Peninsula Home Care Achieves Deficiency-Free Rating Under State Performance Survey

Published on - April 9, 2014

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 a stamp of approval from the state for Peninsula Home Care,” said Nancy Bagwell, branch director, Peninsula Home Care.  “It means that throughout the entire inspection process, not a single inefficiency was identified, which from my understanding is very rare.  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 survey process includes a four-day surveillance period during which our staff and operations are closely monitored and critiqued,” said Nancy Bagwell, Peninsula Home Care branch director.  “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:

Patient Rights	Are patients involved in developing a plan of care? Was the patient informed of his/her rights? Compliance with Federal, State and Local laws
Compliance with Professional Standards	Does the home health agency (HHA) ensure that all clinical staff members follow professional practice standards, laws, policies and procedures?
Coordination of Care	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?
Outcomes	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?
Comprehensive Assessment of Patients	Preventative care Ask clinical managers and staff to describe their process of drug regimen review  /  Ask clinical managers how they address medication discrepancies
Documentation	What clinical records are kept and how they are documented How patient reports are being tracked

 

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About Peninsula Home Care

Providing skilled nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy for more than 30 years, Peninsula Home Care 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 50,000 patients in Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties in Maryland and Sussex and Kent counties in Delaware. In 2017, PHC and PHCN were designated as Preferred Home Care Provider by Peninsula Regional Medical Center and Nanticoke Health Services.