2020 Financial, Operations Management / IT (FOM/IT) Virtual Conference
DateOctober 20, 2020In response to relaxation of telehealth reimbursement rules during the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Health Centers (CHCs) have rapidly transformed in-person visits into telehealth visits that reduce the spread of infection to patients and staff. Although those rules will likely be tightened after the emergency period, it is likely that in many states, telehealth will continue to be a reimbursable option of care. To this end, health centers may consider re-designing their primary care model to expand virtual care and will need to evaluate financial feasibility. From a reimbursement perspective, CHCs in some states were already operating under a primary care capitation alternative payment methodology or able to negotiate one with payers. This provides even greater flexibility in terms of means of serving patients and choice of the most appropriate member of the care team. This workshop will explore clinical and operational considerations which may impact financial sustainability. Furthermore, it will discuss reimbursement options which could incentivize how health centers manage total cost of care in a virtual environment. Participants will learn key concepts which should be integrated into a financial modeling exercise that would serve as a business plan, and identify return on investment (ROI) for a virtual care program.Objectives
- Be able to differentiate clinical model of care options that can be feasibly implemented under one versus both of these two payment methodologies
- Utilize templates and key concepts to develop a business plan
- Identify key drivers which impact total cost of care in a virtual model
Speakers
Art Jones, MDPrincipal, Health Management AssociatesPeter R. Epp, CPAPartner and Community Health Centers Practice Leader, CohnReznick LLP
DateOctober 20, 2020Prior to COVID-19, health centers often struggled with engaging patients in their care or providing care in non-traditional ways, such as via telehealth or the patient portal. Now, health centers have the opportunity to set a new standard for how patients can access health care services in the “new normal”. By structuring an access monitoring program, health centers can measure and positively impact provider continuity, appropriate schedule utilization, appointment availability, and patient engagement. Health centers have the opportunity to leverage the hard work and ingenuity demonstrated when implementing processes in response to COVID-19, such as those for text message communication, COVID-19 testing services, and telehealth, and can now optimize and sustain these process to improve access to care and increase patient engagement long-term.Objectives
- Understand how these new ways of accessing care (telehealth, text communication, drive-thru testing) can be sustainable access points of care in daily health center operations.
- Understand how to measure utilization of new access points.
- Understand how to measure effectiveness of new access points.
Speakers
Cassie Lindholm, MPA, PCMH CCEDeputy Director, PCA & Network Relations, NACHCShannon Nielson, MHA, PCMH-CEEPrincipal Consultant & Owner, Curis ConsultingQuality Manager, Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center
DateOctober 20, 2020Clinical organizations have rapidly pivoted to provide virtual care during the COVID-19 epidemic; however, there is great opportunity to advance the automation and improvement of other aspects of public health. The CDC in partnership with organizations like Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has developed electronic approaches to public health reporting on reportable conditions. Public health agencies have similarly rushed to shore up existing systems and innovate and automate public health activities including reporting, contact tracing and public health messaging and control measures that can bend the curve on communicable disease transmission. Here we discuss the available approaches to public health, from the perspective of the federal public health infrastructure, the state/local public health agency and the community health center and their data partners and how interested parties might advance their own clinical enterprise and data towards seamless reuse and downstream public health activities.Objectives
- Describe potential downstream uses for COVID-19 data.
- Highlight how COVID-19 and other reportable conditions data currently and in the future will flow to public health agencies and CDC.
- Outline how eCR (Electronic Case Reporting) works and how to start.
Moderator
Julia Skapik, MD, MPHMedical Director, Informatics, NACHCSpeakers
Lindsay Dietz, MAPMDirector, Program Services for Collaborative Ventures Network, HealthyArizonaJohn Loonsk, MD, FACMIConsulting CMIO, Association of Public Health Laboratories Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public HealthBryant Karras, MDChief Information Officer, Washington State Department of Health
DateOctober 20, 2020Aledade Co-founder and CEO Farzad Mostashari, MD has spent his career at the forefront of healthcare policy and health information technology. Dr. Mostashari is the former National Coordinator for Health IT at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and served as a distinguished expert at the Brookings Institute’s Engelberg Center for HealthCare Reform. He has spoken and written extensively on issues affecting health IT, ACOs, and health care policy and delivery. Dr. Mostashari received his MD from Yale University School of Medicine and his Masters in Population Health from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Mostashari's Keynote Discussion Topics include: Redefining value-based care during a pandemic Technology, payment and workflows during the COVID-19 pandemic Leveraging data to drive decision-making, financial resiliency, combating racism and racial/health disparities (for patients and employees) and moreObjectives
- Highlight operational challenges health centers face as they transition from COVID-care to the new paradigm for health care delivery.
- Define how actionable and prioritized data can support health centers in value-based care arrangements.
- Describe strategies for identifying and leveraging emergent technologies to advance patient and community health.
Speaker
Farzad Mostashari, MD, MPHFounder/CEO, Aledade Inc.
DateOctober 20, 2020This session will describe the state of healthcare cybersecurity from a sector-wide perspective, the cyber threats that healthcare providers are facing, and what strategies and tools they are using in order to address these threats. This session will highlight best practices for improving your security posture. Learn about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare cybersecurity and information privacy programs within healthcare organizations and what organizations are doing to combat cyber threats in a COVID-19 world.Objectives
- Provide overview of the cyber threats that healthcare providers are facing.
- Describe strategies for health centers to improve their security posture.
- Highlight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare cybersecurity and information privacy programs within healthcare organizations.
Speaker
Director, Privacy and Security, HIMSS
DateOctober 20, 2020Operating a call center that fields nearly half a million phone calls each year typically requires innovative strategies to support employee recruitment, retention and satisfaction; IT infrastructure; and metric measurement. Then, COVID-19 hit. Erie Family Health Centers was forced to quickly and dramatically transform its entire model of care – and Patient Access Operations along with it. More than 70 employees were transitioned to work from home within the span of two weeks. Training programs were revamped to ensure teams were ready to support rapidly evolving models of care, including the rapid launch of telehealth visits and 7-day-a-week care. This session will discuss the sustainability of potential advantages of many of the adaptations that Erie, and other community health centers, made to the way our Patient Access Centers operate. We will focus on the potential benefits for employee recruitment that a work-from-home model may offer. We’ll look at the important metrics that are necessary to measure to sustain the health of your call center during a time of crisis and beyond. And we will explore the adjustments to employee training that allow organizations to be more agile, more responsive to change, and more empathetic to employees' needs and wants.Objectives
- Understand the necessary components to develop a sustainable work-from-home option for call center and potentially Referrals employees
- Understand the metrics necessary to measure when on site or remotely to ensure quality and quantity metrics are maintained.
- Develop a model that can be used for innovative recruitment opportunities and retention
Speaker
Senior Director of Patient Access Operations and DEI Officer, Erie Family Health Centers
DateOctober 20, 2020COVID-19 has resulted in additional funding for Health Centers. As frequently happens with new federal funding the compliance environment evolves with the latest frequently asked question (FAQ) updates, new reporting guidelines and documentation standards. While the environment is changing that doesn’t mean Health Centers can wait passively for a perfect future date to begin taking compliance seriously. In this session we will provide an update on the current grants management environment. We will share what we know, what we don’t know and provide insight into how the compliance environment is evolving. We can be certain that things will continue to change, but this session will provide confirmation for some, ideas for many, and motivation for others. Compliance is a required part of this funding and ignorance is not an excuse that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) accepts. Join BKD for this session as we work to help you and your Health Center reduce your risk for this federal funding. We are entering the phase of accountability for this funding and we want you to be prepared.Objectives
- Update attendees on key COVID-19 related funding streams compliance requirements.
- Address high risk compliance elements associated with the additional COVID-19 funding.
- Provide a summary on the updates to the Uniform Grant Guidance regulations published in August 2020 that serve as the basis for Federal grants management best practices and recommendations for improving the COVID-19 funding compliance for your Health Center.
Speakers
Catherine Gilpin, CPAManaging Director/ Grants Management & Financial Advisory Services, FORVISDavid Fields, CPA, CMA, CFMPartner, BKD, LLPEdward T. Waters, Esq.Managing Partner, Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP
DateOctober 20, 2020COVID-19 changed how health centers approach providing access to primary and specialty care for communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. This session will highlight two examples of health centers that leveraged alternative delivery models for providing high-quality services to their patients in communities. The first example will feature CCI Health and Wellness Services, which transitioned its group-based prenatal care program – which had a successful track record improving birth outcomes – to virtual group-based care within two weeks. CCI’s Centering Program combines standard health assessments, interactive learning in a group setting of 10-12 women, and community building to help foster positive health outcomes and behaviors amongst its prenatal population. The second example will highlight a virtual diabetes education program and efforts to address social determinants of health. Community Care Network of Kansas and Health Ministries Clinic (HMC) participated in a demonstration project that focused on the social determinants of health (SDOH) in a targeted Medicaid population of Hispanic patients with diabetes. HMC staff used PRAPARE to collect actionable data and Azara DRVS to identify care gaps and report average assessment score, specific social risk factors, and clinical diabetes measures. To maintain positive outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, HMC began offering telehealth services, which allowed a diabetes educator and care management staff to use audio only and audio/video telehealth along with in-person visits to stay connected to their patients.Objectives
- Describe alternative delivery models for providing primary and specialty care.
- Highlight challenges and effective strategies for providing virtual group visits.
- Provide examples of how health centers collect actionable data related to social risks and social determinants of health in a Medicaid-eligible population.
Speakers
Chief Strategy Officer, Community Care Network of KansasProgram and Grants Coordinator, Health Ministries ClinicDevelopment Director, CCI Health and Wellness ServicesAastasshia Lacy, FNP-BCMaternal and Child Health Director, CCI Health and Wellness Services
DateOctober 20, 2020One health center out of Hope Valley, Rhode Island will share their experience in building a new patient visit model that reached the following results: a 33% increase in patient access, 46% decrease in no-shows, and a 38% increase in capacity utilization. While improving patient access to care has many favorable benefits to patients including improved health outcomes and quality of care, it requires process changes, innovation, and a bold leadership group. Results include a greater volume of patient visits while also attaining improvements in no-show reductions and capacity utilization.Objectives
- Attendees will hear and learn the tools and tactics that are crucial to obtaining results of decreasing patient cycle times.
- Attendees will identify ways to increase capacity utilization by reducing missed opportunities.
- Attendees will hear how this organization was able to increase their patient access by 33% and what methods and tools were used to move the needle in this metric.
Speakers
Alison Croke, BS, MHAPresident and CEO, Wood River Health ServicesTrainer, Coach, Coleman Associates
DateOctober 20, 2020CMS, State Medicaid programs and commercial payers are getting more aggressive in moving providers from volume to value-based pay (VBP). Exactly how VBP will be implemented is evolving, particularly for FQHCs, but it does appear to be here to stay. COVID-19 demonstrated that fee-for-service doesn’t provide the flexibility providers need to pivot their models to meet the changing needs of their patients and communities. And, CMS demonstrated its continuing commitment to VBP by issuing a letter to Medicaid Directors on September 15, 2020, with information on how to advance payment to support value-based care. FQHCs will need to develop capabilities to be successful as VBP continues to evolve. This session will describe the types of VBP methodologies that are being discussed, the clinical and financial capabilities FQHCs will need to be successful, and how health centers can prepare for VBP.Objectives
- Engage in VBP discussions at their health center or in their community.
- Identify financial and clinical capabilities their health center will need to be successful in VBP.
- Generate ideas for how their health center could prepare for VBP.
Speaker
Craig Hostetler, MHAPrincipal, Hostetler Group
DateOctober 21, 2020Tools such as workflow process analysis and Lean methods can be very helpful in implementing new programs effectively. They can also be used to optimize programs that have been implemented rapidly. Many health centers implemented telehealth programs rapidly in response to the current pandemic and public health emergency. Some of these programs may benefit from the improvements that can be gained from using a more structured analysis and process. This presentation will provide an overview of workflow process analysis tools and an example of how Lean methods were used to implement a telehealth program both rapidly and efficiently across a multi-site community health center.Objectives
- Examine workflow analysis tools as applied to telehealth programs and processes.
- Describe insights gained from a large CHC's experiences implementing telehealth.
- Provide examples of how Lean methods were used to implement a telehealth program both rapidly and efficiently across a multi-site community health center.
Speakers
Angela Duncan Diop, ND, CHCIOVice President, Information Systems, Unity Health CareJonathan Neufeld, PhDProgram Director, Great Plains Telehealth Resource and Assistance Center
DateOctober 21, 2020A resilient team is able to effectively respond to unforeseen challenges and agilely pivot when confronted with crisis. These teams are made up of confident and self-managed individuals able to focus their attention on the right things at the right time. They are better equipped to perform in an environment of continuing uncertainty and uncontrollable change. Decisions must be made in the moment. Leaders need to be adaptive and, often working remotely, trust the actions of their work force on the ground. They must strengthen the environment that supports their front-line teams who need to be present and, despite challenges, adversity and constant changes, meet the needs of the organization and take care of patients as well as themselves. During this session we will discuss factors that define resilience, the unique components of a resilient team and steps for development. Take away tools to improve communication and build trust, build adaptive leadership skills and engage diverse perspectives and increase inclusivity across your organization.Objectives
- Increase your understanding of the 7 Cs of resilience and how that translates to your team member’s resilient factors, as well as how to mitigate obstacles in development.
- Develop key communication skills to support resilience and an organization that responds thoughtfully, not reacting emotionally, to change, challenges and crisis both effectively and with empathy.
- Learn the principles of adaptive leadership and how to apply the framework.
Speaker
Cheryl Petersen, MBAChief Financial Officer, East Valley Community Health Center
DateOctober 21, 2020The COVID pandemic has upended CHC financial models. Previous financial projections aren’t useful, and it is hard to project visits. Testing and immunization financials are also unclear. This session will discuss using shorter, flexible budgeting templates, and evaluate the medium-term financial outlook.Objectives
- Utilize a shorter-term budgeting template.
- Evaluate the economics of testing and vaccination.
- Explain the impact of COVID funding to the Board.
Speaker
President, Curt Degenfelder Consulting, Inc
DateOctober 21, 2020The COVID-19 global pandemic has changed lives and work forever. Remote staff management, demand for telehealth, elevated levels of “free” testing for all (regardless of insured coverage), care rendered virtually across state lines, and with so many newly unemployed… expanded Medicaid enrollment. Remotely evaluating staff and team building, mastering telehealth (billing and documentation), understanding enrollment/credentialing for virtual care rendered across state lines, and assuring “front desk” (virtual or in person) are verifying Medicaid eligibility status, etc. These are just a few areas of focus in the COVID world of health center RCM. Attend this session to elevate awareness of potential liabilities and learn opportunities to find success in our “new normal.” Learn what remote management tools exist to keep your RCM team on task. Hear suggestions for optimizing telehealth income and address potential liabilities around rendering virtual care (e.g., provider licensure, payer enrollment, consent, and the myriad of coding options).Objectives
- Learn strategies for remotely and optimally managing staff.
- Understand which telehealth policies are permanently changed and federal updates regarding care rendered “across state lines.”
- Elevate learning to stem HIPAA violation potential from RCM team managing PHI remotely.
Speakers
Principal, Ray Jorgensen Consulting, LLCDirector, Finance Training and Technical Assistance, NACHC
DateOctober 21, 2020Health Centers have seen a boom of available electronic patient engagement tools promising everything from decreasing no shows to improving patient self-registration and screening. Throughout 2020 health centers have been increasingly interested in adopting patient engagement tools to reach patients at home and minimize waiting room time to keep everyone safe. Knowing whether these tools will succeed in health centers, where patients may have more complexity and budgets may be leaner, is an ongoing challenge. To this end, HITEQ along with several HCCN Partners, interviewed a number of health centers and vendors about the use of electronic patient engagement tools. This session will share with you the results of those interviews, key lessons learned, and some tips as to what you may want to look for when considering these tools for your health center.Objectives
- Define electronic patient engagement.
- Provide an example of what need electronic patient engagement can address in a health center.
- Identify at least one strength and one weakness to consider in an electronic patient engagement tool.
Speakers
Jillian Maccini, MBA, PMPProject Director, JSI and HITEQ CenterLisa Perry, MBA, MPPPrincipal, Morningside Health Strategies
