Summer is a season of warmth, renewal, and opportunity for many hospice programs.
As the days grow longer and communities become more active, it’s the perfect time for
hospice providers to expand their outreach and strengthen the backbone of their
operations—accurate billing. Utilizing a complete hospice management suite can
significantly streamline these crucial administrative tasks. Summer engagement isn’t
just about offering more services or planning feel-good events; it’s a strategic
opportunity to foster deeper connections with patients and families while reinforcing the
integrity of compliance and financial processes.
Making the Most of Summer: Why Seasonal Engagement Matters
Hospice programs thrive when care goes beyond the basics of symptom management.
Summer provides a natural backdrop for outdoor visits, family-centered activities, and
special programming that can dramatically improve patient quality of life. For patients
with limited mobility or those in residential care, even small seasonal touches, such as
bringing in fresh flowers, hosting virtual garden tours, or organizing ice cream socials,
can be deeply impactful.
Moreover, summer often brings more family members into town. Loved ones may be
more available to participate in care planning, provide input, or simply spend meaningful
time with the patient. Hospice teams can use this increased family presence to enhance
care coordination, educate on services, and identify unmet needs. This visibility also
makes it an ideal time to reassess care plans and ensure documentation aligns with
patients’ evolving conditions.
Expanding Services Thoughtfully
Expanding services doesn’t necessarily mean adding costly or complex offerings.
Instead, it’s about identifying gaps in the patient experience and meeting those needs in
creative, compassionate ways. Consider the following summer-oriented enhancements:
● Therapeutic Activities: Introduce seasonal music therapy sessions, guided
outdoor meditation, or art therapy using summer themes.
● Volunteer Programs: Increase volunteer engagement with summer-specific
opportunities like organizing picnics, leading craft sessions, or facilitating visits.
● Family Engagement Events: Host educational sessions for caregivers on grief
processing, symptom recognition, or navigating hospice benefits.
The key is to maintain a patient-centered approach. Leveraging a complete hospice
management suite can help ensure that all services provided are accurately
documented and billed. Every new offering should be meaningful to enhance the
experience and ensure services are compliant and justifiable from a billing perspective.
Billing Accuracy: The Backbone of Summer Growth
While summer expansion sounds positive, billing practices must keep pace. The more
services you provide, the more complex the documentation becomes, and the higher
the risk of errors. Inaccurate billing can lead to costly audits, delayed reimbursements,
and reputational damage.
Here’s how hospice programs can keep billing tight, even amid increased seasonal
activity:
1. Staff Education
Make sure clinical and administrative teams are aligned on documentation standards.
Summer is a good time to schedule refresher training on billing codes, eligibility criteria,
and Medicare/Medicaid compliance.
2. Service Documentation
For every seasonal program or new initiative, ensure it’s supported by proper
documentation with a hospice management suite. Did a volunteer-led nature walk
contribute to the patient’s emotional well-being? Document that. Was a new therapy
integrated based on patient feedback? Explain it in the chart.
3. Regular Internal Audits
Conduct mid-summer spot audits to identify discrepancies before they snowball. This
proactive approach helps catch minor issues and prevents them from becoming
systemic problems.
4. Use Technology to Streamline
Leverage EHR (Electronic Health Record) systems to automate prompts for
documentation or integrate new services smoothly. Some platforms even offer billing
accuracy checks and real-time compliance alerts.
Collaboration Between Clinical and Billing Teams
Perhaps one of the most overlooked strategies is cross-functional communication. Too
often, clinical and billing teams operate in silos. Summer initiatives provide a great
reason to bring these teams together. If a nurse implements a new relaxation program,
the billing staff should understand what it is, why it's provided, and how it fits within
covered services. Conversely, if billing notices a spike in unbillable services, they can
flag it in time to adjust program design.
Encouraging collaboration ensures that summer expansions don’t just feel good—they
function efficiently and compliantly.
Conclusion
Summer engagement in hospice care is more than a seasonal nicety—it’s a strategic
touchpoint to deepen relationships, elevate patient experiences, and reinforce best
practices. By thoughtfully expanding services and doubling down on billing accuracy,
hospice programs can make the most of this vibrant season while staying rooted in
compliance and compassion. When summer winds down, patients and providers will
feel the difference a mindful approach can make.
