UTICA — A nearly 10-year fight with cancer and two stints of chemotherapy have made things challenging at times for Patricia Hill.
Frequently being on oxygen, taking blood-thinners and driving out of town for checkups added to the 73-year-old Salisbury Center resident’s burden.
But this year, at least one aspect has gotten easier: Nurses now come to her home to monitor her blood pressure, check her medicine and test her lungs.
“Before, I had to go to Herkimer twice a week,” Hill said. “The girls are very nice that come. I’m very pleased with all of them. They’re very polite and do the job.”
The service is provided by Bassett Healthcare Network Inc: At Home Care through an agreement with Herkimer County.
Bassett At Home Care bought the county’s license for the Certified Home Health Agency for $200,000 in March, following a request-for-proposal process that produced interest from multiple high-quality organizations, county Administrator James Wallace said. The full changeover awaits approval from the state Department of Health.
Through a privatization process started earlier this year, Herkimer County laid off 18 employees – saving about $320,000 this year in salaries and benefits, Wallace said.
As county legislators move toward adopting a 2012 budget, one major help will be a projected $480,000 in savings from the privatization of the at-home health services.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Herkimer County Community College, and the Legislature is scheduled to vote on the budget at its Wednesday, Dec. 14, meeting.
‘Smooth transition’
Bassett At Home Care is transitioning into taking over the county’s Certified Home Health Agency and long-term care services and has hired eight of the former county employees, said Laurie Neander, chief executive officer of At Home Care.
The goal for the county and At Home Care has been to continue the level of service for patients until the change is finalized in 2012, Neander said.
“The working relationship is extremely strong, and patient care has been continuous – absolutely seamless,” she said.
The hope is that the state Department of Health will approve the change in early 2012 to allow the transition of services to Bassett At Home Care to be completed in April or May, Wallace said.
A cooperative agreement with At Home Care was put in place in the meantime to start the transition, Wallace said. The county is down to handling eight to 12 patients and hopes to be done with all of its patients when the transition is finalized, he said.
The at-home support services and long-term care services are targeted primarily toward the elderly and people recovering from surgery. At Home Care already has provided such services in Herkimer County, but the change is allowing for an expansion of those services, Neander said.
At Home Care has provided services such as professional nurses, physical therapy and other home-health support in Herkimer County since 1987, Neander said. It also has an office on West Albany Street in Herkimer, she said.
Bassett has invested staff, technology and other resources in the county for many years, so buying the license made sense to further strengthen Bassett’s network there – adding to the company’s ability to provide a “continuum of care” to county residents, Neander said.
Neander and Wallace said the changes have been going well and that patients are happy with how it has been handled.
“We’ve been working to ensure a smooth transition,” Neander said.
Privatization
Changes to Medicare billing in the late 1990s started to make the county’s Certified Home Health Agency and long-term care services no longer profitable, Wallace said.
County legislators decided to make a change after the state took away $250,000 of funding for the services in 2010 and $250,000 more in 2011, he said.
“That was the final straw for the Legislature,” he said. “The state is pushing government to get out of this business.”
In addition to selling the Certified Home Health Agency license, county officials also decided to privatize other aspects of public health services this year.
On June 3, the Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program and personal care were shifted to Bassett at Home Care, Superior Home Care and the Home Aide Service of the Central Adirondacks, Wallace said. Those programs didn’t require the selling of a license, he said.
Herkimer County Legislature Chairman Raymond Smith, R-Dolgeville, did not return calls. Republican Majority Leader Patrick Russell, of Old Forge, referred questions to Wallace and Human Resources Committee Chairman Vincent Bono, R-Schuyler, who could not be reached.
Legislator Helen Rose, D-Herkimer, said she isn’t against the privatization but has concerns that it might have been done more in reaction to the county’s program collapsing than as part of a long-term plan for the county.
The county should do more to look into other privatization options that can be done along with a plan for how to use some of the impacted county employees in other roles, she said.
“I want it to be a thoughtful process,” she said.
Frequently being on oxygen, taking blood-thinners and driving out of town for checkups added to the 73-year-old Salisbury Center resident’s burden.
But this year, at least one aspect has gotten easier: Nurses now come to her home to monitor her blood pressure, check her medicine and test her lungs.
“Before, I had to go to Herkimer twice a week,” Hill said. “The girls are very nice that come. I’m very pleased with all of them. They’re very polite and do the job.”
The service is provided by Bassett Healthcare Network Inc: At Home Care through an agreement with Herkimer County.
Bassett At Home Care bought the county’s license for the Certified Home Health Agency for $200,000 in March, following a request-for-proposal process that produced interest from multiple high-quality organizations, county Administrator James Wallace said. The full changeover awaits approval from the state Department of Health.
Through a privatization process started earlier this year, Herkimer County laid off 18 employees – saving about $320,000 this year in salaries and benefits, Wallace said.
As county legislators move toward adopting a 2012 budget, one major help will be a projected $480,000 in savings from the privatization of the at-home health services.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Herkimer County Community College, and the Legislature is scheduled to vote on the budget at its Wednesday, Dec. 14, meeting.
‘Smooth transition’
Bassett At Home Care is transitioning into taking over the county’s Certified Home Health Agency and long-term care services and has hired eight of the former county employees, said Laurie Neander, chief executive officer of At Home Care.
The goal for the county and At Home Care has been to continue the level of service for patients until the change is finalized in 2012, Neander said.
“The working relationship is extremely strong, and patient care has been continuous – absolutely seamless,” she said.
The hope is that the state Department of Health will approve the change in early 2012 to allow the transition of services to Bassett At Home Care to be completed in April or May, Wallace said.
A cooperative agreement with At Home Care was put in place in the meantime to start the transition, Wallace said. The county is down to handling eight to 12 patients and hopes to be done with all of its patients when the transition is finalized, he said.
The at-home support services and long-term care services are targeted primarily toward the elderly and people recovering from surgery. At Home Care already has provided such services in Herkimer County, but the change is allowing for an expansion of those services, Neander said.
At Home Care has provided services such as professional nurses, physical therapy and other home-health support in Herkimer County since 1987, Neander said. It also has an office on West Albany Street in Herkimer, she said.
Bassett has invested staff, technology and other resources in the county for many years, so buying the license made sense to further strengthen Bassett’s network there – adding to the company’s ability to provide a “continuum of care” to county residents, Neander said.
Neander and Wallace said the changes have been going well and that patients are happy with how it has been handled.
“We’ve been working to ensure a smooth transition,” Neander said.
Privatization
Changes to Medicare billing in the late 1990s started to make the county’s Certified Home Health Agency and long-term care services no longer profitable, Wallace said.
County legislators decided to make a change after the state took away $250,000 of funding for the services in 2010 and $250,000 more in 2011, he said.
“That was the final straw for the Legislature,” he said. “The state is pushing government to get out of this business.”
In addition to selling the Certified Home Health Agency license, county officials also decided to privatize other aspects of public health services this year.
On June 3, the Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program and personal care were shifted to Bassett at Home Care, Superior Home Care and the Home Aide Service of the Central Adirondacks, Wallace said. Those programs didn’t require the selling of a license, he said.
Herkimer County Legislature Chairman Raymond Smith, R-Dolgeville, did not return calls. Republican Majority Leader Patrick Russell, of Old Forge, referred questions to Wallace and Human Resources Committee Chairman Vincent Bono, R-Schuyler, who could not be reached.
Legislator Helen Rose, D-Herkimer, said she isn’t against the privatization but has concerns that it might have been done more in reaction to the county’s program collapsing than as part of a long-term plan for the county.
The county should do more to look into other privatization options that can be done along with a plan for how to use some of the impacted county employees in other roles, she said.
“I want it to be a thoughtful process,” she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment