2010 Winners & Finalists

Care and Services

Winner: McKean County VNA, "Reducing Re-hospitalizations in Heart Failure Patients"

McKean County VNA sought to reduce heart failure patient admissions by collaborating with their health system to educate patients across the health care continuum. The agency developed and distributed an evidence-based heart failure patient education packet and booklet with current treatment guidelines and monthly tips to stay heart healthy. As a result, the 2009 Home Health Compare results for VNA patients who had to be admitted to the hospital was 22 percent versus the state average of 28 percent which was within the top 20 percent of home health agenciesnationwide.

Tools & resources:

• Heart Failure Calendar 2010 [pdf]
• Heart Failure Care Plan [pdf]
• Medication Education [pdf]

Honorable Mention: Columbia Montour Home Health Services, "Reducing Re-hospitalizations"

Finalists:

• Bayada Nurses, "Pediatric Training Program"
• Clearfield Hospital Home Health, "Improving Wound Care Outcomes"
• Columbia Montour Home Health Services, "Bereavement Camp"

Community Outreach and Advocacy

Winner: VNA of Western PA, "Family Caregiver Support"

Family caregivers frequently suffer from stress-related health problems and the VNA of Western PA set out to help families cope with the added burden of caring for a loved one. "Taking Charge: A Program to Empower Family Caregivers," was developed to educate and support caregivers, mitigate the effects of stress and optimize the ability of family caregivers to provide care.

Finalists:

• Bayada Nurses, "Legislative Day"
• Good Samaritan Hospice, "Camp Good Sam"

Operations Management

Winner: Home Nursing Agency - "Service Excellence"

"The likelihood of recommending" was the specific customer satisfaction indicator that Home Nursing set out to improve. At the start of the improvement project, the agency stood at 83% of patients likely to recommend Home Nursing, and the goal was to increase that to 85%. The "Continuity of Care" education program was developed using concepts from Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and emphasized how to manage the customer experience through effective communication and sensitivity to his/her conditions and the needs of the caregivers. As a result of this company-wide campaign, Press Ganey scores for "Likelihood of Recommending" rose to 90%, far exceeding the initial goal.

Tools and resources:
Entry form and project description www.pahomecare.org/pdf/BestinHomecareandHospiceSubmission.doc

Honorable Mention: Erie Home Health

Finalists:

• In Home Solutions/PLUS, "Risk Assessment"
• VNA of St. Luke's, "Reducing LUPA Rate"

H.R. Management

Winner: In Home Solutions/PLUS, "Hiring for Retention"

After identifying employee retention as an issue affecting quality care and the bottom line, In Home Solutions/PLUS retooled its hiring process from one that was needs-based to one based on anticipation of growth and new admissions. The agency developed key indicators of a prospective employee's likelihood of retention and saw its 12-month retention rates increase more than 40 percent over a three-year period.

Tools and resources:
Entry form; Application for employment; Top Performer Benchmark Traits
www.pahomecare.org/pdf/IHSPEmployeeRetention.pdf

Finalists:

• Bayada Nurses, "Associate Leadership Development Program"
• Home Care Associates, "Coaching Supervision"