Streamlining Order Processes in Florida and Ohio

Meeting Summary

The meeting focused on streamlining the order and ABN (Advance Beneficiary Notice) processes for Florida and Ohio. Key decisions and steps were discussed to address immediate issues with Florida orders due to specific patient population challenges and further align Florida and Ohio processes for uniformity. However, it was determined not to integrate electronic ABNs immediately due to pending order type updates and ongoing projects.

Important Points and Decisions

• Immediate Changes to Florida Orders: To address current challenges, immediate modifications are being implemented for Florida orders.

• Consolidation of Orders: The ultimate goal is to consolidate orders between Florida and Ohio to ensure consistency and efficiency. However, electronic ABNs won’t be added to Florida’s process right away due to the absence of specific visit types and ongoing revisions to their orders.

• Manual Process for ABNs: For now, both states will continue to manage ABNs manually since integrating electronic ABNs is not feasible without the finalized order types.

• Discussion on Future Plans:

  • Order Evaluation and Updates: There are plans to evaluate and update the orders, particularly for nutrition services, that exist in both regions. A long-term project may involve consolidating these into a standard order applicable to all services enterprise-wide.
  • Next Steps and Future Meetings: The discussion concluded with the decision to revisit the consolidation process in 4-6 weeks or parallel to other ongoing projects. This would allow for checking the progress of integrating functions across services and potentially accelerating the project.

• Panel for Nutrition Orders: A specific panel based on the referral to nutrition services is being considered to facilitate the integration of different nutrition-related orders, like transplant and oncology nutrition.

• Concerns Over Delay in Implementation: There was a significant concern about delays in implementation affecting patient follow-ups. Therefore, quick consolidation was ruled out for now to avoid disrupting already scheduled processes.

• Project Approvals and Reviews: Future meetings for project approvals and reviews are being scheduled, including discussions with other stakeholders to determine the breadth of the consolidation and the specific needs of the project.

• Governance and Oversight: An upcoming review and possibly revival of the ABN workgroup to oversee and ensure alignment with governance requirements.

Action Items

1. Monitoring and Reporting: Regular monitoring of the changes and their effects on both Florida and Ohio processes.
2. Engagement with Stakeholders: Continuous engagement with stakeholders across both states to ensure alignment and gather feedback.
3. Scheduled Follow-Up Meeting: Next meeting scheduled for 4-6 weeks to review progress and decide further actions.
4. Integration Check: Verify the successful integration of services and orders during the consolidation process to avoid disruptions.

Final Note

It was agreed to keep the momentum going and avoid any delays that could push back the project timelines or affect patient care. The team expressed a commitment to ensuring a smooth transition to consolidated orders and the potential future integration of electronic ABNs.