A Note From The RVNA & Hospice CEO

Carol Wood, R.N., CEO
As the only Not-for-Profit home health and hospice agency located in the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley, Ramona VNA & Hospice is committed to providing quality care to the patients we serve. One of the best indicators for someone evaluating a home health or hospice agency is whether or not the agency has achieved accreditation.

The Community Health Accreditation Program, Inc. (CHAP) is an independent, non-profit accrediting body.  It was the first accrediting body for community-based health care organizations in the United States and was created in 1965 as a joint venture between the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the National League for Nursing (NLN).  These organizations brought to fruition the futuristic view that accreditation was the needed mechanism for recognizing excellence in community health practice. In 1988, CHAP became a separately incorporated, non-profit subsidiary of the NLN under the CHAP name.  In 2001, it was spun-off by the NLN and became an independent, non-profit corporation.
CHAP was granted “deeming authority” by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 1992 for home health and in 1999, for hospice. This means that instead of state surveys, CHAP has regulatory authorization to survey agencies providing home health and hospice services, to determine whether they meet the Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs). In 2006, CMS granted CHAP full deeming authority for Home Medical Equipment (HME). Recently RVNA & Hospice received CHAP Accreditation following a very comprehensive review of the Agency, which objectively validates the excellence of community health care practice through a consistent measurement of the delivery of quality services.

As discussed in our Podcast with a CHAP surveyor following the survey process, few agencies in the country meet the National Standards as identified in the CHAP guidelines (Listen to the Podcast interview HERE). She commented that most people look for good quality of care but don’t know how to evaluate it. She said people should look for CHAP designation when selecting an agency; because CHAP accreditation means the agency provides high quality of care and meets National Standards. She further commented that many start up companies, new to communities, don’t provide good quality, which is bad for the community.

Comments during the survey by members of the survey team included… that our (Agency) was, “in the top 5% of Agencies I have surveyed in the country”; that “if I lived in this area I would want to work here”; and finally after evaluating our quality improvement process stated, “your patients and their families are very pleased about your agency and the quality you provide”.

Our agency success is directly related to the efforts of the entire staff. Leadership directs the orchestra, but it is the entire team that makes the music. Please join me in congratulating the staff and leadership for their excellence, and Ramona VNA & Hospice on their receipt of CHAP Accreditation.

Encouraging Quality & Discouraging Abuse

Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) the official national association for Visiting Nurse Agencies (VNAs) and nonprofit, community-based home healthcare agencies (HHAs) has released a white paper on Medicare fraud and abuse titled “Medicare Home Health: Encouraging Quality and Discouraging Abuse” during the week of March 2.
In early 2008 I was invited to participate with the VNAA in preparing this important document, the purpose of which is to raise awareness among the general public and policymakers of the sources of fraud and abuse in the home healthcare field and to contribute useful suggestions for reform of the Medicare home health benefit. Recommendations for reform include changes in payment policy, Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoP), Medicare home health enrollment procedures, medical review and anti-kick back rules.

Andy Carter, President and CEO of VNAA, wrote, “While most home health agencies (HHAs) provide high-quality home healthcare and comply with Medicare policy, abusive and even fraudulent conduct by a minority of Medicare certified HHAs threatens the quality of patient care, drives up Medicare costs and undermines the perceived value of home healthcare. This comprehensive document was developed with input from specific VNAA membership committees and was vetted on a broader scale through a membership wide survey conducted in October, 2008. Since then, it was presented to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) staff in a December, 2008, meeting and shared with the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) in January, 2009.”

“It’s particularly important to raise these issues to ensure patients are able to get and receive high-quality care. Across the board payment reductions to the Medicare Home Health Program could result in limiting patient access to good clinical care,” stated Bob Wardwell, VNAA’s Vice President of Regulatory and Public Affairs.

I invite and encourage you to read this important document, and to support the efforts of the not-for-profit agencies whose efforts in the provision of ethical, high quality care, must continue. With the new Administration’s proposed changes to the federal budget, it is critical that our legislators understand the potential negative impact to the provision of home health and hospice services, which will result if there are further cuts to the Medicare and Medicaid programs for home health and hospice care. “We believe the timing for releasing these recommendations is right. With so many proposals addressing changes and cuts to the Medicare system we wanted to highlight the importance of staying focused on quality of care in the home healthcare system,” added Carter.

Read this important White Paper by CLICKING HERE