Question 1

What does IHCC do exactly?

Accepted Answer

Our consultants are an extended part of your program compliance and risk management team. We strategically integrate into your program to assess and gain a full picture of program cultural environment, communication flow, and staff understanding of operating procedures and standards. Our consultants will analyze data gathered from our assessment and provide tailored solutions that improve resident quality of care, and establish best practices to place your facility in an optimal compliance position.

Our experienced consultants support a resident-centered focus program that includes:
 
1. Resident-Centered Care is front and center to our practice: Resident-Centered Care is defined as services that honors, respects and is responsive to individual preference, needs and values.  Our consultants will collect, analyze, and review barriers that plague your facility such as communication gaps, normalized deviations, staff drifts from policies & procedures, and cultural norms that impact the resident quality of care, facility licenses to operate, and the facility financial liabilities.
 
2. Development of Proactive Action Plan: We are problem solvers! Developing a proactive approach to integrate an action plan is what we do well. IHCC consultants collaborate with the facility administrator, directors and corporate leadership teams to develop a proactive action plan that thoroughly addresses identified barriers. The action plan such as “all hands-on deck” will speak to the entire facility culture for buy-in to address barriers as an entire facility as opposed to compartmentalized departments.
 
3. Action Plan Roll Out Program: Our consultants will present the best options to facility wide roll out of the action plan. The consultant will ensure closing the loop by facilitating the achievement of set milestones.

Question 2

My facility can handle compliance and risk management on our own. What are the benefits of working with IHCC?

Accepted Answer

The pandemic has undoubtedly changed the way we all operate. It has added unforeseen restrictions and pressures to operating any size program. Your program must adjust to the ever-changing laws, CMS, AHCA, DCF and/or Joint Commission (TJC) restrictions and guidelines. It is overwhelming to juggle a resident-centered program, the resident needs, family complaints and grievances, reduction in staff, staff concerns, and facility budgets all while staying within the confines of standards.
 
We alleviate the juggling by gaining a fundamental understanding of the resident and staff cultures to open a dialogue that all can relate too. IHCC consultants listen to staff concerns, creating avenues of communication and understanding their issues. We work with each program to develop a strategic plan to guide the facility culture to cooperative compliance leading to mitigated risk. We are an extra set of eyes, ears, and hands to add to your team in a proactive response.

When TJC, AHCA, Dept of Health, DCF or OSHA shows up to your program… Are you ready?

Question 3

What is the difference between compliance and risk management? Why do they matter to my program?

Accepted Answer

Our compliance program was designed to promote and protect your program against fraudulent systems, abuse, waste and any potential liabilities levied against your facility.

An effective compliance program must at least address the following areas:

• Development, distribution and implementation of standards of conduct, and policies and procedures that provide definition to the facility commitment to exceeding standards appropriate to the program.
 • Designation of compliance officer and appropriate committees responsible for operating and monitoring your compliance program.
 • Development and training of effective staff education and training programs.
 • Establishment and maintenance of effective communication that promotes individual reporting compliance concerns without retaliation, including the ability to anonymously report concerns and complaints.
 • Establishment of processes to address complaints to include imposition of corrective action including the discipline of staff when required
 • Implementing best practices of internal monitoring and audits to measure compliance and address unknown deficiencies
 • Responding effectively and appropriately to uncover violations and implementing proactive corrective action plans.

Our Risk Management program was designed to review your program clinical and administrative systems, processes and reporting that is used to identify, mitigate, and prevent risk. We strive to reduce your program potential financial liability and resident impact of harm by developing strategies that manage the risk related to the resident safety and HIPAA standard.

Common program risk factors include:

• Failing to fill expired resident medications
 • Improperly tracking resident/patient medication administration
 • Lack of preventing resident/patient falls and immobility
 • Failing to report adverse and reportable events
 • Failing to monitor resident/patient pressure sores
 • Failing to preventing resident falls by implementing fall prevention safety measures
 • Neglecting to move resident/patient to higher level of care when necessary
IHCC is a compliance and risk management consulting firm. We bring our two areas of focus together to mesh seamlessly in a cohesive program. It is our goal to move your program to a resident-centered proactive position that mitigates risk exposure, and alleviates stress of juggling it all and support to provide quality resident care.

So why does compliance and risk management matter to your facility? The answer is simple: it keeps your program in the position to legally operate by holding in good standing state issued license and obtaining CMS funding to provide care services. Without an effective compliance and risk management program your facility is in jeopardy to lose operational state issued license and ultimately funding.

Question 4

How can IHCC complement a facility's existing compliance and risk team?

Accepted Answer

IHCC complements your teams by providing objective and experienced insight into barriers that plague your facility. Our services are tailored to support your facility goals and resident-centered initiatives.

IHCC deploys three phases: Assessment, Strategic Planning, and Implementation of Solutions.

Phase I: Assessment
We will analyze current processes and procedures, and evaluate program wide communication and workload distribution. We utilize every method of communication to ensure that your leadership team is in the loop at every step of analysis. We identify several key factors to clearly understand all concerns plaguing your organization. The assessment process is designed to identify key factors that are root causes to issues with the facility's compliance and risk management.

Phase II: Solution and Strategic Planning
We are problem solvers, addressing complex matters with complexed and multifaceted angles. Our consultants will lay out a plan for future changes and growth with in-depth strategic planning modules that are tailored to your goals and needs. Then, we will explain and present every aspect of our analysis, and potential solutions, ensuring that your administrative team makes informed decisions.

Phase III: Implementation of Solutions
We will meet with you to walk you through implementation of solutions for overall compliance. We are open to onsite or virtual meetings with each department daily, weekly, or monthly to answer any questions, adjust plans, and create proactive safety nets to promote confidence and team building opportunities.

Question 5

What can we expect from IHCC coaching?

Accepted Answer

IHCC provides tailored services that allow us to meet your facility's needs with flexibility and agility while developing compliance and risk management strategies and solutions that work for your needs. Take advantage of our strengths in compliance and regulatory standard oversight. We will dive deep into each barrier and walk through solutions to address them. Your facility will not be lost in a bottleneck process when working with our team.

We are:
 • Attentive and reliable
 • Budget-conscious
 • Effective and efficient
 • Friendly and flexible
 • Accessible and responsive

The benefits to hiring IHCC:
 • A clear and unbiased perspective – We are creative with an “out-of-the-box” point of view that lends itself to develop the right solution to your facility barriers.
 
 • Contributing fresh, new ideas – Our experience contributes innovative approaches to sustain and grow your facility for decades to come.
 
 • Diplomatic but proactive approach – We ask the challenging questions to provoke thought and a deeper introspection in your facility compliance and risk programs. We support your facility to manage challenging cultural environments that will create a cooperative and mutual respect within your facility departments.
 
 • Results-oriented focus – Our key role is to help your facility move towards a proactive compliance approach. We provide a clear view of our role in assisting your facility to achieve your specific milestones for progress and the tailored results that will lead to a successful compliance and risk management programs.

Question 6

How can we get started?

Accepted Answer

It's as simple as scheduling an initial consultation with us.

• Email us at  info@intercoastalhc.com ,
 • Call us (561)507-0393 
 • Use the contact form, chat function or Free Consultation Form on our website to schedule a meeting now.

We are looking forward to working with your team!

IHCC

Intercoastal Healthcare Consulting

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