilder is the leader in online recruitment. Leveraging our technology and data on 90% of the US workforce, we help healthcare companies with work-force planning, marketing and talent acquisition. Please stop by to learn more about how we can help you find top healthcare candidates in a changing and evolving market.

www.careerbuilder.com


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 303 VaxServe | 2014 Platinum Partner

VaxServe Inc. is an Immunization Solutions Provider dedicated to making the world of vaccines less compli-cated. Because of our expertise in vaccines and strong manufacturer relationships, VaxServe is the one source to address all immunization needs. VaxServe fulfills many contracts, offers additional cost-savings and as-sists in vaccine management.

www.vaxserve.com

Booth 304 Smith, Bell & Thompson Inc.

Smith, Bell & Thompson Inc., a division of Willis Programs, has been a leading provider of insurance solutions since 1974. Our HomeCareGuard® insurance program is tailored to the specific needs of the home health care and visiting nurse industries. See what we have to offer, visit us at booth #304.

www.willisprograms.com

Booth 305 Delta Health Technologies | 2014 Silver Partner

As a leading provider of innovative post-acute care software solutions since 1974, Delta Health Technolo-gies® is committed to helping agencies operate more

efficiently and profitably. Delta’s software solutions is patient-centric designed that enables agencies to eas-ily manage staff and resources, effectively evaluate a patient’s progress.

www.DeltaHealthTech.com

Booth 306 McBee Associates, Inc.

McBee Associates is a recognized leader in providing consulting services to the healthcare industry. The firm is one of the nation’s largest independent healthcare consulting practices delivering solutions to over 3,800 providers. With unparalleled commitment to compli-ance, McBee Associates develops lasting solutions that ensure the success of its clients. The firm offers full Financial, Clinical and Operations consulting including Due Diligence, LUPA Reduction, Concurrent OASIS/Cod-ing Reviews, Interim Management, Compliance, Cash Acceleration and Revenue Recovery services.

www.mcbeeassociates.com

Booth 307 Leading Home Care: A Tweed Jeffries Company

Leading Home Care provides strategies, insights, and expertise through speaking, training, and consulting for home health care, hospice, and private duty home care. As a member of the home care community, we are con-stantly looking for ways to help transform the industry


Exhibitor Profiles

by providing strategies to help you be more competitive in your marketplace. In those areas where we do not directly provide programs and services, we have formed strategic alliances with other companies who can pro-vide solutions to help you grow your business.

www.leadinghomecare.com

Booth 308 Homecare Homebase

Homecare Homebase is the only automation solution created by those who’ve been where you are, at the front lines of homecare and hospice. At last, you’re in a position to improve cash flow without compromising your commitment to your patients. Mobile, cloud-based solution built to connect and share EMR data across the health care community, ROI-rich functionality stream-lines operations, and frequent updates ensure ongoing regulatory compliance.

www.hchb.com

Booth 309 Unemployment Services Trust | VNAA MVP Vendor

Founded by nonprofits for nonprofits, Unemployment Services Trust (UST) provides 501(c)(3)s with a cost-effective alternative to state unemployment insurance. UST participants save millions annually through claims management, hearing representation, claim audits, sim-plified reporting, and HR support. Join more than 2,000

nonprofits nationwide and request a Savings Evaluation at www.ChooseUST.org.

www.ChooseUST.org

Booth 310 Simione Healthcare Consultants

Simione™ Healthcare Consultants was the first organi-zation of its kind dedicated entirely to home care – a commitment we continue to maintain today. Our focus is on solving your core home care and hospice challenges – in operations, financial, sales & marketing, technology, and mergers and acquisitions.

www.simione.com

Booth 311 Lockton Affinity, LLC | VNAA MVP Vendor

The VNAA Insurance Program, administered by Lockton Affinity, LLC, offers comprehensive professional liability insurance for VNAA nurses at the lowest prices on the market through Lockton’s fully-integrated online plat-form. Business insurance for VNAA member agencies is also available. Visit the program website at http://www.vnaainsurance.com for more information.

www.vnaainsurance.com


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 312 CareWatch | 2014 Silver Partner | VNAA MVP Vendor

CareWatch is a telephony based electronic visit verifica-tion (EVV) system that collects time and attendance, billing, patient vitals, payer specific Plans of Care, and travel time and mileage for home health and hospice workers and transmits this data back to their specific agency. The data collection process is paperless and CareWatch’s tools will help better manage your staff and provide a higher level of care to patients, allowing your agency to run more efficiently.

www.carewatch.com

Booth 313 HealthWyse | 2014 Associate Partner | VNAA MVP Vendor

HealthWyse delivers measurable improvement in clini-cal and financial outcomes for home care, hospice and private duty agencies. A visionary industry leader for 13 years, HealthWyse is proactive in addressing critical is-sues such as: analytics and reporting, disease manage-ment and ACO preparedness. Request a demo today.

www.healtywyse.com

Booths 314 and 316 Select Data | 2014 Gold Partner

Select Data provides compliance oriented MasterCod-

ing services to the home health industry. Specialized teams of certified coders and experienced RN creden-tialed coders, grounded in coding-convention, act as an adjunct to your agency. The MasterCoding rigorous diagnoses-specific document review process improves clinical documentation and assists in retaining payment.

www.selectdata.com

Booth 315 The Joint Commission | 2014 Associate Partner

Joint Commission accreditation has become the indus-try’s most widely recognized quality distinction, helping home health, hospice and personal care providers distinguish themselves in the markets they serve. Our process and standards have become the “play book” for many to running an efficient, patient-centered organi-zation. For growing organizations accreditation can provide the framework to help ensure more consistent delivery of care.

www.thejointcommission.org

Booth 317 Byram Healthcare | 2014 Silver Partner

Byram Healthcare provides home health agencies with premium service at a lower cost. We are a comprehensive provider of supply management and transition of care solutions. Our patient direct supply and clinical support programs enable an agency to


Exhibitor Profiles

maximize clinician’s productivity while supporting your patients medical supply needs both on service and upon discharge.

www.leadinghomecare.com

Booth 402 MedScope

Since 1999, MedScope has been working on solutions that help keep patients out of the hospital. MedScope is a national provider of medical alert devices, to include landline and cellular units, fall-detecting buttons and location-based devices to empower patient-centered care and promote the best outcomes at the lowest cost.

www.medscope.com

Booth 403 BKD, LLP | 2014 Associate Partner

BKD, LLP provides services, including financial state-ment audit, tax, accounting outsourcing, cost report preparation, operations consulting, third-party billing, and compliance consulting to 200+ home care & hos-pice clients nationwide.

www.bkd.com

Booth 404 Home Health Gold

Comprehensive OASIS scrubbing & data analysis tools. Improve Outcomes, reimbursements. Ensure compli-ance. Find RAC risks, coding issues, inconsistencies, therapy upgrades and downgrades. Instant drill-down. Prevent Post-Payment take-backs. Detailed Readmis-sion reporting.

Review & correct assessments as soon as they’re en-tered. Real-time access to visit data allows adjustments while episodes are progressing!

www.homehealthgold.com

Booth 405 Merck

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven phar-maceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs.

www.merck.com


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 406 AllScripts, Inc.

Allscripts (NASDAQ: MDRX) provides innovative clinical, financial, connectivity and information solutions for hos-pitals, physicians and post-acute organizations, helping to empower world-class outcomes.

www.allscripts.com

Booth 407 Wolters Kluwer Health

Wolters Kluwer Health company is a leading publisher of medical, health, and science publications, including Home Healthcare Nurse, the VNAA Official Journal of Clinical Practice. We offer an extensive selection of books, journals, and electronic media for healthcare professionals. Please visit booth # 407 to browse our latest products.

www.wolterskluwerhealth.com

Booth 408 CareZips

CareZips – a trouser to help handle adult incontinence with ease and dignity. Because of the full-frontal open-ing (patent pending), the adult is less exposed. Shoes and socks aren’t removed. You’ll see a quicker brief change and a happier caregiver with less back strain.

You’ll see more dignity in your patient and a happier family.

www.carezips.com

Booth 409 Blackbaud

Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, Blackbaud combines technology and expertise to help organiza-tions achieve their missions. Blackbaud offers a full spectrum of cloud-based and on-premise software solutions and related services including: fundrais-ing, eMarketing, social media, advocacy, constituent relationship management (CRM), analytics, financial management, and vertical-specific solutions.

www.blackbaud.com

Booth 410 PassportUSA

PassportUSA is the leading provider of internationally-trained RNs, PTs, OT, SLPs, and medical technologists to U.S. healthcare institutions. We have placed several hundred candidates at leading healthcare facilities across the USA. Client healthcare institutions can trust in our service and quality of candidates. Healthcare professionals will enjoy our high ethics and track record of successful U.S. placement.

www.passportusa.com.


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 411 American Healthcare Capital

American HealthCare Capital is a full service, nationwide corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions advisory firm that specializes in meeting the needs of middle market healthcare providers. With an emphasis on healthcare transactions, we understand the need for a unique approach to the healthcare services sector.

www.AmericanHealthCareCapital.com

Booth 412 Bosch Healthcare

Bosch Healthcare is a leading provider of innovative telehealth systems. Bosch’s product spectrum ranges from patient interfaces to comprehensive health management and patient evaluation software allow-ing healthcare professionals to efficiently evaluate the patient’s health status.

www.bosch-telehealth.com

Booth 413 Sansio

Since 1998, Sansio has been helping agencies improve their clinical, operations, financial, and regulatory performance with HomeSolutions.NET. Flexible Point of Care Electronic Visit Documentation (EVD) and powerful

cloud-based Agency Management enable home health agencies to work in a paperless environment and centralized key processes. Taking Care to the Cloud.

www.sansio.com

Booth 414 Novartis Vaccines | 2014 Associate Partner

Novartis Vaccines—the world’s fifth largest manufac-turer of vaccines and the second largest producer of influenza vaccine—is committed to the fulfillment of this highest of medical ideals.

www.novartis.com

Booths 415 and 417 AtHoc | 2014 Silver Partner

Give Caregivers the Care They Deserve: AtHoc’s check-in/check-out and tracking features protect home car-egivers with the touch of a button. We protect patients, too, empowering home healthcare workers to send emergency alerts in an instant. And ensure continuity of care during power outages. No wonder three million people – including the professionals at Baylor Scott & White Health – depend on AtHoc.

www.AtHoc.com


Exhibitor Profiles

Booth 416 Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) | 2014 Premier Partner

The Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) is the oldest and largest community-based health care accrediting body with more Medicare-certified home health and hospice providers than any other national accrediting body. CHAP-accredited providers, their dedicated employees and loyal volunteers share a mission of providing the best care for people in their community. With no delay in our site visit process, we can get you started on the path to CHAP accreditation today.

www.chapinc.org

Booth 502 Transpirus

Transpirus delivers Outsourced Coding, Revenue Cycle Management Solutions and Strategic Consulting sup-port to the Home Health and Hospice industry. Our proven solutions help agencies improve the accuracy and timeliness of their coding, overall clinical docu-mentation, billing and collections. Our services drive continuous improvement, innovation and improve cash flow and billing compliance.

www.transpirus.com

Booth 504 Agility Recovery

Agility Recovery, a former division of GE, is North America’s premier provider of business continuity and disaster recovery solutions. For more than 25 years, over 19,000 clients and partners have trusted Agility to provide comprehensive and economical recovery solutions; including providing temporary power, office space, communications and computer systems.

www2.agilityrecovery.com/

Booth 506 CellTrak

CellTrak is the leading provider of integrated mobile healthcare solutions for the home healthcare, hospice, and private duty markets. Improve compliance, increase efficiency and create better outcomes for patient care. Healthcare Workers across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom deliver millions of successful visits every month via CellTrak.

www.celltrak.com


Exhibitor Profiles

Booths 508 and 510 Axxess Technology Solutions

Axxess is a leading provider of software and consult-ing services to the home health care industry. Axxess’ flagship AgencyCore® Home Health Software is a complete, user-friendly and fully integrated solution that empowers home health agencies by helping them increase revenue, decrease cost, improve compliance and productivity.

www.axxess.com

Booth 512 Briggs Healthcare

Trusted by more than 50,000 customers, Briggs Health-care has been helping health care providers improve clinical and financial performance through a wide array of products for more than 65 years.

www.BriggsCorp.com

Booths 514 and 516 Time Warner Cable Business Class

Time Warner Cable Business Class, the B2B arm of Time Warner Cable, has local government teams, dedicated to help customize the right package for state, local and public education institutions to municipalities and government entities. We’ll work with you to understand

your industry and provide the specific resources to streamline operations.

www.twc.com/business


The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa 101 MonteLago Blvd Henderson, NV 89011 Phone: 702-567-6000 www.westinlakelasvegas.com

Taxi Information

The Westin Lake Las Vegas is located approximately 28 minutes from McCarran International Airport.

Total estimated cost: $50.00 to $60.00

Courtesy ShuttleShuttle service from Westin Lake Las Vegas resort and Spa to McCarran International Airport will be available on Friday, April 4 from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

The shuttle departs approximately each hour from the Motorcoach Departures area in The Straits, adjacent to the Motor Court.

Sponsored by

Hotel and Transportation


Mark your calendars now for the following VNAA events scheduled for later this year:

VNAA Regional MeetingsDesigned to bring together home health and hospice leaders in an intimate setting, regional meetings provide great opportunities to network and share regionally-based successes and challenges with fellow home health and hospice professionals. Meetings feature informative sessions led by VNAA senior staff and other industry experts on topics including legislative and regulatory updates, finance and business development, care transitions, and best practices.

The first VNAA Regional Meeting of 2014 will be held June 17 and 18 in Kansas CIty, Missouri. Visit www.vnaa.org/regional-meetings for more details.

Public Policy Leadership ConferenceHeld each year in Washington, D.C., the Public Policy Leadership Conference provides an opportunity for hospice and home health care providers to network with each other and with their representatives in Congress, receive training and education in the latest issues regarding health care and hospice policy and gain an insider’s perspective on the outlook toward health care-related issues in Congress and the administration.

The 2014 Conference will be held Sept. 8-10 at the Capital Hilton, 1001 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C. Visit www.vnaa.org/pplc-2014 to learn more and to view highlights from last year’s conference.

Upcoming Events in 2014


Acknowledgments

VNAA would like to thank the following member volunteers for their generous donation of time, expertise and effort. Their contributions are vital to the success of the Annual Meeting.

VNAA ANNuAl MeetiNg CoMMittee

Rhonda Combs, RN, MSN | Chair Christiana Care VNA New Castle, Del.

Ann Painter, RN, MS VNA of Somerset Hills Basking Ridge, N.J.

Lucy Saia, RN, MSN, MBA Home Health and Hospice Care Merrimack, N.H.

Celeste Twardon, RN, BSN, MS, MBA Home Nursing Agency Altoona, Pa.

Barbara Szewczyk, RN, MSN, COS-C Christiana Care VNA New Castle, Del.

Marie Sperber, MS VNA of Somerset Hills Basking Ridge, N.J.

Paul Giles Dignity Health Yorba Linda, Calif.

Christy Mesick Visiting Nurse Association Omaha, Neb.

Patrick Brown Penn Home Care and Hospice Services Philadelphia, Pa.

VNAA NAtioNAl AwArds CoMMittee

Theresa Santoro, MSN, RN, CHCA | Chair Ridgefield VNA Ridgefield, Conn.

Meg Doherty, MSN, ANP-BC, MBA Norwell VNA and Hospice Norwell, Mass.

George Beilke VNA of Tulsa Tulsa, Okla.

Jean Burgener Aspirus VNA Home Health Wausau, Wis.

ANNuAl MeetiNg ProgrAM VoluNteers

Emilie M. Deady, RN, MSN, MGA Washington, D.C.

Merrily Evdokimoff, RN, PhD M & J Associates Stow, MA

Maryanna Arsenault Wells, Maine


Board of DirectorsMary DeVeau, RN, MSM Chair President and CEO Concord Regional VNA Concord, N.H.

Ellen Rothberg, RN, MPH Vice Chair President and CEO VNA Healthcare, Inc. Wethersfield, Conn.

Mark Oshnock Treasurer President and CEO Visiting Nurse Health System, Inc. Atlanta, Ga.

Linnea Windel, RN, MSN Secretary President and CEO VNA Health Care Aurora, Ill.

Lynn Jones, FACHE Immediate Past Chair President Christiana Care VNA New Castle, Del.

Katherine Browne Deputy Director and COO Center for Health Care Quality George Washington University Washington, D.C.

Barbara Burgess President and CEO Pathways Home Health and Hospice Sunnyvale, Calif.

Mary Ann Christopher President and CEO Visiting Nurse Service of New York New York, N.Y.

Esther Emard, RN, MSN, MSLIR Board Member, VNA of Care New England Warwick, RI

Tracey Moorhead President and CEO VNAA Arlington, Va.

Norene Mostkoff President and CEO HCI-VNS Care Services West Des Moines, Iowa

Joan Quinn, RN, MS President Quinn Consulting Dudley, Mass.

Joseph Scopelliti, Jr., MBA President and CEO VNA Health System Shamokin, Pa.

Faith Scott President and CEO Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey Morristown, N.J.

Timothy Veach QA/Compliance Officer Intermountain Homecare Salt Lake City, Utah

VNAA Board of Directors and Staff

StaffHank Daugherty Web and Communications Manager

Leah Dawson Senior Coordinator for Member Services and Corporate Relations

Ashley Durkin Director of Communications

Eileen Grande Director of Education

Chuck Koch Senior Director of Membership and Corporate Relations

Tracey Moorhead President and CEO

Rebecca Schmitt Senior Project Associate

Kathleen Sheehan VP of Public Policy

Monisha Smith Manager of Government Affairs

Margaret (Peg) Terry VP of Quality and Innovation

Kelly Tyson Manager of Quality and Education


Corporate Partners

VNAA is proud to partner with the following corporations to support the work of mission driven, non-

profit home health and hospice agencies. If you’re interested in partnering with VNAA, please speak

with Chuck Koch, Senior Director for Membership and Corporate Relations, or visit the Corporate

Partners page on our website at vnaa.org/corporate-partners.

Platinum Partner

CareerBuilder

Premier Partner

Community Health Accreditation Program

Gold Partners

McKesson

Cardiocom

SelectData

Philips Home Monitoring

Byram Healthcare

Silver Partners

AtHoc

Delta Heath Technologies

Covidien

CareWatch

Associate Partners

BKD

WellTrackMD

Novartis


Notes

Event Program: 2014 VNAA Annual Meeting

Healthcare

Transcript of Event Program: 2014 VNAA Annual Meeting