WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Senior Living Executive magazine recognizes OnShift for its generous support and thought leadership of Argentum’s 2016 Workforce Development programming.
A Smart Workforce Strategy Is Springboard to ACO Partnerships
Mark Woodka, CEO, OnShift
ity measures for skilled nursing communi- ties, and quality measures for assisted living communities are emerging. As a senior living provider, you can’t afford to ignore ACOs. As ACOs make decisions about where patients are referred after release from acute care facilities, will your organi- zation be on the short list? To be considered for membership in
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an ACO you will need to prove consistent quality outcomes. While many organiza- tions focus on clinical aspects of quality improvement, don’t overlook evaluating your workforce as your employees are in- extricably linked to your residents’ quality of care.
Here are three steps to workforce improvement that can help your organization drive quality care and service and gain an ideal position to partner in an ACO.
1. Optimize Your Skill Mix As senior living residents become more medically complex, be sure to evaluate the skill level of your staff. Optimizing your skill mix can help reduce costs while main- taining quality of care and service. Your skill mix should be aligned with the acuity of your residents at any given time. With rising acuity in senior living, this may be impactful. Do you need to hire more RNs? Do the RNs need to be there for longer pe- riods of the day? How can telehealth help to optimize your mix? Consider that greater nursing time may help prevent unnecessary trips to the hospital, and ultimately reduce hospital readmissions – a key metric in an ACO environment.
hile accountable care organiza- tions (ACO) are still evolving, some have already defined qual-
2. Regularly Adjust Staffing Levels Staffing your community should not be a guessing game. Residents should be assessed on a regular basis to determine the level of care and service they require. Depending on their condition, this may mean re-assessing within the first 30 days of move-in to see if a resident’s needs have changed. As resident conditions change, so should the staffing levels within your community. Staff schedules should be managed dynamically, adjusting alongside the fluctuations in care requirements of your residents. In addition, map caregiver com- petencies to their shift assignments to ensure that qualified staff are caring for residents at all times. Because ACOs may include staff- ing metrics when they choose post-acute care partners, thorough documentation of your staffing plans, census, assessments and associ- ated data can go a long way in proving your value to potential ACO partners.
Thorough documentation of your staffing plans, census, assessments and associated data can go a long way in proving your value to potential ACO partners
3. Enhance Staff Training In order to keep up with higher acuity and the change in your resident population, you will need to expand the amount, level and types of training your caregivers now require. In addition, executive directors should consider credentialing through the Senior Living Certification Commission. EDs who sit for the exam will earn the As- sisted Living Executive Director Certifica- tion, which validates the competency of executive directors and sets the standard for quality in senior living. The ability to prove
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the competencies and ongoing training of staff and community leadership will be at- tractive to partners in an ACO network. Your workforce is key to your participation
in an ACO. Support your staffing strategy with data-driven insights that will show ACO partners the value and quality outcomes your senior living communities deliver. Start by evaluating your current staffing, training and scheduling processes to help determine how ready you are to participate in an ACO partnership. Now is the time to prepare so you’ll be ready for a seat at the ACO table.
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