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Sessions
Full Conference: Up To 14 clock hours for Admins/Alt!
Tuesday, August 30
12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
1a. Jurisdiction M HH and Hospice Hot Topics
Speaker: Charles Canaan, RN, Senior Provider Relations Consultant, Provider Outreach & Education, Palmetto GBA
Continuing Education: 2.0 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 2.0 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare
This session will discuss current trends and issues with Medicare Home Health and Hospice
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Hospice utilization
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Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER)
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Average Length of Stay
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Non-cancer Length of Stay
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Discharge from the Medicare Hospice Benefit
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Respite Care
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Home Health Utilization Trends
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Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER)
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Periods with Low Visits
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NOA/NOE and any billing issues surrounding those
12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
1b. Rethink Everything: How the toughest times are an opportunity to make big changes
Speakers: Brett Brier, VP of Business Development, CubHub Systems and Cole Ballweg, President, CubHub Systems
Continuing Education: 2.0 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 2.0 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare Private Pay
Community Care Hospice
Pediatric
The pandemic has taken some trends in the home care industry and brought them into full relief. Successful leaders will be those willing to question everything and make the changes that in the past would have seemed too disruptive. Pay structures, staff ratios, office space, client and staff relationships: Everything is on the table. In this presentation we will explore areas that are ripe for disruption and offer ideas for big and small changes.
2:45 pm - 4:45 pm
2a. Jurisdiction M HH and Hospice: Getting it Right the First Time
Speakers: Charles Canaan, RN, Senior Provider Relations Consultant, Provider Outreach & Education, Palmetto GBA
Continuing Education: 2.0 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 2.0 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare
This session will discuss improper payment and denials and give tips on how to prevent them.
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RCD
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Hospice medical review denials
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Documentation best strategies and most denied due to documentation
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Comprehensive Error Rate Testing errors
2b. HHSC Power Hour—2 hour Information Packed Session You Don’t Want to Miss!
Speakers: Rosalind Nelson-Gamblin, Senior Policy Specialist, Long-Term Care Regulation, HHSC
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 2.0 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 2.0 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare Private Pay
Community Care Hospice
Pediatric
Review of Top Ten Violations for LHH and PAS and Preparing for Survey;
This session will discuss the most frequently cited state licensing standards for home health and personal assistance services. The presentation will make a connection between the regulations and the need for documentation during a state licensing survey. The participant will be able to use the information to make self-determination of non-compliance.
Regulations for Supportive Palliative Care in the Home Care Setting
Join Rosalind Nelson-Gamblin as she delves into the topic of Supportive Palliative Care. This session will discuss the definition of supportive palliative care and current regulations and guidance for home health and hospice agencies.
Wednesday, August 31
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Opening Ceremonies & Keynote
This session will kick off with TAHC&H's Executive Director, Rachel Hammon and Board President, Kristen Robison welcoming attendees with an association and industry update. We will then be entertained and motivated by the hilarious, Buzz Sutherland. The 16-time Comedian of the Year believes that when it comes to success in your personal or professional life… IT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILY! Buzz will take you on a hysterical journey into how we can all improve our day-to-day experiences.
Speakers: Buzz Sutherland
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours for Admin/Alts.
Target Audience:
Medicare Private Pay
Community Care Hospice
Pediatric
11:15 am - 12:30 pm
4a. Preparing for Medicare Home Health Value-Based Purchasing
After the five-year Medicare Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Demonstration came to an end on December 31, 2020, CMS got busy digging into the data from across the nine HHVBP demonstration states. CMS has determined HHVBP saved money and should be expanded nationwide in 2023. Join Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) data guru Chris Attaya for an analysis of Texas agencies overall performance compared to providers in other states. Additionally, attendees will gain insight into what to expect in the next phase of HHVBP to ensure success.
Speaker: Chris Attaya, MBA, Vice President, Product Strategy, Strategic Healthcare Programs
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.25 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare
4b. Tips and Myths Leading a Multi-Generational Workforce
The aging demographics of the workforce coupled with realignment of individual priorities brought about by the pandemic have led many to label 2022 the “Great Resignation” or the “Great Reshuffle." As a result of this human capital conundrum, it has become evident that knowledge transfer, retention, and upskilling should be top of mind while managing this multigenerational workforce representing four and five cohorts. Using technology to boost productivity and efficiency is an effective way to scale organizations, however there are myths surrounding various cohorts’ application and competency which may challenge the culture of an organization. Join in as we explore various myths surrounding the generations and learn practical tips for improving your organization by embracing the diversity of a multigenerational team.
Speakers: Tammy Ross, MHA, BSN, Senior VP of Professional Services; Axxess
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts.
Target Audience:
Medicare Private Pay
Community Care Hospice
Pediatric
4c. Innovation For Tomorrow's Homecare
With over 30 years of helping families achieve their goal of aging in-place, Caring Senior Service CEO, Jeff Salter, will share key methods of how his company has evolved to meet today's challenges in operating a non-medical homecare business. For the most part, non-medical homecare changed very little, despite new challenges. How will your business be competitive in tomorrow's homecare landscape?
Speakers: Jeffrey Salter, CEO and Founder, Caring Senior Service
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: TBA
Target Audience:
Private Pay
4d. Paying Parents as Caregivers
Have you had questions about paying parents as caregivers? Join speakers, Lisa Malone and Brian Nelson from AXXESS in exploring the potential benefits and challenges of states paying parents as caregivers for their medically fragile children and walk away with valuable information for the benefit of your agency.
Speakers: Lisa Malone, RN, Clinical Product Manager at AXXESS and Brian Nelson, Product Marketing Manager, AXXESS
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.25 contact hours
Target Audience:
Pediatric
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
5a. Finding the Value in OASIS E
In this session, SimiTree’s J'non Griffin will demonstrate how OASIS E data will be used to define your agency’s Home Health Quality Reporting portfolio and performance scoring for Value Based Purchasing. Learn which items are used in these programs, how the new Social Determinants of Health items will impact your agency, and why accurate data collection is imperative to agency success.
Speaker: JJ’non Griffin, RN, MHA, HCS-D, HCS-C, HCS-H, COS-C, Principal, SimiTree Healthcare Consulting
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.50 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.50 contact hours
Target Audience: Medicare
5b. Hospice Care Index – Are your Index Values Reflecting the Care that You Provide?
The Hospice Care Index was added to hospice quality reporting in the fall of 2021 and is a big move by CMS to claims-based quality measurement in hospice. Now that the HCI is available in agency data and public reporting, hospices must get to know the background of this new quality reporting measure, what the components of this rating scale are, and the potential impact for you and your agency. Do you know your number and what it means for you?
Speakers: Colleen Bryan, MSNed, RN, Senior Consultant, Primary Nurse Planner; JCC Consulting
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.50 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.50 contact hours
Target Audience: Hospice
5c. Cleaning out the Home Health Closet - Operational Metrics for Value Era Success with all Payors
Value-Era changes mandated by the Impact Act have prompted an operational upheaval for HH Providers seeking success under PDGM. Without rewiring for clinical acuity rather than volume as the primary driver of Home Health, traditional agency operations often fail to achieve efficient, best practice care programs. This progressive presentation addresses Value-Based operations for the Impact Act era, focusing on specific operational metrics for success. Initially addressing Medicare episodes based on PDGM reforms, this session will also address how insight into operational metrics can guide programing for all payors. Start cleaning out your Home Health closet today and update operations with Value-Based management metrics for success.
Speakers: Arnie Cisneros, PT, President, Home Health Strategic Management and Kimberly McCormick, RN, BSN, Executive Clinical Director, Home Health Strategic Management
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.50 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.50 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare Private Pay
Community Care Hospice
Pediatric
5d. DOL and TWC Issues for Homecare Employees
This session will cover the basic requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act for paying minimum wage and overtime, as well as exemptions from those laws, as well as recordkeeping, legal issues for wage deductions, best practices for drafting enforceable wage agreements, paying employees on time, and minimizing the risk of wage claims. The speaker will also discuss advanced wage and hour law topics, including minimum wage for the final pay period, how to deal with non-return of company property, the most common pitfalls under the FLSA, and how to handle final pay legally. Finally, the session will address what to do when an audit or wage claim investigation happens, how to appeal adverse rulings, how wage judgments can be enforced by legal authorities, and how to deal with upper management about the importance of following good advice for compliance with the laws.
Speaker: Tommy Simmons, Legal Counsel for the Commissioner, Texas Workforce Commission
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.50 clock hours for Admin/Alts.
Target Audience:
Medicare Private Pay
Community Care Hospice
Pediatric
3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
6a. Home Care Revenue Cycle 2022 & Beyond
Join nationally known speaker Melinda Gaboury as she delves into the significant changes in the proposed rule for the payments to Home Health agencies. It is vital for agencies to understand these changes and the devastating effect it will have if passed as proposed. In addition, Melinda will discuss the NOA issues that agencies have had and the impact that trickles down to the agencies.
Speaker: Melinda Gaboury, COS-C, Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Provider Solutions
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.50 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.50 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare
3:45 pm - 5:45 pm
6b. Practice, Practice, Practice...Applying the Texas Nursing Practice Act and Ethics to Home Care
Become reacquainted with the Texas Nursing Practice Act, Texas BON rules and Position Statements. Every nurse is responsible to know the Texas BON rules that apply to nursing practice. Also covered are ethical principles and professional boundaries. Lisa Selman-Holman will take rules that every Texas nurse needs to know and practically apply those to home care. This course will provide the 2 contact hours of continuing education on jurisprudence and ethics that is required for all Texas nurses
Speakers: Lisa Selman-Holman, Vice President Quality and Education, McBee
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 2.0 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 2.0
Target Audience:
Medicare Private Pay
Community Care Hospice
Pediatric
3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
TAHC&H Business Meeting
Annual review of association business and election of new Board of Directors.
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Thursday, September 1
9:00 am - 10:15 am
General Session: Industry Update
Don’t miss out on this information packed industry update with Bill Dombi, President, National Association for Home Care and Hospice! With changes hitting agencies from all directions, Bill helps clear the path for agencies to address issues and stay operating as strong as ever.
*Workforce improvement action plans
*2023 HHPPS Rate Update Rule and Advocacy Strategies
* Hospice FY2023 Payment Rule
*OIG, UPIC, MAC, and SA Activity: The Alphabet Soup of Oversight
*Private Duty Home Care Issue Landscape
*Medicaid: Build Back Better? Is there life?
Speaker: William A. Dombi, President, National Association for Home Care & Hospice
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts.
Target Audience:
Medicare Private Pay
Community Care Hospice
Pediatric
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
7a. A Comprehensive Look at Higher-Acuity Home-Based Care Models
This session will educate attendees on new higher-acuity, home-based care models, update them on the latest legislative and regulatory environments and review certain operational considering for any companies looking to participate in these new models of care.
Speaker: William A. Dombi, President, National Association for Home Care & Hospice and Kurt Baumgartel, Executive Vice President of Home Based Care, COMPASSUS
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.25 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare
7b. Chronic Care Management - Benefits of an Evidence Based Program
Due to an aging population and improvements in healthcare and the diagnosis, treatment, and/or management of disease, many older people suffer from more than 1 illness. The most common comorbid chronic conditions that occur include heart disease, hypertension, respiratory disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, joint disease, sensory impairment, and mental health problems. In order to optimize interventions and policies addressing multi-morbidity, we must have a clear understanding of the relationship between multi-morbidity and quality of care. In this session we will discuss best practices around dealing with comorbidities of the elderly population and what your agency can do to succeed with management of these patients.
Speaker: J’non Griffin, RN, MHA, HCS-D, HCS-C, HCS-H, COS-C, Principal, SimiTree Healthcare Consulting
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.25 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare
Community Care
Hospice
7c. Turning Vision Into Value: Top 3 Business Opportunities for Private Duty Agencies
Older Americans with chronic illness and other maladies of aging insist on remaining as independent as possible and aging in place. This presents the Private Duty arena with enormous opportunities. How can Private Duty agencies set themselves apart? What innovations have you yet to capitalize on? Industry experts will discuss several opportunities that your organization can take advantage of to serve your communities better while also increasing the value of your organization and having meaningful positive impacts on your bottom line. This session will touch on the top three business opportunities for Private Duty agencies and help your organization become a trailblazer.
Speaker: Sheila Davis, Executive Senior Vice President, Area Operations, Always Best Care Senior Services, LLC
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts.
Target Audience:
Private Pay
7d. Value Based Insurance Design Model
Expanding rapidly, Medicare Advantage networks in twenty-one states and Puerto Rico are participating in the Value Based Insurance Design Model for hospice. It is important now more than ever to understand the VBID Model for hospice, how it will impact hospice organizations as well as the ins and outs of working with participating Medicare Advantage Plans. Beginning with the why and moving through reimbursement, this session will bring the VBID Hospice Component into focus while providing strategies to be successful when partnering with Medicare Advantage plans.
Speaker: Melinda Gaboury, COS-C, Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Provider Solutions
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.25 contact hours
Target Audience:
Hospice
1:45 pm - 3:00 pm
8a. Red Flags and the New Home Health PEPPER Reports
Have you checked your PEPPER? Did you even know you have a PEPPER? CMS uses PEPPER as a guide for auditing and monitoring efforts. Although it does not identify improper payments, it can be used to identify practices that may lead that way. Petria will assist you in utilizing the PEPPER for identifying and correcting behaviors around the Review Choice Demo and TPE. PEPPER identifies your agencies’ bad behavior that shows you how you may be red flagging yourself to CMS and OIG. For CY2020 in Texas, only 34% of home health agencies have downloaded their reports. Of the available 1,667 reports available, only 571 reports have been downloaded. Nationwide the download rate is 48%.
Speakers: Petria McKelvey, CEO, Precision Medical Billing
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.25 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare
8b. Financial Considerations When Buying or Selling an Agency
Mergers & Acquisitions have been in full swing for a while now and many agencies are expanding by acquisition. This session will review the financial considerations involved when an agency is bought or sold. We'll discuss the difference between a Stock Purchase and an Asset Purchase as well as what information should be available and presentable for any potential acquisition - both from the seller's perspective and the buyers'. For those not looking to sell soon, we'll also discuss steps you can take now to increase your potential sales price and attractiveness to buyers down the line. Even if you never sell, being prepared to do so sets you up as a successful agency.
Speakers: Amy Knight, CPA; Knight CPA Group
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts.
Target Audience:
Medicare Private Pay
Community Care Hospice
Pediatric
8c. The Community Care Landscape
In these times of COVID, the US Economy, increased gas prices, expiration of 1115 Medicaid Waiver and more, how are community care agencies coping in these uncertain times? This collaborative session will discuss the most common actions that community care agencies have taken to stay in the game. This will include discussion on new workforce solutions, best practices for recruiting, along with how innovations have played a key factor in many areas of the business. Participants will also learn how to compete for the MCO market by bringing value and solutions to the bargaining table together with those metrics essential to Value Bases contraction.
Speaker: Sheila Davis, Executive Senior Vice President, Area Operations, Always Best Care Senior Services, LLC and Erin Vallier, Director of Sales, AlayaCare
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts.
Target Audience:
Community Care
8d. Beyond Meals-on-Wheels: Social Workers in Hospice
Are you new to hospice or managing social workers for the first time? Are you unsure what social workers can do in hospice beyond resource referral? This presentation will review the qualifications for social workers in the hospice setting as-well-as review scope of practice. During this presentation we will also discuss skills necessary to determine competency and discuss possible scenarios where social workers can intervene.
Speaker: Lisa Meadows, MSW, Manager, Clinical Compliance Education; ACHC
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.25 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.25 contact hours
Target Audience:
Hospice
3:15 pm - 4:45 pm
9a. The Potential is There: How Potentially Preventable Hospitalization (PPH) Might Fit into Value-Based Purchasing (VBP)
Many of us awaited the proposed rule expecting that PPH would not only be part of the Quality Measures but added to the HHVBP model; it was not. Although PPH is not yet part of VBP, join us as we talk about why it will be eventually added to VBP and what your organization can begin to do today to prepare for what PPH will measure and how it will affect your Total Performance score when added. In this session, we will review how calculations work and the vulnerabilities that PPH will bring to light. Start today with strategies to reduce Acute Hospitalizations and thrive in VBP.
Speaker: Lisa Selman-Holman,Vice President Quality and Education, McBee
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.50 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.50 contact hours
Target Audience:
Medicare
9b. Outsourcing Your Back Office: The Best Practice Approach
Many agencies are looking for more and more ways to trim the expenses from their overhead and therefore recognize a stronger bottom line profit. One significant cost savings they take advantage of is outsourcing work that can easily be outsourced while leaving the owners and operators in control of their businesses. There are many back office functions that can be outsourced such as payroll, billing and QA – but accounting is an often overlooked back office function that can also be easily outsourced to provide the agency a better bottom line, reduced administrative staff costs and less back office management needed. Not only can this be a cost savings but it can also really simplify the operations – less staff to manage and knowing that someone who is skilled at that activity is handling it.
In this session we will discuss which scenarios make the most sense to outsource the accounting function of the agency, how it works and what solutions are out there to assist in finding the right mix of outsourcing the work but still maintaining control.
Speaker: Amy Knight, CPA; Knight CPA Group
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.50 clock hours for Admin/Alts.
Target Audience:
Medicare Private Pay
Community Care Hospice
Pediatric
9c. Mental Health and Pediatric Care
There is no question that the last few years have pushed caregivers and staff to their limits. Join noted AXXESS speakers, Lisa Malone and Brian Nelson, as they discuss the importance of utilizing mental health resources and support for all those involved in pediatric care. Don’t miss out on this crucial information to take back to your agency!
Speakers: Lisa Malone, RN, Clinical Product Manager at AXXESS and Brian Nelson, Product Marketing Manager, AXXESS
Continuing Education: Continuing Education: 1.50 clock hours for Admin/Alts. / Nursing Credits: 1.50 contact hours
Target Audience:
Pediatric
9d. The Great Resignation- Thriving During a Time of Hospice Workplace Shortages
The pandemic has forced hospice organizations to stretch their resources to their breaking point. We are seeing an escalation of early retirements, staff taking travelling contracts to gain higher pay and more work from home job opportunities. Organizations must focus efforts on creating a culture of inclusion, treating employees as their #1 customer and maximizing recruiting techniques to create high powered teams. Join this engaging workshop to transform your workplace into a place of abundance and learn the role of hospice front-line managers on the viability of your team's success.