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https://mailchi.mp/floridahospices/thehospiceprofessionalforumfriday2-28-25-9296681
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This free 1.5-hour CEU or CME webinar opportunity is being offered by VITAS and Florida Hospital Association. A multidisciplinary panel has been assembled to showcase insights from primary care, hospital medicine and hospice providers, as well as caregivers, FHA leadership…
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3:00 PM - HOPE Tool Series
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The answer might appear simple, yet the reality is that most hospices are doing far too much at the time of admission. Often, years of tradition and hospice lore still drive the process. These inefficiencies may ultimately lead to a less competitive service model that can reduce referrals and the quality of care. Join us to learn how to streamline your process.
Join us for a review of the role of social workers, counselors, spiritual caregivers, and chaplains as per the regulations and within the IDG/IDT. These roles can add value to an agency’s quality reporting and the patient experience. You’ll learn ways to increasingly use these valuable team members because visits at critical times in the patient process can increase quality and reimbursement measures and agency opportunities.
Have you heard of the “service recovery paradox”? It is a dynamic that occurs when a patient or family thinks more highly of a program after a mistake has been adequately corrected than if no mistake had occurred at all. That means mistakes may present the opportunity to demonstrate a higher level of exceptionalism – but only if the response is swift and skillful.
However, the opposite is also true. When poorly handled, mistakes can lead to disastrous results. In end-of-life care, it is crucial that all team members understand how to provide skillful service recovery as individuals, as team members, and as representatives of the organization. This webinar will focus on teaching staff and volunteers to skillfully respond to common complaints. It will include sample protocols and skills training materials that can be used immediately.
The HOPE tool requirement, which is effective October 1, 2025, replaces the HIS and will capture more comprehensive, patient-specific data in addition to medical records.
This series will take a deep dive into the impact of the HOPE tool submission and acceptance of the HQRP requirements which directly impact claim payments, as well as the required timepoints, dataset items, and completion requirements. It will provide scenarios and guidance to ensure accuracy and compliance. This series is a must-attend for any hospice that wants to be fully prepared for timely implementation of the HOPE tool.
The 2025 hospice final rule included the anticipated HOPE tool. This session will outline the implementation date for the HOPE tool and how it differs from the Hospice Item Set. It will review the current tool, address the completion requirements, and explain the impact on the HQRP as new measures will be added resulting from clinical data collection on the HOPE.
Multidisciplinary care refers to utilizing multiple disciplines. Interdisciplinary care is something quite different, and the distinction is the only pathway to providing true excellence in end-of-life care. Are you clear about the difference? Are your team meetings interdisciplinary or are they primarily focused on the patient’s medical needs? This webinar will take an in-depth, comprehensive look at the actual heart of hospice – interdisciplinary team functioning across the board. It will also explore ways to improve team meetings without making them longer!
This session will provide clear guidance for completion of sections A, F, and I of the HOPE tool. It will address the importance of accurately capturing patient-specific data, including patient preferences related to CPR and other life-sustaining treatments, hospitalization, and spiritual/existential concerns. It will also cover the principal diagnosis, comorbidities, and coexisting conditions to guide and positively impact service delivery. Item-specific instructions will be provided along with tips to ensure accuracy.
Why spend one more dollar to make the phone ring more than it already does if you cannot convert the inquiries coming your way?
The front-end referral inquiry that starts a business relationship is the lifeblood of any organization, healthcare or not! This webinar will explain the progression of a referral inquiry to the admission process for hospice and homecare. Five key elements will be explored:
1. Knowing you are capturing all referral inquiries
2. Creating an intense sense of urgency
3. A well-developed eligibility process
4. A 90-day pending list and work process
5. Organizational commitment and wisdom
The hospice volunteer program is a core service, and surveyors are expecting to see volunteer programs in full swing again, post pandemic. Join us to learn about the role of the hospice volunteer director/manager, volunteers, and what activities meet the 5% requirement. The requirements of a Medicare hospice volunteer training program will be covered, and FAQs will reveal who can be a volunteer, what does and does not qualify for volunteer activities, and many other answers.
This session will provide clear guidance for completion of sections J (addressing the imminence of death, pain, dyspnea, symptom impact screenings, and follow up), M (wounds, ulcers, and treatment), N (opioid administration and bowel regimen), and Z (requirements of all agency-determined staff who may contribute to the completion of the HOPE tool and verification of completion and signatures). Item-specific instruction will be provided, along with tips to ensure accuracy and to guide and positively impact service delivery.
Hear how Hospice Savannah saw improved satisfaction after personalizing patient touchpoints.
In today's fast-evolving hospice landscape, timely and effective patient communication is more critical than ever. This webinar will explore strategies to enhance patient and family engagement, streamline communication, and accelerate access to care - all while addressing the ongoing challenges of limited resources and increasing demand.
Discover practical ways to improve responsiveness, ensure seamless coordination between teams, and provide exceptional care without overwhelming staff. Key topics include evolving patient needs, proactive family involvement in care decisions, and innovative approaches to caregiver support.
Join Dr. Benton as we uncover actionable strategies to improve communication, enhance care efficiency, and create a more sustainable and supportive environment for both patients and staff.
Employee turnover impacts all areas of operations, including staff morale, the ability to schedule current and future clients, and leadership time to interview and hire the best candidates. The cost of nursing turnover can be up to $75,000 for each new replacement, not counting the impact on current staff. So, what can an agency do to improve staff retention and ultimately reduce turnover? This webinar will identify the leading reasons for turnover and provide top strategies to improve staff retention and lower turnover without spending thousands of dollars.
Chaplains tend to be inherently exceptional at providing religious and spiritual support and often provide “a ministry of presence.” But do they know how to proceed when the situation calls for a skillful counseling response? What theoretical frameworks are evidence-based and a good fit for end-of-life care dynamics and challenging situations? This webinar will cover counseling frameworks, specific skillsets, defined interventions, and techniques that relate to the work of chaplains and spiritual counselors.
This five-part compliance series will conclude with a review of the bereavement requirements and counseling as a core hospice service. It will cover key regulations for bereavement care, including who is qualified to provide bereavement services and the use of volunteers. Program structure will be reviewed, including best practices for a bereavement program and care plans. This presentation will identify all areas where bereavement risk can be identified, discussed, and addressed throughout the course of hospice care and will answer bereavement FAQs.
