METRO DENVER

Theresa McCoy, RN
Clinical Coordinator
Life Care at Home
Aurora
(with locations in Alamosa, Colorado Springs, and Lafayette)

Former Treasurer and member of HCAC Board of Directors; former Chair of HCAC Education / Professional Development Council

1)  Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member?
I am interested in returning to serve the membership of HCAC. I have been working in the field for many years and have seen the many changes and challenges facing our industry. I am in a personal position that allows me time to continue working and to do my part for the home care community. It’s my time to give back.

2)  What are the major issues facing the home care industry?
I love the concept of care in the home and know personally how important it is for a family to have the option and support of home care services. I also know from a personal experience that this need for services exceeds the resources, and many people are not allowed this access and are being placed in long term facilities due to this lack of resources. I feel that this is the industry’s biggest challenge. Finding qualified staff, funding and financial support has become more and more difficult with OASIS, cuts in funding, changes in reimbursement and staff shortages. Many agencies now find themselves out of business or unable to grow their business. The population is underserved. This is incredibly frustrating because we know how much more we could do for clients and families. Coping with all of this is incredibly taxing on agencies and I know that HCAC needs to give as much support as possible to our members and help them to fulfill their respective missions.

3)  What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC?
Love of home care, proven leadership skills, energy, depth and breadth of experience, history of volunteerism, reliability. 

Eric Riewerts
Executive Director
Salus Homecare
Denver

Current Member of HCAC Education / Professional Development Council

Melody Wright, RN, CCM
State Director
Centura Health at Home, Denver
(with locations also Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Durango/Pagosa Springs, Silverthorne)

Current Member of HCAC Board of Directors; Co-Chair of Reimbursement / Regulatory Council;

1)  Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member?  
Being on the Board of Directors and serving as co-chair of the Reimbursement Council, gives me an opportunity to stay informed of the broader issues affecting our industry, particularly those in Colorado and to offer my recommendations and ideas that can become part of a solutions oriented approach to our success.

2)  What are the major issues facing the home care industry?
I see several of them: Nursing shortage, future PPS reimbursement, program reimbursement for Telehealth, service reductions, cuts for adjunct services such as Medicaid and PDN programs as well as access to care issues (especially for rural areas.

3)  What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC?
I have been in the Home Health care field for 20 plus years and in a strategic leadership role for the last 10 years of my career. I believe I understand well the issues we face. My National Certification in Case Management also provides me a unique perspective on the issues we currently face and how we must address our aging population and look at ways to address the chronic care issues that will grow exponentially as the years pass.

SOUTHEAST

David G. Johnston
Chief Financial Officer / CEO Pueblo Operations
Argus of Colorado Home Health, Pueblo
(with locations also in Denver and Canyon City)

Current Member of HCAC Board of Directors; Member of Reimbursement / Regulatory Council

1)  Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member?
Home care provides a great service to the citizens of our communities, but is not readily recognizable as a major industry or employer. Hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living centers are highly visible due to the “bricks an mortar” they amass from which to provide their respective services. Home care providers employ as many (or more) than the entities mentioned, but escapes the budgetary radar of the state and federal governments because home care services are not provided in the concentrated setting of a single building or campus. It therefore falls to the home care industry leaders to monitor and communicate the needs of the industry to community and governmental leaders. I would like to be a part of that educational process. 

2)  What are the major issues facing the home care industry?
Home care struggles to garner the reimbursement rates adequate to attract highly-qualified personnel to provide quality care for home care recipients and still maintain the documentation required by governmental agencies. I feel open dialogue with lawmakers is the key to constructive growth of the home care industry.

3)  What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC?
Having been involved with both not-for-profit and for-profit home care agencies has given me insight into the challenges faced by each type of entity in the provision of home care services.

WESTERN SLOPE

Donna Floyd, RN, BSN
Director Home Health Services
Interim HealthCare of Western Colorado
Grand Junction

Current Member of HCAC Board of Directors; Co-Chair of Education / Professional Development Council;

1)  Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member?
Now, as when I first put myself up for nomination to the Board of Directors, I believe that Home Care is the heart and the future of healthcare today. Our industry touches lives that would not otherwise be supported, and does so with minimal national attention and encouragement. My current service on the Board of Directors has been an opportunity to give to our industry in a tangible way. As a member of the Board I have had the privilege to take comments from agencies large and small and give them voice during Association discussions on legislation and trade business. Serving as the Co-Chair on the Education council allows me to listen to the needs of home care agencies throughout the state. I hope to continue to bring timely information to our members that support the forward momentum of Colorado home care. HCAC’s legislative monitoring and activism, opportunities to speak directly with legislators, state department heads and survey management are all invaluable and I would very much like to continue to extend the impact of the association and increase membership especially on the Western Slope.

2)  What are the major issues facing the home care industry?
At this period in our industry the potential for dynamic positive growth and the wide range of challenges to individual agency survival are both greater than what we have faced in recent memory. The financial viability of our industry and thus its ability to deliver healthcare designed to maintain independence is an on-going issue. In addition, I believe that keeping home care providers in Colorado educated is an imperative. Education, both for managers on current industry issues and for clinical staff on current care trends such as assessment for OASIS and new technology, must be consistently available. In a period of budget concerns, many agencies do not prioritize staff development. Without this critical piece, Colorado home care will not prosper fully. Finally, the home care industry must be organized to move in concert so that we have a greater impact. Specifically this impact needs to be in the areas of legislation, media impact/support and consumer awareness of issues of access and service provision.

3)  What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC?
I have a long history in home care as a field nurse and administrator; I have a proven track record managing quality home care profitably; I have a love for our industry. And I have a passion to see home care recognized by the health care industry as the approach best suited to support the independence of those we all serve daily.

NORTHEAST

No candidates

 

CHAIR

Sue Birch, RN, BSN, MBA
Executive Director
Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurses Association
Steamboat Springs
(with locations also in Craig)

Former President and Member of HCAC Board of Directors; Current Member of Nominating Committee;

1)  Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member?
By continuing to serve in this way, I will have the opportunity to identify home care industry leaders who will have the opportunity and ability to impact regulatory and legislative policies. I understand fully that the one voice of our trade association has greater impact than mine alone.

2)  What are the major issues facing the home care industry?
The major issues facing the home care industry are vast, ranging from inadequate funding to constant shifts in regulations.  Continuous budget cuts put the quality and availability of home health care at risk.  The national focus on other issues has weakened the much needed national support for Medicare home health care.  Inadequate funding only worsens the shortages in home health care personnel.  Retaining and recruiting a qualified health care staff becomes increasingly difficult due to burdensome regulations, time consuming paper work and reimbursement struggles. Not enough time is allotted to actual patient care delivery. Lastly, a major issue facing the home health care industry is the demographic shifts we are encountering. Not only are we facing greater numbers in the aging population, we are also experiencing obvious cultural shifts. These challenges threaten the quality of home care service delivery.

3)  What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC?
I am a proven leader and manager and have key abilities in the political process. The most important qualities I possess which would contribute to the overall vision of HCAC are passion and access. As a Robert Wood Johnson Fellow, I have been allowed to create a policymaking platform in the political arena.  My contacts are vast and readily available to assist in this struggle to improve home health care on a national level.  I have more than twenty years experience in the field of health care, more than fifteen years of home health care experience and I have served on HCAC’s Board of Directors. I consider myself to have a full understanding of the current state of home health care, which is essential if one hopes to improve it.

MEMBER

Sue Brown
Executive Director
Home Care of the Grand Valley
Grand Junction

Current President and Member of HCAC Board of Directors; Co-Chair of Legislative Advocacy Council)

1)  Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member?
I am interested in serving as a member of the HCAC Nominating Committee because I value the work, mission, and goals of the association. It is important to the organizations represented by the association that we have strong and committed leadership that will stay the course to see that the industry is strong and viable in this state. I am committed to do all I can to continue to ensure home care is valued and represented appropriately as a critical link in the health care continuum. I keep up on the issues and work to address them or get others to do so such as legislators and other policy makers. 

2)  What are the major issues facing the home care industry?
The main issues are:

• National focus on other issues and therefore lack of strong support for the Medicare home care benefit by the President and Congress. Threat of decreases by the Federal government (President’s recently published Medicaid plan for example) in the Medicaid program.
• State of Colorado financial shortfall situation and the recent and proposed cuts and related cost saving measures for the Home Health, HCBS and related programs.
• Recruitment and retention of adequately skilled staff, especially nurses, continues to be an issue.

3)  What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC?

·         I am knowledgeable and experienced in the fields of health care, home care and policymaking including the political arena. I am very involved on the national level.

·         I have a strong desire to stay involved in HCAC. I helped write and update the vision, for example.

·         I am tenacious and will do my best to serve the association for the greater good of home care association members.

·         Home Care of the Grand Valley is a freestanding, not for profit that is committed to serving all ages with high tech to LTC needs (high % of Medicare, Private insurance as well as Medicaid and charity care). 

Cathy Kaufman, RN
CEO, Foundation Partner
Complete Home Health Care, Longmont
(with locations also in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Brighton, Arvada, Englewood and Canyon City)

Current member of HCAC Nominating Committee

1)  Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member?  
I am interested in continuing to enhance the opportunities for my agency’s involvement in promoting the Vision and Mission of HCAC. I am a founding partner/owner and CEO of Complete Home Health Care that provides both skilled and unskilled care. I have been a leader in my own company to take it from a “start up” to a large state-wide company in six years. I feel that with my clinical and business management experience, as well as my leadership qualities, I could add my expertise and passion for the home health care industry to HCAC.

2)  What are the major issues facing the home care industry?
Some of the major issues facing the home healthy care industry are:

• Recognition at the sate and federal levels of the value of home health care in the continuum of care, quality of life and savings of health care dollars;

• Shortages of qualified registered nurses, therapists and other caregivers;

• Outcome measures and pay-for-performance inherent flaws that will create unfairness and discourage agencies from caring for those clients who most need home health care support; and

• Technology driven care and the financial impact on smaller agencies.

3)  What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC?
The qualities that I have to contribute to the vision of HCAC include my 18 years experience in the Colorado home health care industry, which I have been very active and involved in both clinical and management roles. I am frequently called upon for consultation in difficult decisions. I have the ability to negotiate and mediate conflict. I have written our company’s entire Policy and Procedure Manual which has received compliments by state surveyors. I promote team work and process improvement, leading teams toward continuous quality improvement. I have worked in management / leadership roles for the past 15 years and would like to add my dimension to the HCAC leadership.

Diana Prime, AAS Nursing
Founder / Owner

Primary Home Health Care, Inc.
Colorado Springs

Current Secretary and Member of HCAC Board of Directors since 2003; Member of State Medical Services Advisory Committee;

 
1)  Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member?
I am interested in continuing as a member of the HCAC Nominating Committee and remaining involved with an organization that promotes the importance and value of the home care industry and the many challenges that each home care provider faces in trying to provide this valuable service to the residents of Colorado.

2)  What are the major issues facing the home care industry?
The major issues facing the home care industry currently are reimbursement, governmental regulation and shortages of home health staff. Although, there are many other issues facing our industry, the above named three are at the limelight of the survival of home care, as we know it today.

3)  What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC?
The qualities I can contribute to the vision of the HCAC include knowledge of home health from per diem RN to Chief Operating Officer, and communication skills that are clear and concise. I have a career “passion” for home care and the immense value that home care provides for our clients each day. Therefore, being an educator / advocate to the community, combined with the experience / knowledge base I have on issues in reimbursement and regulations in our home care industry, will also be a contribution to the HCAC vision.

Theresa McCoy, RN
Clinical Coordinator
Life Care at Home
Aurora
(with locations in Alamosa, Colorado Springs, and Lafayette)

Former Treasurer and member of HCAC Board of Directors; former Chair of HCAC Education / Professional Development Council

(click here to read Q&A above)