Spring Conference 2024




Join us for our Virtual Spring Conference in May!

Experience insightful presentations from speakers covering topics in Medicare, Medicaid, and Hospice tracks. 

Don't miss out on the opportunity to stay informed about the evolving landscape of home care and the regulatory implications that follow. Register now to ensure your agency is prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead!


TRoss

Who Should Attend?
Administrators, Alternate Administrators, RNs, Case Managers, Care Coordinators (Applies to Certified agencies, Home Care Consultants, Compliance Professionals, Licensed Home Health Agencies and PAS (Personal Assistance Services) Agencies, Quality Assurance Personnel 


Schedule  

Day 1 | May 15th

9:00am - 10:00am

General Session: Empowering the Heart of Healthcare: Innovating the Texas Direct Care Workforce

Date: May 15, 2024 | 9:00am - 10:00am

Speaker: Brandi Kurtyka, CEO of MissionCare Collective, and Lauren Tobey, Chief Impact Officer at Helping Restore Ability 

Session Description: Join us for a transformative session where we will delve into the challenges and opportunities facing the direct care workforce in Texas. This essential sector, the backbone of healthcare, is in a pivotal phase of evolution. As we navigate through these changes, our session aims to spotlight innovative strategies for recruiting, engaging, and retaining top-tier talent in direct care roles. In a landscape marked by rapid changes in healthcare demands and worker expectations, standing still is not an option. Texas faces unique challenges and opportunities in bolstering its direct care workforce. This session will offer fresh insights and actionable strategies, drawing from successful practices across the United States. Whether you're a healthcare provider, manager, policymaker, or part of the direct care workforce, this session is designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to make a tangible impact. 

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates 

MEDICARE TRACK

HOSPICE TRACK

MEDICAID TRACK

10:15am - 11:15am

Understanding PDGM and Optimizing Reimbursement

Date: May 15, 2024 | 10:15am - 11:15am

Speaker: Lisa McClammy, BSN, RN, COS-C, HCS-D, HCS-O, Senior Clinical Education Consultant, MAC Legacy 

Session Description: Let’s break it down! Since 2020, the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) has categorized patients into 432 Home Health Resource Groups (HHRG) using claims and OASIS assessment data to determine reimbursement. The payment structure switched from a single payment for each 60-day episode to smaller 30-day payment periods, each with its own HIPPS code. Confused? Rest assuredWe'll walk you through the ins and outs of PDGM and HIPPS codes with practical examples to help you be a winner in home health payment systems.  

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education

Hospice Medical Review: Ensuring Agency Compliance and Success

Date: May 15, 2024 | 10:15am - 11:15am

Speaker: Victoria Barron, MBA, BSN, RN, COS-C, Clinical Consultant Healthcare Provider Solutions 

Session Description: Now more than ever, hospices are under intense scrutiny and unprepared hospices may sink under medical review. Best practices to ensure your agency is meeting the requirements of the hospice conditions of payment as well as the conditions of participation will be a lifesaver. From single claim ADRs to Targeted Probe and Educate and even 100% medical review audits, hospices must follow the conditions of participation and the conditions of payment to achieve regulatory compliance and ensure agency sustainability.  

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) 

TBD

Date: May 15, 2024 | 10:15am - 11:15am

Speaker: TBD 

Session Description: Coming Soon

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates

11:15am-12:30pm

BREAK FOR LUNCH

12:30pm - 1:30pm

Decoding Face-to-Face and Eligibility in Home Health Care

Date: May 15, 2024 | 12:30pm - 1:30pm

Speaker: Brian W. Lebanion, CEO/Consultant, BC Healthcare Consulting, LLC  

Session Description: Prepare to embark on a captivating exploration of the fundamental aspects of home health care with our session on " Face-to-Face and Eligibility." Join us as we unravel the intricacies of Face-to-Face encounters (F2F) and the pivotal role they play in determining patient eligibility for essential home health services. Through engaging discussions and real-world examples, we'll delve deep into the regulatory landscape, uncovering the requirements and nuances that shape eligibility criteria. Discover how proper documentation and compliance are the keys to unlocking access to quality care for patients in need. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, this session promises to captivate your attention and empower you with the knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of home health care eligibility with confidence. 

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)

Hospice Eligibility Documentation: Drilling Down the Details

Date: May 15, 2024 | 12:30pm - 1:30pm

Speaker: Melinda Gaboury, COS-C, Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Provider Solutions 

Session Description: Accurate hospice eligibility documentation is critical to fulfilling the CoPs and payment requirements. The lack of supporting documentation for a terminal prognosis is the number one reason for denial. Reviewers often look for a significant decline in patient condition although this is not the only requirement of hospice care, terminal prognosis is. The webinar will help clinicians document the slightest changes in baseline measures. More importantly, you'll learn how to capture in documentation the occurring changes that support terminal prognosis – even without a decline in baseline measures. Go beyond the LCDs and common tools for documenting eligibility by drilling down to the details and characteristics that differentiate terminal and chronic patients with the same diagnosis. 

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)

Navigating TMHP Eligibility, Part 1

Date: May 15, 2024 | 12:30pm - 1:30pm

Speaker: Speakers from TMHP

Session Description: Coming Soon

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates


1:45pm -2:45pm

RCD: Lessons Learned: Where are we Now?

Date: May 15, 2024 | 1:45pm - 2:45pm

Speaker: Kim Wilkerson, LPN, BA, MBA, Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) Manager, SimiTree     

Session Description: Home health agencies have had to evolve to accommodate the Review Choice Demonstration (RCD), in particular, Pre-Claim Review. Likewise, an evolution of sorts has occurred in the interpretations and practices of the medical reviewers. We will examine the recent trends that have emerged, explore Best Practices that have been developed and learn how to ensure that the documentation your agency is submitting will affirm quickly, now and in the future. 

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)

Do’s & Don’ts in Documentation of Care for the Hospice Patient

Date: May 15, 2024 | 1:45pm - 2:45pm

Speaker: Colleen Woods, Senior Consultant and Lead Education, JCC Consulting 

Session Description: This session will focus on documentation of care provided to the terminal hospice patient, including an overview of the requirements for qualification for the hospice benefit, results of audits and denials by auditors, including the state, Palmetto and Medicare contractors. This session will also cover do’s – how should you document the vital care that you provide to hospice patients to ensure clinical compliance, and minimize audit risk?  

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)

Navigating TMHP Eligibility, Part 2

Date: May 15, 2024 | 1:45pm - 2:45pm

Speaker: Speakers from TMHP, Provider representatives, MODERATOR: Marissa Machado

Session Description: Coming Soon

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates

Schedule  

Day 2 | May 16th

9:00am - 10:00am

General Session: Setting and Holding Professional Boundaries in Home Care

Date: May 16, 2024 | 9:00am - 10:00am

Speaker: Candyce Slusher, LVN, Owner of SLUSHER Consulting

Session Description: When we talk about boundaries in home care settings, we generally assume that our staff are maintaining professional integrity, and hope for the best. However, we know that even our most reliable staff cross professional boundaries with their clients, and some obliterate boundaries altogether. This happens despite leadership's best efforts to put professional boundary measures in place and communicate about them constantly. When added to the stressors of daily operations, this maddening topic gets placed at the bottom of the priority list. "It's going to happen anyway, and our efforts backfire, so what can we do about it?" In this session we'll review what's okay and what's not okay when it comes to staff relationships with clients, what could happen if we let it fall by the wayside, and how to mitigate the potential risks to the agency.

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)

MEDICARE TRACK

HOSPICE TRACK

MEDICAID TRACK

10:15am - 11:15am

There is No Place Like Home: An Innovative Model for Chronic Care Management

Date: May 16, 2024 | 10:15am - 11:15am

Speaker: Dana L Madison DNP, MBA, BSN, RN  

Session Description: Sixty seven percent of the Medicare population have two or more chronic conditions and spend 83% of the total Medicare dollars. The viability of the Medicare program is projected to run out of money by 2028. Innovative programs such as Chronic Care Management (“CCM”) and Remote Patient Monitoring (“RPM”) provide healthcare in the patient home with goals of decreasing overall costs by reducing hospitalizations and emergency room visits, improving care coordination, and promoting patient engagement. 

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education

What You NEED to Know About Medicare Hospice CAP Tracking, Monitoring, and Risk Assessment

Date: May 16, 2024 | 10:15am - 11:15am

Speaker: Brian W. Lebanion, CEO/Consultant, BC Healthcare Consulting, LLC 

Session Description: Join us for an empowering session where we explain the intricacies of tracking, monitoring, and discerning risk within the Medicare Hospice CAP framework. Designed to equip hospice professionals with actionable insights, this session will delve into the nuances of the hospice aggregate cap, set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services annually. Learn how to effectively track and monitor your hospice's progress towards the cap, empowering you to make informed decisions and optimize reimbursement for Medicare hospice services. Discover strategies for discerning risk factors and mitigating potential challenges, ensuring financial stability and quality care delivery. Whether you're an administrator, financial analyst, or frontline caregiver, this session will empower you to navigate the Medicare Hospice CAP landscape with confidence and excellence. 

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates

State OIG: Medicaid Program Audit Initiatives

Date: May 16, 2024 | 10:15am - 11:15am

Speaker:TBD

Session Description: Coming Soon

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates

11:15am-12:15pm

BREAK FOR LUNCH

12:15pm-1:15pm

How Well Do You Know Your GGs?

Date: May 16, 2024 | 12:15pm - 1:15pm

Speaker: Jennifer Osburn, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, Clinical Consultant, Healthcare Provider Solutions Inc. 

Session Description: Prepare now for the 2025 Discharge Function Score- the change from current outcomes measures based on the M1800 OASIS items to a single measure that relies on the GG OASIS items and impacts 20% of the VBP Total Performance Score. Despite having a full set of GG0130 and GG0170 OASIS items for five years, home health clinicians and clinical leadership staff often remain unable to accurately assess and score (code) the GG items. This session will cover interpreting how the calculation of the Discharge Function Score works for administrators and clinical leadership, as well as instructions for accurately coding the GG items using real-world scenarios and focusing on the most misunderstood aspects of the GG items for clinical leadership and clinicians.

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)

Hospice Special Focus Program- Happening TODAY!

Date: May 16, 2024 | 12:15pm - 1:15pm

Speaker: Annette Lee, CEO and Founder, Provider Insights, Inc.

Session Description: This session will ensure that you have full understanding of how to ensure your agency stays off the radar of the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has created a “Special Focus Program” to identify poor performing hospices and help them improve through more frequent surveys and technical assistance. Did you know the SFP actually began January 1, 2024?? Your hospice data TODAY is counting towards the SFP. CMS will also impose enforcement remedies and fines to further incentivize improvement. In this presentation, Annette will discuss the Hospice Special Focus Program and work through the algorithm on what is considered, and how these are weighted- and may land hospices in this “special” program, and steps to ensure you don’t end up in that exclusive community! 

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)

Revalidation Process: Take a Proactive Approach

Date: May 16, 2024 | 12:15pm - 1:15pm 

Speaker: TMHP and Jennifer Elder

Session Description: Coming Soon

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates

1:30pm-2:30pm

Under-Reporting of Falls and Rehospitalization Rates: Insights for Patient Safety, OASIS, and VBP Success

Date: May 16, 2024 | 1:30pm - 2:30pm

Speaker: Jennifer Osburn, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, Clinical Consultant, Healthcare Provider Solutions Inc.   

Session Description: Home health agencies have been required to report patient falls with major injury in the OASIS. In 2022, CMS began publicly reporting fall rates on Care Compare. However, a recent OIG report found that agencies failed to report over half of falls with major injury and rehospitalization in their Medicare patients. This session will provide insight into under-reporting of falls, the impact of under-reporting to quality reporting and VBP,  and steps you can take to improve patient safety and rehospitalization rates related to falls.

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)

The Who's Who Guide on Hospice Physicians- from Attending, to Referring to Medical Directors!

Date: May 16, 2024 | 1:30pm - 2:30pm

Speaker: Annette Lee, CEO and Founder, Provider Insights, Inc.

Session Description: CMS is very specific on the roles of different physician's (or NP/PAs) in the care of our hospice patients.  Sometimes these things get muddied by the lingo we use (such as calling all of your hospice physicians "medical directors").  Even CMS had to agree and provide some clarifications to regulatory language that they have contradicted for years in their recent Hospice Proposed RuleThis session will provide clarity- from a regulatory perspective and apply "what does that mean" operationallyBonus: Tool on the Who's Who for Hospice physicians!  

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)

Attendant Enhancement Rates

Date: May 16, 2024 | 1:30pm - 2:30pm 

Speaker: Amy Knight, CPA, Founder, Knight Home Care Financial with Moderator: Rachel Hammon, RN, BSN, Executive Director, TAHC&H 

Session Description: Coming Soon

Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates

Pricing & Registration 

Pricing
1 Track: 
Regular Pricing: $400 members; $600 nonmembers

 

2 Tracks: 
Regular: $700 members; $900 nonmembers

 

3 Tracks:
Regular: $1000 members; $1200 nonmembers

Registration

R E G I S T E R   N O W  

Each registration is for one (1) person only.
You must pay for a separate registration for each person needing continuing education credits (CE’s).

Register for 1, 2, or all 3 tracks. See schedule below. Only one track per day can be attended live. If you register for more than one track, you will be sent the recording to watch the track you missed, after the event. Continuing education will be awarded for viewing live and/or recordings. 

Speaker Bios  



CANDYCE SLUSHER, LVNCandyce Slusher

Candyce Slusher, LVN is a geriatric-focused nurse serving seniors since 1995, working in every post-acute senior care setting, specifically in non-medical home care since 2004. 

As a Home Care Consultant her primary goal is to help agencies thrive while providing the highest quality care to seniors in their communities, while educating, empowering and supporting agency owners in all aspects of operations and compliance.



LAUREN TOBEYLauren Toby

Lauren has had a passion for non-profit work since early in her college career. Lauren has provided marketing and programmatic support services in the sectors of education, social services, and now healthcare. After a time living in Colorado and Virginia, Lauren moved home to Texas and started working in the disability services field and has served as the Director of Development and Marketing and is currently the Chief Impact Officer at Helping Restore Ability, the largest nonprofit in-home attendant care provider in Texas. Lauren’s work has been recognized in a variety of publications, formats, and venues. Lauren believes in allowing stories to paint a picture and utilizing the mind’s eye to enhance and promote services. Lauren has a passion for generational marketing as well as using digital resources to enhance networking relationships.




LISA MCCLAMMY, BSN, RN, COS-C, HCS-D, HCS-OLisa Mcclammy

Lisa McClammy, BSN, RN, COS-C, HCS-D, HCS-O Senior Clinical Education Consultant with MAC Legacy, has more than 27 years of diverse nursing experience. Her experience includes Director of Customer Success for a Home Health Software Company and Director of Patient Care and Alternate Administrator for a home health agency, which gives her a unique perspective and understanding of the challenges home care agencies face. Her clinical and consulting experience in the home care industry is the foundation for a variety of education topics presented to agencies, state associations, webinars, and workshops. Lisa is a CHAP and ACHC certified consultant.



VICTORIA BARRON, RNVictoria Barron
Victoria Barron is a Registered Nurse who joined Healthcare Provider Solutions in December 2021 as a Clinical Consultant. As part of the HPS clinical consulting team, Victoria provides support and solutions to home health and hospice agencies nationally to achieve regulatory compliance. With more than 38 years of nursing and healthcare experience, the majority of Victoria’s career has been in the home services arena including home health, hospice, home care, and home infusion where she has served in various roles. In home health and hospice, Victoria has served as agency administrator, interim administrator, clinical director, CHAP surveyor, mock surveyor, QAPI team member and consultant. In private duty she has served as agency administrator, and in home infusion as marketing director and infusion Registered Nurse. Victoria is a licensed Multistate Registered Nurse and is a CHAP certified Home Health and Hospice Consultant.


BRIAN LEBANION, MBA, CPC, RNC, HCS-O, HCS-DBrian Lebanion
Brian Lebanion has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry and provides consulting services for all aspects of home health care and hospice, including operations, reimbursement and education. He specializes in comprehensive consulting services offering clients and providers survey/licensure coaching, clinical review and training, financial and revenue cycle management, third-party audit response, and quality assurance/performance improvement training.



JENNIFER OSBURN, RN, HCS-D, COS-CJennifer Osburn

Jennifer Osburn is a Clinical Consultant with Healthcare Provider Solutions, Inc. (HPS). With over 30 years of home health experience, Jennifer brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise which includes education and training, agency management, quality, clinical case management, and software technology. She is also a credentialed OASIS and ICD-10 Coding expert.

Jennifer began her home health career in a large privately owned agency after transitioning from Medical-Surgical Urology hospital nursing; however, she has worked for all types of agencies in multiple states. Her love for sharing knowledge and experience led her to clinical consulting, where she enjoys translating technical guidance into information that the busy home health professional can deploy to improve the efficiency and quality of care being delivered to the patients they serve. 

Jennifer Osburn has led numerous home health educational seminars for state and national associations as well as specifically designed education training plans for agencies for the past 12 years. In addition to consulting across the US, she has trained staff for The Joint Commission and ACHC, has authored numerous industry blogs and articles, and has assisted home health software companies with solutions that ensure compliance with Medicare guidelines. Her areas of expertise and firsthand experience include OASIS, ICD-10-CM Coding, Case Management, Medicare Home Health Conditions of Participation, Billing Requirements, Documentation Compliance for Quality and Payment, Emergency Preparedness, Agency Operations, and PDGM.



MELINDA GABOURY, COS-CMelinda Gaboury
Melinda A. Gaboury, with more than 30 years in home care, has over 20 years of executive speaking and educating experience, including extensive day to day interaction with home care and hospice professionals. She routinely conducts Home Care and Hospice Reimbursement Workshops and speaks at state association meetings throughout the country. Melinda has profound experience in Medicare PDGM training, billing, collections, case-mix calculations, chart reviews and due diligence. UPIC, RA, ADR & TPE appeals with all Medicare MACs have become the forefront of Melinda’s current impact on the industry. She is currently serving as Chair of the NAHC/HHFMA Advisory Board and Work Group and is serving on the board of the Home Care Association of Florida and the Tennessee Association for Home Care. Melinda is also the author of the Home Health OASIS Guide to OASIS-E and Home Health Billing Answers, 2023.



KIM WILKERSON, LPN, BA, MBAKim Wilkerson
Kim Wilkerson, LPN, BA, MBA, is the Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) Manager for SimiTree One might say that Kim Wilkerson essentially "grew up" in home health, spending almost her entire adult life working in it. After working for a few years for other companies, she scraped together $5,000 for an initial payment for a five-patient-census home health agency outside of Houston, Texas. She sold the agency in 2007 after growing it to 500 patients in three offices. After "retiring" to Key West in 2008, she opened an agency in an underserved area and ultimately sold that agency as well. Active now in consulting with a focus on the RCD and operations, Kim is a wealth of practical knowledge for anyone needing advice from someone who's "been there".


COLEEN WOODSColleen Woods
Colleen Woods has worked in the home care industry since 1996, holding various positions in both home health & hospice agencies including field nurse, case manager, educator, QA manager, DON and Administrator. Colleen is currently a senior consultant and lead educator with JCC Consulting, and services home health and hospice agencies in Texas. Colleen enjoys helping agency leaders navigate the constant changes and challenges in the current home health and hospice industries. She enjoys assisting in the incorporation of meaningful and impactful changes into their agency’s operations – both administrative and clinical, in order to provide high quality care that is both sustainable while maintaining regulatory requirements and promoting excellent patient care. <


ANNETTE LEE, RN, MS, HCS-D, COS-CAnnette Lee
Annette is a registered nurse, with a Master’s in Health Care Administration, practicing since 1990. For over a decade she worked with the CMS Home Health and Hospice intermediary, Cahaba GBA and CGS, where she provided review of, and education on home health and hospice documentation. She worked as a specialist in the Medical Review, Appeals, and Provider Education departments, and assisted with cross-MAC quality assurance and training. Annette then founded Provider Insights, Inc. providing consultative support and provider education regarding Medicare reimbursement issues and effective documentation strategies, assisting providers across the nation with Survey Preparation, ADRs and appeals. Today she continues to marry together her experience in the “real world” and the inside knowledge of Medicare to ensure providers can meet the requirements of CMS, and ensure compliant, efficient operations.









FAQs

 

TRoss

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get access to the event?
Each registrant will be sent the session login information approximately 48 hours prior the event. Sessions will be broadcast using Zoom.

How much Continuing Education is available with the whole event?
Receive up to: 8.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates - CNEs coming soon

Will there be a Q&A?
Questions will be handled live during the sessions allowing you to ask your questions directly to the presenters.
 
Will there be Recordings/ When will recordings be available?
As a registered attendee, you will be emailed access to all of the session recordings for the day(s) you registered for within one week of the live event. 

How do I get my Continuing Education credits/certificate virtually?

In order to obtain continuing education, you must:

  1. Watch the session(s) in their entirety

  2. Add each session to your “Schedule” either on the TAHC&H App or at www.tahch.org/ce

  3. Complete an evaluation for each session and the Overall Event Evaluation.

  4. Claim your CE's and download your certificate before the claiming deadline

 
Can I watch the recordings and claim my certificate/continuing education credits later?
Yes! Visit our How to Claim Your Certificate FAQs for videos and step-by-step instructions on how to claim. 



Where can I find the Handouts?
Handouts are posted as we receive them from the presenters. Many handouts might not be available until the day of the event. We appreciate your patience. A link will also be provided in your Attendee Info Email. .
 
I need to cancel my registration, will I get a refund? 
If you must cancel your reservation for any reason, notify TAHC&H, Attn: Jessica Campbell via fax or email (jessica@tahch.org). A full refund minus a $50 cancellation fee will be given if written request is received by 5/8/24. A full refund minus a $150 cancellation fee will be given if a written request is received  5/9/24-5/14/24. No refund will be made 5/15/24 or after.

 

 

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