2017 Caris Representative and Administrator Leadership Development Institute

Caris Representatives and Administrators heard from the Caris executive and regional leadership team during a recent two-day training session in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Caris Representative and Administrator Leadership Development Institute (LDI) is one way our management team assesses and remains connected to the approach our offices share in providing hospice care with grace.

Caris Representatives participated in targeted sessions designed to ensure they act as strong, ethical advocates for access to high-quality end-of-life care.  Jennifer Yonke, East Regional Director of Clinical Care for Caris Healthcare, provided training on Local Coverage Determination (LCD) Guidelines for hospice admission. This knowledge positions Caris Representatives as a consultant, educator and resource for their respective communities.

Caris Representative Trena Wyatt noted, “The information I received during the Leadership Development Institute was very beneficial.  As a Caris Representative, all of the knowledge I receive from Caris is spread throughout my community. My job is to effectively and compassionately communicate the benefits of hospice and Caris. I appreciate Caris’ investment in my education on the hospice benefit.”

Caris Administrators reviewed patient outcomes, such as patient satisfaction and other quality measures. For many consecutive years, Caris ranks above the nation in key performance indicators, including pain and symptom management, according to Strategic Healthcare Programs, LLC. Starting in 2017, Medicare will publish these quality measures, comparing outcomes data against national benchmarks. Caris Administrators also looked into various aspects of operations, such as effectively managing employees and running a time saving, productive meeting.

Senior Vice President of Operations Brad Rector who played a key role in preparation for the two-day meeting said, “Our goal at the Leadership Development Institute is to communicate our vision, mission and values, while simultaneously communicating our investment in the success of every employee at Caris Healthcare. I am always happy to meet the employees across our company. These training sessions give us the opportunity to get together, share ideas and re-focus on being a World Class Hospice.”