2024 Past Webinars

January 11, 2024   |   Pop-up

The Hospice Special Focus Program is set to begin in 2024. Under this program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services intends to identify poor performing hospices and improve care delivery through increased survey oversight. CMS’ methodology to identify poor performing hospices has raised alarm throughout the hospice community, but with proactive preparation and open communication, your hospice can prepare for this program effectively.

Join NHPCO for this informative 1-hour webinar as we provide practical tips for hospices on taking steps to prepare for this program leading up to and during the Special Focus Program’s implementation.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Understand how the Special Focus Program could impact your hospice.
    • Learn how your hospice can engage with NHPCO and support efforts to advocate for a better Special Focus Program.
    • Understand appropriate protocols for communicating with the public, external stakeholders, and community healthcare partners.

To access the recording, please contact us at regulatory@nhpco.org .

January 18, 2024   |   Quality & Regulatory

Join us for an enlightening webinar where we delve into the critical aspects of regulatory compliance and quality considerations in hospice care for the coming year. We kick off the year with an overview of key audit and survey trends. Understand the focus areas and prepare your team for what’s ahead. Drawing from a hospice audit survey conducted by NHPCO and other national associations in 2023, we will discuss major findings, trends, and common challenges faced by hospices. We’ll also provide a comprehensive review of the latest updates in Care Compare and the Care Compare and Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) program. Gain insights into the first quarter’s developments and learn how to leverage this information for enhancing patient care quality.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Understand the key regulatory challenges and trends in hospice care for the upcoming year.
    • Gain actionable insights from the 2023 Hospice Audit Survey.
    • Learn about the latest developments in Care Compare and Hospice QAPI programs.

February 1   |   Substance Use Disorder

Join faculty to learn about the neurobiology of addiction to help improve the quality of life for seriously ill and end-of-life patients. Faculty will discuss the brain regions and neurotransmitters involved in addiction, reward pathways and their role in addiction, and neuroadaptation and the development of tolerance and dependence. The session will conclude with an overview of commonly used substances and different categories of substances in preparation for the next webinar in the series.

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• • • Articulate clinical terms related to neurobiology of addiction as it pertains to seriously ill patients.
    • Interpret the brain regions and neurotransmitters involved in addiction.
    • Interpret neuroadaptation and the development of tolerance and dependence as it relates to seriously ill patients.

February 5   |   Substance Use Disorder

Join faculty for a presentation on commonly used substances, diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder, assessment, patient risk factors, and vulnerability. This session will be divided into three sections. The commonly used substances portion will cover effects, risks, and withdrawal symptoms associated with specific substances. Next participants will learn about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria, screening and assessment tools, and the importance of early identification of substance use disorder and intervention with seriously ill and end-of-life patients. Lastly, faculty will discuss patient risk factors and vulnerability, including genetic and hereditary factors, environmental and socio-cultural influences, and co-occurring mental health disorders and their impact on substance use disorder.

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• • • Explain the effects, risks, and withdrawal symptoms associated with used substances for seriously ill and end-of-life patients.
    • Describe which screening and assessment tools for substance use disorders are appropriate for seriously ill and end-of-life patients.
    • Describe the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders.
    • List genetic and hereditary factors, environmental and socio-cultural influences, and co-occurring mental health disorders and understand their impact on substance use disorder.

February 22   |   Pop-up

Join the faculty to learn strategies for working with patients who have advanced heart failure. Topics include prognostic indicators, improving goals of care conversations, and strategies for supporting the patient with advanced heart failure to hospice and their caregivers. Two hospice medical directors and a social worker will be providing didactic content followed by a case study and caregiver experience. Come and learn from the journey of a patient with advanced heart failure.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Understand prognostic indicators for patients who have advanced heart failure.
    • Improve goals of care conversations with patients who have advanced heart failure and their caregivers.
    • Explore strategies for supporting patients with advanced heart failure and their caregivers through the continuum of care.

Recording

February 26   |    Substance Use Disorder

Join faculty for an overview of evidence-based treatment approaches for seriously ill and end-of-life patients with substance use disorder. The presentation will include pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, buprenorphine therapy, detoxification and withdrawal management, and inpatient and outpatient treatment programs (IOPs). The faculty will conclude the presentation with a review of the neurobiology of addiction presented in the first webinar “Neurobiology of Addiction for Seriously Ill Patients” and expand on neurobiology’s impact on treatment.

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• • • Recall evidence-based substance use disorder treatment approaches for seriously ill and end-of-life patients.
    • Demonstrate when seriously ill and end-of-life patients are appropriate for buprenorphine therapy, detoxification, and withdrawal management.
    • Describe when inpatient and outpatient substance use treatment programs (IOPs) are appropriate for seriously ill and end-of-life patients.
    • Explain the neurobiology of addiction and its impacts on treatment for seriously ill and end-of-life patients.

February 29   |   Substance Use Disorder

Join the faculty to discuss substance use disorder considerations within hospice care. The session will begin by covering universal opioid precautions – a protocol for the safe and effective medication management of patients. We will then transition into discussing harm reduction approaches, bereavement and risks of family grief, as well as suicide in hospice. For substance use disorder consideration in the palliative setting, see the March 4 webinar.

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• • • Identify knowledge of universal opioid precautions.
    • Demonstrate ways harm reduction can increase a patient’s quality of life.
    • Identify when there are risks of family grief.

March 4   |   Substance Use Disorder

Join the faculty for substance use disorder considerations in palliative medicine. The faculty will discuss universal opioid precautions and managing pain in patients at risk for substance use disorders. In addition, learn about palliative care in the context of behavioral health and addiction and ways to include caregiver training and support as part of billable visits as described in the 2024 physician fee schedule.

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• • • Identify universal opioid precautions.
    • Understand how to manage pain in palliative care patients who are at risk for substance use disorder.
    • Understand palliative care in the context of behavioral health and addiction.
    • Identify ways to include caregiver training and support as part of billable visits as described in the 2024 physician fee schedule.

March 11   |   Substance Use Disorder

Join the faculty for the final webinar in the substance use disorder series. In this webinar, faculty will discuss the impact of substance use disorder on family dynamics, assessment and intervention, and environmental and social influence. Participants will learn about family-centered approaches to treatment and recovery as well as how to care for their own team. The session will conclude by addressing confidentiality and privacy concerns, legal implications, ethical dilemmas, and considerations for healthcare professionals.

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• • • Understand the environmental and social influences on substance use disorder and demonstrate the impact on family dynamics.
    • Identify family-centered approaches to treatment and recovery, including resources and support groups.
    • Identify ways to care for the team when moral distress is present.
    • Understand confidentiality and privacy concerns in substance use disorder treatment.
    • Understand legal implications, ethical dilemmas, and considerations for healthcare professionals.

March 14   |   Quality & Regulatory

The patient and family/ caregiver experience during end of life is similar but very different when it comes to hospice care delivery. Come join us to learn about not only deeper dives in CAHPS survey, Stars Ratings, impact to hospice quality, regulatory and compliance but also how your organization can impact the outcomes. In this webinar, we will discuss the current state of what the data show, what’s working and what is not working and what you – as providers need to know from quality and compliance angle. We will also outline the roadmap from theory to practice – how to operationalize improvements in the family/ caregiver experience and how to be prepared for upcoming requirements like the Special Focus Program.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Describe the impact and significance of the family and caregiver experience in the context of end-of-life care
    • List the available regulatory and quality implications of data submission as it relates to the Special Focus Program
    • Articulate the connection and impact of an actional quality improvement organizational program

April 4   |  Regulatory

Are you ready for the crucial changes in Medicare hospice physician enrollment requirements? Join us for a pivotal webinar tailored to guide hospice providers through these imminent adjustments, set to take effect on May 1, 2024.

Under the new regulations, Medicare will exclusively reimburse hospice services certified by physicians who are enrolled in or validly opted out of Medicare. To ensure you’re fully equipped to navigate these changes seamlessly, we’ve assembled an expert panel from the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Detailed insights into the specifics of the upcoming changes in enrollment requirements.
    • Comprehensive understanding of hospice physician payment considerations under the new regulations.
    • Practical guidance on navigating the enrollment process effectively.
    • Strategies to ensure compliance and mitigate potential challenges.

April 25   |  Regulatory

CMS has issued the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate proposed rule. What changes does CMS intend to implement?  What is the percentage update for Medicare hospice rates? Will CMS implement the long-anticipated HOPE assessment tool? What other adjustments does CMS plan to make to the hospice quality reporting program? Are there areas where CMS is soliciting feedback?

Learn more about these issues and updates by joining this webinar for a discussion of the content in the FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index and Quality Reporting proposed rule.

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• • • Identify the proposed rate percentage increase for rates and the hospice aggregate cap.
    • Describe any upcoming changes in the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) and the HOPE assessment tool
    • Understand how to provide feedback to NHPCO and CMS in response to the proposed rule

May 9   |  Pediatrics

Join us for an insightful panel discussion as we delve into “Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going” in pediatric hospice and palliative care. This timely webinar coincides with the 75th issue of the Pediatric eJournal, celebrating a legacy of knowledge and compassion.

The panel will provide historical context, allowing us to learn from pivotal moments. We’ll also discuss the realities of today’s pediatric care landscape and envision a future where holistic, patient-centered care thrives. Join us to gain practical strategies for your pediatric hospice and palliative care teams, and learn how to chart a course together for the well-being of our young patients and their families.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Analyze how historical context informs decision-making in pediatric care today.
    • Evaluate different approaches to pediatric care based on current realities.
    • Design innovative approaches to enhance patient-centered care for pediatric patients in the future.

May 23   |  Pediatrics

Join us to introduce the new NHPCO resource, Private Insurance Coverage for Pediatric Concurrent Care Toolkit as well as inform providers how to work with private insurance companies to advocate for coverage of concurrent care for pediatric patients. Unlike Medicaid and CHIP, private insurers are not required to cover concurrent care for children which leaves many insurers unfamiliar with concurrent care leading to unclear coverage. However, with some education and advocacy, private insurers will cover this necessary care. Through a case study, faculty will highlight how to set expectations with families, work with private insurance companies, and how to find additional resources.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Understand how to prepare families for working with private insurance for coverage of concurrent care.
    • Identify ways to work with private insurance companies to educate on concurrent care and get coverage for patients.

June 6, 2024  |  Community-based Palliative Care

Description: This webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of the critical first steps in establishing a palliative care program. Participants will gain insights into pre-planning strategies, needs assessment, funding opportunities, and the value of hiring consultants. By attending this webinar, you’ll acquire the knowledge and tools necessary to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment, identify appropriate funding sources, and leverage valuable resources, laying a strong foundation for a successful palliative care program.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Explore best practices for initiating a palliative care program, including lessons learned from experienced professionals.
    • Learn how to effectively determine the specific needs of your patient population, ensuring your program is tailored to meet their unique requirements.
    • Discover various funding sources and strategies to secure financial support for your palliative care program.

June 18, 2024  |  Pop-Up

NHPCO and NAHC on June 18 for an essential joint webinar designed to provide a comprehensive status update on the new hospice certifying physician enrollment requirements, which became effective on June 3. In this webinar, we will review the current implementation status, share what we know and insights on initial challenges and best practices, and address common questions. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a Q&A session to clarify their understanding of the new requirements.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Identify the two stages of implementation of the certifying physician enrollment requirements.
    • Describe how practitioners should be reported on hospice claims to comply with enrollment requirements and avoid payment denials.
    • Describe the consequences of non-compliance with enrollment requirements.

June 20, 2024  |  Community-based Palliative Care

Once the groundwork has been laid, it’s time to take the next crucial step – initiating and launching your palliative care program. This webinar will guide you through the essential elements of this process, including how to build your team, staffing strategies, establishing outcomes and metrics, developing Standards of Care and Operating Procedures, and intake and admission documentation. By attending this webinar, you’ll gain actionable insights and practical strategies to build a strong foundation for your palliative care program, ensuring a smooth launch and successful implementation. For those who would like to continue the conversation on this content, please plan to attend the Palliative Care Office Hours on July 12 from noon – 1 p.m. ET. 

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Explore best practices for conducting interviews, hiring qualified staff, and creating an effective onboarding and orientation process.
    • Learn how to create meaningful outcomes and metrics to measure the success and impact of your palliative care program, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
    • Understand the importance of establishing clear standards of care and operating procedures to ensure consistent and high-quality service delivery across your program.
    • Explore best practices for creating comprehensive intake and admission documentation, including crucial considerations such as advance directives and resuscitation preferences.

June 27, 2024  | Quality & Regulatory

This webinar provides the foundation and framework for a hospice organization to prioritize their QAPI plans, identify which data points they would like to measure, and learn about comparing different types of measurement areas. The webinar is delivered in a simplified style, using everyday tools, and focuses on ways that the hospice organization can involve and engage the full interdisciplinary team in collecting the right data points, measuring change, trending change, and utilizing benchmarks. Learn how to read data in a simple fashion, how to discern which surveys and numbers are useful, and which data points could be deprioritized. The takeaway from this webinar will be actionable items and a framework of quality improvement and change management that the organization can adapt to not only the hospice quality measures but other operational workflows and processes as well.

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• • • List the key factors for measuring quality in hospice that leads to a robust and clear quality improvement plan.
    • Identify the key data points that are imperative for a hospice to prioritize for measurement and trending.
    • Describe public and private sources of data available to hospice and how to maximize the use of surveys.
    • Discuss the role of quality reporting and how to make reports actionable.

July 18, 2024  | Community-based Palliative Care

After successfully launching your palliative care program, this webinar provides insights and strategies for scaling up. A panel of experienced professionals will share firsthand experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from starting and growing palliative care programs. Attendees will learn to identify new patient populations for expansion, manage growing pains such as staffing and resource allocation, and navigate challenges to ensure long-term program success and impact.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Explore effective methods for assessing and identifying new patient populations that could benefit from your expanded palliative care services.
    • Learn how to collaborate with stakeholders to make informed decisions about your program’s growth trajectory.
    • Understand strategies for managing common challenges associated with growth, such as staffing needs, resource allocation, process optimization, and maintaining consistent quality of care across multiple locations or service lines.

August 1, 2024  | Community-based Palliative Care

As your palliative care program matures, this final webinar equips you with strategies for long-term viability and continuous improvement. Learn readmission management, data collection and analysis, revisiting needs assessments, outcomes tracking, metric monitoring, program certification (CHAP, Joint Comm, ACHC, etc.), and addressing lifecycle and maturity considerations. Gain knowledge and tools to maintain sustainability, foster improvement, and ensure high-quality patient care. For those who would like to continue the conversation on this content, please plan to attend the Palliative Care Office Hours on August 9 from noon – 1 p.m. ET.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Explore best practices for managing hospital readmissions, a critical factor in sustaining the success of your palliative care program.
    • Discover the importance of collecting and analyzing program data, and how to leverage this information to drive informed decision-making, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate the value of your palliative care services.
    • Understand the value of periodically revisiting your initial needs assessment to ensure your program continues to meet the evolving needs of your patient population and community.
    • Learn how to effectively track and monitor key outcomes and metrics, enabling you to measure the success of the program’s, identify areas for optimization, and make data-driven decisions.

August 15, 2024  | Quality & Regulatory

CMS has issued the final FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate final rule.  What changes are now final? How did CMS respond to NHPCO comments submitted in the FY 2025 proposed rule comment letter?  What is the percentage update for Medicare hospice rates?  The proposed rule included the long-anticipated Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) data collection instrument. What are the implications and timelines for its implementation? What other adjustments as CMS finalized under the hospice quality reporting program?

Learn more about these topics by participating in this webinar for a discussion of the content in the FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index and Quality Reporting final rule, and join us for a deep dive into HOPE and what this means for hospice quality measurement in the future.

*The content of this webinar may change based on the content of the FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index final rule.

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• • • Identify the final rate percentage increase for rates and the hospice aggregate cap.
    • Describe upcoming changes in the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) and the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) hospice survey.
    • Understand the implementation date for the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) data collection instrument and how it differs from the Hospice Item Set

October 10, 2024  |  Volunteer Management

In order to have an all-star team…there must be an all-star leader at the helm!  Managing volunteers is not all fun and games like it is misperceived to be at times.  There are regulations to meet, challenges to overcome, fires to put out and many hats to wear.  A strong and skilled volunteer leader is essential for the successful management of a team that is almost solely remote and at the heart of all we do.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Identify skills needed to be an effective volunteer manager amidst the many hats that must be worn.
    • Understand the significant role a strong volunteer leader plays in building and maintaining a successful program.
    • Understand the importance of teambuilding and how a strong volunteer leader can positively impact your leadership team and your organization as a whole.

October 24, 2024  |  Volunteer Management

Whether assigning volunteers to specific areas of support or making meaningful patient/volunteer assignments, volunteer matchmaking is a true work of art!  Collaborating with your team not only maximizes your ability to meet your patients’ needs but also allows you to place volunteers in areas that they are comfortable working in and areas where they feel useful and fulfilled.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Understand the various components of making successful volunteer assignments.
    • Understand how successful matchmaking impacts volunteer and patient satisfaction as well as volunteer retention.
    • Recognize the value of team collaboration and how it positively impacts your volunteer program.

November 7, 2024  |  Volunteer Management

It’s no secret…for decades, volunteers have provided added value to hospice programs.  From tuck-in and quality check calls to specialized services such as Reiki and pet therapy, volunteers provide significant added value!   Through volunteers, we provide patients and caregivers with an additional layer of communication and support as well as visits and human touch.  Explore options to expand your volunteer team’s complementary services and create a game plan to improve patient experience.

Learning Outcomes:

• • • Identify opportunities to expand volunteer services beyond the traditional administrative, bereavement and patient care roles.
    • Recognize that complementary services can maximize the support your hospice offers to the patients and families in your care.
    • Understand how volunteer programs can positively impact multiple quality measures.

November 21, 2024   |   Quality & Regulatory

As CMS prepares to launch the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP), now is the time to focus on key indicators that could place a hospice in the bottom ten percent of hospices nationwide. The SFP targets hospices in the bottom 10 percent based on hospice survey, Hospice Care Index, and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) specific measure performance, placing them under increased scrutiny with more frequent surveys. This webinar will concentrate on two critical areas: survey performance and substantiated complaints, with a focus on how hospices can prepare for this new oversight, with practical insights into improving survey outcomes and addressing common complaint patterns. Attendees will learn strategies to improve quality, strengthen compliance and enhance survey readiness to prepare for the SFP.

Learning Objectives:

• • • Understand the role of surveys and substantiated complaints in CMS’s selection of hospices for the Special Focus Program.
    • Identify the most common deficiencies and complaint trends that could lead to a hospice being placed in the bottom ten percent list.
    • Learn actionable strategies to improve survey readiness and mitigate the risk of substantiated complaints to prepare for the Special Focus Program.