Your Bridge to Success:’ NHIA Conference 2000
Program to include seminars, networking
The National Home Infusion Association’s (NHIA) Ninth Annual Conference on May 17-20 in Cincinnati will be held in partnership with Expo 2000, a joint meeting of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), and the Chain Drug Marketing Association (CDMA). A primary networking and business opportunity for infusion specialists, the NHIA conference will feature 50 booths showcasing the full range of products and services used to support infusion therapy clinical services, operations, and management.
All NHIA Ninth Annual Conference programs are accredited for both pharmacy and nursing continuing education unless otherwise specified. For more information about NCPA and CDMA programming, including disease management and pharmacist care credentialing programs, call the NCPA at (800) 544-7447.
The programs include:
"The Executive Conference 2000 — Strategic Planning and Partnering." Developing critical success factors for home infusion therapy." Spon-sored by Pharmaceutical Buyers, this conference provides an opportunity for home infusion owners, executives, and top-line managers to work together in a participatory format to discuss the most important factors in successful planning and management for infusion therapy. Karen Flores, PharmD, president of Health Management Associates (Woodside, CA) will present "Strategic Planning for the New Millennium." Lisa DiSalvo, strategic planning, Pharmaceutical Buyers, Boul-der, CO, will facilitate. Cost: $100 for conference registrants; $125 to attend this program only.)
The clinical pre-conference program will include these content sessions:
• Vascular Access Management: Strategies for Improved Patient Care.
Offers an update on the latest issues in vascular access management, including research on device selection and strategies for preventing and managing catheter occlusions and other common catheter complications for home infusion therapy patients. Suzanne F. Herbst, RN, MA, is the speaker.
• Clinical Outcomes Benchmarking.
Part of the clinical pre-conference program, this segment will focus on clinical measurement efforts undertaken under the Joint Commission’s ORYX initiative, preliminary findings, and their implications for home infusion practices. Discussion will include medication errors, adverse drug reactions, vascular access device complications and infections, primary bloodstream infections, and strategies for standardized reporting and efficient data collection. Barbara Rosenblum, BSN, MAOM, speaker.
• Using Outcomes for Performance Improvement.
Discussion by Tony Powers, PharmD, president, Medical Alternatives, of Memphis, TN, will include explanations of how to do a root-cause analysis use the data collected to show ways to reduce medication errors, vascular access device complications and infections, decrease hospitalizations, and improve patient care.
The general session on May 18 will feature:
• Legislative/Regulatory Update.
An update of the implementation of key components of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, this program will cover various Medicare Part B home care issues, such as inherent reasonableness, competitive and consolidated billing, and key community pharmacy issues affecting infusion therapy such as acquisition-cost legislation, Medicare prescription drug coverage, freedom of choice, and state clean claims legislation. Speakers are Lorrie Kline Kaplan, executive director, National Home Infusion Association, Alexandria, VA, and Alan K. Parver, Esq., president, National Alliance for Infusion Therapy, Washington, DC.
• Nursing and Pharmacy Collaboration in Alternate Care Settings.
Presents a contrast between traditional nursing and pharmacy roles with an updated, cross-functional model using specific steps and opportunities for collaboration. Presenters are Eric S. Kastango, RPh, president, Clinical IQ, LLC, Madison, NJ, and Kate Douglass, C,CNS, MS, CRNI, AOCN, vice president of clinical services, Coram Healthcare Corp., Whippany, NY.
• Operational Benchmarking: Reaping the Benefits.
Kenneth Lawson, PhD, associate professor, Pharmacy Practice and Administration Division, University of Texas College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX, and Rad Dillon, RPh, National Pharmacy Manager, Apria Healthcare, Louisville, KY, will present the key indicators for measuring operational performance in infusion therapy, using emerging benchmarks for these indicators.
• Building Successful Managed Care Relationships.
Judy Lewis, RN, infusion manager, Health Home, Phoenix, will discuss keys to managed care partnerships, major pitfalls to avoid when dealing with managed care payers, educating payers about using infusion services, ensuring appropriate coverage and reimbursement, managing and resolving conflicts when they occur, and contractual strategies for preventing coverage and payment conflicts.
• Clinical Competency for Home Infusion Providers.
Donald J. Filibeck, PharmD, regional pharmacy manager, Apria Healthcare, Columbus, OH, will discuss Joint Commission clinical competency requirements and how to implement a clinical competency evaluation program in a cost-and time-restricted environment. This talk will include current Joint Commission standards related to clinical competency evaluation and documentation for pharmacy and home health nursing providers, selecting the right competencies to evaluate at initial hire and on an ongoing basis, implementing appropriate policies and procedures, and strategies for developing clinical competency programs that are cost-effective and contribute to improved patient outcomes.
• Electronic Claiming and Standardized Coding for Home Infusion: An Update.
This program will also provide an update on the Home Infusion EDI Coalition, its per diem codes and federal mandates under the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act, and the role of the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs.
• Recognition and Reimbursement for Infusion Professional Services.
Grant Brown, PharmD, executive vice president, Franchise Operations, Option Care Inc., Bannock-burn, IL, will speak on trends and factors in gaining explicit recognition of and reimbursement for professional services. He will also address current strategies for related service sectors.
To attend NHIA’s ninth annual conference, contact NHIA, 205 Dangerfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22314. Telephone: (703) 549-3740. Fax: (703) 683-1464.
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