An Interview with Susan Northover, SVP, Patient Care Services
What developments do you foresee for VNSNY Home Care in 2018?
One key development will be the implementation of our new HomeCare HomeBase electronic health records system. The system, which is currently being rolled out in VNSNY Hospice and Palliative Care, will be piloted in VNSNY Home Care starting in May, followed by a rollout that will last through November. Other areas of focus include redesigning our Home Care delivery models and continuing to increase our focus on quality and patient experience.
What sort of care delivery refinements are planned for Home Care?
We want to ensure that we’re utilizing our staff and our technology efficiently and effectively, so that we’re providing each patient with just the right level of care to meet their needs at all times. This will involve new technological approaches such as virtual clinician visits, as well as a more nuanced use of our caregivers. With each patient, we’ll be looking closely at whether he or she might benefit more form a visit from a health coach, for example, or whether a virtual rehabilitation session might be appropriate. As part of this effort, we’re looking to expand our use of HHAs in the roles of health coaches and advanced home health aides. We’re also piloting a model in which we deliver acute care in a home setting—a sort of hospital in the home.
New York State recently passed legislation to create the advanced HHA role you mentioned. How will that new position impact Home Care delivery models?
The state is now working to define exactly which functions advanced HHAs will be allowed to carry out. These are expected to include the administration of certain medications, such as insulin. This is an important change, because it means that our interdisciplinary care teams will now be able to utilize HHAs to provide a wider range of care to individuals who can’t self-direct their own care. As a result, more of these individuals will be able to remain in their homes, because their in-home care will become more affordable.
Are there any other care delivery innovations being planned?
As I mentioned earlier, one important area that we’ll be focusing on in 2018 is quality and patient experience. As we put all of these different care delivery elements in place, we also need to make sure that the patient experience we’re providing is as good as it possibly can be. That applies not only to our frontline staff who are providing hands-on care in the field, but also to our support staff. Everyone’s work affects our quality and patient satisfaction scores, and we need to keep improving in that area. So in 2018, we’ll be emphasizing quality and patient experience more than ever.
From what you’re saying, 2018 will be an exciting year.
I think it will be. The bottom line is that as health care evolves, more and more patient care is being provided in the home setting. All of the things we’ve talked about here, from technology to models of care, are focused on this end. The future of VNSNY is going to be all about developing multiple, effective forms of care delivery in the home, for both acute and chronic health needs.
