A year and a half after initiating our quarterly meetings with the Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, on June 28, we finally held our first in-person meeting. To be more accurate, it was a hybrid meeting with a handful of WiHPCA members attending in-person at the DHS hosted meeting, with the rest of the participants joining virtually. Regardless, it was great to be in the same room with DQA staff, as it led to a much more productive conversation.
As usual, DQA provided participants with a review and discussion of numerous key issues, including survey deficiencies, complaint topics, and the number of new hospice applications. During the 2nd quarter of the year (March to May), DQA reported the agency conducted 19 hospice surveys and six recertifications surveys. They also fielded 15 complaint intakes, of which eight were investigated, and four were substantiated. As a result, there were three immediate concerns stemming from the substantiated complaints. They fell in the following categories: 1.) Patient Rights; 2.) Nursing Services; and 3.) Quality of Care and Treatment
The next quarterly meeting is scheduled for September. Stay tuned for more details and the opportunity to register. We certainly encourage participation from all WiHPCA members, as these meetings continue to provide invaluable information, regulatory guidance, and best practices insights from DQA.
In the meantime, CLICK HERE to visit the DHS Hospice Statistics webpage, which includes vital data for the calendar year through 2021.
