When two long-term care (LTC) organizations decide to partner on home care, it helps when the mission, values and cultures of the firms align. That’s the perspective of Rev. Kenneth Daniel, president and CEO of United Church Homes, which formed a strategic alliance with Ohio’s Hospice last month.
“We started with the sense that both organizations have a strong mission and a strong faith-based orientation,” said Daniel who spoke at a recent session on Medicare home health at the LeadingAge Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. The event concludes today.
With its new hospice ally, United Church Homes believes its campuses can be a hub for external growth. Ohio’s Hospice already has created a population health model called Pure Healthcare, which has allowed the organization to create a palliative care continuum, Daniel noted.
“We filled out their resume; they filled out ours, and we liked each other,” said Daniel, adding, “It became less transactional and more missional.”
Andy M. Siegel, chief business development officer with Goodwin Living, a senior living provider in Virginia that offers home health and hospice services, offered a similar point of view during the LeadingAge session. His organization recently began investing in home- and community-based services.
“There was a recognition we had really strong financial resources and a strong mission and there were a lot of other people deserving of those services,” said Siegel who noted that his organization provides meals to a Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly in Virginia.
The question then was what were the next steps, he said. “Our board at the time really felt strongly we would not be honoring our mission if we did not transition into more services. The question then became how.”
Sometimes embarking on new ventures means losing existing partners, each leader acknowledged. When Goodwin Living acquired a home health agency that was part of another life plan community, it was able to keep census until the administrator changed. Then it lost the census.
Know that when you are making a change, losing referral sources is a possibility, he said. Don’t get overwhelmed by it, he said. Start with the question of whether a home care partner is the right one. Then go from there. It’s important to remember that older adults have paid into the Medicare Part A home health benefit and deserve quality care, he said.
“Let’s not forget what people have paid for … and let us just be better than the other providers,” Siegel said.
