HCAC 2010 Election

HCAC 2010 Election
BOARD MEMBER CANDIDATES		Election Results Elections were held during the annual business meeting on Friday, May 14, 2010, in conjunction with the 40^th Annual Convention & Home Care Exhibition The Antlers Hilton Hotel, Colorado Springs BOARD OF DIRECTORS METRO DENVER Lisa Potter (2013) Chief Finance Officer Centura Health at Home, Denver Treasurer and Member of HCAC Board of Directors; Member of Legislative/Advocacy Council. 1) Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member? As a financial leader in the one of the largest home care agencies in the state of Colorado, I would like to work with other agency representatives and board members to address the financial and regulatory issues facing the home care industry such that all will experience favorable outcomes. I would like to assist in making the association more valuable and useful to the HCAC membership. 2) What are the major issues facing the home care industry? The major issues facing the home care industry today are very similar to those facing the entire healthcare industry. These issues are: the national nursing shortage, reduced Medicare and commercial insurance funds available for home care services, an aging nursing population, increased gas prices and an increase in the number of patients who do not have any form of health insurance which relates to unreimbursed care. All of these issues carry the potential of devastating financial impacts as well as posing critical barriers to access for patients. Because the home care industry is a critical piece to the appropriate continuum of care, these issues need to be in the front of our mind. 3) What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC? As a professional in the managed healthcare industry for over 20 years, I have a thorough working knowledge of issues from a provider, an insurance carrier and a patient’s perspective. My experience with contracting and fiscal expertise are assets that will only improve the quality of what HCAC provides to its membership. METRO DENVER Lorin Chevalier (2013) Managing Director Senior Helpers, Denver Member of HCAC Legislative/Advocacy Council and the Private Duty Section. 1) Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member? I run a growing, Denver-based, home care agency and am committed to promoting the best interests of the home care industry and the patients we serve. I have worked at an executive level in the health care and health care insurance fields for the past ten years. I have significant corporate and not-for-profit board experience and have served on three HCAC councils/sections to date. I understand the value of closely monitoring legislative activities both at the federal and state levels and believe in actively participating in the legislative and regulatory processes as necessary. I would be pleased to bring my energy and experience to support the HCAC board and membership. 2) What are the major issues facing the home care industry? Increasing regulatory burden including Colorado licensure. Declining reimbursement rates. Limited access in rural areas. Competition from unlicensed sole practitioners and placement agencies. Unionization. 3) What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC? I bring a broad base of business knowledge and practical experience spanning the health care, insurance and capital markets industries. I am forward-thinking, open minded, respectful of others' viewpoints and willing to be involved to promote the best interests of HCAC and its member organizations. SOUTHEAST COLORADO Diana Prime, AAS Nursing (2013) Chief Operating Officer, Partner Primary Home Health Care, Colorado Springs HCAC Board of Directors since 2003, current President-Elect; Member of Fundamentals in Home Health on-line advisory committee; Current Nominating Committee and Reimbursement / Regulatory Council member; Home Care rep on Medicaid Advisory Committee; Former SE ’s Forum co-chair. 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 board 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. NORTHEAST COLORADO Tim Brown (2013) Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Rehabilitation & Visiting Nurse Association, Greeley Member of HCAC Board of Directors; Co-Chair of the Legislative/Advocacy Council. 1) Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member? I believe I have experience at a practical hands-on level that will be beneficial to the decisions made by and the pursuits of the Home Care Association of Colorado. I am in a leadership position with RVNA and have grounded knowledge of the issues facing our agency which will be similar issues for most Home Care providers in our state. Many of those issues are in regard to the current financial climate of our state and how that affects reimbursement rates which falls into my area of expertise with RVNA. 2) What are the major issues facing the home care industry? Regulation and reimbursement!! Both of these issues are hitting our industry through state licensure, interpretation of dual eligible billing, reimbursement rates and structure of those rates, and of course the state budget shortfalls that serve as a driver to the regulation and reimbursement rates. Both of these issues have a lot of work and fine tuning that needs to be done. 3) What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC? I have 20 years experience specific to the Colorado home care industry. Ten of those years experience are in management as a V.P., Chief Financial Officer. I have the core knowledge base to help us approach the future of Colorado home care in a healthy manner for the industry. I have gone through the learning curve as a board member and I'm familiar with the HCAC board and how it works. I have the last three years of difficult issues with the board as foundation for looking to a brighter future (we hope). WEST COLORADO Sarah D. Andrews, MSN, RN (2013) Director of Home Medical Services Gunnison Valley Health, Gunnison Chairperson of the West Slope Forum. 1) Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member? Since attending nursing school in 2001, I knew home health care was my passion. I completed my nursing practicum in home health care at Creighton University. After graduation, I returned to Colorado to work medical/surgical nursing for one year in Aspen. When I returned to Gunnison to pursue my passion of home health nursing, I had no idea the career opportunities presented to me would be the foundation for my success today. During my career, I have had wonderful opportunities within the Gunnison Valley Health organization, throughout the community, and with HCAC and NAHC. In May 2009, I was chosen as the home care representative from Colorado to testify in Washington, D.C. to oppose the proposed $12.15 billion budget cuts from home health reimbursement payments. Since my trip, I have been published twice in Caring Magazine and featured on the NAHC website once. Currently, the health system in Gunnison is uniting under one umbrella. The combining of hospital, skilled nursing facility, assisted living facility, home health, hospice and palliative care services will improve the coordination of care for Gunnison and Hinsdale residents. The system restructuring has provided me with the opportunity to now manage hospice and palliative care, in addition to home health. I believe my passion for medical services in home care makes me an ideal candidate for the HCAC board of directors. The private pay nonmedical industry continues to grow in Colorado and the nation. However, our system needs enthusiastic representation from medical home care services, especially hospital-based home health services. I appreciate the opportunity and your consideration of my candidacy for the HCAC board of directors. 2) What are the major issues facing the home care industry? Health Care Reform. Our industry needs dedicated health care professionals to accurately represent home care to oppose and take action to block ongoing proposed cuts in home health care. Our industry needs representatives to fight for increasing access to make home care more available to more Americans today. Our care is a comprehensive, community based model incorporating modern technology and unsurpassed quality. We know that home care is the care of choice for consumers. We know that home care is the solution to the healthcare reform. We need to unite and continue educating our state and national legislators. 3) What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC? I have been an active member of the home care industry in Colorado for over five years and have been managing Mountain Home Health for four of these five years with a clear vision of appropriately utilizing medical home care services within the Gunnison community. My energetic and dynamic leadership style has helped educate the community and physicians about the effectiveness of home care. Mountain Home Health has grown exponentially since 2003. When I started with the agency in 2003, we had less than ten patients and four employees. We now have over seventy patients with over twenty employees. The merger with Hospice and Palliative Care will increase our census to nearly one hundred with almost thirty employees and over fifty volunteers. I believe my communication skills and emphasis on strong customer satisfaction would make me an ideal candidate for the HCAC board of directors. I am timely, committed, and passionate about my endeavors. I rarely start a project without meeting my goal. I am organized and technologically proficient (I successfully transitioned Mountain Home Health to an electronic medical record system in the latter part of 2009). WEST COLORADO Tina Strang (2013) Administrator Grand County Home Health, Hot Sulphur Springs 1) Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member? I am excited by the opportunity to belong to Colorado’s Home Care Association’s board, and I look forward to bringing thoughts and ideas to the table from a rural provider. Within Grand County Government, there are many departments and county supported 501-C3s that form a community wide group of health care providers and support groups, and I am able to hear about and gather information regarding many of the issues that impact and affect home health care in the rural areas. I believe that it is imperative for the rural communities to have a strong voice and to help others understand the unique challenges that face us in the home care arena. 2) What are the major issues facing the home care industry? I believe that regulatory inundations, reimbursement challenges, and the ever changing nature of the world of home care is very challenging. In 2010, the Colorado home care industry has a chance to be a part of state changes that affect Medicaid reimbursement. This is a great opportunity, but also a large burden on this industry. We must come together to form and present a viable option, for a wide variety of providers, to the cuts that have to take place. Government officials, at all levels, need to understand the community impact of home care services at an economic. social, and community health level. 3) What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC? I have worked in all areas of home care over the past 12 years. Going through the home care process from financial, intake, billing and administrative activities, gives me strong insight and knowledge of the process as a whole. In a small agency, such as ours, on any given day, you may be asked to do many different jobs at many different levels. As an employee of Grand County Government, I am the administrator for the medical home care agency, a non-medical home care agency and senior nutrition programs run through the Northwest Council of Governments, and I assist our Public Health Director as needed. I also work with our Office of Emergency Management on the county’s COP plan and other projects. I have recently been appointed to the Colorado Options for Long Term Care board and feel this will be very helpful. I am also helping our Public Health department work with CDPHE on the state contract system. I spoke to Colorado Senate President Brandon Shaffer last summer during his visit to Grand County, on the need for a more efficient grant and contract process with the State. Mr. Shaffer’s office requested a concept paper. Since then, I have been working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on creating a tracking system for grant and contracts. A task force has been created with a variety of stakeholders in Colorado to move forward with this. I will be attending those meetings with our Public Health Director. I have also been involved in the recent meetings with HCPF regarding the proposed Home Health reimbursement changes. I attend the West Slope Forum meetings on a regular basis, and I try to advocate for home care with local government and other opportunities as they become available.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE STATEWIDE	NOMINATING COMMITTEE NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR (2011) Sue Brown, RN Executive Director Home Care of the Grand Valley, Grand Junction 1) Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member? I am interested in serving as chair 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 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 further decreases by the Federal government * 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). NOMINATING COMMITTEE MEMBER Leanne Smiley (2012) Administrator Peaks Home Health, Lakewood Member of the Private Duty Section; Home Care Licensure Advisory Committee 2008-2009. 1) Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member? I believe everyone in our industry has a responsibility to share their knowledge, skills, and opinions on issues that impact the ability of our industry to provide quality home care. This has never been more true than in our current climate of change - change affecting our industry, community, state, and nation. As individuals we all play a role - as a group our voice is louder and we have the ability to impact the way home care services are delivered. The Home Care Association offers its members the ability to come together and discuss the issues that are most pertinent to us locally and nationally. 2) What are the major issues facing the home care industry? I consider reimbursement the most fundamental issue we currently face and which affects all other issues. Whether we are funded privately or by public payers the ability to be paid fairly for our services will impact agency financial viability, consumer choice, and the quality of care that our customers can expect when inviting us into their home to provide care. It's unfortunate, but it is a reality that financial considerations impact the care that is provided and received. This one issue impacts for-profit organizations, non-profits, hospital systems, and in countries with social medicine systems equally. As we enter an era of health care reform, I believe our input as experts in the home care arena will be essential if care is to continue to be delivered in the setting most preferred by patients - their own home. Other issues that we as an industry face include regulatory changes that impact the way we provide care and run our agencies, increasing documentation requirements that take away from the time we can devote to patient care, and the dwindling supply of direct care providers in many areas of our state and nation. 3) What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC? I bring to this forum a variety of skills and experience. As a nurse who trained in the public health system of a country which practices social medicine, in recent years I have been privileged to integrate this knowledge with the provision of services in a very different setting. I find that my experience and early years have impacted the way I view situations, and I have a unique perspective on the changes currently occurring in health care and the home care industry. I have a well developed understanding of Medicare Certified home care, private pay systems, and the PACE programs. This allows me to see each issue from a number of perspectives which enhances what I can bring to a group. In addition to the clinical skills I bring as an RN who has worked in community health and home care since 1995, I also bring the necessary business skills needed to understand, interpret and perform analysis on the data available to support our mission and vision. Scott Buck, RN, MHA, FACHE (2012) Branch Director Physicians Home Health, Pueblo 1) Why am I interested in being an HCAC officer, board member or nominating committee member? I am quite interested in becoming a HCAC officer or board member. Legislatively, I have worked with hospital boards, home care governing boards, hospice and home care advisory boards, as well as university ethics committees and home care QIOs over the course of my career. I am a firm believer that without proper involvement by those working in the industry, those elected officials who create our regulations and statutes would create more unintended consequences than they currently do. I believe one of the ways we can affect the industry for the betterment of our patients is to be involved in the education of our legislators. 2) What are the major issues facing the home care industry? There are many major issues facing home care. Lack of adequate funding of Medicare and Medicaid, as well as increases in the population of the elderly are going to put a significant strain on our healthcare system. This is compounded by the increasing shortages of qualified healthcare providers in our nation. With our system under this strain, the addition of efforts by the government to address fraud and abuse, as well as improve efficiencies, creates an additional burden to agencies. I believe many of our challenges revolve around the condition of providing high quality patient care in a highly regulated industry. Balancing patient care, clinician education, and compliance oversight is challenging on any given day in home care. How we are able to balance this in the future will be crucial to the success of our companies. 3) What are my qualities which would help me contribute to the vision of HCAC? I believe I can provide a positive contribution to the vision of HCAC. With a broad base of experience in long-term care, hospital acute care, and the home health industry, I bring a viewpoint of the whole healthcare industry, rather than one restricted by experience in just one aspect of healthcare. I believe this allows for a valuable perspective on not only how policy is developed and implemented, but on how it may affect many aspects of home care delivery.
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