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Operations

Operational guidance for HME and home health businesses, from inventory and logistics to workflow and efficiency.

  • The Outlook for HME: 2004-2008

    Based on a report presented at Medtrade 2003 by Wallace Weeks of The Weeks Group, the following summary looks ahead to market growth, competition and other factors that will affect the HME industry from 2004 to 2008. While the report was prepared before Congress’ passage of a Medicare reform bill that includes competitive bidding and reimbursement cuts within this period, the good news, according to Weeks, is that the industry has plenty to be optimistic about. To put the long-range preview in perspective, Weeks first highlights the “wide-angle” view, which is an overview of what the industry may go through in the next five years. The “telephoto” view zooms in on specific segments of the industry to examine the results we could see by 2008….
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  • Size May Not Matter

    If you missed Dr. Timothy S. Mescon’s rousing presentation at Medtrade last month, you missed a real humdinger. Dean of Kennesaw State University’s Michael J. Coles College of Business, which runs one of the nation’s leading entrepreneurship programs, Dr. Mescon unleashed 45 minutes of enthusiastic motivation for success in business. In the process, he told providers that it is possible not only to survive but to thrive — no matter what their size — in the industry’s unsettled environment. According to Dr. Mescon, the pace of change in business is increasing at an exponential, even a Malthusian, rate. He readily admits that embracing change, much less figuring out how to deal with its consequences, is a daunting challenge. In fact, just thinking about Medicare reform,…
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  • Riding the Technology Wave

    When talking about software, the conversation usually turns to what is on the horizon. As today’s computer users, we have become feature-seekers who expect the applications we use to do wonderful things, because if we can dream it, it can happen. In health care, medical-management software has evolved from simple billing programs to complex data-management applications for a variety of operating platforms, such as Windows, and devices, such as PDAs (personal digital assistants). Barriers to the flow of electronic information between trading partners are coming down, and new uses for information and methods of distribution are being explored. So what’s next for in health care information management technology? It may include making better use of something you’re already familiar with: the Internet. Playing Catch-Up The…
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  • Heard at the Show

    Some of the HME industry’s hottest issues were the subject of discussion among Medtrade speakers and attendees alike. Following are comments on just a few of the topics that dominated conversation at the show. On Medicare reform* — “We don’t know what will really happen. [AAHomecare] is still fighting because we can’t let just this small segment of our industry support the Medicare prescription drug benefit … We have had quite a few new letters come in against competitive bidding and also against the copay for home health and a lot of other issues that are hurting the whole frame of home care.” — Kay Cox, president and CEO, American Association for Homecare *According to Cox, AAHomecare received 20,000 responses from association members, industry providers,…
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  • Not Your Father’s Respiratory Therapy

    Respiratory therapy continues to advance in home health care. Industry experts see no end to the market’s steady and, in segments like sleep apnea, skyrocketing growth. “The respiratory sector remains the most important revenue generator for home care providers,” says Erika Laskey, vice president of sales and marketing for CHAD Therapeutics. “Medicare spending for home oxygen grew 13 percent in 2002, and the aging population — the baby boomers — will start to impact our industry in as little as four years. Our future looks bright.” Within the market, two elements continue to shape respiratory product development: cost concerns, and a growing, educated patient base. Sleep Takes Center Stage The sleep disorders segment of the respiratory market is “dynamic,” says Ron Richard, vice president of…
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  • Take Your Seat

    Past the opportunity to see 250,000 home medical products and visit with 1,000 manufacturers, distributors and service companies on the exhibit floor, Medtrade 2003 also offers an educational program encompassing specialty training events and a full conference schedule. More than 180 sessions will cover business and industry topics in 11 different tracks, including: accreditation; business operations/customer service; home health/clinical; information technology; legal/legislative; pharmacy; profesional motivation; re/habilitation and assistive technology; reimbursement; respiratory; and sales and marketing. So sharpen your pencils and take notes, because class is officially in session. Check for last-minute additions, special sessions and events or time changes so you won’t miss a thing! Thursday, October 9 [7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.] Opening Session AAHomecare’s “Washington Update” [8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.] Benchmarking HME…
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  • Battling Lethargy

    Apathetic,” “sluggish,” “dull,” “listless,” “unenergetic” — these all are terms that describe lethargy. When I look at many dealers from my ivory tower in Florida, I see another definition for lethargy. What I see are dealers sitting back on their derrieres, complaining about how their businesses may be affected by pending legislation and waiting for someone else to tie the bell on the cat. There is no one else! If you are not willing to work and fight to protect your company, then either close it or sell it. What triggered this diatribe were several calls I received recently from DME dealers, two of whom I did not know. The calls were about the prescription plans being proposed and the changes anticipated in Medicare reimbursements….
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  • Little Things

    In the HME business, the No. 1 issue typically is reimbursement — with good reason. Reimbursement directly impacts your bottom line. And, while my main focus as a consultant is on reimbursement — as should your focus be as an HME provider — I also like to step away occasionally from the “big” issue and focus on the smaller issues that make HME companies unique. How many times have you heard the phrase “It’s the little things that matter”? Whether related to service or operational protocol, the day-to-day tactics you employ to run your business successfully also impact your bottom line. Be Our Guest To make sure she takes care of the little things, Kelly Riley, director of ViaChristi at Home in Ponca City, Okla.,…
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  • Books for HME Providers

    Direct-Mail Simplicity The U.S. Postal Service created “Simple Formulas: The Easy Way to Grow Your Business with Mail” to help small businesses with mailing and marketing. The program publishes various free booklets, from Stirring Up Sales with a Simple Catalog and The Five Habits of Highly Effective Postcards to The Six Features of Graphic Design That Sell. Each is available at www.usps.gov/directmail. To access, click “Simple Formulas” on the right menu bar. Talk the Talk Len Serafino wrote Sales Talk to help home care professionals talk the talk. The book covers conveying passion in a pitch, using presentation tools, approaching a sales call, knowing when to listen, mastering public speaking and factoring in non-oral communication. The book tells how to assess communication skills, helps eliminate…
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  • Keeping Tabs

    A critical aspect of managing a successful home care business is knowing the quantity and quality of work being performed by your staff. This information is key in determining the efficiency and effectiveness of the employees, and in making informed decisions regarding staffing needs. Your software system can be a primary tool in monitoring and measuring performance, allowing you to collect the data you need to know to meet your goals. Armed with the right information, you can improve productivity, increase cash collections and reduce bad debt. In other words, you can lead your company to greater profitability. Setting Goals In order to obtain maximum results, goals should be established for each employee as well as for individual departments and the company as a whole….
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  • From So-So to So Good

    The best performers are indeed different, often because they manage differently. In representing many of the best and the brightest, as well as in conducting interviews of industry leaders for best-practices seminars, we have discovered that the overachievers share many of the same management traits. Here, then, are seven habits of highly effective home care managers. We found many instances where managers with a strong network in non-competitive situations developed mentor-student relationships that often included on-site visits for the specific purpose of sharing best-practice information. As entrepreneurs in close-knit organizations often suffer from an unhealthy inbreeding of thoughts and ideas, networking can be a critical element in company success. Certainly there are other management traits that are important, but virtually all of the best performers…
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  • Performance Counts

    Fourth-quarter business issues are starting to take center stage. Some of you are looking back on 2003 and wondering what you can expect from 2004. Whatever your goals and dreams, reaching them will be contingent upon the performance of your staff. These may include the people you too quickly hired and now must cultivate to make sure that they — and you — are successful. While new legislative issues and changes in reimbursement may be on the forefront, the real success of your business will be based upon the personalities and motivation of those you employ. Hire the Attitude For months you may have searched for just the right salesperson, customer service representative, respiratory therapist or delivery technician. Finally, you think you have found the…
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