Authors

  1. SAWYER, PAMELA P. BSN, RN, MHA

Article Content

Today, more than ever, the interaction between home care clinicians and managers, and community partners such as hospitals, health departments, physicians, caregiver groups, and disease support groups is central to maintaining the health of people in a community. The threat of terrorist attacks, the declining number of nurses, and the continual decline in reimbursement dollars for home care services are only a few of the challenges we all face.

 

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This year's VNAA 21st Annual Meeting, "Partnering for Strength," April 23-25, 2003, at the Fountainebleu Hilton Resort in Miami will offer keynote speakers, workshops, poster presentations, and roundtable discussions designed to keep home care healthy and thriving.

 

VNAA believes education is the key to excellent patient care. It is our passion and commitment to bring home care professionals the most up-to-date educational workshops at the annual meeting and throughout the year. Educational offerings from the annual meeting include the following:

 

The Nursing Shortage: This crisis has demanded that managers find new ways to combat the issue while maintaining high-quality patient care.

 

1. Understanding the reasons behind the shortage is the theme of the "Home Care Nursing at a Critical Crossroad" session.

 

2. At the "Building the Best of the Best" workshop, home care managers will learn how to provide career and growth opportunities for nurses and increase patient satisfaction.

 

3. Learning how to support home care leaders of today and develop leaders for the future will be the topic at the "Evolving Home Care Leader" luncheon.

 

Bioterrorist Threats: Prepare to learn how to update your disaster plan-what you and your staff need to do and how you can work closely with your community partners to be ready.

 

Data, Data, Data: OASIS, benchmarking, compliance reports, ICD-9 coding, and patient satisfaction surveys are more than paperwork burdens. The meeting will offer workshops on how to take all this valuable data and translate it into improving patient care by demonstrating best practices using these data.

 

Clinical Issues: Workshops on topics such as "Bridging the Gap Between Pediatric Inpatient Care," "Caring for Persons with Disabilities," and "The Challenge of Integrating Palliative into Home Care" keep clinicians updated with the newest information.

 

Technology: Learn and see how technology can improve care management for your patients with cardiac diagnoses and diabetes.

 

 

Meet Us in Miami, the conference offering continuing education contact hours for workshops, is open to all home care professionals working in the non-profit home care sector.

 

For more information on the association, publications, meetings, and any other questions, contact:

 

VNAA

 

11 Beacon Street,

 

Suite 910

 

Boston, MA 02108

 

(617) 523-4042 voice

 

(617) 227-4843 fax

 

http://www.vnaa.org