Healthcare Philosophy

At Chesapeake Home Health Care, our focus has always been on providing the very best in home health care of the medically-fragile, medically complex, technology dependent, special needs child, adolescent and young adult.

We believe that:

• The mission, vision and values of Chesapeake Home Health Care provide for excellence in the delivery of compassionate and respectful patient and family centered care.
• The care for each patient and family should be individualized, compassionate, and culturally appropriate.
• We believe each person has the right to high quality health care that acknowledges one’s unique physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual needs.
• We believe each person has the right to privacy, confidentiality, and ethical health care delivery. We respect and support equality of care in the presence of ethical, social and economic diversities in patients and families.

 

Quality Assurance Summary

Chesapeake Home Health Care’s Quality Assurance Plan ensures that our facility clients receive high-quality care, which results in improved services and continuity of care.  Specifically, high-quality care means that:

• Skilled nursing care as ordered on the Medical Plan of Treatment and Nursing Care Plan;
• Assignment and management are appropriate, adequate and consistent with client requirements;
• Skilled services meet professional standards;
• Services provided are recorded in the clinical record and remain confidential.

Chesapeake Home Health Care Quality Assurance Plan covers these areas:

1. Staff screening and hiring practices
2. Orientation to Chesapeake Home Health Care and the Facility
3. Staff Education
4. Appropriate documentation in the clinical record
5. Supervision of services and evaluation of clinician’s/staff work performance

 

Contractual Coverage

Chesapeake Home Health Care Inc. is a residential service agency/healthcare agency licensed by the state of Maryland.  Services are rendered by our skilled nursing staff, which include Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses. All licensed personnel on this contract are the responsibility of the Agency.  Payment of wages, compensations, reimbursement of expenses, federal, state and local tax withholdings, worker’s compensation, social security, Medicare and other employment obligations including continuing education and OSHA requirements.

Confidentiality Agreement

Chesapeake Home Health Care staff understands the importance of observing strict confidential policies and procedures.  During the orientation process an Agreement of Confidentiality is discussed and agreed to uphold by each clinician as it pertains to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and any other information deemed confidential to the clients or facilities we serve. A copy of the signed Agreement of Confidentiality is maintained in the clinician’s personnel file.

Backup Coverage

Chesapeake Home Health Care will make every reasonable attempt to provide the prescribed services, including the use of a backup agency.  A contingency plan will be put in place for each individual patient and recorded in the Plan of Treatment/HCFA-485.

Staff Screening and Hiring Practices

Chesapeake Home Health Care Inc. is committed to developing a clinical service delivery system that is responsive to both client and the clinicians (LPNs and RNs) needs.  We begin with an in-depth and open-ended interview and orientation process that sets in motion the establishment of a professional relationship with each clinician. (Please see reference document L for current policy)

• Pre Screening Interview/Testing
• Current License/Verification of Licensure
• Three (3) satisfactory references
• Appropriate skills inventories, assessment and demonstration of skills
• Initial physical, Annual PPD or CXR, and periodic health statements which provide evidence that clinicians are free of communicable diseases
• Current CPR Training/Certification
• Satisfactory Criminal Background Clearance and fingerprinting
• Personal interview w/DON or ADON
• Supervised work experience

Pre Screening Interview/Testing

Chesapeake’s Human Resource department conducts pre employment screening interviews with each new candidate to determine if the clinician has the qualifications needed to successfully serve our patients.  Once it is determined that the clinician meets our basic threshold of care experience, a test is administered that covers the following:  basic nursing & medical knowledge and medication administration calculations.

Current Licensure/Verification of License

Chesapeake verifies the license of all Healthcare Professionals through the MBON.  Licenses are verified using the online state board look-up or verification system. A current copy of the license verification is maintained in the personnel file at all times.

Three Satisfactory References

Chesapeake requires each applicant to have three (3) satisfactory references that verify previous employment showing pediatric experience, former supervisor and character.  CHHC verifies references promptly by fax, mail and by telephone.

Appropriate Skills Inventories

RNs and LPNs applicants must complete a comprehensive clinical orientation, which includes:

• Infection Control Standards and Universal Precautions In-service
• Preventing Medication Errors In-service
• HIPAA Agreement of Confidentiality Review and Training In-service
• Child Abuse & Neglect In-service
• Medication and Treatment Administration Training and Documentation
• Nursing Documentation Training
• Demonstration of Skills: Medical-Surgical and Pediatric Specialty
• Head-to-Toe Assessments
• Incident Reporting
• Equipment Maintenance

The Director of Nursing uses skills inventories as one criterion for assigning applicants to the clinical practice areas for which the applicant qualifies.

Skills Inventories fall into two categories:  Skills Inventories required for nurse classification (RN & LPN) are:

• Medical-Surgical (Basic Nursing Care – Adults)
• Pediatric Specialty (0-21)

Skills Inventories for Medical-Surgical and Pediatric Specialty include:

• Medication Administration
• Respiratory Functions:
• Respiratory Treatments:
• Gastrointestinal Functions:
• Neurological Disorders
• Mechanical Ventilation:
• Wound Care:
• Infection Control
• General Nursing Duties

Health Statement/Screening of Communicable Disease

Chesapeake requires that each new Clinician verify that he or she is free from evidence of communicable diseases.  A physical examination shall be required upon hire for all employees/independent contractors who provide direct care.  Each new Clinician must present a current statement of satisfactory health, proof of their Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine (HBV) and evidence of a negative Tuberculin Skin Test/PPD Skin Test within the past 6 months before providing direct patient care.  In addition, an Annual TB (Tuberculosis) Surveillance Questionnaire, or annual PPD test, will be completed by all clinicians who provide direct care.

Current CPR Training/Certification

Each applicant is required to present evidence of current CPR training before participating in orientation.  CHHC requires renewal of CPR Certification according to state regulations or guidelines posed by the certifying agency.  All records are kept in individual files and electronically. Upon assignment of a nurse to a case, documentation will proceed or accompany the nurse to the assigned school, if requested.

Criminal Background Clearance

All Healthcare Professionals working in public schools for Chesapeake Home Health Care, are currently required to have the results of a criminal history check on file. This process includes:

1. Fingerprinting
2. A state and Federal criminal background check
3. Employment is contingent upon the satisfactory outcome of the criminal background check.
4. A nurse, who has had a fingerprint-based criminal background check in the previous six months, may be exempt from conducting a duplicate check at the time of hire. 

Personal Interview

As part of the interview process, each applicant completes an application/clinician profile.  Chesapeake Home Health Care’s Director of Nursing and Human Resource department use the application/clinical profile as the basis for interviewing each applicant.

Orientation to Chesapeake Home Health Care and to the Facility

Chesapeake Home Health Care believes that the worker should understand CHHC’s nursing and personnel policies and procedures.  To keep our staff informed, Chesapeake conducts a thorough orientation to our company as part of the application and hiring process.  Orientation is conducted by the Director of Nursing and the Human Resource department, as well as additional staff, who discuss office and nursing policies and procedures respectively.

Chesapeake Home Health Care orientation includes information about the following topics:

• Company mission and vision statement
• Office Organization
• Company basic policies and procedures
• Current licensure and verification requirements for RNs and LPNs (Healthcare Professionals)
• Job description
• Initial and annual health requirements
• Arrival Protocol, Scheduling and Cancellation procedures
• Private Duty/Staffing instructions
• Home/Facility Orientation Policies and Procedures
• Performance evaluations
• Medication Administration examination
• Medication Administration policy guidelines
• Infection control procedures/Universal Precautions
• Home Equipment Policy
• Skills Verification by an Healthcare Professionals
• Skills Assessments and demonstration by an Healthcare Professionals
• Incident Reporting/Unusual occurrence reporting
• CPR and health statement requirements
• CHHC philosophy
• Dress code
• Code of Ethics/Nurse Ethical Responsibilities
• Professional Standards for Nurses
• Safety precautions
• Nurse Documentation policies and procedures
• Complaint protocol
• Continuing education and in-service requirements
• HIPAA statement
• Sexual Abuse/Misconduct Policy
• Payment information and procedures

At the end of the orientation, Chesapeake asks candidates to sign an orientation verification checklist to attest that the items listed on the verification form were covered during the orientation.  Each participant in orientation receives a copy of Chesapeake Home Health Care’s Orientation Handbook.

In addition to an orientation to Chesapeake Home Health Care, our clinical staff receives an orientation to the homes/facilities we serve before being assigned to that home/facility.  Nurses will be advised of where and to whom they report and any special home/facility requirements.

Chesapeake Home Health Care’s staff orientation to a facility will include:

• Providing the facility with a copy of the nurse’s current licensure/license verification (if required)
• Providing the facility with a copy of the nurse’s current CPR Certification (if required)
• Providing the facility with a copy of the nurse’s Criminal Background clearance upon request (if required)
• Providing the facility with a copy of the nurse’s statement of good health (if required)
• Facility Tour
• Parking Information
• Dress Code
• Weekly Timesheet Procedures including (Log-in/Log-out)
• Lunch/Break Periods
• Holiday Schedule
• School Closings
• Point-of-Contact/Facility Supervisor
• Nurse Documentation policies and procedures
• Incident Reporting
• Confidentiality Agreement(s)
• Review and signing of the School Agreement (this agreement is signed annually and/or when the Agreement is revised)

Review and agreement to comply with school system policies, procedures and protocols