April 15, 2016
Moore Mission Moments - The Watershed Group
What’s Your Superpower?
by Patti Moore
 
One of the things I love most about facilitating leadership workshops and retreats is giving people an opportunity to look at themselves with appreciative eyes. When we talk about our superpowers, we’re not talking about x-ray vision or leaping tall buildings, but the special strengths we bring to our teams; qualities of character or personality we too often shrug off.
 

At a recent workshop with a senior leadership team, I asked them what they liked best about their jobs. One of the physicians said he really enjoyed the psycho-social aspects of working in hospice – of having time to talk to patients and families, and engage with them in a deeper, more meaningful way. Another team member who worked in quality control talked about how inspiring she found the compassion and professionalism the nurses, social workers, and aides bring to their jobs every day.

 

Then we dug into our superpowers. The CEO said she loved being the visionary; being able to look down the road far ahead of where anyone yet was, and helping her staff see what it will take to get there. Sharing her excitement about what she sees ahead is a big part of what she loves about her work.

 

It wasn’t what you’d expect to hear from a CFO, but when asked about his superpowers, he told us his was his passion for his employees, and being a good listener. Another executive said hers was being a curious learner. One of my favorites was the Chief Clinical Officer, who said her superpower was being able to think backwards.  The marketing person said her superpower was being really good at cocktail conversation; the fundraiser said his was expressing gratitude.

 

Having people acknowledge the things they do well is important in the function and leadership of an organization. It takes the work of many superheroes to overcome adversity: If that visionary CEO didn’t have people around her with their feet on the ground, there would be no one to determine how to operate in the present.

 

I remember my first encounter with a similar exercise in graduate school. I could not for the life of me think of what my own superpower might be. A friend said, “You’re really good at making people feel great about themselves.” That didn’t seem like much of a power to me. Years later, I was talking to my mom, who in her eighties was still working as a hairdresser in Florida. She couldn’t stop working, she said, because people always requested her – even the snowbirds that had been away for a year. She couldn’t imagine why – except that she had a knack for remembering little things about them; that their granddaughter was about to finish college, or that their son was getting married – because mom was genuinely interested in them as people not just as clients.

 

Listening to her, I realized my friend had been right – and that I owed my superpower to my mom. Helping others to recognize how important and valued they are is a joy for me and it's is my superpower, as it was hers. How lucky I am that it’s also my work.

 

Patti's mom Ruth Moore at work

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WORTH READING:

 

Get ready, folks; here’s a heads-up for those of you with freestanding and leased General Inpatient Units.

 

In my March 24, 2016 Newsletter I commented on the remarks of Don Schumacher CEO of NHPCO  when spoke about Medicare Part A, B and D “leakage”. On March 31st, the other shoe dropped; the HHS Office of Inspector General released a report on the use and misuse of hospice inpatient care in the Medicare Hospice Benefit, entitled, "Hospices Inappropriately Billed Medicare Over $250 Million for General Inpatient Care."  The report specifically pointed out that for-profit hospices and hospice care in Skilled Nursing Facilities were more likely to inappropriately bill for General Inpatient levels of care.

 

The OIG recommends the following to CMS in response to their report:

  1. Increase its oversight of hospice GIP claims and review Part D payments for drugs for hospice beneficiaries.
  2. Ensure that a physician is involved in the decision to use GIP.
  3. Conduct prepayment reviews for lengthy GIP stays.
  4. Increase surveyor efforts to ensure that hospices meet care planning requirements.
  5. Establish additional enforcement remedies for poor hospice performance.
  6. Follow up on inappropriate GIP stays, inappropriate Part D payments, and hospices that provided poor-quality care.

Make sure you are documenting appropriately and providing proper oversight of GIP levels of care.  And don’t assume that Medicare will not notice when a hospice patient gets their drugs under Part D instead of through hospice. They are watching!

 

On a lighter note...This story is a must-read for so many reasons, beginning with the testimony it gives to the resiliency of the human spirit, and the reminder to consider and respect peoples’ choices at the end of life:

 

 “Two days after her husband of 67 years passed away, Norma was sitting in her doctor’s office. She had uterine cancer and the treatment options included surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

 

Norma looked the doctor in the eye and said, “I’m 90 years old, I’m hitting the road.”

 

And that is where Norma’s adventure began.

 
 
 
CLIENT SUCCESS STORIES:

 

I recently had the privilege of conducting the search for the Agrace Hospice Chief Clinical Officer, and facilitating the match with Pamela Edwards, RN, MSN, CHPN.

“Pam is a nationally recognized nursing leader in hospice and palliative care who has successfully managed the unique clinical needs of a large, nonprofit hospice,” said Agrace CEO Lynne Myers. “With our organization’s focus on evidence-based clinical practice and quality enhancement, we will benefit from her experience and leadership as we continue to drive innovation in end-of-life care in southern Wisconsin.”  Agrace is Wisconsin’s largest nonprofit palliative care and hospice agency, providing end-of-life care and related services to people in southern Wisconsin communities for more than 35 years.

 
 
 
MEET PATTI:

I look forward to attending the 31st NHPCO Management and Leadership Conference in Washington DC next week. It is always a great time to see old friends and meet new one ones.  I’ll be looking for you to say hello!

 

 

I hope everyone will sign up to attend the black tie National Hospice Foundation Gala on Friday April 22.  As former chairperson of the Gala committee, I can tell you that it is always a very special event, but this year will be extra special; with Don Schumacher’s recent announcement of his retirement as CEO of NHPCO at the end of 2016, the annual Gala will also be our community’s opportunity to celebrate and honor Don. Pack your dancing shoes and I'll see you there!

 

NHPCO Gala 2015 Patti Moore and

Liz Fowler CEO Hospice of the Bluegrass

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