Page 37 - HME Business, October 2017

“Patients are very much in need of guidance on what to do after surgery,” she says. “While they will find most of what they need to know about their diagnosis from their physician and clinical resources, the care for what they need post-surgical is best served by visiting a local HME provider who is certified as a mastectomy fitter to help them understand what is available and best suits their individual needs.”
Katie Magennis is manager of Figleaf Boutique. There are five Figleaf boutiques located in Indianapolis, two of which cater to pregnancy and childbirth issues. The other three focus on post-mastectomy products and have certified mastectomy fitters. Of the three catering to post-mastectomy patients, two locations are in oncology centers on hospital campuses.
“There’s so much more opportunity for a patient to be educated about mastectomy products post-surgery because you have a patient who gets this traumatic diagnosis, and her life is going to change,” she says. “They have to figure out how to live this new normal.”
Magennis says her goal is to be part of that journey with them, which today more typically falls toward the end of their journey, helping them recover after surgery. But she is working to take the journey with them toward the middle and even at the beginning, where she says HME providers can be extremely helpful.
“I used to say we are the bow on the package,” Magennis says. “We still are the ones who satisfy the end of the journey, but at the same time, education about our products during the journey is very important.”
SERVICING THE POST-BREAST SURGERY PATIENT
To service the post-mastectomy patient and bill Medicare for reimburse- ment, the HME provider must be certified. Certification includes a number of
steps, including submitting an application, fielding a site visit and passing an audit of your facility. This is in addition to having a certified mastectomy fitter on your staff. (See the sidebar, “Becoming a Certified Mastectomy Fitter.”)
Kim Zeise Neel, Cfm, a breast cancer survivor and president of Alala LLC, an HME provider offering post-surgical support to mastectomy patients, agreed that guiding mastectomy patients through their journey is definitely needed before and after surgery. About 80 percent of her business is spent serving the post-mastectomy patient group.
When asked what HME providers need to know to have a successful one-stop shop for post-mastectomy patients, she says, “Mastectomy bra manufacturers each have a training class to get you started. After that, joining professional associations, such as Essentially Women, helps you network. Finally getting credentialed is an arduous task. We have four nationally certified fitters. Each CFM completed formal training, completed 250 fit hours with a credentialed fitter and passed a three-hour nationally administered exam.”
To get the expertise needed to serve post-mastectomy patients, Neel suggested that practice is the best teacher.
“Each person is different in the surgery she has and how her body responds,” she says. “To help with this, we also have regular staff meetings and attend conferences for professional development. As part of keeping our national certifications, continuous education hours are required, so we get a chance to swap notes nationwide while getting our CEUs.”
• Neel’s top tips for running a successful post-mastectomy store include: • Open your heart and don’t close doors
• Don’t take short cuts, but constantly work to keep costs down
• Continuously strive for improvement
Benefits
of membership include:
We’ll pay you to be a member of Essentially Women!
Reap the benefits of an EW membership through our members-only rewards program.
Essentially Women strives to connect HME providers and mastectomy businesses with innovative and cost-saving solutions including a rewards program.
Many EW members receive more than $3,000 per year in Essential Rewards.*
• Essential Rewards program
• Education and training
• Legislative updates and advocacy
• Insurance and surety bonds
• Online marketplace to buy and sell products
• Community forum to connect with other EW members
At EW, we believe in taking care of you and your business so you can take care of your clients.
JOIN TODAY
www.essentiallywomen.com/join
See us at Medtrade 2017 Booth #1627
*It only pays to be a member if you use EW’s vendor contracts. On average, rewards earned by EW members exceed membership dues. Purchasing from EW vendors participating in the Essential Rewards program is required to earn enough rewards to pay for your membership.
HME for Women’s Health
hme-business.com | October 2017 | HMEBusiness 35