Hospice Management Advisor Archives – June 1, 2009
June 1, 2009
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Across the U.S., hospices meet swine flu challenge with education
Increased education and diligent observation of families and patients are the key steps initially taken by hospice staff members to prevent the spread of H1N1 Flu (swine flu) among patients, staff, and family members. -
Symptoms, treatment for the swine flu
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms of swine flu are the same as the symptoms for seasonal flu: fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea. If a person lives in an area in which swine flu has been identified, the CDC recommends a visit to the physician to determine if testing or treatment is necessary. -
Emergency plans for pandemic get live test
Although no one is happy to see a potential pandemic, the swine flu situation does give home health agencies the opportunity to test their emergency plans in a live situation, points out Phyllis Wang, president of New York State Association of Health Care Providers (HCP), which represents home- and community-based providers in New York. New York agencies are required to have emergency plans in place for a variety of crises but no real test of plans to address pandemics has occurred, until now, she says. -
Clinical pathways help hospices improve care
Change is difficult but hospices have to change the way they approach patient care due to the requirements of the Conditions of Participation (CoPs) that became effective in December 2008. -
Medicare payments to decrease in 2010
Payments to hospices are estimated to decrease by 1.1% with the update to the Medicare Hospice Wage Index for fiscal year 2010, according to the proposed rule proposed rule published in the Federal Register on April 24, 2009. -
New approach to budgeting can improve bottom line
You've just finished reviewing the monthly financial statement for your agency, and you're pleased to see little variance in the projected expenses compared to actual expense. Does this mean your agency did well this month? -
Staff members choose to stay, preserve seniority
Job cuts, company closures, and salary reductions are in all of the headlines today, but an uncertain job market can be a good thing for home health agencies. -
Outsource billing, coding to get best use of staff
The detail and precision required to code and submit claims to Medicare keeps increasing, and smaller home health agencies struggle to stay on top of continuous changes. One solution sought by many agency managers is to outsource some or all of the coding and billing activities of the agency. -
Reasons that patients experience pain differently
Why would two patients with the same condition and treatment report vastly different levels of pain, and are genetic factors mainly responsible? -
Joint Commission appoints home care director
The Joint Commission has announced the appointment of Margherita C. Labson, RN, as executive director of the Home Care Accreditation Program. -
New resource center addresses wound care
Mölnlycke Health Care US has launched a new Clinical Education Resource Center. This new program emphasizes best practices in wound care. -
What is next to address HIV/AIDS epidemic?
The HIV/AIDS epidemic has wreaked havoc among African-American communities in the United States in the past decade, and the government's slow response is partly to blame, one AIDS advocate says.