What's New in AWARDS
The following new features, enhancements, and updates will be available in your AWARDS database beginning on Wednesday, January 12th. Once you’ve had a chance to try these new features out, please let us know how they work for you. We welcome your feedback!
AWARDS Resource Center - A New and Improved Help System!
AWARDS Online Help has been replaced with a shiny new and improved system, which we're calling the AWARDS Resource Center. Some highlights of this new system include:
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"Bucketed" information - The new Resource Center is broken down into “buckets” of information - a Getting Started Guide, Users Guide, and Administrator Guide - so you don’t have to wade through information that might not be applicable to you.
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Better searching - The search feature will now be front and center as soon as you access the Resource Center and will provide more robust and flexible searching. The Search tool also accounts for the buckets into which the Resource Center is broken, allowing you to search the entirety of the system or an individual guide.
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Quick access to new features info - The Resource Center’s top navigation bar includes easy access to each of the “buckets” of information noted above and also provides a quick way to jump into a description of what’s new in AWARDS so that you can stay up to date on the latest and greatest functionality.
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More flexible navigation - When you jump into one of the Resource Center guides a box above the table of contents allows you to filter content by topic title; navigation in the right-hand pane of Resource Center pages allows you to easily jump to a different section of the page; and each heading and sub-heading of the system’s content has its own URL so you can easily hover it, copy the link, and send it along to a colleague.
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Printing - While we strongly recommend the Help resources NOT be printed in an effort to save trees, we know that sometimes it can be really helpful. Each Resource Center topic page includes a print icon for this purpose.
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Easy feedback - You’ll find a thumbs up/thumbs down “is this page helpful” voting mechanism in the right-hand pane of each Resource Center page, as well as a send feedback link at the bottom of the page. If you have suggestions on how we can improve specific pieces of Resource Center content, we’d love to hear them!
We can’t wait for you to try out this exciting new system and we look forward to continuing to build upon it so that you have the most robust self-service resources possible!
Want to see the new Resource Center's highlights in action? Check out the recording of our recent introductory webinar!
BillingBuilder - Adjustment/Void Invoice Logic Update
In an effort to clarify existing billing reports and workflows, we have enhanced the logic AWARDS uses when generating claim files to allow the option to include the original invoice ID when adjustment and void invoices are created. A new Report Prior Invoice ID in 837 for Manual Adjustment & Void Invoices option has been added to the payer configuration screen for this purpose.
Additionally, a new Original Invoice ID column has been added to the Edit Invoice Batch page. If the new “Report Prior” option is enabled and the manual adjustment or void invoice “links” to the prior invoice, the prior invoice ID will be listed in this new column when the manual adjustment or void invoice is entered and saved. If the manual adjustment or void invoice does not link to the prior invoice, the user can manually type in the necessary invoice ID.
When a claim file is generated based on the adjustment/void invoice, the associated 837 file will include the original invoice’s ID, as opposed to the ID of the adjustment/void invoice.
Providers - Now Available in All Databases!
Previously, Providers functionality was an optional alternative to the existing Support Services Contacts feature within the Medical module, and was not automatically available in all AWARDS databases (with the exception of agencies who are newer to AWARDS). In preparation for transitioning databases still currently using Support Services Contacts to solely use our more robust Providers functionality, the Providers module will now be available under Charts > Medical for ALL AWARDS databases, and the Providers Directory can be turned on for the purposes of starting to collect provider names. (If your agency is in the process of transitioning from Support Services Contacts to the new Providers features, client records will still pull in the existing support services contacts information until the transition is complete.) In addition, we're excited to announce that we are currently developing a new feature to allow for a more user-friendly transition from Support Service Contacts to the Providers functionality. Please follow Footnotes for release details on this upcoming feature!
A Look at What's Ahead...
Future Enhancement Release Dates
Here are the dates for the next couple of AWARDS product releases so that you can keep them on your radar:
- February 23, 2022
- April 6, 2022
All deployments (subject to change) are scheduled for the evenings prior to the dates listed here, making the new features and functionality they provide available to users bright and early on release days.
AWARDS UI Refresh Beta Program Kicks Off in February!
The AWARDS Product Management team is excited to announce that the beta program for the AWARDS User Interface (UI) Refresh is scheduled to kick off on February 1st, 2022! As a reminder, the UI Refresh initiative will uplift the current design of AWARDS to a more modern look while also standardizing our back-end code to prepare for the larger AWARDS Redesign initiative. There will be no workflow or functionality changes introduced as a part of the UI Refresh (other than small, quality of life improvements whenever possible).
During the month of January, we will be selecting a limited number of clients to participate in the UI Refresh beta, which will allow them to engage with and provide feedback on the new design prior to the April 2022 full release. When the April 2022 release occurs, the beta program will be considered complete. If your organization is not selected to participate in the beta, don't worry! We'll provide plenty of opportunities in the future to provide feedback and get sneak peeks of upcoming functionality, such as beta programs for the AWARDS Redesign, focus group sessions, user groups, and more.
We're very excited for users to finally interact with our hard work and we hope that you are equally excited to see the future of AWARDS!
Connect With Us!
To see which trainings and webinars are coming soon, check out the Upcoming Events in FootholdConnect (accessible from your AWARDS navigation bar). See something you're interested in? Register today!
Foothold Care Management Spotlight
Welcome Northwell!
Northwell’s Health Home went live in FCM on January 3rd! Northwell Health is New York State’s largest healthcare provider, and their Health Home serves both adults and children. They not only provide care coordination to their internal membership, the Health Home also works with 14 additional Care Management Agencies within the community. We’re excited to welcome them to the FCM family!
News You Can Use!
Tip of the Month - Expand your view of Progress Notes
If you’re someone who writes progress notes, your default view of the Progress Notes Index page includes all notes you wrote for the client within the viewing window set by your agency using Business Rules. If you want to see more progress notes for a client than this default setup allows for, we’ve got you covered! The notes index can be expanded based on both permissions (backdated viewing and data entry) and a behind-the-scenes preference setting. In the case of the latter, the Progress Note Index can be set to display all notes written for the selected client in the past X number of days, not just the notes you wrote. (Any notes written by others display in the index and can be viewed but not edited. This is different from the Surrogate Data Entry - Progress Notes permission, where users can view AND edit notes as if they were a different user.) Your supervisor and/or local Help Desk team can assist with setting permissions, and if you would like to try the optional expanded index for all writers in view mode, the Foothold Help Desk is here to help - just submit a request! Each program can be configured to use a unique viewing window, so be sure to include in your request the program name and the number of days to display on the index.
Got 90 Minutes? - We’ve Got a Great Training Option for You!
90 minutes to win it! - Purchase training in 90-minute blocks so you can hone in on the content that your staff need and nothing else! Wonder what 90 minutes of training can get you? How about a team review of how to complete treatment plans? Or do you need to build a form and not know where to begin? We can help with that! Plus, all sessions will be recorded so you can have them in your training library. Click here to check out some other ways to win in just 90 minutes! Sessions are $300 each and can be purchased now for later use. To purchase training, contact your Foothold Customer Experience representative today!
Blog of the Month - Trends in Human Services
As we kick off the new year, we're thinking about trends in human services that are evolving the way providers do their work. From alternative funding models to non-traditional partnerships, learn more about 6 trends that are rapidly changing the field.
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