Lakeport >> The board of directors of Hospice Services of Lake County (HSLC) voted on Thursday to outsource much of its routine administrative work.
The decision came after months of planning and strategizing on how HSLC will meet the increase in mandated reporting and other requirements from Medicare, while not diminishing its services
Over the last few years, Medicare has increased administrative requirements for hospice agencies, but not increased funding to match. Without changes, these administrative burdens, would cut into funds previously directed toward patient care.
“These requirements without offsetting reimbursement puts a strain on hospices like ours,” stated Corrigan Gommenginger, executive director of HSLC. “These mandates take funds away from patient care, which is against what this organization has been about for over 35 years.”
There has been a push nationwide for hospice agencies to create shared services with each other to make independent, nonprofit agencies like HSLC stronger and maintain focus on patient care. Through the Northern California Hospice Coalition, of which HSLC is a member, Gommenginger was able to contract with another hospice agency to provide oversight of the finance and human resource functions of the agency.
Four administrative positions have been eliminated. Gommenginger has planned a period of transition over the next six weeks giving time to finalize open projects and reassign tasks and duties previously handled by the administrative professionals. He stated that this arrangement does not symbolize any agency shortcomings or failures, or any sort of merger. He pointed out that the changes, while difficult, are a sign of leadership on the part of the organization to adapt to the changes in its industry and better prepare HSLC for the future.
