Literature Review

CMS revises instructions for AOs conducting initial certification surveysNAHC Report; 9/20/24... The revision clarifies initial certification processes for providers/suppliers seeking deemed status via a CMS-approved Accrediting Organization (AO). Specifically, for home health and hospice providers, the AO must not conduct an initial survey until the state agency has provided approval to the AO.Publisher's notes: 1) NAHC article may require member login; 2) CMS Admin Info: 24-22-ALL posted here.

[CHAP] Understanding the Certificate of Need (CON) CHAP - From the CHAP Boardroom; by Michael Rovinsky, CHAP BoD & VP of Strategic Planning; email 7/12/24Navigating regulatory frameworks is crucial for community-based healthcare organizations looking to initiate or expand their services. The Certificate of Need (CON) stands as a pivotal regulatory tool in this endeavor, playing a significant role in the planning and delivery of healthcare services. In today’s discussion from the CHAP Boardroom, we delve into the Certificate of Need, exploring its implications and its influence on the landscape of community-based care.

Senior Helpers is first in-home care company in country to achieve CHAP Age-Friendly Care CertificationPR Newswire, Towson, MD; by Senior Helpers; 6/27/24 Senior Helpers ... is the first in-home care provider in the United States to be Age-Friendly Care at Home certified by Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP). "We have always set the highest standard of care for ourselves and our clients, and we are thrilled to be recognized for that," said Mari Baxter, COO of Senior Helpers. "Our proprietary LIFE Profile assessment tool sets us apart from others in the industry and helped position us to be the first in the country to achieve the Age-Friendly Care Certification. ... The three Senior Helpers locations that have earned the coveted Age-Friendly Care Certification for home care are Senior Helpers of Milwaukee, Senior Helpers of Charlotte, and Senior Helpers of Greater Chicagoland. More locations are expected to receive their certifications soon. Editor's Note: Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) is a sponsor for Hospice & Palliative Care Today. Congratulations 

Support mounts for increased hospice accreditor oversightHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 4/16/24Calls are growing louder in support of increased accreditation organization oversight that could help curb fraudulent activity in the hospice space. In a proposed rule released in February the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced a number of provisions aimed at addressing conflicts of interest and establishing more consistent standards, processes and definitions among accreditation entities. The proposed increased oversight would be an important step forward in addressing instances of fraud, waste and abuse in hospice, according to members of the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association (CHAPCA). Regulatory changes such as these would be particularly significant in detecting maleficence in regions like California, which have a rise in program integrity challenges, the organization stated in a recent letter to Congress shared with Hospice News.Notable mentions: Sheila Clark, California Hospice and Palliative Care Association.

5 most challenging requirements in 2023 [for hospitals]: Joint Commission Becker's Clinical Leadership, by Mackenzie Bean; 4/3/24Maintaining infection prevention and control during disinfection and sterilization activities was the most challenging compliance standard for hospitals in 2023, according to The Joint Commission. The organization identified the top five requirements for which hospitals were most frequently out of compliance, based on surveys and reviews from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. ... [Click on the title's article for the 5 top challenges.]

Hospice & Palliative Care Handbook: Quality, Compliance, and Reimbursement, 4th Edition McGraw Hill - Access APN; textbook by Tina M. Marrelli and Jennifer Kennedy; 3/28/24 “Hospice & Palliative Care Handbook, Fourth Edition, is an invaluable resource for timely hospice regulatory and compliance information, documentation, care planning, and case management. It provides clear guidance for hospice managers, clinicians, and interdisciplinary group members. I have utilized Tina Marrelli’s home health and hospice handbooks to support training new clinical staff and students for decades and consider these resources to be the gold standard.” – Kimberly Skehan, MSN, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, Vice President of Accreditation - Community Health Accreditation Partner

Medicaid Health Plan will reimburse Health Equity Certification HealthPayerIntelligence, by Kelsey Waddill; 3/22/24 Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc.—a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation that offers Medicaid coverage—announced that it will cover part of the fee hospitals must pay to undergo health equity certification through the Joint Commission. ... The health plan’s goal in offering this aid is to support providers’ efforts to reduce local care disparities.

The Joint Commission: 2024 Behavioral Health Care National Patient Safety Goals

CMS proposes to increase accrediting organization oversightModern Healthcare, by Mari Devereaux; 2/9/24The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed Thursday to crack down on accrediting organizations following concerns of biased, inconsistent survey results and conflicts of interest. The proposed rule would strengthen CMS’ oversight of accrediting bodies and mandate the organizations reduce conflicts of interest with healthcare facilities, including by limiting fee-based consulting services. The proposal also would standardize accrediting organizations' survey processes.

Hospice and home health survey perspectives: A conversation with Kim Skehan, VP of Accreditation at CHAPHospice Insights: The Law and Beyond, podcast by Meg Pekarske; 1/31/24In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske is joined by friend and industry veteran Kim Skehan. In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore not only the recent survey reforms but the ways in which Kim’s decades of work as a survey consultant to hospices and home health agencies shape how she approaches her new role leading accreditation at CHAP.

Care Planning Issues Top Lists of Hospice Survey DeficienciesHospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/4/24Amid rising regulatory scrutiny, issues related to care planning continue to top lists of the most common survey deficiencies among hospices. The most frequently cited deficiency is the requirement that each patient should have a customized care plan developed by the interdisciplinary team with involvement from a physician as well as the patient and family, the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) reported. The noncompliance rate was 66% for 2022.

Joint Commission updates suicide as sentinel event policyBecker's Behavioral Health, by Rylee Wilson, 12/15/23The Joint Commission is expanding its definition of suicide as a sentinel event.