NewsLine - June 2012 - (Page 3)

An Uneducated Board Can Mean Disaster W e are all keenly aware that hospice is under the regulatory microscope—and has been for several years. In fact, while not surprising, CMS recently noted that the average time spent conducting a hospice survey increased 53.9 percent in 2010. And this doesn’t even account for the myriad audits being conducted and, as Russ Hilliard notes in this month’s cover story, the increasing number of ADRs. While this scrutiny poses its own set of additional demands on each of us, it poses yet another on hospice leadership: keeping your board members well informed of the issues and challenges. Yes, this takes time and extra effort, but I would argue that an uneducated board is not only ineffective and unengaged—but can also mean disaster. Like hospice leadership, your board members are the public face of your organizations. While you don’t need to involve them in the day-to-day minutiae, you have a responsibility to keep them apprised of the big issues so they are not blindsighted when crises occur. This may seem obvious, but many CEOs are feeling so overwhelmed or preoccupied these days, they are not attending to this important task. So what can you do? A few years ago, consultant Bill Musick offered very practical guidance on engaging boards in the NewsLine article, “Tapping Your Board’s Full Potential.” If you haven’t already, please make time to read it. NHPCO also offers several ways to acquaint board members with the challenges, without a significant investment of time or money: • Invite them to join our Executive Leadership Conversations. I host these quarterly, one-hour calls for hospice CEOs. Each focuses on a specific topic and features an expert guest. The next calls are scheduled for June 13 and September 12, from 1:30 to 2:30 ET. (For the call-in number and access code, consult the NCHPP CEO Section eGroup or call the Solutions Center at 800-646-6460.) • Encourage them to attend all or part of NHPCO’s national conferences. HAN’s annual Hill Day, held each spring in conjunction with MLC, is also a helpful way to learn about the broader issues while networking with hospice and state-association leadership. Lastly, a reminder that the HAN Advocacy Intensive is coming up on June 18 and 19. I hope to see some of you there! J. Donald Schumacher, PsyD President/CEO NewsLine 3 http://my.nhpco.org/NHPCO/DigestViewer/?ListKey=459bfadc-9dc9-485c-92c4-b27c49fa759a http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/action/hill_day.html

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine - June 2012

A Plan to Support ADRs
A Message From Don
Task Force Focuses on Rural Issues
Join the Rural eGroup
Rural and Frontier Area Toolkit (display ad)
Palliative Services at Methodist Healthcare
Experience the ACHC Difference (display ad)
The Voice of NCHPP
Empowering Hospice Aides
My.NHPCO—a Great Resource for Hospice Nurses
HPCANYS Receives Trailblazer Award
New EOL Study on Intensity of Cancer Care
Run to Remember Proceeds Now Support African Hospices
EROM Now POM
Simione: Solving Your Hospice Challenges (display ad)
Staying Savvy and Saving Money
Regulatory Tip of the Month
MLC Plenaries Now Webcasts
Resource Links to Bookmark
Videos Worth Watching
News From NHF

NewsLine - June 2012