Need Better Profit Margins In PDGM? What Did You Do To Make Your Agency Pivot During The Change?
June 26, 2021
Medpac just recommended another 5% reimbursement cut to home health in 2022. Are you thinking, How can we manage another reimbursement cut on top of everything else we are trying to accomplish? Then, the question we will ask today is what did you do to pivot for PDGM?
Well, We Made Cuts?
The reality is that most agencies will say that staff was cut, bonuses were eliminated, and that there aren't as many therapy visits. That really isn't the pivot we are talking about here. Unfortunately, agencies shy away from really drilling down to clinical operations as it seems overwhelming to try and change. So, the result is more and more responsibility is tacked on the nurses to manage while turnover increases and there are no real changes to the other clinical disciplines. This isn't something that is seen occasionally but something we see all the time in agencies. The truth is that sometimes it takes a different approach to clinical care to help your bottom line and make less cuts to staff and benefits. On top of it, you don't have to lose years of your life trying to figure out how to make things work and turn a profit doing it.
Is Your Staff Ready For Change?
Take a look at what changes you have put on staff in the last couple of years and how successful implementation really was. If you can see the successes, then you know who your change agents are within your organization. If it wasn't, then it is time for a new approach to change. Is the change you see and desire in your head well communicated to staff. Do they see what you see? Do you know what the change needs to be? This is a little tougher question. If you aren't clinical, then you may know there needs to be a change, but it may be difficult to have credibility with clinical staff in communicating what needs to happen. This is where you need your change agents. They are integral to bridging the gap between administration and clinical practice.
Let Kenyon Homecare Consulting Be Your Change Agent:
At Kenyon Homecare Consulting
, we can help be your change agent. We can analyze operations and help guide staff into meaningful clinical change leading to profit in PDGM. Call us today at 206-721-5091 or contact us online
to see how we can be your change agent or help train some for you.
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HOPE Question and Answer Repository
Today, this article will look at little different than out typical articles. We all know the costs of losing employees and trying to hire and train new ones. It is exhausting and expensive. So, we think about our wages and benefit packages all the time. What can we do differently that makes people stay? We can’t change the job and we don’t want to keep people that don’t like the work itself. So, how do we acknowledge employees in a way that is valuable to them and that our businesses can afford to do? 5 Things To Consider About Employee Recognition At Your Christmas Party: 1. Years of Service: These can be based on milestone work anniversaries (5, 10, 15 yrs, etc.). If a person has been at your agency 11 years, you pull them up and acknowledge them in the group of employees who have been there at least 10 years up until the time they hit the 15 years landmark. This way longevity is recognized yearly. 2. Special Employee awards: Now, this may be difficult if your staff is very small, but acknowledge the employee who has gone the extra mile in the job they do. Tell the story. The employee needs to know when the employer is proud of the work that has been done. Consider a plaque or certificate. Don’t minimize the value of the employee having them to display. 3. Acknowledge all employees in the mix: Because we are a clinical industry, the administrative staff is often overlooked on day-to-day operations. Ultimately, don’t miss the chance to acknowledge the employee who was able to catch billing errors or collect on a large account. Staff doesn’t like to hear about money, but those types of collections keep Christmas bonuses in place! So, make sure the other staff knows the accomplishments of the finance department or the office manager that every caller loves to speak to. Don't ever forget the IT staff that is on call more than any clinical person in your agency! 4. Letters from the administration: Add a personal note to your staff either collectively or individually depending on the size of your agency. If you are larger, there are employees you don’t often see or get to talk to on a regular basis, so take the time so send a note with that Christmas bonus. 5. Consider the Christmas bonus: Listen, some of you can afford to do substantial monetary bonuses and that is fantastic. However, if you are not in that position, consider something in its place. Maybe small gas cards go with the letter from administration. With the cost of groceries, consider something that helps with the costs of daily living for employees. Big box gift cards in your area will always be used. You may do a lot of these things on a yearly basis to employees. All this being said, it doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons for acknowledgement throughout the year. However, your annual Christmas party is a good way to do it collectively. Between your annual party, write the individual cards to employees when you hear a patient interaction worthy of praise. Or, maybe you buy a gas card for the employee who has picked up extra shifts and always shows up on time. Ultimately, employees will feel valued. You will not regret the time, effort, and energy put into these efforts. Merry Christmas! If you want help with recruitment and retention strategies for your agency, please call Kenyon Homecare Consulting at 206-721-5091 or contact us online today.