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  • VI, Issue 1

Hello!

Welcome to the March 2011 issue of THE PATHFINDER.

With the April 1st enforcement date for Face-To-Face requirements fast approaching, I thought that I would bring to you this month as many resources as possible to enhance your ability to be fully compliant with these regulations.

• Cheri Whalen's Blog, HEALTHCAREfirst Regulatory Blog, recently reprinted a dynamite grid which came to her via the NAHC listserv from Serese Wiehardt, CEO of Howard County Home Health - http://blog.healthcarefirst.com/regulatory-blog/
• CAHABA's Face-To-Face (FTF) Encounters for Home Health Certification can be found at http://tinyurl.com/4zdxnsu.
• CAHABA's Hospice Face-To-Face (FTF) Encounters for Recertification can be found at http://tinyurl.com/4tnfs6b.
• Elizabeth Hogue's article, Face-to-Face Encounters: Avoiding Liability for Abandonment, was highlighted in the February Pathfinder newsletter.  If you would like to reread this article, you can find it by clicking here.

An additional article by Elizabeth Hogue is available this month: Face-To-Face Encounters by Medical Directors.  You will find the introduction to this article below.

We have a busy month ahead!  We look forward to seeing our friends in hospice at the Texas and New Mexico Hospice Organization's meeting in Dallas on Sunday, March 20th. 

For those of you who cannot be at the meeting, please join us on our complimentary webinar on “The 5% Solution: Infusing New Life Into Your Volunteer Program” Tuesday, March 29th at 11A (Central).  The registration information is listed in the border article block to the left. 

If we can provide you with any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,  Beth Carpenter

“Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that the power to work is a blessing, that the love of work is success.”  David O. McKay

Face-to-Face Encounters by Medical Directors, By Elizabeth Hogue, Esq.

Effective April 1, 2011, provides may not be paid for services rendered if patients have not had appropriate face-to-face encounters with physicians during required time periods.  In order for home health agencies and hospices to be paid for services provided, documentation of these encounters must also meet applicable requirements.  Most staff members of agencies and hospices have read communications from CMS, fiscal intermediaries and other sources that seem to state that Medical Directors cannot provide face-to-face encounters and documentation of them in order to meet applicable requirements.  This conclusion is stress-provoking for staff members because Medical Directors often refer a number of patients to them.  

To continue this article, please click here....

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE A NEW SERVICE 

Accreditation Commission for Health Care
Beth Carpenter and Associates is proud to announce the addition of a new service for its clients!  We are now able to support your efforts to achieve accreditation through Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) whether you are a new or existing agency - home health, hospice or private duty.  

To assist you in your efforts to reach and maintain deemed status for Home Health and Hospice agencies as well as accreditation as a Private Duty Nursing and/or Private Duty Aide organization, the following are a sample of potential services currently available through Beth Carpenter and Associates:
• Assistance in preparation of the ACHC Application and the Preliminary Evidence Report (PER).
• Review of  your Application and PER prior to submission to ACHC.
• Assistance with any revisions to the PER requested by ACHC following initial submission.
• Training and instruction to administration and staff to prepare for an on-site ACHC survey.
• Assistance in creating a Plan of Correction, if necessary, following an on-site ACHC survey. Subsequent to successful accreditation, we are available to work with your agency to continue compliance with the ACHC standards.  

For further information, call 847-382-1035 or e-mail
bcarpenter@bethcarpenterandassociates.com.  

Beth Carpenter
Beth Carpenter and Associates 847-382-1035
bcarpenter@bethcarpenterandassociates.com

Beth Carpenter and Associates has earned a reputation as a company with deep industry experience and one that works closely with its clients to identify solutions that meet their business goals and strategic objectives.  We do not simply advise.  We partner with our customers to implement the solution and ensure its success.

Sincerely, Beth Carpenter

ARE YOU ON THE RIGHT PATH?
Since 1995 Beth Carpenter and Associates has provided its real-world experience to the management of healthcare companies, especially those  organizations with a focus on home health, hospice and private duty, in the areas of operations, clinical services, sales and marketing.  We work with management to identify the strategic direction of the organization and implement the necessary changes that allow health care providers to move forward in today's environment.

We help you choose the right path to success and then we walk it with you.