NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2021 - 8

continued
The time to act is now for a
variety of reasons. The transition
from fee-for-service to valuebased
care is accelerating and
may soon become mandatory.
This switch is being fueled by the
need to control health care
spending and to improve clinical
outcomes, mostly by increasing
provider responsibility and
decreasing care fragmentation.
To accomplish this, the locus of
care is moving away from facility
and acute care to community and
home-based care. The emphasis
is on care coordination by an
interdisciplinary team driven by
the patients' goals of care while
addressing the social
determinants of health.
Reimbursement will be based on
outcomes, not volume.
Look at the above list of priorities
for healthcare reform -
community-based, holistic,
interdisciplinary, patient-driven
care paid on a capitated basis.
Remind you of something? This is
where hospice has lived since our
inception. Not only is that our
clinical model, but we have made
it work while providing the
highest quality of care with
exceptional clinical outcomes for
the sickest and highest need
patients - and their families! - all
while saving money.
...hospices have an
unprecedented opportunity to
engage in the healthcare
continuum in ways that we have
never done before.
So, you can see why the care
model that we have perfected
has its place in the current
healthcare environment. With the
recent emergence of new care
models and payment models,
hospices have an unprecedented
opportunity to engage in the
healthcare continuum in ways
that we have never done before.
But we need to take purposeful
steps to claim that space. New
potential partners and
competitors are entering the
post-acute and serious illness
care field and - added to the
rising tide of mergers,
acquisitions, and large system
growth - you can see where each
hospice must find their place in
the emerging new world.
All this can seem quite daunting,
but it can be managed. The first
step for your organization is
deciding whether to engage in
change at all. It is not a safe
assumption that all hospices can/
should/will change. It must be a
purposeful decision made with
full consideration of all the
variables. You also need to seek
input from your key stakeholders,
including:
▌ The families you serve, both
presently and potentially
▌ Your governing bodies and/or
ownership
▌ Staff
▌ Leadership within your
organization
▌ Donors and other benefactors
▌ Referral sources
▌ Community representatives.
As with any decision-making
process, you need to consider the
potential risks and rewards. The
rewards for maintaining the
status quo include stability,
avoiding risk, maintaining current
relationships, confidence in the
services you provide, and
continuing with any long-term
strategies already established.
On the risk side for maintaining
the status quo, you may start
losing market share to other
providers or other hospices that
are more networked, your place in
your healthcare continuum may
become increasingly marginalized
and your sustainability may be
threatened. You may also get to
the point where you will not be
able to control your organization's
destiny, but it will be decided for
you through outside forces.
There can be a hesitancy to move
towards change, especially for
mission-driven organizations.
Many feel they are diluting their
purpose if they move from the
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Newsline / Fall 2021
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2021
