2010 Spring

SurveyorACHC has Hospice Deeming Authority!

We are proud to announce that ACHC has received deeming author-ity for hospice organizations from the Department of Health and Hu-man Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). ACHC earned a four year term for hospice deeming authority.

continued on page 2

Sur veyor Spr ing 2010 1

501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization Volume 20, No. 1 CMS Deeming Authority for:An ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company Home Health, Hospice & DMEPOS

S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

INSIDE: Spotlight on Provider: Hawaii Home Infusion | Page 7

ACHC Cares: Community Service for a Cause | Page 26

Quality Improvement: The Journey Continues | Page 24

ACHC’s Value-Added Accreditation | Page 4

ACHC Congratulates Its Newest Accredited Locations | Page 8

ACHC Announces Development of Behavioral Health StandardsACHC takes another step forward in delivering outstanding customer service, in announcing the development of standards for ACHC’s Behavioral Health Accreditation Program. “The decision to offer Behavioral Health Accreditation was in response to the requests of our accredited home health providers, who are also providing behavioral

continued on page 5

®

Benchmarking and Best Practices in Private Duty Home CareStephen C. Tweed, CSP

For more than thirty years, home care companies have been providing as-sistance with the activities of daily living to elderly and disabled clients on a private pay basis. This section of the home care continuum has come to be known in the industry as “Private Duty Home Care.”

continued on page 19

Technology SpotlightThe use of technology is part of every business at some level in this country. Even if you feel that your business does not rely heavily on technology, you can be sure that your suppliers, your customers, competitors and government are using it. Here at ACHC, we are also leveraging technology throughout our business to manage our operations, improve our products, increase our efficiency and reach out to our customers.


We’re Updating Our WebsiteACHC is in the process of giving our website a complete overhaul in order to provide you with ac-cess to great information and resources. We want and need your feedback. By providing us with suggestions and critique, we can truly make this site the best possible product to bring you what you want and need from ACHC. Email us today at [email protected] with your comments.

Visit us Online!

ACHC OffersAccreditation For:•Home Health•Hospice•DMEPOS•Pharmacy•Private Duty•Sleep Lab/ Center

http://twitter.com/achc

http://achc.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ACHCINC?ref=nf

http://www.linkedin.com/companies/accreditation-commission-for-health-care-inc.-achc-

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheACHC

Editor-in-Chief

Deric Rutledge Marketing Communications [email protected]

Managing Editor, Designer/Layout Artist

Tracy HinmanMarketing [email protected]

Managing Editor

Stacey HahnMarketing [email protected]

ACHC Board Officers

Dick Wetherell – ChairVice President for Quality, Telefl ex Medical, Inc.

Chris Clasen, BS, RRT, RCP – Vice ChairDirector of Respiratory Care, Blue RidgeHealth Care Center

Denise Fletcher, Esq. – SecretaryBoard Certifi ed Health Law, Texas Board ofLegal Specialization, Brown & Fortunato

Rick Ferris – TreasurerDirector of Operations, Drug Crafters

Gibbie Harris, MSPH, FNPAssistant TreasurerBuncombe County Health Director, Buncombe County Health Center

ACHC Board Members

John BarrettSenior Consultant, Quality Systems Engineering

Floyd Boyer, RRT, RCPExecutive Director, NC Respiratory Care Board

Richard BulichIndependent Pharmacy Consultant

Barbara Stover Gingerich, RN MSFACHE CHCEPresident, Advantage Consultants, Inc.

Laura PrioliHealth Care/Medical Device Specialist, SGS

Barbara RosenblumFounder & CEO, Strategic Health Care Programs

Tom TuckerVice President Sales & Marketing, AttentusMedical Sales, Inc.

Susan Niewenhous, Ph.D, RN, CHCE, COS-CPresident, Niew Solutions, Inc.

Marshelle Thobaben, RN, MS, PHN, APNP, FNPProfessor, Humbolt State University

Denise LippyVice President Systems Operations, Proton Therapy Center-Houston, Ltd.

2 Sur veyor Spr ing 2010

CORE Purpose: To help our customers succeed

CORE Mission: To support health care organizations and providers in optimizing wellness through standards that promote the effective, efficient delivery of quality services and products

CORE Values: • Integrity

• Innovation

• EnhancingOutcomes

• Excellence inall Things

• Flexibility without Compromising Quality

• Concern for the Entire Health Care Continuum

Hospice Deeming Authority continued from page 1

Recognition by CMS means that ACHC has met or exceeded all Medicare and Medicaid certification standards. Providers now have the choice to become Medicare certified hospice providers by choosing ACHC for ac-creditation.

The hospice standards were developed by industry leaders, are patient-focused, provider-friendly and easy to understand. Our accreditation program includes both the nurs-ing and social components, tailored specifi-cally for the hospice provider and surveys are conducted by RNs and MSWs who are experts in their field.

We feel that this achievement is a great compliment to ACHC’s deeming authority for Home Health and DMEPOS and we’re happy to offer this program.

Are you interested in seeing our standards for yourself? Visit our website at www.achc.org and download them today for free!

What do you care about? We are constantly listening to providers, and have been since 1986. We're open to any suggestions, questions or comments that your have about our company, our services to you, our policies or anything that can help us improve. We invite you to visit ACHC.org, click on Feedback/Suggestions and let us know what you think!

MEET YOUR Commissioner


Marshelle Thobaben, RN, MS, PHN, APNP, FNPMarshelle Thobaben, RN, MS, P-MHNP, PHN, FNP is professor of nursing at Humboldt State University (HSU) in Arcata, CA. For nearly 30 years she has taught community and public health nursing, as well as chaired the HSU Department of Nursing and the

HSU and CSU academic senates.

Marshelle has published more than 150 articles and chapters in leading nursing journals and textbooks, co-authored a textbook and presented at national conferences. She has also published and presented at conferences on issues affecting faculty and students in the Twenty-First Century. She has been nationally rec-ognized for her work in elder abuse prevention and home health psychiatric nursing. She has been credited for developing the first home health psychiatric program in the nation and has consulted with over 50 home health agencies about their beginning a similar program.

Marshelle has been honored as HSU’s Scholar of the Year for her extensive research and publications. She received the Women of Achievement Award from the Humboldt County Branch of the American Association of University Women for her ongoing com-mitment to nursing education. She was honored by the California Nurses’ Association, North Bay Coastal Region for her for outstand-ing contributions to nurses, nursing education and the community. She has received the Senior Friends' Award from the Humboldt-Del Norte County’s Area Agency on Aging for her work on elder abuse prevention and recognition.

In addition to her professional roles, Marshelle loves to travel with her family. She has visited over 100 countries. She brings this per-spective into her writing and teaching. Her husband, Kermit and son, Sean C, daughter-in-law, Arianna, and grandson, Aidan, have supported her in her career and she takes pride in her relationship with her family.

Denise LippyDenise Lippy currently serves as the Vice President of Systems Operations for The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Proton Therapy Center in Houston, TX. She is responsible for maximizing the clinical avail-ability, reliability and cost effectiveness of the proton therapy system through continual management and improvement of preventive

and corrective maintenance. Denise oversees all FDA submis-sions and audits, and she directs the center’s technology quality management system. She works closely with the Medical Director to ensure all services meet and exceed all appropriate regulatory standards, such as accreditation standards, CAP, OSHA, HIPAA, etc. She plays a major role in ensuring the attainment of all clinical and operational objectives of the proton therapy center.

Denise previously served as a Vice President for Siemens Medi-cal Solutions U.S.A., directing as many as 200 employees in four business units with revenues in excess of $400 million. Denise led these business units through all phases of start-up, maintenance, turnaround and growth. Denise has over 20 years experience in management and development of sales, service, and technical support throughout various organizations. She has extensive expe-rience in applying the ISO quality management system principles to business operations. Denise has coached all levels of health-care provider professionals in implementing these key business principles within their organizations to ensure excellence in patient care.

Susan S. Niewenhous, PhD, RN, CHCE, COS-C Susan is President of Niew Solutions, Inc., and consults on quality management in home care. Dr. Niewenhous has 26 years of home care experience, many of which have been in home care administration, education and quality assurance. She has written numer-

ous articles on administration and quality management, and has authored programs for clinician education as well. She currently resides in Maryland.

The ACHC Board of Commissioners consists of volunteer industry experts and is responsible for the direction and strategic

vision of the corporation.


Affordable Health CareConsultantsWe provide cost effective services for:

� Home Medical Equipment (HME)� Home Health Care� Clinical Respiratory Care� Pharmacy Providers� Rehab Technology Suppliers� Orthrotic and Fitter Service Providers� Medical Supply Providers

Services Provided

� Policy and Procedure Manuals� Accreditation Assistance� Benchmarking� Compliance Audits� Mock Surveys� Start Up Assistance� Financial AR Consultation� Competitive Bidding Application Assistant

Contact AHCC at: (919) 368-5565www.ahcc.come-mail: [email protected]

ACHC’s Value-Added AccreditationThe Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. has been striv-ing to provide excellent customer service and a friendly accredita-tion for as long as we’ve been around. Our goal is to contribute to your success and help you meet the many challenges you face in today’s health care market. There are many benefits to accredita-tion and we like to ensure that your organization is achieving qual-ity outcomes gained through our accreditation process.

Now, more than ever, organizations must be driven to successfully compete in today’s accelerating industry in order to succeed. There is a growing need to improve aspects of your organization with special attention to performance, commitment, quality and accountability of care for the consumer. While some of these objectives are the end goal that accreditation would like you to

achieve, ACHC strives to provide a truly value added, meaningful accreditation. What are some things that ACHC has done in the past to add value to your accreditation?● Provide you with a personal account manager to assist you through the process.

● Keep the cost of accreditation as low as possible with no added or hidden fees.● Hire friendly surveyors and a friendly staff. ● Take an educational, consultative approach to accreditation.● Develop standards that are easy to read and understand.

While these are just a few of the basic building blocks that support our business, ACHC is concentrating on cultivating our accreditation program even more to provide you with important knowledge, information, industry updates and tools to make your accreditation an indispensable tool.

In fact, ACHC feels so strongly about giving our customers what they deserve that we actually formed a value-added committee to find out how we can serve your needs better. There are many value-added aspects of our accreditation that you’ve begun to see or will begin to see in the future.● Develop new accreditation programs that the industry needs, such as our new Sleep program and Behavioral Health program (coming soon!) We also worked diligently to earn deeming authority for Hospice. ● Free Surveyor Newsletter with helpful articles and information.


www.ahcc.com


health services,” said Britt Welch, ACHC’s Behavioral Health Manager. Britt has been working with industry experts to develop ACHC’s standards for the new Behavioral Health Accreditation Program.

ACHC currently accredits over 1300 home health organizations including branches. In addition to home health services, many of these companies also provide behavioral health services to persons challenged by mental health, substance abuse, and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities. As it stands now, several of ACHC’s accredited providers could be in the position of having to be accredited by more than one national accrediting organization, based on the selection of services they provide and local/state requirements. ACHC’s goal is to deliver a seamless accreditation process for providers that would solve the problems of maintaining multiple accreditations.

In order to reflect the broad range of behavioral health services provided, ACHC currently has scope standards for eighteen different services as well as core standards, covering areas such as business operations, fiscal management and quality improvement. ACHC plans to add additional services based on service recipient needs and industry trends.

Britt states, “In developing these standards, we are utilizing the same philosophies that we ascribed to in developing all of our other service standards: ensuring they are focused on the service recipient and that they are relevant, realistic and written in easily understood language.”

Britt indicated that he anticipates beta testing of the standards during the second half of 2010. “I am confident that we will have several of our currently accredited providers who would like to participate in the beta testing as part of, or independent from, their renewal. To have a good cross section sample, I would also like to have providers who are considering ACHC for accreditation of their home health or other services and would be willing to add on a beta test for behavioral health. If all goes as planned, we should have our behavioral health standards published and ready for use in 2011.”

Current and potential ACHC accredited providers interested in participating in beta testing of ACHC’s behavioral health standards, may contact Britt Welch, Behavioral Health Manger, at 919-785-1214 or [email protected].

Submitted by: Britt Welch, Behavioral Health Manager

Britt Welch, MS in Counseling Psychology, recently joined ACHC to serve as the Behavioral Health Manger. A licensed therapist, Britt has over twenty years of experience in the Behavioral Health industry, including community mental health, intellectual/developmental disability and substance abuse services centers, governmental human services quality improvement and private sector service administration.

Behavioral Health Standardscontinued from page 1

"In developing these standards, we are utilizing the same philosophies that we ascribed to in developing all of our other service standards: ensuring they are focused on the

service recipient and that they are relevant, realistic and written in

easily understood language."

MEET YOUR Surveyor


Nicole Munns, RPSGTSleep SurveyorNicole Munns has been working in the sleep and DME Industry for eight years. She is a Registered Polysomnography Technologist and received her Bachelors in Chemistry from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. She started in a hospital-based sleep lab

as a night technologist, and then transitioned to a hybrid company to work with sleep and DME patients. As the Clinical Services Man-ager, she was introduced to accreditation standards and initiatives for compliance. In 2005, she assisted her company in obtaining reaccreditation with ACHC, and soon she became a Quality Assur-ance Specialist on a national level. In 2008, this experience

in sleep and DME in various settings led her to work with ACHC in developing the Sleep Accreditation Program and soon thereafter becoming a surveyor.

Nicole currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina with her English Bulldog named Sampson. She is an avid runner, having com-pleted three marathons, ample half-marathons and participates in monthly races for charity.

Debbie Goings, BSN, RNHome Health & Hospice SurveyorDebbie became a full time home health and hospice surveyor at ACHC in 2009. Prior to working with ACHC she was the PI Director, OSHA Coordinator, Public Information Officer and home health IT for point of care at Ruth-erford Polk McDowell Home Health. She has over eleven years of home health experience

specializing in coding, OASIS, PI, infection control and staff educa-tion. She earned her BSN at Winston-Salem University.

Debbie has coached a US swim team and was a stroke and turn judge for high school swimming. Her hobbies include photography, reading and gardening. She is married with two grown children. She hopes to walk in the 39 mile breast cancer walk this year.

Julie Pazun, RN, BSNHome Health & Hospice SurveyorJulie has been a registered nurse for 20 years, working initially in the hospital setting primarily in post surgical and trauma units. She then transitioned into homecare ap-proximately 10 years ago, working first as a field nurse, then in the office where she was

responsible for performance improvement, regulatory compliance and staff education. In addition, she worked with the Pennsylvania Medicaid program instituting quality projects in physician offices to improve quality care for the diabetic population. Julie has been working as a full time surveyor for ACHC for the past year. Julie

received her Bachelors of Nursing from Gannon University in Erie, PA and is currently working on her Masters of Health Administra-tion at Ohio University. Her passion is on quality and plans to obtain Six Sigma certification in the near future.

When not on the road performing surveys, Julie lives with her husband Ryan and their two dogs in Cranesville, PA. She teaches classes in jewelry making and can often be found in her art studio where she enjoys creating jewelry and textile art.

Want to be an ACHC Surveyor? We are currently recruiting Home Health, Hospice and Pharmacy surveyors. New surveyor training is scheduled on an as-needed basis. If you would like to become an ACHC Surveyor, please send your resume & letter of interest to the e-mail or postal address below. We will notify all qualified candidates as soon as the next training is scheduled.

Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc.4700 Falls of Neuse Rd., Suite 280Raleigh, NC [email protected]: 919.785.1214Fax: 919.785.3011

Spotlight on ProviderHawaii Home Infusion


Hawaii Home Infusion (HHIA) was founded in 1996 by Kevin and Enny Glick. The company started as a Home Infusion Pharmacy and also carried several lines of Home Medical Equipment. As the company grew, more employees were added. They eventually opened branches on O‘ahu, Maui and Guam. In 1996 the com-pany was the first Home Infusion and Home Medical Equipment company in Hawaii to be accredited and has maintained that ac-creditation ever since.

Over the years, our original accreditation agency grew and it be-came clear to us that a small, isolated company like ours was not compatible with such a large bureaucracy. We had fundamental disagreements with the approach taken in surveys. The standards became more and more complicated, cross-referenced, rewrit-ten, reinvented and reissued. My job at Hawaii Home Infusion as Performance Improvement Manager is to make sure we stay ac-credited. It is vital for a small company like ours with 25 employees to comply with the ever-widening morass of regulations, rules and laws imposed on us by Congress and federal agencies.

My first survey for HHIA as the Performance Improvement Manager in 2004 was a shock. Our original accreditation company’s stan-dards had been reworked again, and I wasn't up to speed with the newest version. Frustrated, I began to correspond with ACHC, and continued to correspond with them. They never pressured me to make the switch, but it was clear to our executive staff that ACHC's

approach to accredita-tion was way different than we had experienced in the past. The most obvious dif-ference was the standards.

First, they were FREE. They were simple to read and to understand; we felt they would be simple to apply as well. They were consistent – not under constant revision and multiplication. We found what we needed in accreditation: an accrediting agency that under-stands what it's like to be a tiny DMEPOS company in the middle of a vast ocean. I started working on realigning policies and proce-dures with the standards for which we would be surveyed. It was so much easier!

We were ready. I filled out the application and got another surprise. It was easy to complete. It was easy to submit. It was easy to work with our Account Manager because she listened to our questions and answered them. We were looking forward to being surveyed. In mid-January we got our wish.

Our surveyor came to Lihue. We met and talked. She asked ques-tions. She looked at our records. She discussed our day-to-day activities with our employees. She looked at our manuals, policies and procedures. We found a few things we could work on to make us a better company. Some of them were not requirements from our previous agency, but we did not feel demeaned because we did not have everything just-so. We are on our way to completing every improvement recommended. It was actually a very pleasant experience. We knew we had made the right choice. Today we tell our colleagues, our customers, and our community we are proudly and happily accredited by ACHC – the Accreditation Commission for Health Care.

”We found what we needed in accreditation: an accrediting agency that understands what it's like to be a tiny DMEPOS company in the

middle of a vast ocean."

www.5starconsultants.net


ALASKAGeneva Woods Pharmacy, Inc. (6 branches) | CRCS, HME, IRN, RTS, RX

Great Land Infusion Pharmacy, Inc | IRN, RX

Kamuck Incorporated | HME, MSP

Medical Equipment Distributors of Alaska, Inc. | HME

Soldotna Professional Pharmacy | HME

ALABAMAAlabama Pain Consultants, LLC | Fitter, MSP

All South Services, Inc. | MSP

Azalea City Medical Services, Inc. | IRN, RX

Fred’s Pharmacy | Fitter, HME, MSP, RX

Inno Medi Sys, LLC | HME

JES Enterprises, LLC | MSP

Jett Medical Co. | HME

Jim Myers Drug, Inc. | HME, MSP

Med Center Pharmacy Vital Care | RX

Mobilcare Medical, Inc. (1 branch) | CRCS, HME, MSP

Mobility Products Inc. | HME

Modern Medical Concepts Homecare, Inc | HME, RX

Motion Medical, Inc. | Fitter, MSP

North Alabama Radiopharmacy,Inc | IRN, RX

Pilcher McBryde Drug Co. | Fitter, HME

Pro-Fit, Inc. | HME, MSP

Rhodes Medical LLC | HME

River City Services, Inc. (4 branches) | MSP

Southeast Pharmaceuticals, Inc | HME, RX

Southern Medical and Mobility Inc. | HME, MSP, RTS

Specialist of Enterprise, Inc. (1 branch) | HME

Valley Pharmacy | Fitter, HME

Vital Care of North Alabama | RX

Wright Medical, Inc. (1 branch) | HME, MSP, RTS

York Drug, Inc. (2 branches) | HME, MSP

ARKANSASAnaya Medical, Inc. | HME

Apex Medical Rentals, Inc. | Fitter, HME

B & M Medical Supplies (1 branch) | HME, MSP

Bari Inc. | HME

C&D Drug Store, Inc | MSP

C.A. Kuykendall, Inc | Fitter, HME

Caldwell Discount Drug | HME, MSP

Calhoun’s Arkansas Medical Supply | Fitter, HME, MSP

Cate Pharmacy, Inc. | HME

College Pharmacy, Inc. | MSP

Davis Drug Store, Inc. | HME

Dura-Med Home Care, LLC | Fitter, HME

E&F Fowler, Inc. | Fitter, HME, MSP

Economy Drugs of Huntsville, Inc. | MSP

Family Medical Supply, Inc. | MSP

Faulkner Health Corp | MSP

Forrest City Home Medical Equipment | HME

Healthway, Inc. | HME

Home Care Medical System Inc | HME

Hospice Equipment Co. Inc. | HME

Hunter’s Pharmacy, Inc | MSP

Independence Healthcare, Inc. | Fitter, HME, MSP

Independent Mobility Enterprises, Inc. | HME

Little River Medical Supply | HME

Medical Solutions of Arkansas, L.L.C. | Fitter, HME, MSP

MediQuest, Inc. | Fitter, HME, MSP

MediSav Homecare Pharmacy | Fitter, HME

Mid-South Medical Equipment | HME

Oxygen Services of America | HME, MSP

P & H Ostomy & Health Services Inc. | MSP

Quality Respiratory Care, Inc. | HME

S L Gardner, Inc | Fitter, HME, MSP

Southern Home Healthcare, Inc. | HME

Speck Enterprises | HME, RTS

Summit Medical Supply, Inc. | Fitter, HME

Super D Drug Acquisition Co. (4 branches) | Fitter, HME, MSP

T & C Watson, Inc. | Fitter, MSP

Total Care Home Medical Equipment, LLC | Fitter, HME, MSP

Universal Medical Supply (1 branch) | HME

White River Health Systems | Fitter, HME

ARIZONAAngels PRN, Inc. | HH, PDA, PDRN

Arizona Medical Infusion | RX

Arizona Vascular Medical Equipment, Inc. | Fitter, HME

Icare | HME

Millennium Medical Supply, Inc. | HME

One Source DME, LLC | HME

Patient Care Infusion (1 branch) | CRCS, HME

Prince of Peace Home Health, L.L.C. | HH

Rose of Sharon Medical Services | HME

Sirona Infusion, LLC | IRN, RX

Unlimited Home Health Center (1 branch) | HME

CALIFORNIAA N G Medical Supplies | HME

A&T Mobility Inc. | HME

Acology Home Healthcare Inc. | Fitter, HME, MSP

Advanced Mobility B&G Inc. | HME

Advanced Pharmacy Homecare, Inc. | HME, RX

ACHC Congratulates Its Newest Accredited Locations

This list consists of organizations or branches that were accredited between June 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009.

Our accredited locations list might look a little different in this issue of the Surveyor. Due to the high number of accredited organizations this time around, the list required some creative reorganization in order for us to rec-ognize all of our newly accredited locations. You'll find that companies are first sorted by State, then organized alphabetically and finally their services are listed. Congratulations to all of those that made this list!


LP | HME

Support Medical Company (2 branches) | HME

Texas Best Durable Medical Equipment, Inc. | HME

Texas CPC Medical Equipment, Inc. | HME

Three of a Kind, Inc. | HH

Travis Medical Sales Corporation (5 branches) | HME, RTS

Turtle Healthcare Group, LLC | CRCS, HME, MSP, RX

Valley Ostomy Supply, Inc. | HME

Valmed Home Health Solutions, Inc. (1 branch) | HME, RX

Vann Alexander Home Medical Supplies, Inc. | MSP

Vela & Solis, Inc. | HME, MSP

Wren Enterprises | HME

UTAHAltapro Incorporated (1 branch) | CRCS, Fitter, HME, RTS

At Home Health Care, LLC | HH

Intermountain Orthopedic Care | HME

J Q Medical Supply, Inc. | MSP

Millennial Care Home Oxygen and Medical Services, Inc. | HME

Rehab Specialists, LLC. | HME, MSP

Remed, Inc. | HME, MSP

Uintah Basin Medical Center (1 branch) | Fitter, HME

VIRGINIAAbingdon Apothecary | RX

Cavalier Pharmacy, Inc. (1 branch) | MSP

Diamedix Healthcare, LLC (1 branch) | HME

HB Rehab Services, Inc | HME

High Performance Solutions, Inc. | MSP

Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment of VA, Inc. | CRCS, Fitter, HME, MSP

Pat Grimes, Inc. | HME, RTS

Precision Medical Solutions, LLC | HME

Source One Mobility Inc. | HME

Specialty Rx (3 branches) | HME, MSP, RX

Super Aid Pharmacy, LLC | HME, MSP

Tycon Medical Systems, Inc. | CRCS, Fitter, HME, RTS

Valley Home Health Care LLC | HME

Walnut Hill Pharmacy | HME, MSP

Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center | RTS

WASHINGTONDynamic Bracing, Inc. (1 branch) | HME

Harrington Supply Co. Inc. | Fitter, HME, MSP, RTS

JD and SN Inc. (1 branch) | Fitter, HME, RTS

WISCONSINAspirus Clinics, Inc (1 branch) | HME

Community HME, L.L.C. (1 branch) | Fitter, HME, RTS

Erickson Home Medical Equipment | Fitter, HME, MSP

Freedom Medical, LLC | HME, MSP, RTS

NOS Healthcare, Inc. | HH

Park Pharmacy Inc. (10 branches) | Fitter, HME, IRN, MSP, RX

Phillips Drug Store, Inc (3 branches) | Fitter, HME, MSP, RX

Reliant Rehab Service & Supply, LLC (3 branches) | HME, RTS

Streu’s Pharmacy, Inc. | MSP

The Sleep Wellness Institute, Inc | HME

WEST VIRGINIAAllay Home Care LLC (1 branch) | Fitter, HME

Alley Healthcare Inc. | HME, MSP

Boyd’s Family Home Medical (1 branch) | HME

Discount Emporium, Inc. (2 branches) | HME

Health Facilities Inc. (1 branch) | CRCS, Fitter, HME

Health Source, LLC | HME

K-A Medical Service, Inc. | HME

Westside Pharmacy, Inc. | MSP

WYOMING Allpaps Respiratory Service, Inc. | CRCS, HME

Frontier Access & Mobility Systems, Inc. | Fitter, HME, MSP, RTS

North Big Horn Hospital | HME

Powell Valley Health Care Inc. | CRCS, HME


Looking for an organization in

particular? If you're looking for a particular

organization and can't find them on this list, search

for them on our website at http://achc.org/accredited_

organizations.php.

Accreditation by ACHC reflects an organization’s

dedication and commitment to meeting standards that facilitate a higher level of performance and patient care. Congratulations to

all of our newly accredited companies!

http://achc.org/accredited_organizations.php


Since that time, owners of private duty companies have wanted to know how they are doing compared to other companies in the same line of business. You’ve also wanted to know what other owners are doing that works, and doesn’t work. In other words, you would like to have some “benchmarks” on which to measure the performance of your business.

Up to this time, no other organization in home care has taken the initiative to collect, tabulate, analyze and report on the informa-tion you need and want. So Leading Home Care… a Tweed Jeffries company, in cooperation with The Ac-creditation Commission for Health Care, has taken that initiative to become the first organization to design, develop, and implement a benchmarking and state of the industry study for you.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to provide the data, information, analysis, and knowledge that you, private duty home care industry, need to grow your home care business. It is designed to provide mostly quantitative data. However, our research over the past five years has also provided much qualitative and anecdotal information that will be helpful to you as well.

Our purpose is to provide you with what you need to know to grow your business and get ready for the future.

Design of the Study

The survey tool we used to collect data began as a simple spread sheet called the Private Duty Scorecard. The scorecard is based on two premises:

1. What gets measured gets managed, what gets rewarded gets repeated.

2. The key to successful measurement is to identify your “Critical Measures of Success.”

Over the years, we’ve worked with hundreds of home care com-panies, and we’ve gathered data based on the critical measures of success that we have defined. However, because of the small sample size, this was mainly anecdotal information.

To provide you with a valid, reliable sample of the industry, we developed a detailed survey form, and then invited readers of our electronic newsletter, Private Duty Today, to participate in the survey. The survey was administered online through our web site at www.privatedutytoday.com

We knew early on that there are two big barriers to getting com-pany owners to participate in this type of survey:

1. We are asking for some very private and “confidential” information such as company profits and owners’ compensation. In the 30 years I’ve been working in speaking, training, consulting and publishing the one thing I’ve learned is that small business owners keep their numbers close to the vest.

2. It is time consuming to gather the data and complete the online survey. Private duty owners are busy people, and it takes some work to collect accurate, complete and timely data.

From other industry surveys we have reviewed, we learned the importance of asking very precise questions to make sure we get precise data.

So, we needed to create some incen-tives for home care owners and CEOs to do the work necessary to complete the survey and share their data. The first is to promise anonymity. Your name and company information are

not connected to your data. The second is to offer a significant discount on the price of the report.

The result is that we had a good response, and we have what we believe to be valid and reliable data. However, we always want more data, and we expect to increase the number of participants in next year’s study. As we have explored benchmarking studies in other industries, we have seen a clear pattern of starting with lower response rates in the first year and growing the participation over the years.

Analysis of ResultsThe design of the survey and the breadth and depth of responses allowed us to analyze the data in a variety of different ways. When we conduct workshops and seminars on private duty home care, we spend a portion of our time presenting facts, data and bench-marks that will be helpful to owners, CEOs and administrators.

We talk about four levels of your “data stream”. Data – the raw bits and bytes that capture each transaction in your business. This data is stored in your computer as 1s and 0s. The raw data by itself is practically useless.Information – tabulated data that is organized in such a way that you can create reports, invoices, time sheets, financial statements, and other information necessary to the operation of your business.Knowledge – information that has been analyzed, synthesized, and organized in such a way that it supports your decision making.


Benchmarking and Best Practices in Private Duty Home Carecontinued from page 1


Wisdom - knowledge mixed with gray hair. Knowledge plus experi-ence is wisdom, and that is the most valuable outcome of this research.

The ability to put together the data, information, knowledge, and wisdom from this survey and the previous research conducted by Leading Home Care, and mix it with your personal experience in home care will give you the wisdom you need to succeed and to make a significant difference in the lives of our clients, their fami-lies, your employees, and your community.

Some ConclusionsIn reviewing the final data, we arrived at some interesting conclu-sions that will help you get a better understanding of the scope and scale of private duty home care in America.● The Median revenue in 2008 for a private duty company that

was three years old was $1,041,000.● The Median three year old company grew by 129.84% from 2006 to 2007, and by 45.18% from 2007 to 2008.● Larger, older companies grow more slowly than smaller, younger companies.● Mature, profitable companies earned gross margins of 60%.● Mature, profitable companies spent 1.5% of revenue on recruiting and retaining caregivers.● Mature, profitable companies spent 3.5% of revenue on sales &

marketing to bring in new clients.● The owners of mature, profitable companies took 13% of

revenue in owner’s compensation and profits.● Companies vary in size by region, with the largest companies in

the west, and the smallest companies in the central region.● Companies vary in size by type, with the largest being private duty affiliates of Certified Home Health Agencies and the smallest being franchises.● While private duty companies affiliated with Certified Home

Health Agencies are the largest in revenue, they are the least profitable.

The final report of the 2009 Private Duty Home Care Benchmark-ing and State of the Industry Report is available at www.privat-edutytoday.com/benchmarks. Our special thanks to ACHC for sponsoring this industry wide study.

About the Author: Stephen Tweed, CSP, is the CEO of Lead-ing Home Care … a Tweed Jeffries company, which specializes in research, publishing, and education in home health care, hospice, and private duty home care. He is the Publisher of Private Duty Today, the leading electronic newsletter for owners and CEOs of non-medical home care companies, and the Editor of Home Health Care Today, the leading electronic newsletter for CEOs and execu-tives of home health and hospice agencies. He can be reached at www.leadinghomecare.com

Special THANK YOU to the Accreditation Commission for Health Care. Published with Permission.

Benchmarking and Best Practices in Private Duty Home Carecontinued from page 19

[email protected]

www.linkconsultinggroup.com


Now let’s be real though, technology does not always smell like roses. Who has not at one point or another wanted to toss their computer out of the window? Technology can be frustrating when it does not work they way it should. It is at those times (some people have those times more than others) that it is so beneficial to have someone close by to help. At ACHC, we have a full-time Information Technology team to handle

the everyday issues that come with using technology. Our IT team is here to help our staff and, as an extension, our customers.

When our customers have questions about our website, trouble sending files electronically, forget their password, or have any other issue, they can talk directly with their account manager. Often your account manager can solve problems all on their own (they are good like that) but when they cannot, they do not have to get in line and place a call to some third party provider to get answers. Our internal IT staff steps in to help get answers back to our customers quickly, efficiently and accurately.

Our IT team is also working hard to make it easier for our customers to help themselves. We have new IT staff developing

innovative tools for our customers. An example of a project that we’re working on is the “Steps to Accreditation” portion of our website where customers can begin the application process online. With this tool, our customers will be able to access ACHC’s website, enter company information, select services they provide, download our standards and start entering their business information that is relevant to the accreditation process. They can do all this at a time that is convenient to them, with or without talking to an account manager.

These are interesting times at ACHC. Keep an eye out for new IT developments coming your way. As always, we are happy to hear our customers' questions, thoughts and suggestions.

Submitted by: Marcel Plante, IT Development Manager

Technology Spotlightcontinued from page 1

ACHC’s E-News Sign-up

Would you like to receive your Surveyor Newsletter, the NEW Home Health & Hospice Educator, the HME Educator, press releases, workshop information, and other important news from ACHC? Sign up at achc.org- simply click “E-News Sign-up”. From there you can customize the type of information you are interested in receiving. It’s quick, easy and your information stays private. Sign up TODAY!

http://achc.org/news_newsletter_signup.php

www.argosygroup.org

UPCOMINGWORKSHOPS

"Make Your Accreditation Work for You" Presented by Tim Safley

1:00–5:00 pm, May 11, 2010Las Vegas, NV | Register at achc.org

UPCOMINGEXHIBITIONS

NAHC March on WashingtonApril 11-12 | Washington, D.C.

Minnesota Hospice & Palliative CareApril 12-13 | Minneapolis, MN

National Home Infusion Association (NHIA)April 12-15 | Dallas, TX

Pacific Association for Medical Equipment ServicesApril 13-14 | Tacoma, WA

Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services

April 14-16 | Omaha, NE

Southern Sleep Society MeetingApril 15-18 | Austin, TX

Essentially WomenApril 19-21 | Louisville, KY

Southwest Regional Home CareApril 20-21 | Albuquerque, NM

NHPCO Management and Leadership ConferenceApril 22-24 | Washington, D.C.

Missouri Alliance for Home Care April 26-27 | Lake of the Ozarks, MO

Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina

May 3-4 | Durham, NC

Armada Specialty Pharmacy SummitMay 4-7 | Las Vegas, NV

California Association for Health Services at Home May 4-7 | Sacramento, CA

Medtrade Spring 2010May 12-13, 2010 | Las Vegas, NV

Michigan Home Health AssociationMay 12-14 | Mt. Pleasant, MI

Focus on Respiratory Care & Sleep MedicineMay 13-14 | Orlando, FL

Visit ACHC.org for the complete list!Please visit us at our booths-

We would love to see you!


“I would recommend ACHC in an instant and have already done so to other home health agencies! I am very satisfied with ACHC, the staff and surveyors. You did excellent work for us and we look forward to our connection with ACHC in the future. Thanks for not making this so scary and intimidating. I have already recommended you to others and they already have good things to say about ACHC.” Covenant Home Health Care; Skokie, IL

“Our account manager was great! We were never left in the dark about anything. The survey approach was to help us become better and educate us in making things better for our organization. I was extremely pleased with all her suggestions and she gave us ample opportunity to ask many questions. I can't say how very pleased I was with everything through ACHC.” I & S Home Health Agency, Inc.; Miami, FL

“I was very happy with ACHC and the customer service that we received. It was a very good and positive experience from start to finish. We could not have been more pleased.” Amedisys Home Health Services

“You had me at "Hello"! A real live person answers the phone when I call - must be a fluke! But when she connected me to my account manager, she answered her line! What a concept!” Rose of Sharon Medical Services; Lake Havasu City, AZ

http://achc.org/files/LasVegasRegistration.pdf


What People are Saying about ACHCWhat People are Saying about ACHC“Our surveyor was professional, knowledgeable, organized and extremely pleasant to work with. She led us through the survey with confidence and was most helpful in her suggestions for improvement. ACHC obviously takes great care in order to hire only the most professional and knowledgeable surveyors. We would enthusiastically recommend ACHC to any organization.” Upstate HomeCare; Clinton, NY“I had an extremely positive experience with

my accreditation through ACHC and have shared it with many people over the past year. I have had numerous organizations call me and ask my opinion. I just received a note from an organization that did decide to take my advice and wanted to thank me.” Millenium Home Health Care, Inc.; Broomall, PA

“The ACHC team did a remarkable job of answering our questions, walking us through the process and assuring us that we could be successful. Excellent effort from all of ACHC. Thank you.” Hemophilia of Georgia, Inc; Atlanta, GA

“I would be so happy to go through ACHC many more times. ACHC has made us better as a company. I liked the ACHC standards the best out of all the acreditors. It just made much more sense and was much more realistic for us. It actually applied practically. Our account manager is the absolute best. She's great! I love her. She was always professional, courteous, kind and willing to help when we needed her. She went out of her way to make this a supportive experience for us. I would never go anywhere else and was thrilled to be working with ACHC. I was very satisfied with the process and the customer service that I received with ACHC.” Village Medical Supply, LLC; Clifton NJ

“I'd say you just made my day but that would be understating it to a ridiculous level. I have told every employee, every referral source, and even called my Mom. Working with ACHC has made us a much better company, and has given us better direction and a sense of pride. We thought we were good before we started the accreditation process. We KNOW we're good now. Thanks.”Robert M. Wheeler, Jr. - PresidentCompletecare Comprehensive Healthcare Solutions, LP; Longview, TX

Several months ago we announced that ACHC was working through the North Carolina Awards for Excellence (NCAfE) program to integrate principles from the Baldrige Criteria into our operations. Since we received our site visit by the NCAfE examiners, a number of things have occurred.

In early fall 2009, ACHC’s leaders attended a Regional Confer-ence in Boston, where current and former Baldrige winners facilitated a number of educational sessions. We each at-tended different discussion groups to get a system perspec-tive from the speakers. By the end of the trip we gained some new ideas and strategies, possibilities for networking, helpful forms and more. Equally important, we had a clearer vision of the long-term commitment we were making to improve every aspect of our organization.

One of the speakers at the conference shared some perspec-tives about strategic planning that resonated with our group, so we began melding some of those ideas into our existing process. Again focusing on the future, we’ve begun more concerted efforts for the development of our leaders through various assessments, training methods and reading material.

We know that improving our company and practices will require a great deal of information sharing by all staff, and this is another area where we’re making concerted efforts. Whether staff is giving a presentation about functions they normally handle, or a special project they’ve been assigned to – our goal is to talk about everyone’s role in ACHC’s success.

The “social responsibility” aspects of Baldrige may be one that isn’t commonly thought about, but it is one that we’ve begun to think about more – thanks in large part to our new Volunteer Committee. These dedicated folks have gotten us involved in activities such as de-constructing a house, building a playground, and collecting over 900 pounds of food from employees for our local food bank.

These are just a few steps along our path. We know more changes are in our future as we continue to learn about Bald-rige – but we’re all about the challenge.

Submitted by: Leslie Knuth, Vice President of Quality Assur-ance at ACHC

Jay Lucido, Accounting SupervisorJay has been with ACHC since 2004. In his cur-rent position as the Accounting Supervisor, he is responsible for overseeing the financial analysis and reporting to senior management and the Board of Commissioners regarding the opera-tions of the company.

Jay graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from San Francisco State University. Upon graduation, he relocated to Guam with his family where they resided for 14 years. Prior to joining ACHC, Jay worked in the field of accounting with a number of busi-nesses in the food and beverage industry, manufacturing sector and a local CPA firm.

Jay, his wife Pamela, and their two wonderful children, Ariana and Joseph, chose to relocate to North Carolina in 2004. Jay enjoys woodworking, photography, attending the many events his children are involved in and spending time with his family and friends. He looks forward to contributing his time and talent to ACHC's develop-ment and future growth.

Dana Everett, Administrative AssistantDana joined ACHC in October 2008 as an administrative assistant. She works closely with the administrative and operations staff to ensure that internal processes run smoothly so customers can receive excellent and consis-tent customer service. She is also a member of ACHC’s Volunteer Committee which was

established to get employees actively involved in giving back to the community.

Dana attended East Carolina University where she studied Crimi-nal Justice and World History. She enjoys spending time with her husband, nephew and the rest of her family in addition to traveling, white water rafting and reading.

Stacey Hahn, Marketing AssistantStacey began with ACHC in January 2009 as the accreditation assistant and joined the marketing department this past July. Since then, she has been responsible for ACHC’s event marketing at trade shows, conferences and workshops across the country. She works closely with several state and national associa-

tions in order to coordinate all the details for each event. Additionally, she assists the marketing team with various projects such as writing articles and press releases, creating newsletters and social media marketing.

Stacey earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising and Public Relations from Grand Valley State University and has a back-ground in event planning. While out of the office, she enjoys spend-ing time with friends and family, baking and cake decorating.

Quality Improvement: The Journey Continues


MEET YOUR Staff

● The HME Educator and the Home Health & Hospice Educator. These are free enewsletters filled with informational articles written by industry experts.● Social media sites. You’ll find ACHC on Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, Wordpress and even YouTube. This gives you the chance to interact with ACHC informally, ask questions and receive instant updates and important information.● Enews. You can sign up at achc.org/news_newsletter_signup. php to receive important information and press releases direct to your inbox.● Our new website. This sleek new website will become your one-stop shop for information and updates on accreditation and industry updates with easy to find and easy to use information. ● An increased presence at trade shows and conferences across the nation where you can speak with us face-to-face.● Workshop and training opportunities.

While the list of possibilities is endless and continues to grow, ACHC strives each and every day to provide you with more than just accreditation; we work to bring you a truly meaningful accreditation.


What value-added incentives would you like to see from ACHC? We encourage you to email us at [email protected] with your suggestions.

ACHC’s Value-Added Accreditationcontinued from page 4

Known for forging paths in home health,

hospice and private duty, our Associates are

skilled navigators of ACHC Accreditation.

Trust us to keep you on the right path.

www.bethcarpenterandassociates.com (847) 382-1035

Chart Your Path to Accreditation

www.bethcarpenterandassociates.com


ACHC CARES!Community Service for a CauseWe’ve always felt strongly about giving back, and this year we were fortunate enough to have staff that took initiative in becoming more involved in the community. Although we're always busy at the office taking care of our customers, we feel that it's just as impor-tant to take care of those in need. Recently, we've accomplished some amazing tasks to make our Raleigh, NC community an even better and more beautiful place to call home.

Our volunteer committee helped plan some wonderful events that were a great success. Currently, ACHC has gone “Casual for a Cause” to raise money for the University at Chapel Hill’s Children’s Hospital. Employees can purchase casual days, giving them the chance to dress down for a day while raising money for seriously ill or injured children who require complex care.

As another one of our projects this season, we raised food to do-nate to our local food pantry. The results were stunning- we raised over 1,000 cans of food which weighed a total of 960 pounds! This

was an average donation of 35 cans per employee and resulted in providing over 800 meals to families in need.

One project that we committed to was helping the Habitat for Hu-manity. One Saturday afternoon, ACHC employees helped Habitat for Humanity come one step closer to accomplishing their goal of eliminating poverty housing and homelessness. Armed with ham-mers and tools, we set out to help a family and neighborhood in need and we were grateful to be given such a wonderful opportu-nity to help.

Another project that we worked on was helping to build a new play-ground that will serve the children of the community where there was previously old, unsafe playground equipment. With a duration expectancy range from 15 to 20 years, the playground has the capacity to serve approximately 15,000 children in its lifetime.

These are only some of our volunteer efforts and we look forward to continuing to come together for a united cause and helping those around us. Through efforts such as these, we’ve helped build a stronger community and it has helped us flourish as an organiza-tion. ACHC feels proud knowing that our work in the community will enhance the work we do for our customers, and we look forward to continuing our efforts in the future.

Casual for a Cause

We raised over 1,000 cans of food which weighed a total of 960 pounds!

ACHC IN THE Community


Working hard!

Chatting away after a long day of work

Teamwork!

Habitat for Humanity

Do you have any causes that you care deeply about?

Let us know- we care about what’s important to you!

Happy to help

Building a playground

Heavy lifting!

d

The ACHC team

4700 Falls of Neuse Road, Suite 280Raleigh, NC 27609919-785-1214 | www.achc.org

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDRaleigh, NC

Permit No. 525®

2010 Spring

Documents

Transcript of 2010 Spring