January 24, 2019
Dallas, TX – The Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia, the premier Home Health, Palliative and Hospice provider for 132 years, has announced the implementation of the home care industry’s leading software solution from Homecare Homebase (HCHB).
According to Brian Sharkoski, Chief Information Officer for VNA Philly, the non-profit agency had been looking to significantly upgrade its software for several years. In recent months, with support from a new management team under the leadership of CEO Elwood Hungarter and continued partnership from HCHB, the agency was able to substantially upgrade its entire data operations to meet the increased demands of its 1,500+ user base in multiple locations.
As a long-time Network Engineer with 20+ years of homecare IT experience, Sharkoski knew the time was right to make the move to HCHB. “In today’s home care environment, true interoperability is not a luxury – it’s absolutely essential to our continued growth and success” he said. “We need 24⁄7 access to EMRs, doctors, facilities, clinicians, suppliers, families and everyone else in a patient’s circle of care. HCHB makes it easy – and fast.”
The sophisticated mobile data solution does more than simply keep everyone informed and updated. It helps agencies with everything from referrals, scheduling, routing and mapping to patient medications and clinical oversight. And with substantial changes in Medicare billing on the horizon with the roll out of PDGM, accurate data and bulletproof documentation is a must-have for long-term sustainability.
As for implementing the new system, Sharkoski admits the process takes time and effort, but pays off quickly in increased efficiency, clinician productivity and back-end accuracy. Clinicians seem to agree: When the agency asked staff if they wanted to change software systems and move to HCHB – an overwhelming 85% of them said yes – and for good reason. It turns out that nearly half of them had already used the software in previous jobs and were quite familiar with its benefits and ease of use.
“We have a wide range of experience at our agency” said Sharkoski, “but in the end, they all want the same thing: Less time spent on routine tasks and paperwork and more time doing what they love.”
Homecare Homebase is the most comprehensive, cloud-based, enterprise software solution available, allowing users to decrease costs and streamline agency operations, while enhancing patient care. With home visit data synched in less than two minutes, clinicians spend less waiting and more time with the patients and families who need them. The VNA Philly CIO summed it all up, saying “With technology innovation, specialty programming, interoperability and population health being the core of our strategic plan, Homecare Homebase is the perfect partner for us.”
VNA Philadelphia’s Mission
“The mission of The Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia, through its dedicated staff, is to provide comprehensive home health, palliative, and end of life care of the highest quality to all people, regardless of their ability to pay.” Historic Care… Now in our 3rd Century.
About VNA of Philadelphia
VNA Philadelphia was founded in 1886, by Helen Carnan Jenks, as the Visiting Nurse Society of Philadelphia (VNS). She learned about England’s district nurses service from a friend and wondered if such a service could be started in Philadelphia. That same year, VNA Philadelphia enlisted the assistance of physicians who gave the fledgling organization needed credibility within the medical community. By the end of the first year, The VNS served over 300 patients.
The visiting nurses brought quality health care, provided maternity care, hygienic instruction and preventative education. In the decades to follow, the VNS grew to be a critically important component of health care in Philadelphia. Epidemics of influenza, tuberculosis, poliomyelitis and America’s entry into World War I sorely taxed the city’s health care system. In each instance, the VNS worked to meet Philadelphia’s health care needs by providing prevention, treatment and education.
Today, operating as VNA Philadelphia, the organization serves a wide range of patients in both the city and neighboring suburbs, by providing comprehensive home health, palliative and hospice care.
About Homecare Homebase
Homecare Homebase (HCHB) is a Dallas-based software leader offering hosted, cloud-based solutions to streamline operations, simplify compliance and boost clinical and financial outcomes for homecare and hospice agencies. Our customized mobile solutions enable real-time, wireless data exchange and communication between field clinicians, physicians and office staff for better care, more accurate reporting and faster payment. Founded by industry veterans in 1999, the company is now part of the Hearst Health network. For more information visit hchb.com or call us toll-free at 1-866-535-HCHB (4242).
About Hearst Health
The Hearst Health network includes FDB (First Databank), Zynx Health, MCG, Homecare Homebase, MedHOK, Hearst Health Ventures and the Hearst Health Innovation Lab (www.hearsthealth.com). Hearst also holds a minority interest in the precision medicine and oncology analytics company M2Gen. The mission of Hearst Health is to help guide the most important care moments by delivering vital information into the hands of everyone who touches a person’s health journey. Each year in the U.S., care guidance from Hearst Health reaches 85 percent of discharged patients, 205 million insured individuals, 70 million home health visits and 3.2 billion dispensed prescriptions.