HH Start of Care Lesson
Course Description
CMS’ new rule effective Jan 2022, has great potential to increase occupational therapy utilization across the nation’s home health agencies. Survey research was conducted to explore therapists’ engagement in the home health Start of Care.
This session will discuss research findings based on 254 home health occupational therapists’ responses, considering resources and barriers that may have supported or hindered their performance of the SOC, and whether they view the policy change as an opportunity for practitioners and the profession.
Participants will be able to identify resources to support home health occupational therapists facing barriers to practice, as well as strategies to increase occupational therapy utilization in Medicare home health.
Speakers
Megan Atkinson, OTD, OTR/L, CDP
Megan provides direct care and skills training for individuals with neurological conditions and their care partners. She works with people in their homes and communities through her private practice as well as through applied tele-rehabilitation research at University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Neurology. Megan earned her MA in Occupational Therapy at University of Southern California and her post-professional clinical doctorate at Thomas Jefferson University.
Karen Vance, BS, OT, FAOTA
Karen is retired after more than 40 years practicing and consulting in Home Health. As a Senior Managing Consultant/Clinical Operations Specialist at BKD Health Care Group for nearly 20 years, Karen provided clinical and operations consulting services to home care and hospice agencies and helped providers establish and maintain quality management practices by providing assessments, training and consulting.