Hospital Home Health Archives – January 1, 2003
January 1, 2003
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Think your agency is prepared? GAO report changes face of state surveys
It started out as a normal planned survey at Visiting Nurse Health System (VNHS) in Atlanta. However, during the six weeks between the original survey in June and the resurvey, a complaint came in, changing the focus of the resurvey. -
Constant communication vital for resurvey success
Although frequently cited deficiencies vary from state to state, there are a few that experts interviewed by Hospital Home Health point to as commonly recurring problems for home health agencies throughout all states... -
Constant communication vital for resurvey success
While most home health agencies think of emergency preparedness plans to address business operations during a natural disaster or terrorist attack, the Visiting Nurse Health System (VNHS) in Atlanta discovered that a good emergency plan also is needed when a state survey results in condition of participation-level deficiencies that jeopardized the agencys participation in Medicare. -
CDC’s hand-hygiene rules work for home health
Your employees face different challenges than hospital-based personnel face, so they cant be expected to follow every guideline and process used in a hospital, right? Wrong, say infection control experts interviewed by Hospital Home Health. -
Hand-washing guidelines allow alcohol-based rubs
The biggest change in the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) recently approved hand-washing guidelines is the approval of alcohol-based hand rubs as an accepted method of cleaning hands between patients. -
Catheter strategy sticks it to infection rates
Because intravenous therapy is handled by home care personnel, Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) guidelines on prevention of intravenous catheter infections especially is applicable to home care, suggests Michele L. Pearson, MD, medical epidemiologist for the CDCs Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion in Atlanta. -
HIPAA Q&A
This is the first in a series of periodic columns that will address specific questions related to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) implementation. -
Turn one-time gifts into long-term pledges
Your budget is shrinking. Reimbursement is dropping. Expenses are rising. How can you meet the growing need for funds? -
LegalEase: Get pre-authorizations from MCOs with OIG’s help
Home care providers still are struggling to obtain authorizations from managed care organizations (MCOs) for medically necessary and appropriate care. -
News Briefs
Medicare tests program for smoking cessation; CMS proposes tracking hospital referrals to HHAs.