New Legislation Impacting Home Health Agencies In New Jersey
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed Bill S667/A2207 into law expanding the definition of Health Care Service Firms to include “firms that place or arrange for the placement of personnel to provide companion services exclusively in the personal residence of a person with a disability or senior citizen 60 years of age or over.” This adds to the existing law which only included firms that provide health care or personal care services.
Additionally “accreditation from an accrediting body recognized by the NJ State Division of consumer affairs is now a condition for licensure and must be obtained within 12 months of being (licensed) registered”. http://www.state.nj.us.
The law will go into effect in 18 months, allowing for regulations to be written and agencies to comply. www.chapinc.org/newsroom.
BENEFIT TO AGENCIES
Private duty home health agencies will benefit from the ability to assure third party payors and clients of compliance with patient safety standards, and a demonstrated commitment to quality.
For initial applicants, the accreditation process introduces a culture of continuous performance improvement in the pursuit of excellence through ongoing self assessment against standard performance measures. It frequently brings an organization together as a team focusing on mutual goals and creates a sense of achievement.
ADMINISTRATIVE CONCERNS
The approach to compliance with regulations and accreditation standards can be viewed as burdensome and costly to an organization as a result of allocation of resources to complete requirements. Task work involved with documentation, internal auditing, staff education curriculum, and performance improvement program data gathering, can distract key personnel from core responsibilities. Outsourcing select activities, to organizations such as Professional Affiliates, www.professionalaffiliates.net can be a prime time and money saver while maintaining existing operational efficiency.3.
EXPECTATIONS
The integration of standards that include patient safety goals and performance measures into an organization’s current operational processes assure clients of a level of service.
Defining clear lines of communication and documenting policies and procedures that outline the implementation of standards assures employees of performance expectations and consistency in practices.
Eligibility for third party payor sources and benefit programs requiring accreditation contribute to financial growth and an expanded client base.
While most non-accredited organization feel they do provide quality services the accreditation process gives them an opportunity to demonstrate this commitment and to define their standards for quality.
Ref:
- NJ Senate Bill S June 23, 2014. http://www.state.nj.us
- CHAPNews Room Aug 14, 2014 www.chapinc.org
CHAPeNewsWeekly Aug 15, 2014 - Professional Affiliates LLC www.professionalaffiliates.net
Pat OMalley RNMA, Pres/CEO Professional Affiliates, has a diverse healthcare background which includes over 14 years as a Community Health Accreditation site visitor and consultant. [email protected]
