Jason Sabo, Manager of Quality and Innovations Programs Matthew Kiraly, Senior VP and COO Quality...
OUR TAKE: Home Care 100 Signals a Changing of the Tide
Lisa Von Lehmden-Zidek, President
For the past 20 years the Home Care 100 conference has been a spectacular event for health care at home executives and our industry partners, and 2022 certainly did not disappoint. Not only did we get to enjoy a bit of sunshine in Scottsdale, Arizona, we also had the opportunity to network and learn from our colleagues in the industry. As such, I wanted to share a few highlights and takeaways.
First, on day-one there was a panel of four executives representing some of the largest home care and hospice organizations in the country. They spoke about the current state of our industry, the issues we’ve been facing since the pandemic started—specifically workforce and safety—and then spoke about where we go from here. I was enlightened to realize that the same issues being discussed by the CEOs serving anywhere between 35,000 and 110,000 patients daily have the exact same struggles as we do here in Ohio. On the bright side, most of the folks that we spoke with feel as though our industries are either coming out of the darkness of the pandemic or have simply found technological advancements and other ways to continue providing care to our patients who so desperately need it in their home environment.
Not only is it clear that we’re all struggling with the same issues regardless of agencies size, but there was also a consensus that home and community-based services is strongly taking center stage in the new post-acute delivery system post-COVID. It’s a clear signal that there is a changing of the tide, and it clearly favors health care at home.
The thought that health care at home is taking center stage isn’t just a theory, it’s a reality as policy makers look to change health care delivery model. Federal legislation like Choose Home was heavily discussed at Home Care 100, and so too was the dismal rates offered by the Medicare Advantage plans under fee-for- service contracts. There was total agreement that our industries can no longer accept rates that do not reflect our value and that do not consider our challenges.
Lastly, we heard from providers already conducting and billing for “SNF at Home” and “Hospital at Home” concepts. We walked away with a better understanding of how these programs are being managed, as well as how the similarities and differences of these programs can impact how successful they serve patients. Overall, I left Scottsdale with the belief that OCHCH is on the cutting-edge of these developments, which makes me happy and optimistic about our future.
In conclusion, our industry will continue to grow and diversify and develop innovative and unique care models. For our agencies to remain successful we need to be open to change while remaining steadfast in our core mission. My challenge to all of you getting involved with OCHCH’s mission to better support your agency. Ask yourself, what can the Ohio Council for Home Care and Hospice provide to support your agencies as we continue to face challenges in staffing, reimbursements, and non-traditional community providers coming into our communities? We welcome your suggestions as we are dedicated to leading the changing of the tide in home and community-based services!
