Session Descriptions
Tuesday, February 16
HHQI Hands-On Data Workshop, Sponsored by TAHC&H, 1:00 - 5:00 pm [FREE!]
See this brochure for more info.

Wednesday, February 17
General Session: Legislative Update, 8:15 - 8:45 am
Marina Hench, Director of Public Policy, will discuss ongoing implementation of legislation in 2016 including the transformation of health and human services agencies in Texas.  She will also discuss TAHC&H’s legislative priorities for the 2016 Congress and health care hot topics such as Value Based Purchasing and face-to-face. (0.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate)

Concurrent Sessions | 9:00 - 10:15 am

2016 – Home Health Workshop Series – Protecting Your Dollars, Making Sense Out of Medicare (Sessions 1a, 2a, 3a)
Making sense out of the Medicare program can be a challenge. This workshop series will provide information related to the most common errors identified through a variety of data analysis and some hints and tips on the reasons why these errors occur. Information shared will assist providers with accurately and skillfully applying the information they learn to their documentation and billing practices.   Speakers: Marilyn Jeske, Senior Provider Relations Representative, Provider Outreach & Education, Palmetto GBA; Charles Canaan, RN, MPH, Senior Education Consultant, Palmetto GBA.
Note: CMS requires that Medicare contractors track all educational activities, which consists of capturing the provider’s six-digit Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN) and National Provider Identifier (NPI). Attendees will be asked to provide this information when they attend the workshop.  
 
1a. 2016 – Home Health Workshop Series: Protecting Your Dollars, Making Sense Out of Medicare - Part I
• Fall Based Evaluation Local Coverage Determination (LCD)         • Going Beyond Diagnosis TM         • Therapy Admission
• Data Review:  Aggregate Length of Stay; Jurisdictional Medical Review Denials; State Medical Review Denials; Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) Jurisdictional Data; CERT Data by State (1.25 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.25 contact hours continuing education for nurses)
 
1b. Private Pay Survey Compliance - Part I
What does it mean to be complaint with the Home and Community Services Agency (HCSSA) regulations when you are a private pay agency?  With over half of the top ten violations directly related to the provision of private pay services, how do private pay agencies apply the HCSSA regulations to the unique private pay home care model?  This two part session will be taught by TAHC&H’s experts who work with DADS regularly on HCSSA rule development, interpretation and application.  Part I will address the top 10 survey violations and how things go wrong with the corresponding regulations that lead to the violation. Speakers: Rachel Hammon, BSN, RN, Executive Director, TAHC&H; Marissa Machado, Member Success Advocate, Research and Policy Specialist, TAHC&H. (1.25 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.25 contact hours continuing education for nurses)

1c. Community First Choice – It’s in Your Best Interest- An Overview and Guidance                               
Licensed Home and Community Support Services Agencies (HCCSAs) are asking important questions about Community First Choice Services (CFC) in Texas.  The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) staff will be presenting a follow-up overview and guidance session on this federal option, called CFC, which allows our state to provide home and community-based attendant services and supports to Medicaid recipients with disabilities. The session is geared to answer many of your operational questions including; What qualifications must my attendant have to provide CFC Personal Assistance Services/Habilitation?  What is Habilitation?  Who is eligible for CFC services? What are all of the CFC services? How does this work when an individual also receives Waiver services through the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) or Managed care? How does CFC impact services in the state plan personal care services (PCS) in the Comprehensive Care Program? Who is responsible for the Person Centered Plan (PCP)? How do I obtain the assessment and PCP to ensure my attendant is meeting an individual’s service preferences, etc. and many, many more!?  Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to get the most update training on how CFC works!  Panelists: Amanda Dillon, STAR+PLUS Specialist, Health and Human Services Commission; Brian Dees, HHSC; Elizabeth Jones, DADS. (1.25 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.25 contact hours continuing education for nurses; 1.25 SWCEUs)

Concurrent Sessions | 10:30 am - 12:00 pm

2a.  2016 – Home Health Workshop Series: Protecting Your Dollars, Making Sense Out of Medicare - Part II
• Face-to-Face         • High Risk Health Insurance Prospective Payment System (HIPPS) Codes
Speakers: Marilyn Jeske, Senior Provider Relations Representative, Provider Outreach & Education, Palmetto GBA; Charles Canaan, RN, MPH, Senior Education Consultant, Palmetto GBA. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses)

2b.  Private Pay Survey Compliance - Part II
What does it mean to be complaint with the Home and Community Services Agency (HCSSA) regulations when you are a private pay agency?  This session of a two part series will address the other key HCSSA regulations that cause private pay agencies consternation along with DADS Information and provider letters.  The survey process and responding to IRoDs will also be addressed.  Speakers: Rachel Hammon, BSN, RN, Executive Director, TAHC&H; Marissa Machado, Member Success Advocate, Research and Policy Specialist, TAHC&H. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses)

2c. Key Components of a Comprehensive Habilitation Training Program
PAS/Habilitation services are now moving into Managed Care and PCS; no longer solely in the waiver programs.  This presentation will provide an overview of the Community First Choice program and discuss how to develop a comprehensive habilitation training program for your agency staff – supervisors and PAS/Hab attendants; focusing on the primary elements needed.  Is your agency ready to receive these referrals?  Are your attendants trained and competency assessed in habilitation?  Do their job descriptions reflect the habilitation role?  These questions and more will be answered in this workshop. Speaker: Lynne Brooks, RN, CPHRM, Consultant – Home Care Compliance Resource, Inc. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses)

Concurrent Sessions | 1:15 - 2:45 pm

3a. 2016 – Home Health Workshop Series: Protecting Your Dollars, Making Sense Out of Medicare - Part III
• What You Need to Know for 2016  • Data Analysis: Claims and Appeals    • CERT Program
• Palmetto GBA eServices                • Palmetto GBA Website Tutorial          • Provider Resources-Webchat; Social Media; E-Mail Updates
Speakers: Marilyn Jeske, Senior Provider Relations Representative, Provider Outreach & Education, Palmetto GBA; Charles Canaan, RN, MPH, Senior Education Consultant, Palmetto GBA. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses)

3b. What if Everything You Were Taught About Home Care Marketing Was Wrong?
This presentation lays the groundwork for marketing Home Care effectively. It covers 5 big tips which are essential for success in this industry. Steve “The Hurricane” shares his personal story of how he went from being the milkman’s son, to growing his own Home Care agency to $5 Million in revenue annually. This includes direction on where to go for business, how to work smarter…not harder, and how to schedule and conduct a proper in-service. This is solid direction on how to implement a marketing strategy for your organization.  Speaker: Steve “The Hurricane,” President & Owner, Hurricane Marketing Enterprises. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate)

3c. Don’t Lose your Ability to Provide Medicaid Services…Enroll in Texas Medicaid Today!
Re-enrollment in Texas Medicaid is necessary to continue to provide Medicaid services and must be completed by March 24, 2016.
The workshop will pull together a panel of State Agency Staff from HHSC, OIG, DADS, TMHP and representatives from the MCOs to discuss how to navigate the enrollment application and understand the role of each agency in the enrollment process.   It is vital that providers understand the process because there is only one opportunity to request an informal desk review of the OIG if your application has deficiencies and final enrollment recommendations are not subject to reconsideration.   IMPORTANT: If you decide to provide services to a Medicaid client prior to approval of the application, and the application is denied, claims will be RECOUPED.   So don’t wait – there are thousands of Medicaid providers that must be enrolled by the deadline and it takes time to be approved.  If you are having trouble – this session will help! Speaker: Representatives from HHSC, OIG, TMHP, DADS and MCOs. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate)  

Concurrent Sessions | 3:00 - 4:30 pm

4a. Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacements (CCJR): Alternative Payment Models Are Here - A New Era for Healthcare
 Medicare recently announced the April 1st, 2016 starting date for the first mandatory Alternative Payment Model: the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacements (CCJR) Initiative creates Episodic Bundling for Total Joint Replacement patients.  With nearly 700 metropolitan areas across the country chosen for the 2016 installation, some Texas Home Health Providers will experience Post-Acute Bundling as part of the Episodic programming approach. Based on the CMS Innovation Center Bundled Payment for Care Improvement (BPCI) Model 2 Pilot Program, CCJR makes the anchor hospital clinically and financially responsible for all patient treatment and costs for 90 days after hospital discharge. As a result, the standard care continuum movement and pace is altered, and the hospital, traditionally a referral source for post-acute Home Health referrals, becomes the payer. Rewiring care is mandatory for success in this model, and even the best Providers have work to do to create successful programs for Bundling requirements, and all hospital discharges will be Bundled in a similar manner by 2018. The challenges are many; understanding and internalizing how the Episodic Bundling Model works, surviving vetting for Post-Acute vendor network, redesigning care, establishing fluency with inter-connecting software, and managing front-line clinical staff to shed silo behaviors in real time. Hear lessons from the Model 2 Bundling Pilots, identify areas where you should begin preparing today, and begin on the care path of tomorrow with the vital information in this progressive presentation. Speaker: Arnie Cisneros, PT,  President, Home Health Strategic Management (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses; 1.50 PT CCUs, credit approval pending)

4b.  Creation of Power Partners for Private Pay
Two heads are better than one and marketing together is so much fun! By calling upon synergetic service providers in your area you can begin to grow your business exponentially. This presentation covers the effective techniques to form strategic partnerships, how to create self-duplication, leveraging relationships, Co-Marketing and Co-Sponsoring. Speaker: Steve “The Hurricane,” President & Owner, Hurricane Marketing Enterprises. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate)

4c.  Demonstrating and Documenting Medical Necessity in Pediatric Speech Therapy Services
Speech Therapy is often  a medically necessary and important service for children with disabilities.  With good decision making and strong documentation around medical necessity, we protect our industry and safeguard stable levels of reimbursement, as well as protect our patients from premature discharge from needed care.  How do we make good decisions to assure that the right children get the right service at the right time?  This session will address a framework for clinical decision making for medical necessity, while considering family and child readiness for therapy and the need for skilled intervention, as well as how to effectively document those decisions.  Further, the session will discuss strategies for documentation of medical necessity through the duration of the plan of care.  Speaker: Kathy Clapsaddle, MS, CCC-SLP (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses; 1.50 SWCEUs)

Thursday, February 18
Concurrent Sessions | 8:30 - 10:00 am

5a.  Compliance Climate 2016
The Federal government recovered over 1.9 billion dollars in settlements and judgments from healthcare civil cases involving fraud and false claims in fiscal year 2015 ending September 30, 2015. The matters include allegedly providing unnecessary or inadequate care, paying kickbacks to health care providers to induce use of certain goods and services, or overcharging for such services or goods. Since the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Federal regulations and billing requirements have increased annually for providers of Medicare and Medicaid services. These stringent changes in documentation, coding and conditions of payment expose individuals and Home Health and Hospice providers to state and Federal civil and criminal acts as well as administrative penalties. This presentation will provide a review and update of home health and hospice compliance activities and propose practice tips that will assist agencies with a requisite and evolving compliance plan.  Speaker: Kathleen A. Hessler, RN, JD, Director, Compliance & Risk, Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses)

5b. Risk Management Tools for Hiring Employees
The ERI (Employee Reliability Inventory) is a risk management tool that helps you determine which individuals are most likely to become valued employees rather than organizational liabilities. The ERI will determine whether a candidate is low-risk or high-risk based different scales. The ERI results are designed to assist you in reducing turnover, absenteeism, work-related accidents and Theft.  Speaker: Jennifer Rine, RN, BSN, Administrator/Supervising Nurse, BrightStar of Southwest Fort Worth-Burleson. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate)

5c.  Legal & Regulatory Issues – Contracting with Nursing Facilities
Hospice patients in nursing homes present a host of legal and practical challenges to providers and their staffs, whether the patients originate as nursing home patients who develop a terminal illness, or as hospice patients needing placement in a nursing facility.  Federal and state laws and regulations apply to both provider types, and impose separate obligations on both provider types.  There are many different types of contracts encountered in these settings. This session will address contracts, and will include a side-by-side discussion of the regulations applicable to nursing facilities and hospice providers in Texas.  We will also explore practical ways to streamline processes and communications, make documentation efficient and accessible, and be prepared for surveyors, all while providing high quality care to shared patients. Speakers: Marie C. Berliner, JD, Joy & Young, LLP; Kelly A. McDonald, JD, Carls, McDonald & Dalrymple, LLP. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses; 1.50 SWCEUs)

Concurrent Sessions | 10:15 - 11:45 am

6a. Key Legislative Perspectives & Value Based Reimbursement: Implementation for Texas and The Nation
Is your business positioned for success in 2016 and beyond?  This session will teach you to decode the key legislative and regulatory issues affecting your business in order to improve the efficiency of your agency operations while ensuring your compliance.  How will the long awaited transition from fee for service to value based reimbursement impact your agency, and are you prepared?  Join the facilitated discussion with a panel of national experts who will explore the key aspects of the Medicare Value Based Reimbursement from multiple perspectives, for the demonstration states and Texas. This comprehensive session will be interactive, with a mix of panel discussions and open question and answers, so bring your questions and comments with you!  Panel: Sam Smith, Axxess Vice President, Business Development (Moderator); Marvin Javellana, Owner of Better Care Home Health in Des Plaines, IL; Jennifer Gibson, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, Axxess Senior Clinical Consultant and National Trainer; Andrew Awoniyi, ND, RN-BC, CDE, Axxess Director of Research & Education (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses)

6b.  Compliance Concerns with Hiring New Staff - Don’t Get Burned!  
Hiring new staff can be complicated.  A methodical approach to legal and regulatory compliant practices to ensure proper employee documentation is essential to a fine-tuned organization.  This session will take you from the offer letter to the conveying of benefits and office culture (including social media expectations) as well as performing criminal history checks and obtaining motor vehicle records.  It will discuss maintaining personnel records, confidentiality and some common pitfalls to avoid that might result in the dreaded conversation of “I wasn’t told that when I was hired.”  Speaker:  Kara Kile, Human Resources Director, Foundation Management Services, Inc. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate)

6c.  Long-Term Care Facilities and Hospice: Delineation of Responsibility and Collaborative Care
This panel discussion is designed to share current collaborative best practices in caring for the hospice patient population which are valuable for both LTCFs and hospices.  Join us to learn more about coordination of care, legal implications from a contractual viewpoint, and collaborative solutions among hospices and LTCFs which have led to successful partnerships. Discover how these successes were achieved, and what  continuing challenges are still faced. Speakers: Amy F. Ives,RN, BSN, CHPN, Patient Care Manager, Peterson Hospice; Kelly A. McDonald, JD, Carls, McDonald & Dalrymple, LLP; Diane Datz, RN, MA, Hospice Program Director; HealthCare ConsultLink; Debbie Mitchell, Administrator, Hilltop Village Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Sava Senior Care  (1.50 clock hours Administrator/ Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses; 1.50 SWCEUs) 

Concurrent Sessions | 1:00 - 2:30 pm

7a. The Art and Science of Achieving 5-Star Care and Patient Experience
How do Clinical Quality, Care Coordination, Re-Hospitalizations, Patient Safety, and Patient Experience measures affect your agency’s Star Ratings and ultimately your bottom line?  The new focus on pay-for-quality requires agencies to ensure all their operations are aligned to achieve excellence in all domains and achieving 5-Star results.  A national panel of experts will share insights into how successful agencies achieve and maintain stellar star ratings in all aspects of their organization, ensure the public reporting reflects their success, and maximize to attract additional business.  Speakers: Sam Smith, Axxess Vice President, Business Development (Moderator); Marvin Javellana, Owner of Better Care Home Health in Des Plaines, IL; Jennifer Gibson, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, Axxess Senior Clinical Consultant and National Trainer; Andrew Awoniyi, ND, RN-BC, CDE, Axxess Director of Research & Education (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses)

7b.  How to Develop Orientation Programs that Focus on Critical Thinking Competencies
This session will provide you with the specific steps for successful on-boarding, including the recruitment and orientation process, didactic and experiential learning modules, student input, and outcomes measured. You will leave with a detailed topical outline of an on-boarding process that supports evidence-based “critical thinking” competencies. Speaker: Sylena Keeping, MSN, MBA, RN, VP of Operations/Director of Hospice, Hallmark Health VNA & Hospice, Malden, MA (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses)

7c. Hospice in the Nursing Home: Working Together to Provide Quality Care
Hospice and Nursing Homes both have the same goals – providing quality patient care while staying compliant to regulations. However, key differences exist between nursing homes and hospice agencies on which regulations affect them.  Namely, documentation addressing nutritional care, use of medications with psychotropic medications, and as-needed use of narcotics and other pain medications.  In this presentation we will discuss group experiences of how hospices and nursing homes can work together to find solutions to common dilemmas.  Practical considerations, including strategies on how  hospice staff can partner with nursing home staff and examples of sample conversations and educational presentations will also be presented. Speaker: Tommie W. Farrell, MD FAAHPM HMDCB –Pathways Supportive and Palliative Care and Hospice in Abilene TX. Exam Committee Chair of the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses; 1.50 SWCEUs)

Concurrent Sessions | 2:45 - 4:15 pm

8a.  The Impact of IMPACT on Your Discharge Planning Process – New Condition, New Standards!
The requirements for discharge processing and patient transfers are changing in 2016, and your agency may have much to modify in order to comply. Integrating a formal discharge plan involving patient, caregivers, physicians, and other post acute care (PAC) providers will be required with regular re-evaluations of the plan mandated as treatment goals, patient preferences, and care needs change. This session will walk you through the new standards and implementation timeframes, and the modification to data collection that will assist you in developing best practice implementation for your agency. Speaker: Jan Spears, MJS & Associates, LLC. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses; 1.50 SWCEUs)

8b.  From “Oh, No!” to “Way to Go!”: A Path to Staff Accountability
This program focuses on staff accountability. It will provide participants with the tools needed and the confidence to have effective conversations with staff and to bring about positive change to the organization.  The program will help you minimize the impact of the poor performers and negative naysayers in your agency and help keep the focus on providing quality care and ensuring strong financial outcomes. The session will focus on the gap between performance and expectations and how to have an effective conversation on identifying the barriers and developing a plan that will motivate the employee to reach the goals set for them. Speaker: Andrea Manning (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate)

8c. Guiding Hospice Patients, Families and Physicians through Medication Transitions at Home and in Long-Term Care Facilities
One of the most difficult things to navigate at the start of care for hospice patients and their families is adjusting medications based on clinical indications, the patient’s and family’s experience of the medication, goals of care, the medication formulary, and primary physician orders.  This can be quite distressing to the staff member responsible for guiding this transition.  In this presentation we will have three primary goals: 1) Identify the difference between a medication that is needed/indicated and one that is not, 2) discuss why patients/families and physicians ask or insist on different medications, 3) and knowing these motivations, review the different ways to discuss medication changes with the patient or family versus the primary physician.  We will also discuss the role of the Nursing Facility staff in medication changes and transitions.  Sample conversations will be demonstrated.Speaker: Tommie W. Farrell, MD, FAAHPM, HMDCB, Pathways Supportive and Palliative Care and Hospice in Abilene TX.  Exam Committee Chair of the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board. (1.50 clock hours Administrator/Alternate; 1.50 contact hours continuing education for nurses; 1.50 SWCEUs)