Peninsula Home Care Achieves Deficiency-Free Rating Under State Performance Survey
Published on - April 17, 2017
SALISBURY, MD – Peninsula Home Care, a licensed and certified home health service provider headquartered on the Lower Eastern Shore, today announced its Salisbury and Ocean Pines branch offices have achieved deficiency-free ratings upon completion of a major State of Maryland performance survey.
“A deficiency-free rating is equivalent to an entire classroom of students getting an A+ on an exam,” said Nancy Bagwell, Peninsula Home Care area director of operations. It is a stamp of approval from the state after a thorough inspection process. Peninsula Home Care did not have a single inefficiency which is an accomplishment that very few agencies are able to achieve. We are proud of the entire PHC team for their hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence in patient care and outcomes.”
State surveys are mandated every three years on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS administers compliance procedures of Medicare health and safety standards for continuing care providers including home care agencies, hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Agencies are evaluated on patient rights education, positive patient outcomes, medical error prevention, appropriate staff qualifications, emergency preparation and performance improvement data.
“The four day surveillance period involves close monitoring of our staff and operations,” added Bagwell. “State surveyors review patient records and accompany nurses and therapists on home visits to trace the patient experience, evaluate the care being provided and examine patient outcomes. In basic terms, they are looking to confirm that the plan of care provided meets the patient’s needs.”
Inspection Checklist Breakdown
The Home Health Agency (HHA) Survey Protocols are evaluated by sections. Each section has a list of criteria the agency must meet during the investigation. Some of the more critical standards addressed during the survey process include the following:
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Patient Rights
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Are patients involved in developing a plan of care? Was the patient informed of his/her rights? Compliance with Federal, State and Local laws |
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Compliance with Professional Standards
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Does the home health agency (HHA) ensure that all clinical staff members follow professional practice standards, laws, policies and procedures?
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Coordination of Care
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How do providers communicate with patient/caregivers and identify the need to communicate with other providers? How does the HHA respond to interventions? Is the care provided based on patient needs? |
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Outcomes
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What is the patient response to interventions? (e.g., medication side effects, responses to wound therapy and teaching) Are changes in plan of care / discharge planning addressed? Is care provided based on patient needs? |
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Comprehensive Assessment of Patients
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Preventative care Ask clinical managers and staff to describe their process of drug regimen review / Ask clinical managers how they address medication discrepancies |
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Documentation
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What clinical records are kept and how they are documented How patient reports are being tracked |
About Peninsula Home Care
Providing care for more than 30 years, Peninsula Home Care, in Salisbury, Maryland, ensures that all patients are involved in their plan of care and strives to give them every opportunity to maintain their independence in the home. The agency has served more than 39,000 patients on Delmarva and was designated as a Peninsula Regional Medical Center preferred home care provider in 2017. For more information, visit www.peninsulahomecare.com.
