Page 9 - HME Business, May 2018

AAHomecare to Evaluate E-Prescribing Platforms
CMS to Join
Heartland Panel
Discussion
Attendees to VGM event will be able to discuss regulations, reimbursements and audits with CMS representatives.
The conference schedule for VGM’s upcoming June 19-21 Heartland Conference
will include a panel discussion with Tangita Daramola, CMS’s competitive bidding acquisition ombudsman, and Natalie Duncan the Small Business Administration’s deputy national ombudsman.
Contractors from CGS, C2C and Noridian will also participate in the 90-minute session.
“VGM has maintained a working relationship with Tangita and her staff at CMS in an effort
to improve CMS programs and keep DME suppliers informed of CMS updates,” said Ronda Buhrmester, VGM’s reimbursement expert
and session moderator. “By bringing them to Heartland Conference, members will have the opportunity to share first-hand how regulations, reimbursements and audits are affecting their business. Believe it or not, this group of panelists listens to our members.”
Themed “Where Community Meets Opportunity,” the 2018 edition of the event offers more than 80 education sessions offered during the two and a half day conference at Waterloo, Iowa’s Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. Attendees can earn up to 16 contact hours of CEUs through a number of position-specific education tracks. Among the 11 tracks are an executive and a women’s health track that are new to the lineup.
“We’re excited to further showcase VGM’s hometown hospitality by offering several community dinners that will cater to a variety of job roles,” said Sarah Conger, VGM’s director of events and Heartland Conference chairperson. “Attendees will be able to share a bite to eat and exchange best practices with other attendees that work in the same or similar capacity.”
The event will also feature various networking and social events, including a tour of SingleSpeed Brewing in Cedar Falls, Iowa; an An Afternoon
of Art and Wine at the Waterloo Center for the Arts; a first-time attendee ice cream social; the Hog Roast and Fireworks display at the Riverloop Amphitheatre; and a “Giddy Up Gala.” For more information visit www.vgmheartland.com. n
Association will work to promote adoption and acceptance of e-prescribing within the home medical equipment community.
The American Association
for Homecare’s Executive Committee has green- lighted a project to both examine electronic prescrip- tion platforms and help promote adoption and acceptance of e-prescribing within the HME industry.
“It’s time for the HME community to move away from the fax machine and individual paper prescrip- tions and fully embrace e-prescribing,” said Steve Ackerman, AAHomecare chairman and president
of Spectrum Medical. “Companies that invest in e-prescribing will be able to fill orders more effi- ciently to the benefit of patients and caregivers, while also reducing documentation errors and audits.
“At Spectrum Medical, we are constantly trying to reduce the number of ‘touches’ involved in an order while still maintaining regulatory compli- ance,” he added. “This should be a goal for all HME suppliers.”
As part of the project, AAHomecare staff and leaders will study leading e-prescribing platforms concerning their suitability for the HME sector with the end goal of recommending the best solutions to not only members of the association but the industry
VGM Homelink Toasts
Silver Anniversary
For 25 years, the VGM division has helped connect commercial insurance and workers’ compensation programs to HME providers.
VGM Group Inc.’s Homelink division, which connects commercial insurance and workers’ compensation programs to HME providers, is celebrating its 25th year in business.
Founded in 1993, with two employees oper- ating in 1,500 square feet of shared office space, Homelink now occupies more than 51,000 square feet of office space employs 400 staffers who facil- itate approximately 1,400 referrals per day. Dave Kazynski, president of Homelink, attributed his company’s success to its team.
“Most of our growth is because people on the floor
at large. AAHomecare reported it would then work with e-prescribing vendors to obtain additional guid- ance related to e-prescribing for HME, and then promote industry adoption of e-prescribing.
“The healthcare field is rapidly moving towards increased usage of electronic communications and record keeping, and HME suppliers need to keep up,” Ackerman explained. “While our companies will always rely on dedicated professionals to make sure that our patients are receiving a high standard of care, we also need to automate processes wher- ever it makes sense to do so.” n
handling day-to-day operations do such a remarkable job taking care of our customers,” Kazynksi said. “Our personal interaction paired with cost containment processes and dynamic system capabilities are what ensure our clients and their customers have a positive experience and achieve great outcomes.”
Also with Homelink since its start, Senior Vice President Brent Hanson noted that flexibility, diversification and systems automation have also helped the company succeed.
“Through the years, we’ve had to be flexible, add product lines and bring on talented staff to efficiently handle the sheer volume of business,” Hanson said. “We work very hard, but we wouldn’t be where we’re at today without VGM Group providers of ancillary networks and great payer partners.”
In addition to hosting some special events for staff, Homelink will celebrate the milestone by continuing its support of the SFM Foundation by sponsoring scholarships for children of workers disabled or fatally injured in work-related accidents.
For more information about Homelink, visit www.vgmhomelink.com. n
Finding ways to reduce the number of “touches” involved in an order “should be a goal for
all HME suppliers,” according to Steve Ackerman, AAHomecare chairman and president of Spectrum Medical.
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