RESTON,  VA -  May 1, 2012 – Harmony Information Systems Inc., the leader in integrated health and human services management, announced today that it has launched Harmony for Aging and Adult Services™ Caregiver Direct (Caregiver Direct), a secure, online application that facilitates real-time collaboration between care team members consisting of families, friends and professional caregivers who are providing long-term care support to a consumer.  Caregiver Direct enables care teams to work more effectively improving the quality of long-term care while decreasing the reliance on government-funded services and supports.

“Family members, loved ones, friends, and neighbors are taking a more proactive and involved role in the coordination and planning of long-term care that consumers receive,” said Joan O’Rourke, CIO, Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs.  “Caregiver Direct will help the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to meet the increasing demand and improve the quality of long-term care for each consumer through real-time communication and collaboration among care team members.”

Caregiver Direct enables organizations to easily maintain a consumer-facing application to provide care teams with real-time access to information about the care that a consumer is receiving.  Using a standard Web browser, authorized and credentialed care team members can track and manage service plans, view service schedules, confirm deliveries, conduct self-assessments, and request services or program enrollments.  Caregiver Direct enables care teams to communicate directly with each other and, through a built-in community forum, interact with other Caregiver Direct users to further improve the quality of long-term care for the consumer. Fully integrated with the Harmony for Aging and Adult Services product family, Caregiver Direct is pre-populated with data published directly from Harmony for Aging and Adult Services SAMS Case Management to a secure website accessible to authorized care team members.

“By connecting everyone involved in the care for each consumer, human services organizations will be better equipped to meet the increasing demand for long-term care services and supports,” said Joseph Sander, President and Chief Executive Officer for Harmony.  “Unlike other social caregiving platforms, Caregiver Direct informs all members of a care team of the latest information from care managers, while enabling real-time communication and collaboration between team members and the community of users, improving outcomes and maximizing existing resources.”

The Harmony suite of solutions is rapidly becoming the standard for aging services organizations throughout the country. Harmony for Aging for Aging and Adult Services is the most widely-used solution in the United States for home and community-based care and is relied on by the majority of agencies across the national aging network. The Harmony suite of products make up the only fully integrated suite of off-the-shelf solutions for aging services organizations and their web-based delivery model shortens implementation times, decreases upfront capital expenses and provides anywhere, anytime access by case workers.

Learn more about Caregiver Direct.  Watch a short overview video or register for Harmony’s free, live webinar which will be held on Thursday, May 10^th at 2:00pm Eastern Time.

About Harmony

Harmony Information Systems Inc., (Harmony), the leader in integrated health and human services management, provides off-the-shelf solutions for managing the delivery of home- and community-based, long-term care.  The company’s proven, end-to-end solutions automate the delivery of care to seniors and disabled consumers ensuring that a larger percentage of care recipients can receive care in the community by increasing service delivery efficiency, ensuring compliance with funding source requirements, and enabling consumer-driven delivery models.   Harmony’s software-as-a-service-based solutions are used by more than 900 state, local and private provider human services organizations. For more information on Harmony products and solutions, visit www.harmonyis.com or call us at 866.951.2219.

While every implementation is unique, each state faces similar challenges and surprises.  We’ve created a list of five things states need to keep in mind when implementing Money Follows the Person initiatives.

1. Who will cover the cost of daily living when the consumer returns to their home and community? There are many costs associated with living at home that are not covered by MFP grants: over-the-counter medicines, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc.  Quite often, these costs are not factored into a state’s plan for MFP, but covering some of these costs can greatly impact the success of the program.  One state we work with has added a separate fund for daily living to account for these extra costs.
2. Reporting, Reporting, Reporting – A top priority for CMS, reporting is quite often the most anxiety-ridden element for states.  States need to keep reporting at the top of their minds from the very beginning of the implementation process and build processes and systems that will support accurate and timely collection of data for mandated reports.  Again, each state addresses this differently.  From what we’ve seen, those states that implement a comprehensive database to manage all of the data have the easiest time submitting accurate and timely reports.
3. MFP and Care Transitions Goals Closely Linked – The purpose of both MFP and Care Transitions programs is to successfully transition individuals who choose to live in communities out of institutions.  Given the similarities between the two programs, several states are considering implementing a single system to manage both programs.  Specifically, one system that can track participants in either or both programs that also enables accurate and timely reporting.   By doing this, states can significantly decrease both cost and time required to effectively administer these programs.
4. Scaling Requires Automation – For states that rely on manual, paper-based case management, tracking all the documentation required to successfully manage MFP can be challenging and consumes time and resources better spent on transitioning people back into the community.  States should consider taking advantage of an off-the-shelf system to automate paper-based processes that can be quickly implemented and integrated into business processes.
5. Cross-departmental management may slow progress – MFP was created to assist those with physical disabilities, intellectual or developmental disabilities, the elderly, and others.  This often requires coordination across multiple state agencies and multiple provider agencies, which can slow progress and lead to fewer transitions.  Systems that enhance communications between these agencies will ensure that more people benefit from the MFP program.

Watch this on-demand presentation to learn how states are using technology to rapidly realize the goals of Money Follows the Person.

This one-of-a-kind conference is the largest gathering of aging and adult services professionals with a specific focus on technology that enables organizations to serve more with existing resources via home- and community-based approaches to care.

Harmony customers can register by June 30, 2012 to take advantage of an early bird discount on normal conference rates. For more information please click here.

Wyle described his participation in the ADAPT protest as a way “to bring attention to the Medicaid cuts that have been made by many states and are threatened to be made on a federal level.” He and protesters believe that the proposed one-third cut to federal Medicaid spending would reduce home- and community-based services, increasing the need for institutionalization or nursing-home care.

In an interview with CNN, Wyle explained that “to institutionalize a disabled American costs four times as much than to give assistance for independent living. This issue is about civil rights, not about medicine. People who have the ability to live in integrated, affordable and accessible housing should have the right to do so.”

The protesters expressed great concern that they could be destined to rely on nursing-home care due to the shrinking budget for in-home services. “This effort is to end the longstanding bias of the Medicaid system toward institutions and away from community care,” Wyle explained.

To read the full article, visit: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/23/us/medicaid-protest/index.html

Division/Department: Customer Service Department

Location: 25 New England Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452

Reports to: Director, Customer Care

Type of position: Full-time

Requires contact with customers: Yes (%100)

Hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm, M – F

Requires travel: No. Minimal travel between Harmony offices or an occasional customer site. Approximately 2 times/year.

General Description:

Harmony has an immediate need for a Customer Service Representative (CSR). Hard working, organized, and previous CSR experience will be keys to success with Harmony’s customer care organization. In this role, the Harmony CSR will be responsible for ensuring Harmony’s customers receive the care, training, and support they need to effectively utilize a wide-range of Harmony products. The CSR will be required to solve problems and investigate/resolve a wide variety of issues and customer requests that will include gathering information, setting expectations, and working with other internal departments to ultimately resolve each issue to the customer’s satisfaction. Additionally, the CSR will be expected to fully document each customer interaction within the ticketing system and will route, maintain, and track outstanding support requests and provide thorough follow-up. The CSR will be held accountable for the successful resolution of all customer requests.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Answer incoming calls accurately, efficiently, and within service levels
• Listen and respond appropriately to customer inquiries
• Comprehensive documentation for every customer interaction within the company ticketing system
• Excellent attendance is critical to the success of supporting our products and overall business
• Use active listening, probing, play-back, and style-matching skills to evaluate the customer’s needs
• Perform comprehensive troubleshooting on customer issues including data collection, issue recreation, reviewing documentation or asking internal subject matter experts
• Focus on providing the customer continuous status updates throughout the remediation process
• Educates the customers on features, benefits, and use of all company products and services
• Ensures quality service through accuracy and the commitment to first-contact resolution
• Represent Harmony in a professional and positive manner at all times
• Demonstrate courtesy and patience in customer relations
• Perform additional duties such as special projects, customer outreach campaigns, participate in customer user groups, etc as assigned
• Keep management informed of problems/concerns that could potentially diminish service effectiveness
• Ability to work overtime as needed
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Minimum experience:

• Experience in a customer service or call center position, handling inbound telephone calls and direct customer interaction.
• Bachelor Degree strongly preferred
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including grammar and voice quality.
• Customer service knowledge with problem resolution skills
• Accuracy and attention to detail required
• Strong technical aptitude with preference given to those with strong Microsoft Windows and SQL Server Database skills
• Ability to work under pressure accomplishing multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to work independently and as a team player
• Willingness to follow departmental policy and procedures
• Must be able to work a flexible work schedule, with some holidays and overtime required
• Positive attitude, enthusiasm, professionalism and a high level of integrity and ethics.
• Experience with NetSuite a plus.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management

About Harmony Information Systems, Inc.

Harmony Information Systems Inc., (Harmony), the leader in integrated health and human services management, provides comprehensive solutions that enable organizations to manage growing consumer caseloads with existing resources. The company’s end-to-end solutions manage the delivery of care for elders and intellectually disabled persons, enabling organizations to maximize outcomes while increasing service delivery efficiency, ensuring compliance with funding requirements, and automating Medicaid waiver processes. Harmony products are used by more than 900 state, local, and private provider human service organizations to manage both traditional and consumer-directed models of service.

New features of OmbudsManager V3.0 include:

• Streamlined data entry and workflow processes
• Enhanced reporting capabilities and filtering
• Enriched User Interface and Usability
• Improved compliance with NORS reporting requirements
• Customer-requested enhancements to application and reports

The Harmony suite of solutions is rapidly becoming the standard for aging services organizations throughout the country. Harmony OmbudsManager is used by over half the state Ombudsman programs in the country for nursing home complaint management.

Learn more about this announcement here.

Reston, VA -  April 19, 2012 – Harmony Information Systems Inc., the leader in integrated health and human services management, announced today Harmony OmbudsManager Version 3.0 (OmbudsManager V3.0), an enhanced version of the market-leading web-based solution built specifically for nursing home complaint management and federal National Ombudsman Reporting System (NORS) compliance. This new version will enable users to streamline data entry and workflow processes improving user productivity.

“OmbudsManager V3.0 was created by working hand-in-hand with our community of users to enable ombudsmen and volunteers do even more with very limited resources,” said Joseph Sander, President and Chief Executive Officer for Harmony.  “Through this close partnership with our users, I am confident that the newest release of our market-leading OmbudsManager solution will further enable ombudsmen to more effectively manage nursing home complaints, meet federal NORS reporting requirements, and  improve the quality of care and quality of life for facility residents.”

New features of OmbudsManager V3.0 include:

• Streamlined data entry and workflow processes
• Enhanced reporting capabilities and filtering
• Enriched user interface and usability
• Improved compliance with NORS reporting requirements
• Customer-requested enhancements to application and reports

The Harmony suite of solutions is rapidly becoming the standard for aging services organizations throughout the country. Harmony OmbudsManager is used by over half the state Ombudsman programs in the country for nursing home complaint management.  Harmony for Aging for Aging and Adult Services is the most widely-used solution in the United States for home and community-based care and is relied on by the majority of agencies across the national aging network. The Harmony suite of products make up the only fully integrated suite of off-the-shelf solutions for aging services organizations and their web-based delivery model shortens implementation times, decreases upfront capital expenses and provides anywhere, anytime access by case workers.

Learn more about the Harmony OmbudsManager solution at: http://www.harmonyis.com/products/ombudsmanager.php.

About Harmony

Harmony Information Systems Inc., (Harmony), the leader in integrated health and human services management, provides comprehensive solutions that enable organizations to manage growing consumer caseloads with existing resources. The company’s end-to-end solutions manage the delivery of care for elders and intellectually disabled persons, enabling organizations to maximize outcomes while increasing service delivery efficiency, ensuring compliance with funding requirements, and automating Medicaid waiver processes. Harmony products are used by more than 900 state, local, and private provider human service organizations to manage both traditional and consumer-directed models of service. For more information on Harmony products and solutions, visit www.harmonyis.com or call us at 866.951.2219.

Through this integration, Harmony will provide our users with an option to incorporate the following interRAI components into their existing workflows directly within the SAMS console:

• interRAI Assessments, including the interRAI Home Care (interRAI HC) and interRAI Community Health Assessment (interRAI CHA),
• interRAI-compliant Data Extract Capabilities
• All 27 Clinical Assessment Protocols (CAPs)/Scales
• Trigger Reports
• Cross-assessment Outcome Reports

interRAI instruments, developed by a global research network, are based on a common language and set of assessment items that are considered to be important in all care settings. By using common measures, clinicians and providers are able to improve continuity of care and integrate care and supports for each individual.

Learn more about this announcement here.

RESTON, VA – April 5, 2012 – Harmony Information Systems Inc., the leader in integrated health and human services management, announced today the incorporation of interRAI Instruments into Harmony for Aging and Adult Services SAMS Case Management (SAMS).  The optional functionality allows SAMS users to seamlessly leverage interRAI instruments (including the interRAI assessments and algorithms) within their existing workflows to determine eligibility, assess care needs, and create customized care plans.

“We are pleased to offer our customers access to standardized assessments to aid in determining eligibility and creating comprehensive and evidence-based care plans,” said Joseph Sander, President and Chief Executive Officer for Harmony. “By integrating the interRAI instruments into our industry-leading Harmony for Aging and Adult Services suite of solutions, our customers are able to standardize the assessment process using the proven interRAI solutions, make evidence-based care decisions, and improve the continuity of services to enhance the quality of home- and community-based care delivered to consumers.”

Through this integration, Harmony will provide its users with an option to incorporate the following interRAI components into their existing workflows directly within the SAMS console:

• interRAI Assessments, including the interRAI Home Care (interRAI HC) and interRAI Community Health Assessment (interRAI CHA)
• interRAI-compliant Data Extract Capabilities
• All 27 Clinical Assessment Protocols (CAPs)/Scales
• Trigger Reports
• Cross-assessment Outcome Reports

interRAI instruments, developed by a global research network, are based on a common language and set of assessment items that are considered to be important in all care settings. By using common measures, clinicians and providers are able to improve continuity of care and integrate care and supports for each individual.

Harmony for Aging and Adult Services is a modular software solution built specifically to enable agencies, providers, caregivers, and loved ones to collaboratively meet the needs of consumers and easily comply with funding-source requirements.  Harmony automates Medicaid waiver programs, helps organizations optimize all available resources, provides Older Americans Act reporting compliance, and measures outcomes to accelerate rebalancing and meet the requirements of all funding sources.

About Harmony

Harmony Information Systems Inc., (Harmony), the leader in integrated health and human services management, provides comprehensive solutions that enable organizations to manage growing consumer caseloads with existing resources. The company’s end-to-end solutions manage the delivery of care for elders and intellectually disabled persons, enabling organizations to maximize outcomes while increasing service delivery efficiency, ensuring compliance with funding requirements, and automating Medicaid waiver processes. Harmony products are used by more than 900 state, local, and private provider human service organizations to manage both traditional and consumer-directed models of service. For more information on Harmony products and solutions, visit www.harmonyis.com or call us at 866.951.2219.

This is a conference we look forward to every year, and with this year’s conference right in our backyard, we were happy to welcome so many customers and friends to Washington, DC.

It’s a highlight of any conference to spend time with so many of our customers at one time.  Thanks to all of our customers for stopping by the booth to say hello.

Below are a few photos from our spot at the conference.

A group of conference attendees taking in a demonstration of Harmony's solutions.

Anthony captivates his audience during a demonstration of Harmony’s Money Follows the Person solution.

A happy Harmony customer

The 2013 Aging in America Conference will be held March 12 – March 16 in Chicago.  We hope to see you all there!