Consulting Firms/Consultant ??

[meagansmom]

I have never been at an agency where a consulting firm has been hired until now.

I assumed that would mean that there would be a live person there basically on a day to day basis???

In this situation the "man" comes in maybe 1 day a week meets with the supervisors makes changes and leaves. He has been hired for a few months now and is about to take his 4th to 5th 2 week vacation.

Our home health in my opinion is falling apart while he gets paid to do it.

I have found another job and turned in my notice but I do feel bad for everyone there and hate to leave, I have been there 9 years.

Anyone have any consultant experiences to share?

[caliotter3]

In all cases where consultants have come in I have found this to happen when the stuff has hit the fan and the current administrative people are doing everything possible to protect their jobs as long as it takes to get another job elsewhere. I have only seen one consultant worth his salt. During a time of great duress, our DON called in a pharmacy rep to give an inservice on med administration. I learned more from him and the handout he provided, in one or two hours, than I learned in all of nursing school. The thing about consultants, you can almost bet that the smart employees are out there actively seeking new jobs while the consultants "consult". When you see them, its time to reevaluate your own job security.

[erroridiot]

"Consultants" come in many different degrees of quality and knowledge base. Almost anyone can start a consulting business. They charge enormous fees or take a percent of the profit. When they take a percent of the profit, they can become ruthless.

I have been exposed to and worked with numerous HHC consultants. The most useful information I gained from exposure to a consultant is this: There are many old wives' tales circulating in home health care. Verify what you are told with CMS and you can't go wrong. Just because something is published, taught at a seminar or repeated time and again does not make it true. Another consultant taught me to code properly and how much money you get or get taken away under certain circumstances. When you can look at an OASIS like an auditor and know what surveyors look for (and which ones are corrupt), you are in a position to help a floundering agency.

Sadly, as in any profession, there are consultants taking money and giving bad directions.

One of the first things I ask when I'm interviewing or even before I go on an interview is: Who is the consultant? If the name is _______, then I know I can find a more suitable place to work.

There are some excellent consultants available for HHC who really know what they are doing. They are not necessarily the most popular or widely used consultants available. Like atrracts like. Administrators and owners do not hire or keep people around who do not tell them what they want to hear.

Unfortunately, it is hard to find good help these days.