Netsmart CareThreads

Information blocking is all about the data – access to, exchange of, and use of electronic health information (EHI) – regardless of what technology is used. Most importantly, information blocking directly impacts your organization.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published a Final Rule in May 202, in the 21st Century Cures Act that sets requirements related to Information Blocking. These new regulations that will significantly impact how providers like you manage consumer health information.

Listen in to hear Netsmart senior vice president, Carol Reynolds and Netsmart regulatory strategist, Cheri Whalen, discuss what information blocking and the final rule mean for your organization and what you can do now to prepare for the April 5, 2021 compliance date.

Key topics discussed:

- Strategies to improve response times for data exchange

- How to educate your consumers about accessing their data

- Tips for breaking down USCDI data elements for your staff and consumers

This discussion with Carol Reynolds and Cheri Whalen was taken from our show Netsmart CareThreads.

If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts.

If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

COVID-19 has and continues to impact healthcare across the country, especially for public sector organizations. Many leaders are taking a closer look at operations to stretch their hard-hit budgets and do more with less. According to a recent study from NRI and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, the following are just a few pandemic-related data points impacting operations…

- 68% of all state mental health agencies experienced workforce shortages

- Telephone encounters increased by 365%

- Broadband access replaced transportation as the primary obstacle to care

In this episode of Netsmart CareThreads, Carol Reynolds, executive strategist for public sector at Netsmart, talked with Netsmart virtual CIO Danielle Ross and vice president of revenue cycle management operations Erica Gregory.

Here's what was discussed in the episode:

- How recent data is shifting operations

- The biggest operational challenges for public sector organizations

- Top operations management advice for strategic planning and creating operational health in your organization

This discussion with Carol Reynolds, Erica Gregory, and Danielle Ross was taken from our show Netsmart Care Threads.

If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts.

If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

A federal mandate called the 21st Century Cures Act required providers to comply with electronic visit verification (EVV) by January 1, 2021. That date has come and gone, and some providers are still concerned about what EVV holds for them.

In this episode of Netsmart CareThreads, Hannah Patterson, vice president and general manager at Netsmart, talked with Joe Marte, a client alignment executive with Netsmart.

Joe spent time as a provider himself before becoming vice president for business development at TELLUS. After Netsmart acquired TELLUS, Joe brought his understanding of EVV to us.

Here's what Hannah and Joe discussed on this episode:

- What EVV is and who it impacts

- The mandate's silver lining for providers

- Why provider staff members often love the EVV mandate

This discussion with Joe Marte was taken from our show Netsmart Care Threads. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts.

If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

70%of healthcare consumers prefer to receive virtual services for their conditions. And 72% prefer to track their health status virtually.

Despite this consumer demand, however, just 2% of healthcare providers offered 80% or more of their services virtually as of 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed care delivery, resulting in mass-adoption of telehealth.

How can organizations navigate this new virtual world?

In this episode of Netsmart CareThreads, we spoke with Megan Gresham-Ulrich, vice president of marketing and business development, and Mark Plunkett, corporate director of information technology at Maple Knoll Communities.

Here's what Megan and Mark discussed:

- Why Maple Knoll chose to be a technology-first organization

- How technology is revolutionizing senior care

- Ways technology will change the senior care delivery experience

- Supporting technological innovation through grants

This discussion with Megan Gresham-Ulrich and Mark Plunkett was sampled from our show, Netsmart CareThreads. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts.

As hospice care services evolve because of COVID-19, how do providers adapt and pivot?

Equally important, how do organizations retain and engage care team members?

Ernesto Lopez, CEO at Hospice of Washington County, joined Netsmart to talk about to talk about prioritizing employee engagement and retention during a pandemic.

What we discussed with Ernesto:

- The role technology plays in engaging hospice care providers

- How to keep hospice care providers connected to your organization’s values

- The shift from facility based care to community-based care

If you want to hear more episodes like this one, look for the Netsmart CareThreads podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher.

We were working on payment reform when life threw a giant curveball into post-acute care settings — and everywhere else — last March.

Organizations that hadn't yet bulked up on technology struggled at first, but industry wide, we should all be giving ourselves a big pat on the back for how well we handled the changes.

Now, how can organizations plan for 2021, stretch their budgets, maintain remote environments, and stay focused on our patients?

In this episode of Netsmart CareThreads, Jason Banks, vice president of post-acute at Netsmart, talked with Erica Gregory, vice president and general manager of revenue cycle operations.

Here's what Erica and Jason discussed:

- Revenue cycle and billing-related changes during COVID

- How post-acute care communities can improve operations and stretch budgets

- Recruiting and training billing staff in a remote-work environment

- How to run financial operations smoothly while staying focused on patient care

If you want to hear more episodes like this one, look for the Netsmart CareThreads podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher.

Along with a pandemic and a contentious election, hospice leaders have to navigate new payment models, diversify and expand services, protect the health and safety of patients and staff, meet new regulatory challenges, and leverage technology to deliver care virtually. 

How do we navigate the path forward? 

In this episode of Netsmart CareThreads, we asked Edo Banach, president and CEO at National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, for his thoughts.  

Here's what Edo said: 

- How technology helps provision hospice and palliative care 

- Why the future may lie in person-centered interdisciplinary care 

- How the Medicare Advantage plan can affect patient perceptions of choice 

- Ensuring that current community palliative care providers remain relevant for serious illness care at the state level 

- Alternative payment structures 

If you want to hear more episodes like this one, look for the Netsmart CareThreads podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher.

With more than 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day, the Baby Boomers are about to make their mark on the post acute industry. How will they shape what the future of our industry looks like? 

In this episode of NetSmart CareThreads, Doug Leidig, president and CEO of Asbury Communities, joined Jeremy Mercer, director of post acute community strategy for Netsmart.  

Jeremy and Doug discussed: 

- Why it's important to redefine the expectations of aging 

- How technology will help redefine aging 

- Why we need to reshape the post acute industry 

- Managing change as the industry repositions itself for a new perspective on aging 

If you want to hear more episodes like this one, look for the Netsmart CareThreads podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among today’s youth; therefore, we must continue to expand awareness and encourage individuals to take action. Awareness is the first step to prevention, and we all can play a role in supporting one another, preventing suicide and removing the stigma surrounding mental health. 

Lisa Desai, Psy.D., director of behavioral health consulting, and Lea Karnath, senior program manager, at MindWise Innovations join Netsmart Director Keith Boushee to discuss how their organization is taking action to respond to their community’s mental health needs. 

Discussions with Lisa and Lea included: 

- The national rise in suicide rates for both youth and adults
 

- How COVID-19 may be impacting suicide rates
 

- MindWise's evidence-based SOS (Signs of Suicide) program for students
 

- How the SOS program is currently leveraging technology to virtually expand awareness amid the pandemic
 

- Confronting stigma surrounding suicide
 

- How everyone can play a role in suicide prevention 

If you want to hear more episodes like this one, look for the Netsmart CareThreads podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher.

In COVID hotspots, hospitals and other health care providers quickly rose to the occasion this spring when faced with a rapid influx of new patients. Catholic Home Care & Good Shepherd Hospice on Long Island cared for more than 1,100 COVID-positive patients and 400 hospice patients who are COVID positive. They've also kept a rehospitalization rate to less than 1%. How did they do it? 

Kim Kranz, president at Catholic Home Care & Good Shepherd Hospice, joined this episode of NetSmart CareThreads to talk about what's involved in taking care of patients with COVID-19. 

What we discussed with Kim: 

- The challenges of scaling up services rapidly during a pandemic 

- Advice for home health organizations in new COVID hotspots 

- How to provide solutions during a time of shortage in primary medicine 

If you want to hear more episodes like this one, look for the Netsmart CareThreads podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher.