Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/40005
s Smith & Nephew recently launched a new program to improve wound care education. See story this page. Lisa Feierstein honored ........................... 35 Upstate HomeCare calls growth "exciting" ........... 36 Providers want to keep infusion out of bidding ........ 38 KCI agrees to buyout ............................. 39 Rx and Specialty Providers WWW.HMENEWS.COM / SEPTEMBER 2011 / HME NEWS 35 BRIEFS Correction for custom prosthetic claims to come BALTIMORE – Medicare will pay for certain custom prosthetic items under Part B when they are provided to a beneficiary during a non-covered Part A stay in a hospital or skilled nursing facility. These claims have been incorrectly denied since April 4. In a July 27 message, however, CMS stated it was issuing instructions to correct the problem, but that the correc- tion would not be implemented until Jan 1, 2012. Until then, the DME MACs will reprocess any claims that were incorrect- ly denied when such claims are brought to their attention. New execs named at National Sleep Therapy SCARBOROUGH, Maine – CPAP provider Na- tional Sleep Therapy in July hired Dr. Ste- phen Fitzmeyer as its new chief medical informatics officer. Fitzmeyer has more than 25 years of computer programming and medical informatics experience. The provider also named Patricia McKenzie as its vice president of operations. She has more than 15 years of experience in stra- tegic operations. Smith & Nephew tweets ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Smith & Nephew in July ramped up its Twitter efforts. The maker of negative pressure wound therapy pumps and other products uses the handle @woundcare. "More and more we are try- ing to make our presence available in dif- ferent channels of communication reaching users, not just clinicians, but sometimes even patients," says Judy Reed, director of marketing communication for wounds for North America. Study: Compression stockings could reduce obstructive sleep apnea NEW YORK – Could something as simple as compression stockings alleviate obstruc- tive sleep apnea in some patients? French researchers think so. In a study to be pub- lished online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers found that patients suffering chronic venous insufficiency who wore compression stockings had a reduction in daytime fluid accumulation in the legs. That reduced the amount of fluid flowing into the neck at night, reducing the num- ber of apneas and hypopnea by more than a third, said lead researcher Dr. Stefania Redolfi of the University of Brescia in Italy. Therapeutic shoes have whopping denial rate WASHINGTON – National Government Ser- vices, the Jurisdiction B DME MAC, is continuing its prepayment review for thera- peutic shoes. Of 246 claims reviewed by June 30, 2011, 229 (93%) were denied. The top two reason was no documenta- tion received (53%). AAHomecare: Create quality standards for negative pressure BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor WASHINGTON – If CMS includes negative pressure wound ther- apy (NPWT) in future rounds of competitive bidding, the agency must create additional quality standards for the prod- uct category, AAHomecare told lawmakers in July. Standards would help to ensure that Medicare benefi- ciaries receive quality care and treatment, says Carol Laumer, who served on an AAHomecare task force that has developed guide- lines for providing NPWT. "It does take something extra," said Laumer, executive director of Willmar, Minn.- based Rice Home Medical, which provides the therapy. "We have to have extra train- ing. It's not just the local deliv- ery guy delivering the pump." In a July 26 letter, AAHomecare asked members of Congress to press CMS to create standards as an appendix to the current DMEPOS stan- dards. The letter further urges lawmakers to sign on to a sup- porting Dear Colleague letter issued by Reps. Charles Gonza- lez, D-Texas; Tom Price, R-Ga.; and Michael Burgess, R-Texas. In May, AAHomecare shared with CMS guidelines for pro- viding NPWT surrounding intake and delivery; condition of the equipment; training/ instruction to beneficiaries, caregivers and clinicians; infec- "It does take something extra. It's not the local delivery guy delivering the pump." tion control; and safety reviews. "CMS absolutely agreed and said they understood the need for additional standards," said Alex Bennewith, senior man- ager of government affairs for AAHomecare. "We understood that CMS would implement them, but there's no guarantee." Provider Chris Rice says stan- dards could be a way to weed out companies that have no business doing NPWT, but he points out that he's already accredited to provide the therapy and that PRESSURE SEE PAGE 36 Wound care can create cost savings BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor T HE TREATMENT OF ADVANCED WOUNDS is expen- sive and often complicated, says Patricia Burns, vice president of clinical affairs for Smith & Nephew. For- tunately, advances in technology, as well as a focus on treating patients in the home, can help save the healthcare system money, and make treatment eas- ier on the patient, she told HME News recently. HME NEWS: What are some of the eco- nomic costs associated with wound care? Patricia Burns: Significant dollars are spent on wound care and those costs increase when there are complications. Someone might have a routine surgical procedure and if they develop a post-op infection, that can add significantly to the cost of managing the wound, whether it be through re-admission or delayed healing. HME: Healthcare reform pushes for a reduction in hospital re- admission rates. Is wound care an area where this applies? Burns: Certainly. Efforts to reduce pressure are a quality indica- tor now and are reported publicly. Going forward, payers are not going to reimburse for complications associated with that. I think there is a continued need for education for both pro- viders and caregivers around the ideology of pressure ulcers. As we keep patients at home longer, we are going to need to be more aggressive about pressure reduction in the home. HME: What role does the HME provider play? Burns: More isn't always better, and HME providers have an opportunity to track appropriate utilization of products. If a dressing was intended to be changed once or twice a week BURNS SEE PAGE 39 Patricia Burns Smith & Nephew launches program 'Classroom to Bedside' aims to improve wound care BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor It's good to be Lisa It's been a rewarding summer for provider Lisa Feierstein. The co-founder and president of Active Healthcare in June was named the 2011 Woman Business Owner of the Year by the Greater Raleigh chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Also in June, Active Healthcare was named one of the 2011 Top 300 Small Businesses of the South by Business Leader magazine. Feierstein co-founded the North Carolina-based company with her husband, Steven in 1990. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Smith & Nephew's Terry Coggins spent several months asking wound care providers how the company could provide better tools to help them care for patients. The result: Smith & Neph- ew in June launched "Class- room to Bedside," a multi- media educational program. "Much of what we do in home care is wound manage- ment," said Coggins, medi- cal education manager. "For nurses who are not experts and need that information, being able to take that les- son and take those tools with them really helps reinforce (the lesson) and gives them a resource when they need that information." The multimedia program features a series of teaching modules, DVDs, webinars and pocket tools centered on advanced wound care topics. "These are where the big- gest needs lie," said Cog- gins. "Assessment is always CLASSROOM SEE PAGE 39