Integrate Agency Nurse Staffing For Positive Impact

by Sue Barham | Sep 23, 2021 | Business Intelligence, P&L Strategy

Integrate Agency Nurse Staffing For Positive Impact

The new realities of managing skilled nursing facilities have brought the need for operational efficiencies front and center. The challenge of maintaining appropriate staffing continues as a number one priority – SNF clinical teams and supplemental agency nurses and CNAs are the conduit to the safety and well-being of patients and residents.

How do we find the balance between the existing, available workforce and third-party relief?

Many operators feel they are currently running with a bare minimum nursing team, and not by choice. The pandemic has exemplified just how tough it is to maintain a staff in a healthcare environment. For many SNF operators, it’s a feasible option to enlist outside “agency” nurse assistance.

Yet, the catch-22 of agency staffing is the need for the hours on the floor… but that relief comes at a premium. Compounding the challenge is reconciling the timekeeping, invoice management, and compliance in PBJ reporting.

The key is innovation, and an ability to manage the use of agency with clear strategic intent and financial responsibility. A proactive approach to managing agency nurse staffing provides resiliency and balance.

SNF leaders are looking for ways to have higher visibility into key performance indicators, the ability to act quickly based on evidential data, and to be more connected to operational performance in the facilities. Automation of routine tasks and integrating that data with overall company metrics achieves this flexibility.

Automation and Integration

Prone 2 Dream Technologies specializes in providing healthcare leaders with time-saving efficiencies and automations. Our DreamAgency is a user-friendly app designed to track agency hours – with a simple clockin/clockout right at the facility. When integrated with your timekeeping and payroll metrics, DreamAgency contributes to your daily data story and allows you visibility of the impact every day.

The data collected by the app integrates with the current staff analytics each day to calculate and display hours, rate, HPPD, and total expense – by pay period, by nursing role, by facility. You can quickly identify how much you are spending on agency staffing and the impact on your operation.

The analytic also displays timeclock data for your in-house staff – hours worked, overtime hours, and individual time card data by pay period. Having this intelligence all in one place enables evidence-based decisions and the opportunity for improvement. Plus, having agency nurses’ time integrated with overall daily data enables accurate PBJ reporting, and submission with confidence.

When integrated with your timekeeping and payroll metrics, agency data enables clear insight to your choices – whether it’s more advantageous to use agency staffing or whether these dollars could be redistributed to your own team. You can determine if paying overtime and giving pay increases to existing staff would be a better allocation of resources.

Lastly, DreamAgency tracking creates facility documentation to verify the invoice provided by the vendor.

The integration of DreamAgency data with your company timekeeping system provides daily visibility and insight into goals and performance. To learn more schedule a demo, email contact@prone2dream.com or call (469) 294-5233.

Role Based Access Control for Skilled Nursing Business Intelligence

by Sue Barham | Aug 25, 2021 | Business Intelligence, Financial Dashboards, Skilled Nursing Industry

Data drives decisions, evidence-based decisions.

Yet, in the world of breathtakingly fast data analytics, how can you be certain that only the right people are seeing sensitive data? This is the purpose of Role-Based Control Access (RBAC) also known as Role-Based Security (RBS).

What is Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)?

Each person in an organization has a position or a role. RBAC sets a framework whereby each employee only has access to data that is pertinent to that role. If the individual has responsibility for budget decisions for a specific department, he/she has access to that data only and no access to other departments.

Prone 2 Dream Technologies deploys RBAC for its DreamCORE Dashboards. Skilled Nursing business intelligence is delivered in drillable dashboards with a focus on Census, Overtime, Receivables, and Expenses. These are the CORE of the business and where frontline department leaders are making decisions about how to spend the company’s revenue.

These leaders are expected to contribute to the overall profitability of the company. However, they typically have to wade through data overload by signing into multiple platforms or shuffling multiple spreadsheets to find what they need to make decisions.

DreamCORE Dashboards presents the plethora of skilled nursing data in a logical, relevant format, with infinite views. RBAC narrows the scope to each individual’s frame of reference – he or she only sees the data for areas where they can make an impact. They get the data they need… and ONLY the data they need.

Here’s the RBAC framework for DreamCORE Dashboards:

Examples of Role-Based Access Control

Culinary Manager – Sees payroll, overtime, and department budget adjusted daily per fluctuating census only for the facility’s culinary department

Director of Nursing – Sees payroll, overtime, and department budget adjusted daily per fluctuating census only for the facility’s nursing department. Plus, she sees a daily tracking of her CMS PBJ star rating – data only relevant to her role.

Facility Administrator – Sees all the data relevant to that specific property/location.

Regional Director – Sees all the data for the facilities he oversees.

Executive Team – All the data for all the facilities, as well as corporate financials, P&L, forecasts, Payroll Analysis, and more.

As a result, sensitive data remains secure, and each individual is aware that their focus is different from another within the company. Yet DreamCORE Dashboards provide one version of the truth, updated daily.

Two individuals in different roles, but who have access to the same dashboard page are both seeing the same data. For example, a regional director has a virtual meeting with a facility administrator. They are both seeing that facility’s “green data” – one version of the truth, updated daily.

Benefits of RBAC in DreamCORE Dashboards

Protects sensitive payroll data. Most department leaders need to control schedules and overtime expense, yet need to keep wage rates secure. DreamCORE Dashboards provides that security while allowing leaders to make data-driven decisions.
Protects patient data. DreamCORE Dashboards focus on the financial data of a patient’s stay and it’s only available to certain roles, as defined by executive leadership.
Eliminates data overload at the front line. Narrowing the focus is the first step towards positive outcomes – DreamCORE Dashboards are a tool for front line success.
Ease of change. Individuals’ roles change – whether they are adding responsibilities, moving to a different facility, or getting a promotion, changing access is as easy as contacting our support team.

Learn more about Prone 2 Dream’s Role-Based Security.

The Ease of Single Sign-on

Nobody needs yet another set of login credentials to gain access to their data. Prone 2 Dream is a Microsoft Partner, so with your current Microsoft account, your team simply logs in to their email account and access to their dashboards is a click away.

Our single sign-on feature mitigates the risk in accessing third-party sites, reduces time spent accessing multiple accounts, lowers the total cost of ownership of IT with fewer help desk / support ticket requests, and creates happy users.

Empower your front line leaders

Data drives decisions. If your facilities are wading in data overload or simply don’t have the time to shuffle through their various papers and platforms, book a demo of DreamCORE Dashboards today.

We understand that data can be intimidating, especially to department managers who were hired for their acumen in distinctly different areas. We take pride in providing onboarding and training for your teams and helping them learn to love their numbers.

Your Daily Data Story… the Pulse of Your P&L

by Sue Barham | Aug 11, 2021 | Business Intelligence, Financial Dashboards

What would it mean to your organization to have the pulse of your P&L available to you every morning? Imagine, instead of shuffling multiple reports or clicking through multiple browser screens, one dashboard with the ability to drill down on red flag anomalies highlighted by daily green data.

One-Stop-Shop of Cash Position

DreamCORE Dashboards sort data from your book of record, EHR, and timeclock/payroll system into logical, relevant views every day.

Using real time data enables evidence-based decisions – you can provide clear direction to your teams for growth and improvements.

A daily data story enables confident reports to stakeholders, without any of the heavy lifting of creating custom reports – the pulse of your P&L is available to you every morning, at a glance, with your coffee. Consider the ease of discussions around profitability.

Drill Down into Cash Position

With the click of a button, you have your daily cash analytics – daily deposits, trend by month, by roll up, or by individual facility – this is a bird’s eye view of where you stand today, relative to payroll or other large expenses.

With daily green data, you have one version of the truth. Executive leadership sees the comprehensive view of the organization. Our role-based security protocols keep high level analytics protected. You’re able to share appropriate information with investors, REITs, and stakeholders. And, you can share different, yet appropriate information with your senior leaders. All viewers are seeing the green data, updated daily, one version of the truth, yet the screens that are only relevant to their role in the company.

Payroll Analysis picks up GL code to display daily PPD and dollars PPD

Your comprehensive dashboard is flexible for you to “lock down” to specific views. DreamCORE Dashboards have been designed to enable SNF companies to transform data overload into relevant views. Remove the clutter to drill down into any specific facility, department, even employee timecard – to give you perspective on true action needed. You can confidently make evidence-based decisions.

Having a daily pulse on payroll enables the ability to manage overtime, improve CMS star ratings, improve contractual agreements, and serve your clients to the best possible outcomes.

A facility DON typically doesn’t have an MBA. Nor do your other facility department leaders. Yet, each one is expected to contribute to the profitability of the company. With DreamCORE Dashboards, you equip your regionals and administrators with the mentoring tool so each can manage their department’s numbers to success.

A Daily View of Spending

DreamCORE Dashboards adjust the budget daily based on current census. You have true PPD according to true census, and can drill down by month, facility, and department. With this budget scaling, your regional directors can assist facility leaders to understand and successfully drive toward corporate goals.

Your EBITDA metrics are also calculated, showing your overall daily operating performance. This is an accurate view for investors and other stakeholders.

3 “Reporting Only” Logins and You’re 7 Days Away From Powerful Analytics

While DreamCORE Dashboards are a complex compilation of your critical KPIs, they couldn’t be easier for you to attain and use. Prone 2 Dream Technologies does all the heavy lifting. Deliver us three reporting-only logins and we’ll deliver your dashboards in 7 days. You will have single sign on access with your existing Microsoft account. As Microsoft partners, we host your data in our secure portal, and you can simply open a browser window to view it.

Want to start reading your daily data story? Book a live demo today.

SNF Operators – Reduce Time Chasing Receivables

by Sue Barham | Apr 1, 2021 | Business Intelligence, Financial Dashboards, P&L Strategy, Skilled Nursing Facility

How much of your human capital is being expensed to chasing receivables?

With DreamCORE Dashboards, you have a daily data story showing cash trending and charges trending, shortfall by payer and much more. It’s an at-a-glance daily view of your cash flow status.

When a new patient is admitted, critical data enters the EHR. DreamCORE Dashboards integrate the EHR with your book of record to deliver a logical view of real time receivables.

Having a daily view helps you identify roadblocks that cause receivables to enter the aging status … where they are less likely to be realized. Dream CORE displays historical data to measure trends and provide insight for improvement.

Check out the benefits on the infographic below.

Book a live demo – Grab a spot on our calendar here.

Business Detours? Not A Problem When You Set Your GPS

by Leona Fink | Jan 14, 2021 | Financial Dashboards, P&L Strategy

What if you had a GPS to drive you to maximum profitability?

Why do we like GPS? It not only gives us the best route to our destination, but it also identifies roadblocks in our way. You hear “Accident 12 miles ahead in the right lane, 27-minute delay, exit now to take the alternative route”. The roadblocks are actually reported by other users of the app, and because of their contribution to your journey, you are able to make a timely decision, avoid the pitfall, and arrive on time. Imagine your phone battery was dead on this same trip and this information never reached you – now…here you sit, trying to negotiate the simplest lane change to make an impact…

GPS’s analyze and prioritize data contributions

You develop a roadmap every year, you call it your company’s “budget”. In many ways it is like the “Rand-McNally”, well thought out, achievable, and precise. The day after you publish it, the information begins to move toward irrelevance. Road conditions are constantly changing, unexpected detours, and you must stop to get a true sense of your direction.

There are many line items you can plan for, based on historical data. But you know there will be unknowns as well. The unexpected repair, the inevitable challenges of staffing, the desire to have the next best thing… and an unpredictable revenue stream.

What if you set your budget on a GPS – so that each detour off the path you’ve laid out for maximum profitability signaled an alert? “You’ve headed off-course” giving your leaders a chance to change direction and arrive at the destination. How would that impact your month? Would you be more likely to follow the GPS’ suggestion to get back on the route?

Take a look at DreamCORE Dashboards, a financial GPS solution that reports conditions changes, detours, and the impact that other departments are having on your drive towards maximum profitability.

Recalculating

Revenue not trending the way you expected? DreamCORE integrates your revenue sources and expenses and will auto-adjust your budgets accordingly. How much time and money would this save you? Without this auto-adjusting GPS, you’re waiting for EOM reports, as day after day passes and your spending continues, unmindful. You’re taking the scenic route and buying souvenirs, instead of heading purposefully toward your goal.

Take a skilled nursing facility, with a potential of 100 clients (residents, patients) per day. There are a mix of payers, depending on insurance scenarios, and billing is complex. Yet, the operator can project these reimbursements with DreamCORE and set the goal (GPS) to reach the maximum amount.

The expenses are variable, too. A certain level of staffing is needed to care for 100 patients, of varying skill sets and pay rates from CNA to RN. In addition, CMS regulations must be met to achieve a star rating that will offer the best perception of the home and its reputation. Staffing is always a challenge … and Overtime Happens! The GPS issues an alert to avoid this drain of premium dollars and to change the schedule before it’s too late.

In addition, these clients must receive a sustainable diet, 3 meals a day plus extras. A healthy diet includes many perishable items, so the coordination of numbers of clients and ordering of supplies is a critical projection, but easily managed by the GPS.

Communication and a Team Approach

Looking at each department and how it contributes to the destination needs to be a streamlined communication process. Consider the communication advantages of each department, being able to see what’s happening in the others.

Much like many drivers on the road contributing to a GPS app, an “accident” ahead, such as an unexpected capital expense (the vehicle breaks down on the trip, needs repair and the GPS recalculates), is visible to everyone on the same journey. They’re all working towards the common goal (meeting the projected outcome = bonuses) so adjusting their own spending to benefit the greater good becomes a team approach.

Without the GPS, there’s a communications gap. For example, your Activities director is unaware of the major unexpected expense in Maintenance, so she continues to spend. GPS calculates for the facility success, with the contributions of all departments as baseline.

This example can be applied to any company – you have revenue, which fluctuates. You have expenses, which are also variable. You have a team of leaders, all trying to do their best to contribute to the success of the whole, all responsible and accountable for the expenses their department incurs.

The next time you hop in your car, whether you’re driving 2 miles or 20 or 200, set your GPS and consider its role. You set the destination, and it offers the most direct route (as well as the scenic route). It alerts you to heavy traffic, accidents, and construction (unforeseen obstacles) and provides an estimated time for your journey (results of your choices).

Would having a GPS for operating your company make a difference in your bottom line?

Book a live demo – Grab a spot on our calendar here.

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