The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently completed its audit of FHP Home Health and ranked it highly in the nation despite challenges during the pandemic. Pictured back row, left to right: Perla Chua, billing associate, Allen Rara, physical therapist, Wendy Pacia, intake specialist, Kisha De Joya, R.N., Ruby Pickop, R.N., Rio Mostoles, coordinator, Elvira Serrano, coordinator, Jackie Erne, billing associate. Back row, pictured left to right: Norhea Cando, R.N., Cassandra Edosada, R.N., Celeste Almira, R.N., and Carmencita Atalig, R.N., manager.
 

Nurses, team overcame pandemic challenges 

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently completed its audit of FHP Home Health and awarded it a Quality of Patient Care Star Rating score of 3.0. This score means FHP Home Health earned the highest score among home health agencies on island. FHP also more than meets the national established quality standards set by the federal government, despite challenges due to the pandemic. 

FHP Home Health, a Medicare certified agency since 2005, provides patients the option to receive medical care at home as recommended by a doctor.

The pandemic caused an increase in the number of patients who preferred to receive care in their home. 

“This ranking by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is especially gratifying due to the challenges that the FHP Home Health nurses and team faced during the pandemic,” said Rose Grino, R.N., health care delivery administrator, FHP Health Center. “Our Home Health team took extra precautions to provide safe, quality, and skilled services to patients in their homes during these difficult times.” 

The 7 measures that are part of the Quality of Patient Star Rating include: 

• timely initiation of care (process measure); 
• improvement in ambulation (outcome measure); 
• improvement in bed transferring (outcome measure); 
• improvement in bathing (outcome measure); 
• improvement in shortness of breath (outcome measure); 
• improvement in management of oral medications (outcome measure); and 
• acute care hospitalization (claims-based) (outcome measure). 

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services also ranks the areas of nursing care, physical therapy, and home health aides. The quality star rating is a tool to identify, compare, and partner with outstanding agencies. 

“COVID-19 tested us more than ever. It was the most challenging time for our nurses and team to provide services without compromising the safety of both our patients and our team,” said Carmencita Atalig, R.N., manager, FHP Home Health. 

FHP Home Health providers are a team of professionals including registered nurses, a licensed practical nurse, home health aide, respiratory therapists, physical therapist, and social workers.