2007 HomeCare Elite Performance Analysis reports are now available for clients and non-clients of OCS. These reports measure Quality of Care, Quality Improvement and Financial Performance using Home Health Compare (HHC) data published from September 2006 to September 2007. Each report includes an interpretation guide to best analyze your data. To see a sample version of the 2007 HomeCare Elite Performance Analysis, click here.

Clients of OCS will find their reports posted in Connection. To access your Performance Analysis Report, simply log-in to your account using your username and password.

Non-clients of OCS may purchase their reports by completing and faxing in this order form. Cost is $250 per Provider Number.

OCS is excited to announce that we are once again the proud sponsor of the Pre-Conference Workshop for The Sixth Annual Northeast Home Health Leadership Summit being held from January 30 - February 1, 2008, at the Sheraton Boston Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. The OCS Pre-Conference will be held on January 30th, 2008, and will feature specialized sessions designed to improve the value of home care.

Sessions featured at the OCS Pre-Conference Include:

• Trends and Regional Effects on Demonstrating the Value of Home Care & Hospice
• Perspectives on Demonstrating Value in Home Health & Hospice
• Demonstrating Value through Patient Satisfaction
• Best Practices of Mid-Size 2007 HomeCare Elite™ Agencies Revealed

Click here for more information on the Northeast Leadership Summit and to download your registration form.

OCS, Inc. and Medline extend their partnership with the launch of another exclusive series of reports illustrating the effectiveness of providers' wound care practices. These breakthrough wound care dashboards enable an agency to track the ongoing progress and profitability of their wound care programs.

Three specific dashboards, produced quarterly, that evaluate surgical wounds, pressure ulcers and stasis ulcers, compare an agency's trended performance with state, regional and national norms. Status Indicators for each outcome measure rapidly identify agency successes or areas for improvement relative to the national compare group. The dashboards include wound care performance measures for clinical outcomes, visit utilization, supply costs, Medicare reimbursements and episodic profitability.

Due to the upcoming Home Health Prospective Payment System (PPS) changes, OCS is releasing updated OCS-Gateway software. This is a mandatory compliance upgrade; all OCS clients using OCS-OASIS Data Entry to enter OASIS assessments must fully implement the 3.7 version no later than December 26th to be compliant with the CMS regulation changes.

This updated version will ensure that your agency's case weights are calculated accurately with the new PPS Grouper logic. If you are not installed by the deadline, your Medicare reimbursement will likely be affected.

Fully implement the upgrade by Thursday, December 20th and you will be entered into a drawing to win a wide screen monitor with which to view your OCS reports!

Are you ready for mandatory CMS Visit Reporting?
The new CMS claims data reporting requirement, going into effect in 2008, is cause for concern among hospice providers. Martha Tecca, Senior Director of Hospice at OCS, will conduct an educational program with contributions from national regulatory experts, regional reimbursement intermediaries and information system vendors. Attend this session to learn and educate your team about how to be in compliance when the time comes and how to prove the full value of your hospice services.

This 90-minute, live web seminar will walk you through the new CMS visit reporting requirements (CR5567) and their implications, recommend top priority actions for you to take, answer your questions and provide an interactive discussion period among participants. The seminar also offers a CMS Visit Reporting Guide as well as 1.5 CEU Credits to each registrant.

Seminar Details: CMS Visit Reporting (CR5567) - Requirements and Implications
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
10am Pacific/1pm Eastern time
Cost $275 for first registrant; $195 for each additional registrant per organization

To register for this web seminar, please download our registration form, and return via fax to 206.374.2920.

Enroll today in one or more of these free and informative OCS Product Web Conferences and invite your staff to attend.

These informative OCS Product Web Conferences touch on current issues, topics and trends in the Home Health, Hospice and Private Duty industries. Sign up today!

PPS - How Will the Rule Affect Your Agency
Thursday, January 17, 2008
10:00 a.m. PST/1:00 p.m. EST
Register here

Are You Ready for the QAPI CoP and to Excel as an NHPCO Quality Partner?
Thursday, January 24, 2008
10:00 a.m. PST/1:00 p.m. EST
Register here

PPS - How Will the Rule Affect Your Agency
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
10:00 a.m. PST/1:00 p.m. EST
Register here

If you are looking for product training, please visit our Client Training Calendar.

Are you OCS-Gateway ready?
Have you already implemented OCS-Gateway version 3.7? If not, all OCS clients using OCS-OASIS Data Entry to enter OASIS assessments must be fully implemented no later than December 26th to be compliant with the CMS regulation changes.

But there's no deadline to test your OCS-Gateway knowledge, which is the theme of this week's OCS Crossword Puzzle. The answer key will be provided in the next issue of the Weekly Insight.

Good luck!