National CompaniesChoosing ACHC Pacific Pulmonary Services - PPS was founded in1978 in Bakersfield, California, as a full-service DurableMedical Equipment company serving the Central Valleyof California. Since then, the business was refocused toconcentrate on home oxygen, respiratory medicationsand sleep apnea equipment and services. PPS operatesmore than 100 Patient Care Centers in 14 states and employs over 1,000 associates. The company is the largest privately heldprovider of home oxygen, respiratory medications and sleep apnea equipment services in the United States.

Medline, Inc. - With over $2.6 billion in sales, Medline is the nation’s largest privately held supplier of medical supplies andtextiles. Medline's customers include hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, HME dealers, physicians and retail. Thecompany's product line features more than 100,000 items including advanced wound care, medical-surgical, incontinence, anddurable medical equipment.

Medela Healthcare, a division of Medela, Inc. - Focuses on two major medical fields: Advanced Wound Care andCardiothoracic. Medela Healthcare provides innovative medical devices and systems for use in the acute care, extended careand home environments. The clinical applications include negative pressure wound therapy, cardiothoracic drainage, plasticsurgery, endoscopy, airway suction, and general and specialized surgery. Medela Healthcare recently launched the InviaHealing System for negative pressure wound therapy. Headquartered in Switzerland, Medela serves customers through its 12subsidiaries and a worldwide distribution network in more than 90 countries.

McKesson Medical Surgical, Inc. - Medimart and Medinet provide mail order medical supplies to residents in nursinghomes. The company is a subsidiary of McKesson, the largest and oldest pharmaceutical distributor in North America withover 30,000 employees. McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) is a Fortune 18 healthcare services and information technologycompany dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, andimproving the quality and safety of patient care.

Surveyor Fa l l 2007 1

INC. MAGAZINERECOGNIZES ACHC.In the inaugural Inc. 5,000 list,ACHC has been announced inthe September issue as one ofthe fastest-growing privatecompanies in America.

(Continued on Page 9 )

®

501 (C)(3) Nonprofit Organization Volume 16, No. 2 CMS Deeming Authority for:

F A L L 2 0 0 7

Paper or Paperless! It’s Your Choice!ACHC recently celebrated the first anniversary of Customer Central, an innova-

tive website exclusively for ACHC customers. Customer Central was developed

to enhance customer service by providing easy access to information needed

throughout the accreditation process.

When a customer purchases an Accreditation Manual from ACHC, they are

assigned a user name and password to the website that gives them immediate

access to ACHC standards, policies, Preliminary Evidence Report (PER) form,

and other information.

A major benefit of the website is the ability to download the PER. The PER is a

INSIDE: Your Accreditation Team I Page 2

Improve Your Financials andCustomer Satisfaction I Page 4

Spotlight on Provider:Millenium Home Health I Page 7

Home Health and DME/HMEWorkshops I Page 11

Accreditation Checklist ForSuccess I Page 15

DMEPOS and Home Health

Surveyor

Continued on page 5.

(Hospice Approval Coming Soon)

Continued on page 5.

The account managers are the core of the team. When an organiza-tion purchases an ACHC standards manual, an account manager isassigned to that organization. The account manager will work withthat organization through every phase of the accreditation process.This customer service model gives the organization a consistentcontact at ACHC; someone who learns about their company and cananswer their questions. The account managers truly take ownershipof their accounts. They are happy when a company successfullybecomes accredited. Likewise, they show genuine concern when acustomer is not successful. They will work with those customers asthey prepare their plans of correction to ensure that each customeris given the opportunity to be successful.

There are currently five account man-agers who work with over 1,500 organi-zations. Carla Wheeler is the seniormember of the team. She has been withACHC for three years. Carla has wit-nessed a lot of changes in that time andis excited by those changes. She has abig heart and makes timely responses toher customers a top priority.

Kristie Kupec has been with ACHC for two years. She was the firstCorporate Account Manager, which means she is assigned largeregional and national companies. Unlike smaller organizations,these companies require ongoing management throughout a three-year accreditation cycle, due to complexity of the organizations.Kristie has developed great relationships with these companies andhas learned a lot about the various business models used through-out the healthcare industry. Kristie is also responsible for coordinat-ing the monthly celebration of employee birthdays and anniversaries.

Toinette Whitaker joined the team in January 2006. Toinette's cus-tomer service and organizational skills enabled her to learn quicklyand as a result, she was recently selected to be the secondCorporate Account Manager. Although Toinette is still balancing afull assignment of accounts, she is beginning to phase in the largerorganizations as well. Her pleasant voice answers questions with

confidence and if she doesn't know the answer, she quickly findssomeone who does.

Nellie Plasencia has been with us since March of this year and is ourBilingual Account Manager. She is a very quick learner who tookover a full set of accounts the first week she was employed and shehas never looked back. Her attitude is always pleasant. Althoughshe works with a large number of accounts, she always has time tospeak to providers that need a little extra help in Spanish! She alsotranslates letters and other forms, as well as assists Kristie withemployee recognition activities.

The newest member of the team is KimberlyJohnson. Kimberly joined us just four weeksago, but has already taken on a full assign-ment of accounts. She is also a quick learn-er and is eager to learn more.

No team functions well without an adminis-trative specialist, and ours is awesome.Cindy Poole started with ACHC in December2005 and transferred to the Accreditation

Department this past May. Cindy has a variety of responsibilitiesfrom processing manual orders to developing and revising complexdata collection tools. Cindy is also responsible for maintaining per-sonnel files on nearly 100 surveyors.

Matt Hughes joined our happy group in April. He is the very first tohold the position of Accreditation Supervisor. Matt worked for alarge home health, DME, and infusion provider prior to coming toACHC and has been a wonderful addition. He doesn't ask theaccount managers to do anything he's not willing to do himself.Most often, you will find him in the department working right besidethe staff to ensure they have what they need to get their jobs done.

Our team wouldn't be complete without our HME Clinical Advisor,Tim Safley. With 30 years of experience in the field, he has seen itall. Tim always puts the customer first and will do whatever he canto help a provider become accredited. Tim also speaks at confer-

2 Surveyor Fa l l 2007

Andrew Carnegie once said, “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward acommon vision; the ability to direct individual accomplishments toward orga-nizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncom-mon results.” The members of the Accreditation Department at ACHC are a greatexample of teamwork in action. Let me tell you about my team and what theydo each day to serve our customers to the best of their ability.

"Never doubt that a smallgroup of thoughtful,

committed people canchange the world. Indeed,it is the only thing that

ever has."

Accreditation DepartmentBy Sherry Hedrick, RN, BSN, MPH

Surveyor Fa l l 2007 3

ences and conducts workshops to educate providers onhow to become accredited.

That leaves me…the one who gets to take credit for thehard work my staff does. I am the Director of ClinicalCompliance and Accreditation, and I have been withACHC almost two years. I can honestly say there has-n't been a dull moment during that time!

I get a lot of satisfaction watching this team cometogether. With the exception of Matt, Tim and me,none of the staff has ever worked in a healthcare set-ting. They are the experts regarding the ACHC accredi-tation process and are eager to learn more about the clinical stan-dards and how they apply to different aspects of the industry. I amthankful I have a team that brings such strength from both theprocess and clinical aspects. I believe this combination is the reasonthat customer satisfaction is at an all time high even as we experi-ence our most rapid growth.

If, by reading this, you think I am proud of the people I work with,you are correct. They do work as a team and can achieve thoseuncommon results. Proof of that has come over the last several

months in the way they responded to the dramatic increase inapplications due to DME competitive bidding. ACHC was able toaccept every application received, move customers through theprocess, and schedule every survey to ensure that our customers willbe surveyed prior to the deadline. We made a commitment to ourcustomers and we've kept that commitment. In my opinion, that'swhat customer service is all about.n

ACHC President Tom Cesar was recognizedas a “Healthcare Hero” by the GreaterRaleigh Triangle Business Journal at itsannual awards banquet in March. The localbusiness community acknowledged Cesar'spush to expand services and improve qualityin home health services.

His 29 years of experience include hospital andrehabilitation ambulatory care management.

Under his leadership the company hasevolved from a small organization focusedon in-home aide services in North Carolinato a national organization recognized as anindustry leader. When he arrived at ACHC in1991 there was just one other employee and10 contract surveyors. Today, there are 17employees with nearly 100 surveyorsnationwide.

Cesar has led ACHC in expanding the scopeof programs and services for a full range ofdisciplines including home health, medicalsupply providers, private duty, hospice, homemedical equipment suppliers, post mastecto-my fitter services and several pharmacybased programs.

ACHC serves as the accrediting authority forseveral well-known national companies andhas accredited organizations with patientsin all states and Puerto Rico. Expansion has

gained recognition from the Centers forMedicare and Medicaid Services and gar-nered ACHC the international distinction ofbeing the first healthcare accrediting entityto become certified to ISO 9000 in 2003.According to surveys done by HomeCareMagazine, ACHC was the number one choicefor accreditation services among home med-ical equipment companies two years in a row.

In 2004, ACHC took the lead in a pilot proj-ect to develop a new generation of health-care accreditation standards that integratestraditional healthcare accreditation stan-dards with IS0 9000 standards. As the proj-ect continues, it is the vision of ACHC tofurther improve the quality and efficiency ofhealthcare services across the country.

ACHC President Receives Healthcare Manager Award

Above: Top left to right, Nellie Plasencia, Kimberly Johnson, Toinette Whitaker, Kristie Kupec, Cynthia Poole, Carla Wheeler. Bottom left to right, Matt Hughes,Sherry Hedrick, Tim Safley.

4 Surveyor Fa l l 2007

Could you improve your organiza-tion's understanding of your strat-egy and direction for the business?

Would you like to improve profits andreduce costs, at the same time delightingyour customers? Would you like toexplain your strategy on one piece ofpaper? Would you like to improveemployee morale and reduce turn over?

If you answered yes to any of these ques-tions, you'll want to learn more abouthow to create a Strategy Map and aBalanced Score Card for your business.These tools will help you and your teamto improve your financials, customerindicators, critical processes, and toincrease employee morale and retention.In a recent industry survey, 30% of seniorexecutives and 70% of middle manage-ment could not explain their firm's strate-gy. Many businesses do not have welldefined processes that employees areexpected to follow. Most can not eventell you what the critical processes fortheir business are, and do not have astrategic planning process.

One quote I love to use from Alice inWonderland is an excellent example ofthe lack of strategic planning. As Alicecomes to multiple forks in the road, shesays, “Would you tell me please, whichway I ought to go from here?” “Thatdepends a good deal on where you wantto get,” said the cat. “I don't much carewhere,” said Alice. “Then it doesn't mat-ter which way you go,” replied the cat.“So long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Aliceadded as an explanation. “Oh, you'resure to do that” said the cat. Like Alice,

if you don't have a vision, a mission, anda strategy to get where you want to goexpressed in a simple map, then you'reguaranteed to have poor results.

There is significant opportunity for firmsto improve their strategic planningprocess and develop an inspiring vision.This process leads to the creation of aone-page strategy map explaining theirbusiness strategy and a set of balancedobjectives.

Most business units go through fourphases in development of the strategicplanning process:• Phase 1. Financial planning (annual

budgets and functional focus);

• Phase 2. Forecast-based planning(multi-year budgets, gap analysis, andstatic allocation of resources);

• Phase 3. Externally oriented planning(situation analysis and competitiveassessments, strategic alternatives, busi-ness drivers identified and beginning ofa balanced scorecard); and

• Phase 4. Strategic management (welldefined strategic framework, scenariothinking, strategy map and balanced

score card deployed through out theentire business).

What phase are you in today? Below isan overview of the strategic planningprocess that has worked in some of thebest firms in the country.

There is significant opportunity for mostorganizations to improve this area ofmanagement. The most effective strategicplanning processes result in the creationof a strategy map and balanced scorecardfor your business.

In the next newsletter, I will discuss strat-egy maps and how you can apply themto your business to achieve better resultsand a balanced approach to your busi-ness. ACHC and Q4MedSource will beconducting one day workshops at upcom-ing trade shows on this subject toimprove both your skills in this area andyour business.

Richard Wetherell, Chief Financial Officerof Q4MedSource, is an educator and spe-cialist in strategic planning, balancedscore cards and improving quality, marketshare, and customer satisfaction. Heworks with businesses to develop anddeploy and align their strategic plans,meet FDA, Regulatory requirements andimprove financial and customer results.He can be reached ww.Q4MedSource.comor 919-388-9559. Q4MedSource hasoffices in Cary, NorthCarolina; Houston,Texas; and Orlando,Florida. n

By Richard M. Wetherell

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATIONImprove your Financials and Customer Satisfaction ThroughStrategy Implementation. (1st of a 5 part series)

Surveyor Fa l l 2007 5

NationsHealth - NationsHealth seeks to improve the delivery of healthcare to Medicare and managed care beneficiaries by providing medicalproducts and prescription related services. NationsHealth provides home delivery of diabetes testing supplies, insulin, syringes, oral prescriptionmedications, and many other essential healthcare products to patients across the nation. They take care of all the paperwork involved with fil-ing insurance claims. The company is a participating provider with Medicare Part B, state Medicaid plans, as well as for hundreds of commercialinsurance plans, and most prescription drug plans for Medicare Part D.

Ancillary Management Solutions and ProClaim - Subsidiaries of Gulf South Medical Supply headquartered in Franklin, TN. ProClaim pro-vides ancillary billing services to over 1,700 extended care facilities throughout the United States. Their programs offer the most efficientmeans of capturing Medicare Part B reimbursement for covered residents in long-term care facilities and home-bound residents.

Ancillary Management Solutions (AMS) - AMS is a Medicare Part B medical supply company. Through their contracts with Gulf South andProclaim, AMS is able to provide enteral, urological, trach, and ostomy supplies to Medicare Part B beneficiaries across the country. Their uniqueapproach to business includes: area coordination (field representatives that gather the data), customer service, document preparation/tracking,billing, collection, compliance, and a full range of reporting which empowers clients to increase both operational efficiency and financial returns.

And several others coming soon…

National Companies Choosing ACHC, Continued from Page 1

document used for pre-survey review of an organization’s policies and procedures. Once an organization has completed the PER, the informa-

tion can easily be submitted to ACHC on a CD or USB device. Since most organizations have their policies and procedures in some type of

electronic format, it is an easy process to copy the information to a CD or a USB device and simply mail to ACHC. No longer does an organiza-

tion need to struggle with copying volumes of documents nor do they have the expense of mailing a large package. ACHC encourages organi-

zations to submit the PER in this format; however, we still accept paper PERs from organizations with less than 20 locations. Paper or paper-

less: it’s your choice! n

Paper or Paperless. It’s Your Choice, Continued from Page 1

6 Surveyor Fa l l 2007

Cynthia Poole Cynthia joined ACHCin November of 2005as an administrativeassistant. She sup-ports the Director ofClinical Compliance &

Accreditation and theHME Clinical Advisor. She has 19 yearsexperience as an administrative assistantin the insurance and human services fields.

Cynthia has a 13 year old daughter and ason that will be entering college this fall.She enjoys participating in activities withher church, spending time with her familyand fishing with her husband, Steve, onhis boat “Mr. Whiskers.”

Toinette WhitakerToinette Whitaker joinedACHC in January 2006.She is currently a corpo-rate account manager.Her responsibilitiesinclude supporting and

accomplishing the accredi-tation process for all accreditation programs.

Toinette’s previous experience includes oversixteen years in the law enforcement,Healthcare, and educational environment insuch areas as administrative, educator andsupervisor. Toinette graduated from ShawUniversity with a BA in public administrationand from the University of Phoenix with aMAED in Adult Education. She lives in Raleighand has one daughter. In her spare time sheenjoys traveling, reading, and spending timewith her family.

Meet Your StaffPaul HetzelIn 2005, ACHC recog-nized that customerswere increasinglyrequesting a level ofcustomer service thatonly technology could

provide. Paul Hetzel wasbrought on board and is now responsiblefor all computer related aspects of ACHC.Paul's 20 years of varied InformationTechnology experience has equipped himwith the skills necessary to bring innovativeideas to the Accreditation Industry.Customer Central, ACHC's portal for cus-tomers seeking accreditation, debuted inspring 2006 and has been an overwhelmingsuccess. Paul is working on other areaswithin ACHC (both visible to the customerand behind the scenes), which will allow foreasier and faster Accreditation.

Paul has a BS in computer science from theState University of New York at Plattsburgh.He lives with his wife in Raleigh, NC, wherehe enjoys traveling, golf, and hockey.

Surveyor Fa l l 2007 7

Millenium has become one ofthe fastest growing agencies in

the Philadelphia and surroundingregion because we provide qualityservices at a competitive price;maintain a database of hundreds ofprofessional and paraprofessionalpersonnel that we retain throughorientation/training programs; weprovide nurse liaison services forour institutional clients and freenurse assessment for our privatepatient base; we provide an infra-structure of agency support servicesfrom billing/payroll to marketingsupport services; and we utilize amultidisciplinary approach based oncontinuity of care and proper casemanagement.

All employees of Milleniun HomeCare are thoroughly screened.References are checked, skills aretested, and abilities are professional-ly evaluated. We continue to buildour reputation with nurses who haveearned the respect and recognitionof their peers. All of our employeesare bonded and covered byWorkman's Compensation,Professional Liability, andUnemployment Compensation. Ourgoal is to provide the finest homecare services available to families inneed. We provide quality health careto sick and injured, regardless ofrace, creed, age, sex, handicap, ornational origin.

In her ongoing efforts to make theagency “better,” the Administrator,Kathy Yost, began doing research in2006 on accrediting agencies. Afterextensive research and comparison,she chose ACHC because she felt

that they truly understood the homecare arena. The accreditationprocess was lengthy but very organ-ized. Prior to the on-site survey,ACHC forwarded their standards toMillenium so they could developany policies that did not alreadyexist in order to meet the standardsfor accreditation. Copies of policiesand procedures were then forwardedto ACHC to demonstrate the agency'scompliance with the standards.

The survey went very smoothly. Thesurveyor was very professional andmade very appropriate suggestionsfor improved documentation. At theclosing conference, the surveyorstated that Millenium definitely“lives” their Mission,what a compli-ment!! The accreditation survey

took place on August 21-22, 2006,and Millenium was notified onAugust 29th that they had receivedaccreditation to be effective August23, 2006.

The philosophy encouraged by Ms.Yost, is to provide quality servicesthat meet or exceed the client'sexpectations. The agency has hiredand retained very dedicated profes-sionals who have exhibited a loyaltyto both clients and the agency. Ms.Yost believes teamwork develops“family” loyalty and the dedicationand willingness of the staff to goabove and beyond is a true testa-ment to why Millenium Home Careis such a success. n

Providers Spotlight: Millenium Home Care

Millenium Home Care is a privately owned home health company in Pennsylvania which was established in 1996.The agency is Medicare certified, ACHC accredited and offers in-home care to residents of Philadelphia, Delaware,Bucks and Montgomery Counties. The agency provides total case management as well as private pay services.Comprehensive range of services include skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy,medical social work, home health aides and homemaker services, ongoing physician/nurse communication, dia-betic teaching, and wound care management. Private pay services include attendant care, bathing and groom-ing, counseling and support, family respite care, feeding assistance, home management assistance, meal plan-ning and preparation, mother's helper, personal care, shopping and light homemaking activities.

8 Surveyor Fa l l 2007

When I sat down to present my first webi-

nar, I was very skeptical that the pro-

gram could approximate the face-to-face

experience of a seminar. How could I tell if

attendees were interested or bored if I couldn't

see their faces? How could we

become engaged in interactive

Q&A? How could attendees

maintain their interest sitting in

front of a computer?

After one year of speaking

online and hosting other speak-

ers for weekly webinars, I can

definitely report that webinars

are a win-win experience for

speakers and attendees. Online

classrooms represent the future

of education.

"I feel that webinars can often be MORE effec-

tive than live seminars, because many live

seminar attendees are reluctant to ask ques-

tions for the fear of appearing embarrassed or

misinformed,” reports Bruce Brothis, president

of Allegient Billing and Consulting, Elizabeth,

CO. “The webinar approach encourages these

individuals (and others) to more freely ask

questions or ask for clarification on subjects or

topics they (and probably many others in the

group) do not fully understand. In this way

the webinar actually enhances the learning

experience."

The Online Convenience“I really like webinars!” says Tom Cesar, presi-

dent of ACHC. “They reproduce the benefits of

attending a live seminar but are done in a

more comfortable atmosphere for both pre-

senter and attendee. I am also able to utilize

all of the reference materials for a webinar

that I wish I had with me at seminars, because

I am able to present these from my own

office.”

The number one attendee comment is that

they can learn from their business or home.

No travel or travel costs and no extra days out

of the office. During the hour or two for each

webinar, attendees simply sit down in front

of a computer and sign-on for the respective

session.

For educators and corporate presenters, webi-

nars save both time and money by enabling

them to reach more people in less time.

Presenters can educate, train, share docu-

ments and solicit feedback without leaving

their offices.

Webinars are online presentations where

attendees watch a PowerPoint or similar pres-

entation on their computer that is being

directed by the speaker (or host). The voice is

either carried over the computer as VOIP

(voice-over internet protocol) or via the tele-

phone lines as a conference call. Attendees

are given passwords and attendee ID numbers

via email to sign onto both the

online program and the confer-

ence call.

Most webinars are presented

online at one of the major sites

such as Webex.com or

GoToMeetings.com. Sponsors

pay to present their webinars

and then attendees are directed

to sign up for each session

online. The entire process takes

place online: email invitations,

registration, email sign-up, direc-

tions, and the webinar itself.

E-LearningFor webinars that offer continuing education

credits (CEU), all of the CE components have

also been incorporated online. These include a

pretest, posttest, and program/speaker evalua-

tion. A link to the pretest is offered when the

attendee signs up for a program, and this is

submitted online with the click of a button.

Then after the webinar is completed, both the

posttest and evaluation are electronically sent

to each attendee's screen for completion and

electronic submission. The CE certificates

themselves are either emailed or mailed

snail-mail.

The speaker-attendee interaction-so vital to

the educational process-is actually as good as

if everyone was physically present in the same

Learning Online is a Win-Win ExperienceBy Jack Evans

Jack Evans, President, Global Media Marketing

Surveyor Fa l l 2007 9

Inc. Magazine 5,000 ListACHC was selected to appear on Inc. Magazine’s list of the nation'sfastest-growing private companies in America. Inc. proudly recog-nizes the importance of growing entrepreneurial companies thatare changing with the business landscape. With the many chal-lenges associated with building and operating a business, Inc. iskeenly aware of what a tremendous achievement a spot on theirlist represents. For more than 25 years, Inc. Magazine has celebrat-ed the remarkable achievements of today's entrepreneurial menand women leading the 500 fastest-growing companies with theannual Inc. 500 list. This year, Inc.com presented the Inc. 5,000 -the first ever expansion of the Inc. 500 list. These new honoreeswere a part of the Annual Inc. 500 Conference and AwardsCeremony in Chicago. Tom Cesar, ACHC President said, “I am justthrilled at where we have come over these past years. We have agreat team making these things happen.”

room. To ask a question or make a comment, attendees

have the option of clicking on a raised hand symbol or

question mark. Then the presenter can unmute their tele-

phone to discuss their question. Attendees also have the

option of emailing their questions as an instant chat mes-

sage. The presenter can either unmute the attendee's

phone to discuss or simply respond via email.

Webinars today offer store owners/managers and staff the

ability to learn, earn CEU's, and be trained in any specific

subject. Pharmacy has the greatest webinar offering, due

to the sponsorship by numerous pharmaceutical compa-

nies. However, there are a growing number of home

healthcare webinar programs that are available as well.

The current topics for webinars in home healthcare include

accreditation, competitive bidding, Medicare reimburse-

ment, retailing, sales and marketing, and referral marketing.

Specific disease state management programs include dia-

betes, incontinence, asthma and hypertension. Plus many

of the job-specific educational programs are helpful in doc-

umenting the annual training that is now specified under

the mandated accreditation programs for HHC providers.

Overall, webinars are here to stay. Online education and

training programs are now more available and affordable

for a great number of people. What is needed is more con-

tent to meet this growing demand. n

Jack Evans, president of Global Media Marketing, Malibu,CA, is the educational director for www.HMEducation.com,which offers ongoing HHC webinars and pharmacy CE pro-grams. He also helps to develop the HHC programming forMedtrade, AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and HD Smith.

We would like to hear from you regarding your experienceswith ACHC. Do you have something to say about an inter-action, a process, a staff member, standards, an ACHC sur-veyor or even this publication?

Please do so via e-mail at feedback@achc.org.

Good or bad, we wouldlike to hear from youand we consider yourfeedback very valuable.

(continued from page 1)

How Are We Doing? Let Us Know

10 Surveyor Fa l l 2007

What People are Saying about ACHC

“According to a recent survey, for the 2nd year in arow ACHC is the number one choice among recog-nized accrediting organizations for HME providers.”—HomeCare Magazine 2006

“Our experiences with the ACHC accreditationprocess have been positive. The effort put forth bythe ACHC staff is perceptible as they use the surveyprocess as a tool to help our company become evenbetter.” —Home MediService, Inc; Havre de Grace, MD

“I am glad we chose ACHC and would recommendyour (surveyor) and them with highest honor.” —First Choice Home Care, Inc. Broadview Heights, OH

“I could ramble on about the differences we experi-enced that were positive, but the bottom line is thatI would recommend ACHC to any company that isseeking accreditation.” —Virginia Home Medical; Newport News, VA

“I would be willing to share our experience withACHC, as it has been very positive”—Hospice of Randolph County; Asheboro, NC

“Of all the agencies that do accreditation, you guysunderstand Rehab best. Thanks for this vote ofconfidence during very trying times. Once again Iwould like to express that Mr. Link while ‘leavingno stone unturned’, was fair.” —Henley Medical; Chattanooga, TN

“I can tell you that ACHC was one of the mostpleasant experiences to date. Their applicationprocess was straight forward, the staff very helpfuland friendly and the surveyors very realistic, help-ful and tough yet fair.” —Upstate Home Care; Clinton, NY

“I was very pleased to find that the approach takenby your office staff and our surveyor was to doeverything possible to help us learn and succeed.”—StatMedical; Kirkland, WA

“We would highly recommend any home medicalequipment company previously accredited by theJoint Commission to consider ACHC as an option.Although we have always passed Joint Commissionaccreditation, the process of preparing for and par-ticipating in the ACHC program was much morepleasurable. The ACHC standards and expectationsfor a Home Medical Equipment business are veryreasonable and appropriate for the types of servicessurveyed. We can honestly attest to the fact thatworking with ACHC will help improve our overallbusiness operations and will enhance the quality ofthe services we provide to the patients and clientswe serve.” —Advantage Medical, Inc. Nassawadox, VA

Surveyor Fa l l 2007 11

BRUCE BROTHIS I HME & MSP

Bruce Brothis surveys in the area of HomeMedical Equipment and Medical SupplyProvider.

Bruce is the President of Allegient Billing andConsulting, Inc. (formerly Centralized Billing and Intake, Ltd.), a 13year old billing and consulting firm to the Home Medical Equipment(“HME”) industry located in Elizabeth, CO. The former Vice-Presidentof Operations for a multi-state HME, Mr. Brothis is a nationally recog-nized expert in Medicare, Medicaidm and third party intake, docu-mentation, billing and collections with over 27 years of experience inthe HME reimbursement arena. Mr. Brothis consults with numerouscompanies regarding billing and collection issues, accreditation prepa-ration, operational effectiveness, compliance, market assessment,sales management, and contract negotiations. He holds a BA in mar-keting from Bethany College and an MBA with a marketing emphasisfrom the University of Phoenix. He regularly speaks for numeroustrade associations, buying groups, HME / drug wholesalers and indus-try trade shows as well as being a regular presenter at both MedTradeshows. His presentations are both informative and entertaining.

Jeffrey Reses is a surveyor in the areas of homemedical equipment and pharmacy services. Heresides in Pleasantville, NJ. Jeff is currently theowner of McCarthy Respiratory Services (specializ-ing in Respiratory Therapy) and Lincoln Medical

Supply (which carries a wide range of productsincluding respiratory services, rehab services, post-mastectomy fitterservices, orthotics and prosthetics, as well as other services.

Other companies that he has been involved with are Essential ElementsVitamin and Prescription Department, staff pharmacist with ShopritePharmacy, partner at Lincoln-Reses Pharmacy, and staff pharmacist atReses Pharmacies, Inc.

His memberships (past and present) include New Jersey PharmacyAssociation, Vice President Jersey Association of Medical EquipmentSuppliers, Fellow American College of Apothecaries, and AmericanCollege of Veterinary Compounding Pharmacies.

Jeff has a BSc in pharmacy from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy andScience.

UPCOMINGEXHIBITIONS

MedTrade FallOctober 1-4 Orlando, FL

NAHCOctober 6-10 Denver, CO

PDHCAJan 27-29 Scottsdale, AZ

NHIAMarch 9-12 Phoenix, AZ

NPDA

March 26-28 San Diego, CA

UPCOMINGWORKSHOPS

Home Health AgenciesPreparing for an ACHC Survey,

September 21, Dallas, TX

DMEPOS/HMEPreparing for an ACHC Survey,

October 1, Orlando, FL

Go to www.achc.org to complete registration form.

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JEFFREY RESES I HME & Pharm Services

ACHC Congratulates Its Newest Accredited Locations

A 2 Z Home Medical Supplies, Inc.; NC HME

A to Z Mobility and Medical Equipment; IL HME

Active Healthcare, Inc.; NC HME

ActivStyle, Inc.; MN MSP

Advanced Pharmacy Services, LLC; CO HINF

Advantage Home Medical Company; SC HME

Advantage Medical, Inc.; VA HME

AirSense, Inc; TX HME

ALDAR of Connecticut, Inc.; CT HME

Alliance Medical, Inc.; NC (2 branches) HME

Allstate Medical Rental Corp.; FL HME

Altoona Home Medical; PA HME

American Home Health Care, Inc.; OH (2 branches) HME

American Medical Supplies, Inc.; FL MSP

American Mobility, LLC; NC HME

Amerisouth Mobility, LLC; GA HME

Armas Family Medical Equipment & Supply; FL HME

At Home Health, Inc; PA HH

Baird Respiratory Therapy; PA HME

Bandy's Prescriptions, Inc.; IL (3 branches) HME

Bertie County Home Health Agency; NC HH

BetaMED, Inc; TX HME

Biraj Pharmacy Corp.; NY HME

Bouvier Pharmacy, Inc.; MA HME

Bremo Pharmacy; VA (2 branches) SPHRM

Bristol Home Health Services, Inc.; VA HH

C.R. Pharmacy Service Inc.; IA (5 branches) HME

Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc; NC Hosp

CareLinc Medical Equipment &

Supply Co., LLC; MI (14 branches) HME

Carepaks Health Services, Inc.; IL HME

Carolina Medical Specialities, Inc.; NC (2 branches) HME

Casen I, Inc.; NY HME

Center Commercial Services; NY RTS

Centrad Healthcare, Inc.; IL (3 branches) HME

Charlotte Respiratory Solutions; NC HME

Chartwell Midwest Indiana, LLC; IN IRN

Closer Healthcare, Inc.; AL MSP

Coastal Home Respiratory, LLP; GA HME

College Discount Drug & Health Options; NC HME

Coram Alternate Site Services, Inc.; CO (3 branches) HINF

Coram Healthcare Corporation; CO (6 branches) HINF

CoramRX, LLC; PA HINF

Crittenton Medical Equipment, LLC; MI (2 branches) HME

D & J Sales Co., LLC; MD MSP

Dade Medical, Inc.; FL HME

Denrich Corporation; IL HME

Deom Health Enterprises, Inc.; KY HINF

Diabetes Providers, Inc; FL MSP

Diabetes Specialty Center, LLC; UT (4 branches) MSP

Dia-Care, Inc.; FL MSP

Ellis Home Health Supplies, Inc.; VA HME

Emaline's Home Medical Equipment, LLC; TN HME

EmpiCare, Inc.; KY (35 branches) HME

F.B. Thomas Drug Store, Inc.; PA HME

Family Care Medical Supply, Inc.; SC HME

Family Medical Supply, Inc.; NC HME

First Care Health, PLLC; TN HME

Footit Surgical Supplies, Inc.; MA HME

Friendship Home Medical Equipment, Inc.; VA (8 branches) HME

Galaxy Medical, Inc.; FL HME

General Medical Corporation; VA MSP

Great Lakes Medical Supply, Inc.; MI HME

Griffin Home Care Inc; GA HME

Henrico Pharmacy; VA MSP

HHCS Pharmacy Inc.; FL SPHRM

Home Health Care Supplies, Inc.; NC HME

Home Medical Professionals, Inc.; GA (2 branches) HME

Home Parenteral Care, Inc.; OR HINF

Hometown Home Health, Inc; GA HME

Hospice of Rutherford County; NC Hosp

Hospice of Wake County, Inc.; NC Hosp

Hudson Discount Drug & Health Options; NC HME

Hudson Pharmacy & Surgical, Inc.; NY HME

Jasper Medical Supply, Inc.; AL HME

Jenco Medical and Mobility, Inc.; IN HME

JRSP Corporation; MA HME

Kozik's Home Medical Equipment Center, Inc.; PA HME

12 Surveyor Fa l l 2007

KS Management; TX MSP

Layne's Family Pharmacy, Inc.; NC HME

Lehan Drug, Inc.; IL HME

Liberty Home Care, LLC - Wilmington, NC; NC (23 branches) HH

Liberty Medical Specialties, Inc. - Corporate; NC (9 branches) HME

Long's Home Medical, FL HME

Lynncore MedGroup, Inc, TX HME

Maag Prescription Center, ID HME

McKesson Medical- Surgical Inc.; MN (17 branches) MSP

McNelis Home Care, Inc.; PA HME

Med Supply Cabinet, Inc.; PA HME

Medic Rescue Health Care Co.; PA HME

Medical Homecare Supply, Inc.; FL (2 branches) HME

Medical Respiratory Rentals, Inc.; FL HME

Mediwell, Inc.; TX HME

Med-Rent, Inc.; MI HME

Merlin Technologies, Inc; CA HME

MES Team, Inc.; NE HME

Miami Rental Durable Medical Equipment, Inc.; FL HME

Mid Atlantic Medical, LLC; NC HME

Mobility Plus; NC HME

Nassau Health Care Supplies, Inc.; NY (2 branches) HME

Nathan Hale Pharmacy; CT HME

NC Mobility; NC HME

New England Medical Homecare, Inc.; MA HME

Nicholas Pharmacy, Inc.; WV HME

NJ Healthcare; NJ HME

North County Home I.V., Inc.; CA HINF

Optimal Hospice Care; CA Hosp

Option Care Enterprises; IL (15 branches) SPHRM

Option Care Enterprises, Inc.; OH HINF

OptionMed, Inc.; FL HINF

Orthopedic Service Company of Raleigh, Inc.; NC HME

OrthoRx, Inc.; TX (19 branches) HME

OSO Home Care, Inc.; CA HH

Ostomy Center ICU Company, Inc.; IL HME

P & R Medical Connection; OH (3 branches) HME

Pekin Prescription Laboratory, Inc. ; IL HME

Pender Adult Services, Inc.; NC HH

Penn Home Medical Supply Co.; PA (2 branches) HME

Personal Support Medical Supplies, Inc.; PA HME

Preferred Oxygen, LLC; TN HME

Prime Care Medical Supplies, Inc.; ME HME

PRN Medical Services, Inc.; AZ HME

Quality Home HealthCare Inc Pittsboro; NC HME

R & V Medical Supplies, LLC; PA HME

Reliable Oxygen Co. Inc.; MA HME

Reliance Care Services, Inc.; NC PDA

Respiratory Consultants; NJ HME

Respracare, Inc.; NC (2 branches) HME

Richmond Apothecaries, Inc.; VA SPHRM

Sampson County Department of Aging; NC HH

Santos O. Gonzalez; TX HME

Serenity Services Home Healthcare; TX HH

SleepMed Therapies; GA (17 branches) HME

SME, Inc. USA; NC MSP

Smiths Medical; MN MSP

Solutions Infusions Therapy; AL HINF

Source One Medical, Inc.; CA (8 branches) HME

Southlake Medical Supplies, Inc; TX HME

SPIROCARE DME, LLC; TN HME

Stat Medical, Inc.; WA (8 branches) HME

T & T Technology, Inc.; NC HME

The Drug Store Pharmacy; OH HME

The Medicine Shoppe; IL HME

The SCOOTER Store, Ltd.; TX (66 branches) HME

Tom & Jerry's Home Medical Service;PA (2 branches) HME

Total Medical Solutions, Inc.; PA HME

TSL, Inc; IN SPHRM

Ultimed, LLC; IL HME

Unity Respiratory & Diabetic, Inc.; FL HME

Valley Medical Equipment, Inc.; WV HME

Vital Medical; CA HME

Vono Pharmacy & Convenient Center, Inc.; IL HME

W. H. Pickett Drug Co.; CT SPHRM

Williams Bros. Health Care Pharmacy; IN (6 branches) HINF

Wiregrass Drugs, Inc.; AL SPHRM

Wisconsin I.V. Affiliates, L.L.C. - Neenah; WI HME

Wisconsin I.V. Associates, LLC; WI HINF

Woodrow Wilson Rehab Center; VA RTS

Wright Medical, Inc.; AL (2 branches) HME

Wrightway Consulting, Inc.; FL HME

Surveyor Fa l l 2007 13

14 Surveyor Fa l l 2007

Our first thought was to make changes and have an expectation forpositive results; after all, the job of the Board is to take action! Wetook a step back and at our first quarterly meeting, a decision wasmade by the Board to do nothing. In other words, the Board choseto keep the status quo, stay focused on Balanced Score CardObjectives and let the objectives dictate structure - not structuredictate objectives.

According to the ISO 9004 quality improvement manual, an entityshould review whether its structure supports its objectives-not theother way around. You've heard the sayings “to be between a rockand a hard place” and “between the Devil and the deep blue sea.” In the first saying, copper miners were faced with a choice betweenharsh and underpaid work at the rock-face on the one hand, andunemployment and poverty on the other. The second phrase comesfrom Greek mythology: Homer's Odyssey refers to Odysseus beingcaught between a six-headed monster and Charybdis (a whirlpool).The second phrase relates to what the Board was faced with. Onone hand we were not fulfilling our objectives, but on the otherhand perhaps we weren't using our existing resources to their fullpotential.

As a result, at quarterly meetings we changed our agenda to focusprimarily on the Balanced Score Card Objectives. If we achieved ourobjectives, they were identified with a green highlight. If we did

not, they were highlighted in red. Obviously green is met withpraise; red is met with questions for key management on how theyintend to fix the problem, and what assistance they need from theBoard to support their efforts. That was another significant changefor the Board. In the past, the Board would decide how to solve theproblem and dictate action to management. Ultimately the staffhad to do the work, so it only made sense for the Board to act astheir support group for development of their action plans. Thebiggest barrier to accountability is to get people to accept it. Thestaff was willing and able and as result, accomplished the followingkey objectives for the last fiscal year:

Goal: Achieve a 15% increase in Revenue Actual outcome: 14.93% increase

Goal: Improve Total Revenue/Total Expenses by 5%Actual outcome: 7.13% improvement

Goal: Increase cash reserves to six monthsActual outcome: Increased to twenty-five months

Goal: Improve documentation processing and mail accreditationdecision/certificate to customers within 3 weeks of survey dateActual outcome: Cut turnaround to 2.75 weeks

The Board thanks the staff at ACHC for meeting the challenges thathave resulted in a successful year! n

ACHC is always looking for open minded professionals who can make animpact on the organization's success: if you are one of those individualsand are interested in a board position, send your resume towetherellr@aol.com.

From the Chair

Board Stays Focused on Balanced Score Card (BSC) Objectives and Puts Trust in StaffDoug Martin, Southern Pharmaceutical Corp.

Last year was a challenging year for ACHC. TheBoard had to make some difficult decisions: wewere undecided as a Board on whether to expandour current executive management, or whetherto make some strategic internal changes and goforward. I knew whatever direction we took wehad to be committed to see it through.

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Accreditation Checklist for Success

ACHC is excited to announce that a new publication is now available to DMEPOS compa-nies. The checklist includes practical questions about policies and procedures that willhelp providers understand and focus on what must be in the content of their policiesand procedures. Sample interview questions and observations that are typically askedand looked at by the surveyor during the actual survey are included. It is designed as aworkbook with ample space for comments and notes. The step-by-step guide helps theapplicant walk through what is required for being accredited. This great tool can be usedto conduct a company-wide mock survey. Contact ACHC to order your workbook. n

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