What does it take to thrive as a nonprofit hospice care provider? For many of us, thriving includes three important elements: providing an exceptional patient and caregiver experience; supporting staff to do their very best work; and maintaining margins to realize our mission. It’s more challenging than ever to accomplish this latter goal as reimbursement rates flatten and costs escalate. I want to share with you a recent success we have had in realizing significant cost savings by coming together as nonprofit hospice providers.
When California Hospice Network (CHN) was formed by three nonprofit hospice organizations last year, our initial focus was on cost saving strategies. We knew that together as the Network, with a combined workforce of more than 600 benefited employees, there was an opportunity for significant savings on employee healthcare benefits. First and foremost was our commitment to providing a high-quality benefits plan which is key to successfully attracting and retaining an exceptional, skilled workforce.
After an extensive RFP process, we chose our partner and were pleased to offer our employees a more robust benefits package while reducing our costs by 15%. Our new partner worked closely with us to design a healthcare plan that both network affiliates and our employees would find valuable and competitive. Alice Campbell, Principal of Marsh & McLennan Insurance Agency’s Employee Benefits Division explained, “This plan is reflective of CHN’s focus on the employee and I think many organizations will be impressed with what we’ve put together.” It was encouraging to see how pleased our staff was with the additional options and offerings.
California Hospice Network is committed to developing strategies that create long-term economic viability for its member organizations. By focusing on cost management, creating economies of scale, sharing best practices, maximizing talent, and establishing preferred contracts, our affiliates will be prepared for a future with value-based contracting and the Medicare carve-In. We are leveraging the knowledge of our network leaders and utilizing industry experts to navigate the impending regulatory changes and negotiations with new payer sources.
We’re finding success in our strength together and are committed to building a network uniting mission-focused nonprofit hospice organizations. I invite you to reach out to me to learn more about CHN and the benefits to joining this group of leaders dedicated to thriving as nonprofit hospices in California.
Warmly,
Jan Jones, RN, BSN
Chief Executive Officer
California Hospice Network
jjones@cahospicenetwork.org
