Facebook Twitter Google+ Email

AUSTIN, Texas — May 30, 2017 — Kinnser Software, the Austin-based national software leader in clinical and business solutions for post-acute care businesses, announced today that it has finalized an agreement to merge with Mediware, a well-established leader in healthcare software for almost 40 years.

Kinnser’s software as a service (SaaS) solutions expand the Mediware portfolio to address home health and hospice, two rapidly growing healthcare sectors. The merger is backed by TPG Capital, a leading private equity platform with two of the most experienced investment teams in software and healthcare. TPG finalized its acquisition of Mediware in February 2017. [Extensive information is noted  about the team at Kinnser Software’s intentions for expansion into the healthcare at home markets by merging with Mediware. Extensive details are provided about Kinnser Software’s history and product offerings.]

“Kinnser’s merger with Mediware supports our mission to provide our customers with innovative solutions that support excellent care and profitable growth,” said Chris Hester, president and founder of Kinnser Software. “Not only will our combined company enable us to expand our offerings and serve even more customers; it will also fuel innovation allowing more patients to benefit from better, more attentive care as a direct result of the work we do. I am excited to continue to lead Kinnser as a part of Mediware. I express my sincere appreciation and thanks to Insight Venture Partners and Georgian Partners. Without their mentorship and support Kinnser would have been unable to develop the innovations that are now transforming healthcare at home and improving the lives of thousands of patients every day.”

Founded in 2003, Kinnser Software provides web-based solutions that deliver clinical and business results to more than 4,000 home health, hospice, therapy, and private duty home care agencies nationwide. Kinnser is one of the most rapidly growing companies in post-acute healthcare, and its solutions are among the most widely used. In 2016 alone, more than 30 million billable patient visits were performed using Kinnser solutions. Kinnser has consistently remained a respected and innovative pioneer, empowering home health and hospice providers to provide high-quality, technology-connected healthcare at home.

“Kinnser is a company that cares deeply about the success of home health and hospice providers,” said Sharon Harder, president of Chicago-based healthcare consulting firm C3 Advisors, LLC. “From developing innovative web-based solutions that empower data-driven care, to providing free educational resources to the industry, Kinnser is consistently at the forefront.”

The merger brings no planned changes to Kinnser’s mission, its focus on customer success, its staff, or headquarters. Though relatively quiet for the last few years, Mediware had previously acquired five post-acute providers in the Home Infusion and Home Medical Equipment space. [See: Vendor Consolidation Continues: Mediware Acquires Fifth Home Care Software Company (7/10/2013)]

©2017 by Rowan Consulting Associates, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in Tim Rowan’s Home Care Technology Report. homecaretechreport.com One copy may be printed for personal use; further reproduction by permission only. editor@homecaretechreport.com

[Exclusive to Home Care Technology Report]

In the world of health information technology, not one credible person is opposed to interoperability and all the benefits that it provides clinicians and home health agencies. The healthcare environment is rapidly evolving and forward-thinking agencies recognize that future success will depend on their ability to connect electronically within the health care ecosystem, whether it’s with other physicians, hospitals, regulatory agencies or, perhaps most importantly, the patient themselves. Yet, different technology systems can provide varying views of the patient along his or her continuum of care.  As home health agencies decide how best to achieve full interoperability, they will need to determine what view of the patient their technology provides and how missing components could negatively impact a clinician’s ability to provide quality care. [Knowlton provides very clear descriptions of the purpose and need for interoperability of patient information systems.  He notes, too, the critical need  for using that data to avoid more serious patient problems; he says: ” [A]lmost 20 percent of medical errors occur due to the lack of available patient records and access to information.”  Many more details are provided about the industry’s players achieving and benefitting from accessing patient-centric interoperability of patient data.  He concludes this article as follows:

Without interoperability, the future of healthcare would still be a disconnected industry that results in incomplete care, incorrect reports and an inability to efficiently transfer and receive care details from patients and providers. By taking a patient-centric approach to interoperability, forward-thinking organizations can take part in healthcare’s evolving and connected, value-based reimbursement future.]

The fundamental purpose of interoperability is getting patient information to the correct place at just the right moment, which is typically their point of care. This access to data helps improve not only the experience for the patient and their quality of care, but also impacts how clinicians interact with them and how they work through their daily tasks. Immediate access to patient data serves as a powerful tool when recording, tracking and trending data such as patient vitals and statistics – oftentimes helping the clinician identify potential issues before they become serious problems for a patient. This can solve a critical issue in our healthcare industry –  almost 20 percent of medical errors occur due to the lack of available patient records and access to information.

Achieving interoperability means much more than simply purchasing a technology that has the basic capability to share information. While this is a critical component of interoperability, one must also consider that healthcare is evolving into an era of quality-based reimbursement and providers are increasingly being asked to share risk or prove quality to referral sources. This can prove nearly impossible without a system that facilitates the necessary information to follow the patient from care setting to care setting – what we in the health information technology world term ‘patient-centric interoperability.’ Patient-centric capabilities help clinicians more readily engage with patients at the first moment of care and begin immediately enacting a patient’s care plan. After incorporating interoperability into their health IT system, nearly 90 percent of providers reported quality of patient care improvements.

With patient-centric interoperability comes a more transparent process for everyone involved in the care continuum. Rather than spending time on tedious paperwork and reporting, clinicians can spend more time communicating with patients and their colleagues – working to enhance a patient’s quality of care. This increases staff productivity and satisfaction. “Even with great relationships with your referral sources, obtaining all of the necessary information on intake can be very difficult”, said Tarrah Lowry-Schreiner, CEO of Sangre de Cristo Hospice & Palliative Care. “Patient-centric interoperability has the ability to improve care from day-one, enhance clinician satisfaction and save time through automation.”

Not only does patient-centric interoperability allow clinicians to give a patient the best care from day one, but it also provides a clear way of demonstrating that necessary value and quality to referral sources. “As our referral sources are increasingly taking on value-based reimbursement contracts, patient-centric interoperability is a must have for a post-acute provider to be a part of the care delivery team. As healthcare evolves, it is increasingly imperative that the data follows the patient,” said Wendy Cofran, CIO of Natick Visiting Nurse Association. The majority of post-acute referral sources are already communicating secure patient data electronically and providers must engage with them at the same level in order to drive new business and stay competitive.

Between 2008 and 2015, the number of non-federal acute care hospitals that electronically exchanged clinical information with providers or hospitals outside of their organization increased from 41 percent to more than 80 percent. Because connected organizations are the future of healthcare, the ability to easily exchange data will only become more important as the industry continues to innovate and modernize. While provider organizations share similar goals and standards with the rest of the healthcare industry, how they communicate key information can vary dramatically. Those providers that embrace compatibility with other systems and modern technology will be the ones that are better able to serve patients and continue to compete for referral sources.

Without interoperability, the future of healthcare would still be a disconnected industry that results in incomplete care, incorrect reports and an inability to efficiently transfer and receive care details from patients and providers. By taking a patient-centric approach to interoperability, forward-thinking organizations can take part in healthcare’s evolving and connected, value-based reimbursement future.

Nick Knowlton is Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Brightree. He is also a Co-Founder of the CommonWell Health Alliance. He lives in Denver, Colorado and can be reached through Brightree’s Atlanta office.

©2017 by Rowan Consulting Associates, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in Tim Rowan’s Home Care Technology Report. homecaretechreport.com One copy may be printed for personal use; further reproduction by permission only. editor@homecaretechreport.com

FacebookTwitterGoogle+Email

by Michael McGowan, founder ————————————————-and CEO of OperaCare, a compliance program for HHAs that emphasizes immediate OASIS completion and same-day RAP submission.

More than 65% of the agencies I have screened through a Value-Based Purchasing and Revenue integrity toolkit my company developed appear not to understand that “Transitional Care” is not just for Hospitals, SNF’s and IRF’s to consider when sending patients to home health.

As the VBP payment penalties arrive in a few short months, CMS is ready to relay this message via a 3% financial penalty to Medicare providers who have yet to figure this out, or are just not listening.[The author urges healthcare at home agencies to revamp their usual modes of operation, and model their routines on hospital care and discharge. He says: “CMS’s Alternative Payment Methods, such as VBP, CJR, Bundles, and ACOs, each require the HHA to efficiently move patients through the system and transition them back to the community or to another setting where the cost of care is less than home health.”  Questions that healthcare at home agencies need to address are noted. There’s a short answer to what HHAs must do; as McGowan notes: “While agencies are still following the pre-VBP wisdom of raising revenue by adding and recertifying patients, CMS is demanding we lower our cost of care, increase our outcomes, and reduce hospital and ED utilization. In short, empty the agency on a routine, rapid-cycle basis. Get patients well or stable and discharge them or be penalized.”]

It is not about the visits anymore!
Under VBP, it is about activities and stages of disease processes through which the patient needs to transition. It is about goals that need to be accomplished prior to discharge.

CMS’s Alternative Payment Methods, such as VBP, CJR, Bundles, and ACOs, each require the HHA to efficiently move patients through the system and transition them back to the community or to another setting where the cost of care is less than home health. Yes, we are less expensive than the hospital, but we continue to be considerably more expensive than outpatient care.

New questions

• What is your census?
• What is your recertification rate?
• What is your average therapy utilization?

These are the primary metrics measured by an overwhelming number of agencies in Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Washington, Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee, where CMS is testing VBP.

While agencies are still following the pre-VBP wisdom of raising revenue by adding and recertifying patients, CMS is demanding we lower our cost of care, increase our outcomes, and reduce hospital and ED utilization. In short, empty the agency on a routine, rapid-cycle basis. Get patients well or stable and discharge them or be penalized.

This is nothing new to hospital systems. For years, the emphasis was on filling beds. Then, one day, it changed to emptying beds as quickly and efficiently as possible. What did they learn? They need home health agencies to accomplish their re-hospitalization goals and meet patient care metrics. They cannot, however, afford to do business with agencies that do not understand what they have been through, and what the post acute care continuum is about to go through.

Hospitals need partners who, like them, empty their census on a routine basis, customize care for frequent flyers, and consistently practice data driven patient management. Hospitals utilize every portion of the DRG data assigned to a patient during the admission process, while home health agencies utilize a “seems right feels right” approach; or a case conference filled with subjectivities.

Hospitals need post acute partners that are flexible, have the ability to rapidly respond to a referral, and that implement best practice, disease specific care. In other words, they want partners who operate the way they do, making assessments and developing assessment-specific care plans during the OASIS visit, prior to leaving the patients home, not three-to-five days later.

Agencies are just now learning how to do “Live QA” in the home, incorporating regulatory compliance, revenue integrity, and risk management considerations during the SOC visit. Soon, this will become the norm. Until then, hospitals are still searching for the best partners they can find.

Michael McGowan is the founder and CEO of OperaCare, a compliance program for HHAs that emphasizes immediate OASIS completion and same-day RAP submission.

©2017 by Rowan Consulting Associates, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in Tim Rowan’s Home Care Technology Report. homecaretechreport.com One copy may be printed for personal use; further reproduction by permission only.editor@homecaretechreport.com

 By Tim Rowan, Editor & Publisher of Home Care Technology Report

Comment Period Open Through June 26, 2017

On April 27, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule (CMS-1675-P) that would update fiscal year (FY) 2018 Medicare payment rates and the wage index for hospices serving Medicare beneficiaries and releases Request for Information within the proposed rule.

Summary
This proposed rule would update the hospice wage index, payment rates, and cap amount for fiscal year (FY) 2018.  This rule also solicits comments regarding the source(s) of clinical information for certifying terminal illness and proposes changes to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (Hospice QRP), including proposing new quality measures utilizing data collected in the Hospice CAHPS Survey.  The proposed rule also discusses new quality measure concepts under consideration for future years, solicits feedback on an enhanced data collection instrument, and describes plans to publicly display quality measure data via the Hospice Compare website in 2017. [The staff at CMS proceed by providing specific background information about hospice payment rates, and also  note that their offices will be releasing a Request for Information and will solicit ideas
for improving Medicare’s delivery  of quality and accessibility of care.]

Background
This rule proposes updates to the hospice payment rates for fiscal year (FY) 2018, as required under section 1814(i) of the Social Security Act (the Act).  This proposed rule also specifies public reporting measures derived from the CAHPS® Hospice Survey, and provides an update on the Hospice QRP consistent with the requirements of section 1814(i)(5) of the Act, as added by section 3004(c) of the Affordable Care Act.  In accordance with section 1814(i)(5)(A) of the Act, starting in FY 2014, hospices that fail to meet quality reporting requirements receive a 2.0 percentage point reduction to their payments.

Request for Information
In addition to the proposed rule, CMS is releasing a Request for Information to welcome feedback on positive solutions to better achieve transparency, flexibility, program simplification and innovation. This will inform the discussion on future regulatory action related to hospices.

We would like to start a national conversation about improving the health care delivery system, how Medicare can contribute to making the delivery system less bureaucratic and complex, and how we can reduce burden for clinicians, providers and patients in a way that increases quality of care and decreases costs –thereby making the health care system more effective, simple, and accessible while maintaining program integrity and preventing fraud.

CMS is soliciting ideas for regulatory, sub-regulatory, policy, practice and procedural changes to better accomplish these goals. Ideas could include recommendations regarding payment system re-design; elimination or streamlining of reporting; monitoring and documentation requirements; operational flexibility; and feedback mechanisms and data sharing that would enhance patient care, support the doctor-patient relationship in care delivery, and facilitate patient-centered care within hospices. Ideas could also include recommendations regarding when and how CMS issues regulations and policies and how CMS can simplify rules and policies for beneficiaries, clinicians, providers and suppliers.

In responding to the RFI, CMS should be provided with clear and concise proposals that include data and specific examples. If the proposals involve novel legal questions, analysis regarding CMS’ authority is welcome. CMS will not respond to RFI comment submissions in the final rule, but rather will actively consider all input in developing future regulatory proposals or future sub-regulatory guidance.

The Hospice CAHPS® Survey is a component of the Hospice Quality Reporting Program. This proposed rule outlines requirements for the Hospice CAHPS Survey for the FY 2020, FY 2021, and FY 2022 annual payment updates. In addition, the rule proposes to adopt two global CAHPS Hospice Survey measures and six composite CAHPS Hospice Survey-based measures, which would be based on data submitted on the survey. The rule also proposes how these measures would be calculated based on the survey data. More information about the survey can be obtained at the survey website, hospicecahpssurvey.org

For further information, see cms.gov/Center/Provider-Type/Hospice-Center.html. Public comments on the proposal will be accepted until June 26, 2017.

©2017 by Rowan Consulting Associates, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in Tim Rowan’s Home Care Technology Report. homecaretechreport.com One copy may be printed for personal use; further reproduction by permission only.editor@homecaretechreport.com

Palm City, Florida and Salem, Utah – May 22, 2017 –[As a result of Optima Health Solutions acquiring Hospicesoft,] the transaction moves Optima one step closer to delivering a full suite of modern integrated  solutions that span the post-acute continuum of care.

We spoke with CEO Josh Pickus to learn the background. He told us that this acquisition is part of the company’s move to offer a complete suite of products for all post-acute provider categories.

Hospicesoft will maintain its operations south of Salt Lake City but Pickus plans to move them to a larger building this year. “The Salt Lake / Provo corridor has become the Silicon Valley of this decade,” he said. “As we grow our hospice efforts, we will be able to hire from a rich supply of local expertise.”[Details are provided about innovative Hospicesoft Founder Rex Hale, and the expected further development of joint hospice and home healthcare software products.]

Hospicesoft Founder Rex Hale will move on once the transition is complete, Pickus added, but the rest of the team will remain intact to continue to develop and support the hospice product, which will eventually be known as “Optima Hospice.” “Rex is a serial entrepreneur,” Pickus laughed. “He sold us a great company and is probably working on his next venture already.”

Pickus added that work began on integrating the hospice product with Optima’s home health software before the ink was dry on the agreement. “We are scheduled for our next major version release in July,” he added, “and by that time we will have full integration between home health and hospice products.” Both products are cloud-based.

Behind the acquisition
Optima Healthcare Solutions was founded in 1992 as a software partner for therapy providers, including institutional and outpatient providers and those that provide contract therapists to home health agencies. The company announced last fall that it had developed a home health EMR at the request of its therapy clients that had expanded into home health. (See HCTR 11/16/16, “From Riding Waves to Writing Code“) After lengthy testing in that environment, they declared the product ready for the general home health market.

This acquisition came about in much the same way, Pickus explained, except for the decision to buy rather than build a hospice EMR. “We have had a number of home health clients asking us for an integrated hospice system. They have been using separate EMRs for each care type and wanted to be more efficient. We had been a huge fan of the Hospicesoft product for a long time so they were our first choice partner.”

“The talented team at Hospicesoft has built a modern, easy to use application that is beautifully tailored for the needs of hospices,” Pickus continued. “We plan to maintain and expand the hospice-specific capabilities of the application, while also integrating it with our home health product and making a complete solution available to agencies that operate in both the hospice and home health arenas. We are especially pleased to bring a company with deep hospice expertise and an outstanding reputation for customer service into the Optima family.”

Designed from the ground up for hospice providers, Hospicesoft offers a complete EMR and billing solution that enhances productivity. The solution eliminates the need for hospice providers to deal with OASIS questions, unnecessary fields and cumbersome workarounds common in hospice solutions adapted from home health products. In addition to increasing productivity, the Hospicesoft solution also improves compliance and reimbursement with guided workflows that ensure accurate and complete documentation. Due to its intuitive design and its hospice-specific workflows, the Hospicesoft solution is up and running within 60 days for the vast majority of customers.

Rex Hale, Hospicesoft’s founder, said, “I’m delighted that Optima recognizes Utah as a hub for technology talent and plans to maintain Hospicesoft’s headquarters and all of its staff. I believe Hospicesoft’s customers will benefit from Optima’s greater resources, its modern software development approach, and its relentless focus on providing an amazing customer experience. I’m excited to see the combined company deliver a truly differentiated solution that combines modern cloud-based technology, ease of use and rich compliance-oriented functionality.”

Optima is a portfolio company of Alpine Investors V.11LP and affiliated funds managed by Alpine Investors (alpine-investors.com).

About Optima

Optima Healthcare Solutions is a leading provider of cloud-based software for post-acute care providers, including contract therapy companies, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, home health agencies and hospice organizations. More than 9,000 sites of service entrust Optima to deliver software that improves patient care and enhances business performance.
optimahcs.com

About Hospicesoft
Hospicesoft provides an easy to use cloud-based solution covering all areas of hospice management. Hospicesoft is headquartered in Salem, Utah.
hospicesoft.com

©2017 by Rowan Consulting Associates, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in Tim Rowan’s Home Care Technology Report. homecaretechreport.com One copy may be printed for personal use; further reproduction by permission only. editor@homecaretechreport.com

Former Addus CEO joins Anaheim-based Software & Services Firm

ANAHEIM, California — May 18, 2017 — SelectData, providers of home care revenue cycle management and medical coding, today announced its Board of Directors has appointed Mark S. Heaney as its newest member.

“On behalf of SelectData’s Board of Directors, it brings me immense pleasure to welcome Mark Heaney to our Board. A well-respected ‘brand name’ in the home healthcare and hospice industry, Mark is a visionary and a forward-thinking proponent for patient-centric homecare. Given these points and more, I’m confident Mark will play a pivotal role in the development of innovative solutions, ensuring SelectData is well-positioned for future growth,” says Ed Buckley, Chairman and CEO of SelectData.[Details about Mr. Heaney’s extensive background in the home care and hospice sectors are provided in this news release; and brief details about SelectData’s experience gained over the past 25 years in the home health and hospice industry to improve revenue cycle management for homecare agencies are also provided.]

With 38 years of experience in the home care and hospice sector, Mr. Heaney is the Principal of DTRT Health Advisors, a healthcare consultancy specializing in population health management. Previously, Mr. Heaney served for 31 years at Addus Homecare, one of the nation’s largest providers of personal care and support services. Here, he rose through the ranks, ultimately leading the enterprise as President, CEO and Chairman of the Board from May 2008 to January 2016. Likewise, Mr. Heaney is a seasoned board member, serving both industry associations and companies, including: National Association of Homecare (NAHC), Medicaid Homecare Association of America, National Private Duty Home Care Association, QMerit and Tradewinds Social Services. Furthermore, Mr. Heaney has served on state and local government Medicaid-related task groups and advisory boards to help shape public policy.

“I have reached a point in my career where I am able to work with really great organizations and people who do important things in innovative ways. It’s an honor to join the Board of SelectData, a company known for doing things the right way as well as its unwavering devotion to quality, integrity and ingenuity,” says Heaney.
SelectData.com

About SelectData
SelectData is a privately-held company based in Anaheim, Calif. Turning operational challenges into revenue-generating opportunities, SelectData draws upon its more than 25 years of experience in the home health and hospice industry to improve revenue cycle management for homecare agencies.

©2017 by Rowan Consulting Associates, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in Tim Rowan’s Home Care Technology Report. homecaretechreport.com One copy may be printed for personal use; further reproduction by permission only. editor@homecaretechreport.com