Q&A: Home healthcare company trying to keep patients safe and at home
Milka Njoroge
Milka Njoroge is CEO of Worcester home healthcare agency Century Homecare. She spoke with WBJ on April 2 about how her firm was navigating the coronavirus pandemic, as her workers mostly deal with vulnerable patients who have a variety of medical needs.
What has been the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on your businesses?
Like many businesses and healthcare providers in particular, the coronavirus pandemic has impacted us in ways unimaginable. We are learning and adjusting every day depending on information we are receiving.
Do you have fewer customers? More? The same?
So far, we have maintained the same number of patients, but have had to implement telehealth visits for patients who qualify and have limited the in-person visits to patients who need hands on care. Implementing telehealth visits reduces the risk of virus transmission while ensuring patients still get the care that they need.
How have your revenues been impacted?
Things have been happening so fast that it is hard to determine the revenue impact at this time. We have needed to invest on obtaining personal protective equipment for our staff’s protection, which needs to be constantly replenished. The reimbursement levels have not been revised though MassHealth is reviewing reimbursement levels for providers affected by this pandemic. My hope is the revised reimbursement will help cover the increased costs.
Has the size of your workforce changed? Less or more?
Currently, there is not much change to the workforce though we have a few staff under self-quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19. As we expect the COVID-19 cases to peak, we might see more staff, their families and our patients being affected which will impact our workforce.
What measures have you taken to ensure the safety of your staff and clients?
Our staff currently perform a daily self-symptom assessment before they see patients. This is a questionnaire that comes back to the office and is reviewed and tracked by our human resources team. If the staff has any positive COVID-19 symptoms, they are instructed to contact their supervisor immediately and not see patients.
Before a patient visit, the staff, contacts the patient via phone and performs the COVID-19 symptom assessment. If the patient is positive for symptoms or exposure, the staff is to contact the clinical manger in the office to discuss the best approach in caring for that patient.
We have implemented telehealth visits for patients who are appropriate which reduces person to person contact.
Our staff now has personal protective equipment, which was not available in the past. This PPE availability means our staff can now provide care to most patients in the community in a way that ensures their safety.
What has been the hardest aspect of this crisis?
From my perspective as the CEO, the hardest thing at the beginning was filtering through all the information, figuring out how to ensure staff safety with limited PPE availability in order to continue providing care to our patients.
Currently, the hardest thing is anticipating COVID-19 impact to our workforce and how that will affect both our staff and our patients.
What kindness have you seen in this crisis?
My staff and I have witnessed so much kindness. We’ve had volunteers sew handmade masks for our staff, companies donate face shields after a phone call, staff checking on each other and so much more. Ultimately, I have seen the selflessness of my field staff who have focused on caring for patients even when putting their safety at risk.
How is your company trying to help?
Century is trying to stay current with all the information coming from all the regulatory bodies and implementing as soon as possible. We are paying close attention to any provisions to help support our staff during this time. We are also keeping in touch with our field staff to know what they are experiencing and how we can best support them during this time. Providing PPE to our field staff has also helped ensure their safety and allowing our office staff to work from home has been a plus
Anything else to add?
Home health care is key to our healthcare infrastructure. As we stand in the dawn of this pandemic, it has become even more evident the critical role home health providers play in keeping patients at home. We care for compromised patients who are at risk of developing COVID-19 illness. A big shout out to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services for their willingness to share resources, information, and for considering innovative ways to care for patients during this pandemic. They have been good partners.
This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Editor Brad Kane.
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