Leading experts from the home care and hospice industry share their personal stories of how COVID-19 has affected their organizations and discuss the current and future impact of COVID-19 on agency operations. This all-star panel offers diverse and insightful perspectives based upon decades of industry leadership.
Key Takeaways
What is your biggest challenge currently with COVID?
- Workforce stretched thin and decreased staffing in combination with some of the highest patient censuses to date
- Staffing concerns increase as schools reopen and current staff obligations go elsewhere
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) logistics
- Mandated limited access to patients in facilities due to external staff restrictions
What should we be advocating for now in congress?
- Support the use and expansion of telehealth
- Delay the Medicare Advantage carve-in for 2021
- Address and intervene in the nursing staff shortage
- Lift restriction and allow access to patients in facilities to perform care
What opportunities have come from Covid ?
- Required and now established better communication across the agency
- Weekly townhall meetings
- Redefine a patient centric approach
- The role home health experts can play in public health
- It has elevated hospice and home health
What impacts has remote workforce had on your organization?
- Positive back-office work from home experiences in productivity and employee satisfaction
- Positive trends in retention and recruitment
- Future concerns are onboarding , coaching, and mentorship
- Mileage expenses for in-person meetings as decreased – more meetings are possible virtually
What has changed in your organization regarding technology use?
- Telehealth improved care
- Telehealth increased physician engagement
- More virtual visits
- Back-office communicates more often
How will you be prepared for a second wave? What has COVID taught you and what will you do different?
- Keep communication high
- Embrace for continued PPE supply chain struggles
- Remain vigilant and understand Covid is a chronic problem