Despite strong headwinds, the future looks bright
home health
The rise of AI in homecare
In August, Integrated Home Care Services, Inc., an independent administrator of home health, durable medical equipment (DME) and home infusion benefits, announced a new CEO, Christopher Bradbury. Bradbury succeeded Jorge Pereda, co-founder.
CHICAGO (September 6, 2022)—Help at Home, a national provider of in-home, person-centered care for seniors, announced the addition of a key member of its leadership team. Lisa George joins the company as its new chief human resources officer.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (September 6, 2022)—Humana Inc. has announced the completion of its initiative to rebrand the home health division of Kindred at Home (KAH) as CenterWell Home Health. With this announcement, CenterWell Home Health is now the official name for the more than 350 locations of the home health division serving 38 states.
WOONSOCKET, R.I., DALLAS and NEW YORK (September 6, 2022)—CVS Health and Signify Health have entered into a definitive agreement under which CVS Health will acquire Signify Health for $30.50 per share in cash, representing a total transaction value of approximately $8 billion.
How a company founded by Brown University undergrads is making a big impact on senior care
5 steps to help protect your team’s mental health
ORANGE & ROCKLIN, Calif. (September 1, 2022)—Luna, an in-home physical therapy (PT) platform, today announces the launch of a value-based savings program for orthopedic practices to reduce post-acute care costs by 55% to 70%.
Top orthopedic groups are turning to Luna to reduce costs and deliver this innovative, in-person form of care, including Hoag (Orange County), Resurgens Orthopaedics (Atlanta), and dozens of others.
DEERFIELD, Ill. (August 31, 2022)—Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. announced it has completed its previously announced majority share acquisition of CareCentrix, Inc.—an independent home-centered platform that coordinates care to the home for health plans, patients and providers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 30, 2022)—The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 required the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement various hospice survey reforms. In the CY 2022 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) final rule, CMS addressed these reforms, including development of a hospice special focus program (SFP).
TROY, Mich. (August 30, 2022)—Residential Hospice, a division of Graham Healthcare Group, announced that it has acquired Comfort Hospice of St. Louis, and Grace Hospice of Maumee, Ohio from U.S. Medical Management. This expands the footprint of Residential Hospice into Missouri and Ohio; U.S. Medical Management will retain their hospice locations outside of St. Louis and Maumee.
ATLANTA, (August 30, 2022)—Healthcare Workforce Logistics (HWL), a provider of vendor neutral workforce solutions, announced that it has been awarded a group purchasing Technology and Workforce Management Services agreement with Conductiv. Effective July 1, 2022, the new agreement enables Conductiv Contracts members, at their discretion, to take advantage of special pricing and terms pre-negotiated by Conductiv Contracts for Technology and Workforce Management Services.
MESA, Ariz. (August 29, 2022)—In hiring Steve Gottfried to lead business development efforts, Myndshft, a fully automated end-to-end prior authorization platform, reaffirms its core mission of relieving health care providers, partners and payers from the complex, time-consuming administrative processes that undermine patient care.
DALLAS (August 25, 2022)—Care-at-home technology provider Axxess announced a unique opportunity for professionals to reimagine and prepare for the future through the first-ever Axxess Growth, Innovation and Leadership Experience, known as AGILE, which will be held April 17-19, 2023, in Dallas, Texas.
PITTSBURGH (August 25, 2022)—A federal court has ordered a Pennsylvania mother and daughter to pay more than $2.4 million in overtime back wages and liquidated damages, after a three-day trial confirmed the pair used illegal pay practices to avoid paying full wages to 345 workers who provided daily living assistance and home healthcare in the Pittsburgh area.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 23, 2022)—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has awarded approximately $25 million in planning grants to five new states and territories to expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration program. With these awards, 41 states and territories across the country will now participate in MFP.
DALLAS, Texas (August 23, 2022)—UnitedHealth, Amazon, CVS Health and Option Care Health are bidding for Signify Health, a technology company focused on shifting the health care continuum to value-based care, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources. The company’s shares jumped nearly 40% premarket Monday following the news.
CARY, N.C. (August 23, 2022)—Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc., (ACHC) now offers certification to vendors who provide products, such as electronic patient records, human resources management solutions, document management tools, and more, to ACHC-accredited community-based organizations. The new certification offering provides validation that a vendor’s products meet the requirements of some or all relevant ACHC Standards.
CLEARWATER & SARASOTA, Fla. (August 22, 2022)—Empath Health is pleased to announce its newest senior-level executive, Christy Hendricks, JD, as general counsel and chief mission legal officer.