A Discussion with Homecare Association of Louisiana CEO Warren Hebert About the COVID-19 Crisis

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, the home health community works tirelessly to protect patients, front-line home health workers, and the communities we serve. Home healthcare agencies are uniquely qualified to treat individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 due to their experience in caring for vulnerable populations with disabilities and multiple chronic conditions, and with more Americans becoming vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, home health represents a safe and available care setting.

The Partnership recently spoke with Warren Hebert, CEO of the Homecare Association of Louisiana, about how home health providers in his state are responding during this public health crisis.

We asked Warren the following questions:

• What are your overall observations about how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted home health patients and providers? (0:32)

• What are home health providers in Louisiana doing to reach at-risk populations who are most vulnerable to COVID-19? (6:30)

• Any innovative approaches being used by providers to reach patients who are hesitant to allow care providers into their home due to fears of exposure? (9:20)

• What are home health providers doing to partner with hospitals or other post-acute care providers to transition COVID-19 patients safely from the hospital to the home? (12:00)

• What more can Congress and the Administration do to support home health providers? (13:49)
  
  
• The lessons learned during the COVID-19 crisis will inform the future of healthcare delivery well past the pandemic. How do you think COVID-19 will change our healthcare system going forward? (16:25)

• Anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to add today? (18:15)

While Congress and CMS have taken significant steps to provide regulatory relief to enable expanded access to home health and ensure patient safety, more must be done to fully unleash home health in the fight against COVID-19. Send an email now asking your policymakers to optimize the use of this skilled care during the pandemic.