The managed care environment has exerted sustained financial pressure on
small independent home care agencies, who have had an increasingly
difficult time negotiating contracts with payors and surviving the
reimbursement squeeze. From 1992 through last year, a virtual feeding
frenzy of acquisitions ensued, not to mention large-scale mergers. The
impact of aquisitions or mergers is felt by everyone involved with those
home care companies. Linda K. Brooks, RN, JD and I, Joanne Kocourek, RN
are in the process of learning from those individuals impacted by an
acquisition or merger what specific impact that process had on you. Please
take a few moments to complete the following survey and return it via email
to jskocour(AT) midway.uchicago.edu. Thank you for assisting with this
project.
1. What type of agency do/did provide services within your home: Free
standing/hospital based? For profit/Not for profit? Provision of skilled
intermittent visits, private duty care, and/or durable medical equipment?
2. When did the merger or acquisition occur?
3. What were the positive aspects of this process?
4. What were the negative aspects of this process?
5. How and at what time in relation to the process were you notified of the
merger or acquisition?
6. Your expectations from the change in ownership were which of the following:
a) smooth transition, b) staffing security, c) reliability of service,
d) rocky transition, e) loss of staffing security, f) loss of reliability
in service received, g) minimal changes in operating procedures,
h)many changes in operating procedures, i) other
7. Which of your expectations were met? Which were not?
8. Do you currently utilize home care services? Same or different company?
9. Additional comments?
Would you be so kind as to post this survey to any other lists that you
subscribe to that might encompass families that utilize home health care
services? Thank you for your consideration and assistance.
Joanne Kocourek
The University of Chicago
jskocour(AT)midway.uchicago.edu