Kissito Healthcare Facilities in Katy, Texas Selected As Two of Methodist Hospital System’s Preferred Providers

Kissito Post Acute Cane Island and Kissito Healthcare Katy, both located in Katy, Texas were selected by The Methodist Hospital System in Houston, Texas to participate in a pilot program aimed at enhancing the patient discharge process in preparation for healthcare reform. Under the proposed Bundled Payment legislation, hospitals will be penalized for readmissions within 30 days following the date of discharge thus motivating hospital systems to locate facilities able to aid in the reduction of readmissions.

Of the 75 facilities located in the Houston, Texas market, only 20 were selected for this program. The selection process was based heavily on the facility’s ability to manage various levels of acuity, expedited referral processes, and past survey history. Linda Collins, Director of Continuity of Care for The Methodist Hospital System, leads the efforts of selecting the facilities in the area able to meet the needs of their patients.

Linda and her team conducted on-site visits with both Kissito Healthcare Katy and Kissito Post Acute Cane Island during the selection process. At Kissito Healthcare Katy, her team found an extraordinary hybrid Skilled Nursing Facility/Long Term Care model able to cater to a high acuity nursing patient with a variety of diagnoses. Additionally, Kissito Healthcare Katy was recently awarded the AHCA Quality Award, a prestigious honor in the Long Term Care industry.

Upon their visit to Kissito Post Acute Cane Island , Linda and her team found a return-to-home program second to none. They were particularly impressed with the Collaborative Care Pathways, collaborative care rounds, and quality customer service focus.

Tom Clarke, President & CEO of Kissito Healthcare, headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia states, “We are very proud to have both of our Houston facilities selected by Methodist Hospital for their SNF Network of Preferred Providers. This recognition is the direct result of our staff’s daily focus on customer service and improved clinical outcomes. We believe the future of Healthcare will see more collaborations such as this, where the region’s high quality Acute and Post Acute providers work together to improve patient outcomes and minimize unnecessary patient transitions. We look forward to being a part of the Methodist TEAM!”

Based in Houston, Texas, The Methodist Hospital System is a non-profit organization comprised of a major academic medical center, three community hospitals, a physician organization and a research institute. Methodist Hospital is the only hospital in Houston, Texas to be named to the 2009-2010 US News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll.

Kissito Healthcare Mentioned in White Paper Regarding Bundled Payments

While bundled payments is not a new concept in the discussion of healthcare reform, it found its way back to the front burner in December 2008 when the US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) proposed new ways to reduce federal healthcare spending to the House and the Senate.

Introduced nearly 30 years ago, bundled payments would essentially provide one payment to Acute Care Hospitals (ACHs) for both acute and post acute services and allow the ACH to determine the amount of post acute care a patient needs and the most cost effective care provider. Under this scenario, the CBO estimates a $0.7 billion reduction in federal outlays between 2010 and 2014 and by 2019 they estimate a reduction of almost $19 billion.

The reintroduction of the concept raises many questions for ACHs, long term acute care hospitals (LTACHs), home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) and how they will be reimbursed for treating Medicare recipients. Also questioning this potential manner of reform are the lawmakers.

In a recent white paper entitled “To Bundle or Not To Bundle: Lawmakers Explore the Question,” released by three attorneys at McGuire Woods, LLP, Jason S. Greis, R. Brent Rawlings, and J. Brian Jackson explore the questions that the implementation of bundled payments raise. The three comprehensively explain the concept, its history, and how it would affect the various types of acute and post acute facilities from the time of implementation through 2019 when the reform measure will reach the outcome envisioned by the CBO.

They further investigate the questions industry leaders are raising, the pros and cons of the option and what companies are doing now in preparation for the proposed legislation. An interview with Tom Clarke, President & CEO of Kissito Healthcare resulted in the explanation that “[s]ome organizations have already begun planning for the bundling trend by creating integrated post-acute care and senior living campuses with a full array or long-term care services, or by developing post-acute care facilities capable of catering to more acutely ill patients in more cost-effective settings.” Kissito Post Acute is one of said organizations in that its “SNF facilities provide ventilator weaning programs, which are commonly found in LTACHs, while achieving comparable clinical outcomes and Medicare costs savings.”

Kissito Post Acute, a division of Kissito Healthcare, prides itself on remaining patient-centered and physician-driven. Existing for the care and betterment of human life, Kissito Post Acute realizes the current paths patients take from hospital to home and redefines that, attempting to eliminate many of the unnecessary trips to various types of facilities. Their Collaborative Patient Care Model™ fosters the best environment for successful outcomes. This unique, industry-leading approach involves partners in a cohesive team that enables patients to return to their lives and function at the highest level.

Professionals That Make a Difference

Who We Are

Kissito Post Acute is defining the next generation of short-term transitional healthcare through its innovative rehabilitation centers. Our Collaborative Post Acute Care Model^™ is physician driven and patient-centered and fosters an enhanced care environment and improved outcomes. This unique, industry-leading approach engages partners in a cohesive team, enabling patients to return to their lives and function at the highest level possible.

We have 9 facilities in Texas, Arizona and Virginia and are diligently studying and researching a single point of entry model to further enhance our Collaborative Post Acute Care Model^™ and our ability to improve outcomes and quality in the healthcare delivery system. We are currently developing more collaborative partnerships with Long Term Acute Care Hospitals and Home Health Agencies to provide a Total Post Acute Solution in several of our locations. All of our facilities provide speech, occupational, and physical therapy, long term care extensive nursing, and promote  aggressive return to home therapy programs based on systems and processes that help reduce hospital readmissions and mortality rates in both the acute and post acute setting.

Kissito Post Acute is a division of the Kissito Healthcare Family. This not-for-profit organization includes Kissito Post Acute, Kissito Long Term Care and Kissito International.

Model

The Collaborative Post Acute Model features a 5 phase approach to patients being able to achieve their goals and regain functional abilities to allow them to return home quickly, safely, and cost effectively. While at the same time we lower the chance of preventable hospital readmissions and mortality occurrences which happen far too often due to medical error, medication mismanagement, and failure to recognize red flags.

Phase 1

Joint Case Management & Pre- Admission Review (Pre-Admission)

Transition always presents risk. To eliminate the risk of re-hospitalization and medical error our model provides for a formalized system and HL7 compliant Electronic Medical Record, developed by physician staff to obtain specific information based on individual diagnoses pre-admission. This in turn allows Kissito Healthcare to provide a safe care transition that leaves minimal risk for hospital re-admission and medical error. As a bi-product of this system Kissito Healthcare is able to take a more medically complex patient earlier from the hospital.

Phase 2

Orientation & Assessment (First 24-48hrs)

ORIENTATION is conducted using a comprehensive easy to understand guidebook that helps to set the goals and expectations for both the patient and the family. Each patient and family is seen by their interdisciplinary team via what we call Collaborative Care Rounds. The interdisciplinary team is made up of therapists, nurse practitioners, social workers, nurses, and dietitians. The orientation process ensures that both the patient and family know they will be active participants in the rehabilitation process day one.

Phase 3

Treatment Phase (48hrs – 3 days prior to discharge)

TREATMENT planning is a crucial phase in the model. No one patient has the same treatment plan. A comprehensive tool called the Collaborative Care Pathway™ was developed to help guide the development and execution of purposeful treatment plans designed individually with the goal of returning the patient back to home. Based on 12 months of research and constant collaboration with healthcare providers, the Collaborative Care Pathway™ consists of staff competency and skills training, templated documentation, and use of industry best practices. This ensures that the staff and medical team are in tune with the patients every need and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to identify red flags and problems early enough to prevent hospital re-admissions.

Phase 4

Transition (3 days prior to discharge)

TRANSITION U is a program created for the patient and the family that allows the patient to start to takeover their care. Once this transition has begun the interdisciplinary team is able to step outside the box and really see where the patient’s progress really is and identify potential failures or areas that need to be addressed. Transition U not only prepares the patient to go home but it also includes processes like home safety evaluations and teaches medication management.

TRANSITION U introduces the patient and family to their Transition Coach. The Transition Coach becomes their key contact for preparing them to be able to not only go home, but remains their contact once they get home.

Phase 5

Home (Post Discharge): Home Phase is being implemented in early 2010

HOME but it’s not the end of the road. It’s the beginning of a new road, and not one that leads back to the hospital. Once the patient returns safely to home they are visited within 24-48 hours after discharge by their Transition Coach to ensure they are comfortable self administering and managing their medications, completing any exercises or therapy related items that were assigned, but most importantly to make sure they can function in the actual home.

Each patient is given the number to the Kissito Care line and the direct number to their Transition Coach. The Kissito Care line is simply a channel for the patient to ask questions related to their transition and care. No medical information or advice is given; however the care line attendant will refer them to a medical doctor should they ask for medical advice.

Solutions

At the core of Kissito’s services is our Collaborative Post Acute Care Model^™ .   It is setting higher standards of care through Evidence Based Medicine and Best Practices. Currently we have partnered with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to develop and validate post acute best practices that we believe will evolve into a part of the solution to improve on achieving quality outcomes and lower healthcare costs for future generations.

Collaborative Patient Care Model™

23 Collaborative Care Pathways

Hospital Solutions

Payer Solutions

Physician Solutions

Patient-Caregiver Solutions

Facts

Kissito exists for the betterment and care of human life

FOUNDING: Amity Fellowserve, Inc. conducting business under Kissito Healthcare and Kissito Post Acute,  was founded in 1989 as a Not for Profit “NPO” organization organized under the laws of the State of Illinois. Kissito is an IRS qualified 501 (C) (3) charitable organization holding Group Exemption status under the IRC.

OPERATIONS: Kissito operates its principal executive offices in the states of Arizona, Texas and Virginia. The corporate headquarters is located in Virginia.

EMPLOYEES: Kissito employees 761 people including 31 corporate employees.

CORE VALUES: Kissito Core Values are immutable and guide all we undertake: Integrity, Passion, Excellence, and Respect.

GOVERNANCE: Kissito and its operating entities are governed by an active Board of Directors including: Reverend David Erickson (Senior Pastor of Dundalk, MD based Watersedge Baptist Church), Lynn Hodge (EVP of Morris Cerullo World Evangelism), Wayne Fuquay (Managing Principle of Houston, TX based Wayne Fuquay & Associates a Corporate Consulting and Crisis Management Firm), Ana Clarke (Kissito Director of Missions) and Tom Clarke (Kissito President & CEO).

FINANCIAL: Kissito’s financial statements and IRS 990 filing are available at www.guidestar.org .

MANAGEMENT: Kissito has attracted the best Managers from around the world. Kissito Managers are continually being recognized and rewarded as leaders in healthcare profession. Kissito Managers hold Masters level degrees in Healthcare Administration, Nursing, Organizational Management, Public Health, Communications, Business Administration, Accounting, and Administrative Management. Corporate Managers hold numerous certifications including SPHR, CPA, and Risk Management. Five Corporate Managers hold skilled nursing facility administrative licenses.

RECOGNITION: Kissito facilities and its employees are continually being recognized and rewarded by governmental agencies and professional associations for contributions in the field of healthcare.

Some of the recent awards include:

• Sole recipient of the 2008 Virginia Health Quality Center Gold Star award
• Winner of the 2006 Yuma County, Arizona employer of the year award
• National Association of Health Care Assistants Best Attitude 2008 Employee of the year ( over 2,000,000 assistants are licensed in the USA)
• Winner of the Virginia 2008 Teen Volunteer of the Year award
• Arizona Health Care Association 2008 Certified Nursing Assistant of the year: Cowinner
• Winner of two Virginia Health Quality Center 2008 Bronze Stars
• Kissito Post Acute Cane Island ranked as one of the top three healthcare facilities by the State Quality Rating System (QRS) in Texas. The ranking includes all the 77 nursing facilities in Harris County, Texas.
• Kissito Healthcare Katy recognized as one of the 2009 recipients of the Step I National Quality Award presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).
• Kissito Healthcare Palmview certified as “Excellent” in Quality Performance Scale (scoring 100% in all categories) by Arizona Department of Health Services.