Home Health Community Bridges the Gap Between Physicians and Agencies to Improve Quality and Regulatory Compliance

New National Medical Director Training Program Provides Access to Ongoing Education

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation (the Alliance) and the American Academy for Home Care Physicians (AAHCP) recently began working together to provide online training to home health medical directors to bolster quality of care and regulatory compliance.  The AAHCP has received a grant from the Alliance to develop a CME-accredited Medical Director Training program.  The National Medical Director Training Program represents the first formal partnership between the Alliance and AAHCP.  

"This new program will provide physicians with critical education on a variety of issues facing home health today," stated Teresa Lee, Executive Director of the Alliance.  "We're excited to be working with AAHCP and to ensure that physicians who are working with home health providers are able to receive the training and education they need to improve quality of care for patients and comply with all regulatory requirements."

The program provides a series of online Medical Director Training Seminars that increase the knowledge and effectiveness of home health care agency medical directors.  The seminars include instruction on quality improvement, communication and teamwork in home care, how physicians can use home care, clinical advice regarding home health care management of common conditions affecting patients, and regulatory requirements.  Beginning in 2013, the program will be available online and open to all home health care agency medical directors. 

"The training program builds on the AAHCP's 20-year history of educating medical directors and helps foster the increasing value of medical directors for home health agencies in a rapidly evolving health care environment," said Dr. Edward Ratner, Course Director for the AAHCP. "Trained medical directors can work with and advise agencies on how to improve quality of care and success rates. Better educated medical directors can help strengthen the home health workforce and foster better outcomes for patients."

The seminars begin next year and will be hosted online by AAHCP.  Participating medical directors will receive continuing medical education (CME) credit for the courses. Pre-registration is available by writing the AAHCP at [email protected].

The Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation (the Alliance) is comprised of leaders in the home health care community – including several of the largest home health care providers in the United States and the largest national trade associations representing home health care providers. The mission of the Alliance is to foster research and education on the value of home health care to patients and the overall U.S. health care system. The Alliance is dedicated to improving the nation's health care system through development of high quality and innovative solutions aimed at achieving optimal clinical outcomes.  To learn more, visit www.ahhqi.org.

SOURCE Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation