What's New in AWARDS
The following new features, enhancements, and updates will be available in your AWARDS database beginning on Wednesday, April 6th. 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!
BillingBuilder - Authorization Credentials Effective Date Range Update
BillingBuilder logic has been enhanced to reference Authorization Credential effective date ranges when generating invoices. To support this functionality, a new field has been added to the Authorization Credentials section of the HR > Staff Info > Credentials tab titled “Credential Effective Date.” If you’d like this turned on for your agency, please contact the Help Desk.
Additionally, we have created a new option that prevents the Staff member from having multiple credentials effective for the same date range. Lastly, we have added the Credential Effective Date fields per-credential to the Employee ReportBuilder and also to the Employee Import Tool.
Within the BillingBuilder procedure setup, if the Procedure setting “Staff Credentials Required” is set to Yes, the system will check if the date of service falls within one or more Authorization Credential effective date ranges that is active for billing and an invoice will be generated for each of these credentials.
Household Composition - Relationship to Head of Household
Great news! When adding a new member to a household, the “Relationship to the Head of Household” field has been added to the Household Search Results page, after Date of Birth and Gender. Note: this is a required field for HMIS programs. For other programs, it is not required, but it will save you the extra clicks of going into the “Update Relationships” icon for these household members.
InSights and DataStudio - New Table for Referral Rejection Reasons
A new dimension table for referral rejection reasons has been added to DataStudio and InSights. The table allows users to filter by the referral rejection reasons in their database.
Intake/Admission - Require Program Status
Programs that use the Program Status module and collect a program status when admitting a client can now have the Program Status field configured to be required on the Single and Multi-Step intake/admission forms. This new configuration can be requested through the AWARDS Help Desk.
Progress Notes - No E-Signing Before End Time
E-signing links will no longer be available until after the Progress Note End Time has passed. Users will see “Signing is Unavailable Before Progress Note End Time,” instead of the “Click to Sign” links whenever the progress note’s End Time has a set future time. Once the End Time has passed, the “Click to Sign” link will display and the note can be e-signed as expected.
Reception Desk ReportBuilder - New Field Option for "Visit Time Type"
“Visit Time Type” has been added as a data variable within the “Reception Desk Information” section of the Reception Desk ReportBuilder Options. This new field will dynamically display a “Daytime”, “Evening”, or “Social” value based on the date and time entered by the Reception Desk, according to the following criteria:
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Daytime - Weekdays between 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Evening - Weekdays before 9:00 AM or after 5:00 PM
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Social - Weekends and Holidays
The following holidays will show as "Social":
- New Years Day
- Martin Luther King Day
- Presidents Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Veterans Day
- Columbus Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
Note: The code will ALSO detect the “observed day” when applicable. For example, if the day falls on a Saturday, it will be observed on the previous Friday, and if it falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on the next day - Monday.
ReportBuilder - Current User Filter
We are excited to tell you about a new and incredibly powerful feature now available in ReportBuilders - the “Current User” filter. Do you find that when you save report formats for staff to run, you need to create multiple versions of it so that individual users can run the report for their data only? With the new “Current User” filter, you will no longer need to take these extra steps! Users with permission to create saved ReportBuilder formats for other users will now be able to set saved report filters that limit records to the logged-in user, which means any time a user runs that one saved report, it will display their data only!
Throughout ReportBuilders, there are various fields that are “Employee ID” fields, and now many have been added for use with this new feature. These include Primary Worker ID, Worker ID, AWARDS Employee ID, and Work Supervisor ID. By including an Employee ID field as a filter and setting the “Filter Equals” criteria to “=UserID”, AWARDS will replace the User ID with that of the user running the report. This will filter the report on records for which they are the employee for that data field.
The possibilities around this new feature are exciting! For example, if used in the Charting Events ReportBuilder on the Worker ID field, any users who run the same saved report format will only see their assigned charting events when they run that report. Similarly, if saved Plans and Reviews or Progress Notes ReportBuilder formats use this filter when run for One Row Per Signature Action, using the Signer ID field, each user who runs the report will only see records that require their signature. There are a seemingly endless number of exciting possibilities with this new feature!
To help you get started with figuring out how to harness this powerful tool, we will be distributing a handful of sample report formats in various ReportBuilders that will be available for immediate use within your agency database. We will also be adding helpful information to the Resource Center over time to share guidance and suggestions for how to best tap into the full power of this new feature. We can’t wait to hear how you choose to use it!
A Look at What's Ahead...
AWARDS UI Refresh is Coming in Q2!
The AWARDS 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.)
The beta program for this initiative is well underway and we are in the process of integrating the feedback that we have received into the design to ensure that the general release to all clients is seamless. It has been great to have users in the system, interacting with the design and being able to complete their daily workflows.
The next phase of the UI Refresh will be a planned release to all customers with the uplifted design. Our goal is to include this functionality in our scheduled major release on June 28th, 2022. To support this release, we will be creating a section in our Resource Center dedicated to the UI Refresh that will contain preview documents, videos, and FAQs. We expect this content to be completed and ready for you and your users by the end of May 2022.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your designated Customer Experience representative.
ReportBuilder/ExportBuilder Automatic Scheduling
We are excited to announce that the development of a scheduler feature for ReportBuilder and ExportBuilder is underway! This feature will allow you to schedule saved reports or export formats to be run automatically and arrive in your AWARDS messages. We anticipate this feature to be released in early Q2!
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:
- May 18, 2022
- June 29, 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.
Connect With Us!
To see which training sessions and webinars are coming soon, check out the Upcoming Events in FootholdConnect (accessible from your AWARDS navigation bar). You can also see a current Upcoming Events Calendar in the Resource Center. See something you're interested in? Register today!
News You Can Use!
Tip of the Month - ReportBuilder Tips & Tricks: A Case Study
Do you sometimes struggle to isolate just the data you need in ReportBuilders? Do you play around with the Filter options but either miss the mark or find you need to keep updating the filters each time you run a saved report? If so - then this tip of the month is for you!
Implementation Manager Sarah Galena was on a call with a customer recently who noted they were looking for a way to re-create a weekly paper billing report in AWARDS. In order for a note to be billable, it needs to be e-signed. So they created the report in AWARDS to include all the fields they needed, and set the filter to only include notes that were e-signed:
The agency noted that they always create this report for the previous week - specifically from Sunday to Saturday. So they started using this new report in AWARDS, setting the note date ranges accordingly, to only include the previous week.
Each week they would run this report, changing the note date range settings, and things were going well with the new AWARDS report. What they soon came to realize, however, was that some notes from the previous week were being e-signed late and therefore were omitted from the weekly report runs they were doing. Even though the notes were written during the set date range, they were not e-signed at the time the report was run, and so were being missed in the billing report.
The agency reached out and asked Sarah how they could ensure their weekly billing report didn’t miss these notes that were signed late but still necessary to include. Opening up the note date range settings to be more inclusive would likely ensure those late signed notes get included, but it would also result in the inclusion of notes not intended for that specific week’s billing report. Sarah put her thinking cap on and modified the filter to use the Locked by E-Sign Date field, with the “between” option - such that only notes with e-sign lock dates between the billing report week would be included:
This tweak to report filters would ensure that no billable notes for the week were left on the table. Great! Only there was still an issue. Setting up the filters like this would require that every week, any user running the report would need to manually modify the filter settings to include the correct date week span - leaving room for human error and wasted time.
Sarah went back to the drawing board with this group and realized that keyword options in report filters would do the trick! AWARDS filters have a variety of keywords they can work with. In this case, the report could be modified to include all notes where the “locked by e-sign date” is between “2 Sundays ago” and “Last Saturday”:
This setup would ensure that on any given date (or day of the week) that the report is run - it will only ever include notes with e-sign locking dates that fall between the correct Sunday and Saturday week span the billing team is looking for - without ever having to make modifications when running the report! And even better, when the ability to schedule saved reports is deployed soon, they can set this report to automatically run on a set schedule and be sent to the billing staff directly!
Does this case study resonate with you, and you are wondering what other keyword options you can harness? AWARDS ReportBuilder filters work with days of the week, months, and years. They work with numbers and plus/minus signs to specify going into the future (+) or the past (-). Here are some examples of how this works:
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Demographics ReportBuilder: “Admission Date is Greater Than or Equal to -2 weeks” - shows all clients admitted in the last 2 weeks
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Progress Notes ReportBuilder: “Date Modified is Between -30 days and -7 days” - shows notes modified more than 7 days ago, but less than 30 days ago
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Progress Notes ReportBuilder: “Contact Date Equals Last Month” - shows notes with dates equal to the previous month
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Provider Appointments ReportBuilder: “Date is Between tomorrow and +4 weeks” - shows all appointments up to four weeks in the future
What are you waiting for? Dig in and see what you can accomplish with your reports!
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!
AWARDS Certification Program - Register Now!
AWARDS Certification is a rigorous training program for agencies aiming to turn staff members into true AWARDS experts! These experts can then provide invaluable support to all AWARDS users within your agency. New in 2022, you can choose between the Program Administrator or System Administrator Track. Check out this recording of our Kick-Off Webinar to learn more. Check out our customized tracks and see which best fits you. And remember, Certification can be paired with one of our Configuration & Administrative Services packages for an even larger impact for your agency. If you would like more information about pairing Certification with Configuration & Administrative Services please email Erin@footholdtechnology.com.
Certification applications are due April 16th, and courses begin in May - we can’t wait to see you then! Click here to fill out your application today, or contact certification@footholdtechnology.com for more info.
We're Back! - In-Person Training is Now Available!
After our long pause on in-person training sessions, we are ready to get back out there (safely) and see you. Our dynamic duo training team is ready to come to your site to provide fun, engaging, and effective training sessions. So gather your team and let's learn AWARDS!! Here are some helpful guidelines to help everyone stay safe. We are happy to answer any questions at Trainer@footholdtechnology.com. To schedule a session, reach out to your Customer Experience representative.
Social Media Push - Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook
We’re working to expand the influence of our social media, and we need your help! Please make sure to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Also, we want to celebrate all the amazing work you do, so tag us in your posts or email elliot@footholdtechnology.com and we’ll make sure we help spread the word.
Our Podcast Continues - Sharing In Our Caring
If you haven’t yet, Click here to check out our podcast, or you can search for it on your preferred podcast platform (you can find it on most podcast platforms.) We can't wait to hear what you think! If you're a podcast listener, please subscribe, rate, review, and help us spread the word! We’re working on our next episode and have more episodes planned. If there is a particular topic that you think we should cover, or if you want to be a guest on our podcast, please email elliot@footholdtechnology.com. We’ll review your suggestions and see if we can work them into the programming.
Foothold Customer Spotlight - OHI: An Implementation Success Story!
Based in Bangor, Maine, OHI provides support and services to people with intellectual disabilities, autism, and mental illness, and has been doing so for over 40 years. With a mix of residential and community services offerings, OHI supports approximately 400 individuals in six Maine counties, allowing them to live productively in their communities. OHI strongly believes in providing person-specific services tailored to the needs and desires of the individuals they support, and follows their guiding philosophy that "everything is possible."
In early 2020, just before the pandemic changed our lives, OHI signed on with Foothold Technology to implement AWARDS. Prior to this implementation, their Mental Health services programs had been in two EHRs but hadn’t succeeded in tracking all of their services electronically, and most of their Intellectual Disabilities programs as well as their Clubhouse had never used an EHR. Director of Corporate Compliance and Quality Improvement, Mary Dunn, along with colleague Brenda Quimby, dove in and gathered a small implementation team with representation from both the ID and MH sides of the organization. Having already worked on an AWARDS implementation at a different agency, Mary was up for the task with the team!
Because the MH programs were familiar with EHR use, they decided to work on implementation with those program areas first. Only 5 months after contract signing, with the pandemic in full swing, the MH side of the agency was fully implemented in AWARDS. In addition to all the general areas of AWARDS, this group was also successfully up and running with Incidents and MedSupport. Approximately 5 months later, the I/DD side was also fully up and running - including Incidents - and will soon work on implementing MedSupport. Both sides have been diving into Billing work and things are going very well on that front, thanks to the work of Tom Brangwynne - who single-handedly set up the entire financial and billing components for OHI.
Mary attributes much of their success to the fact that AWARDS feels so intuitive to their users, as well as the high level of buy-in they had from staff across the board. She noted that they recently went through a state licensing review for the first time with AWARDS in place, and it has been a breeze. Everyone's ability to easily access up-to-date records for all clients from anywhere has been a huge help. Next up, they plan to dig into using the calendar, as well as harnessing reports so they can begin using all the data they have been successfully entering.
When asked what advice she would give to other agencies working to implement and use AWARDS, Mary noted that the key is listening to your Implementation Consultant and following their guidance. She promises that the work and effort are well worth it, when you come out on the other side and everyone is consistently using the same data-tracking processes, resulting in clean and usable data. We couldn't agree more and thank Mary for sharing OHI's story with us!
News From the Field - With Radicle Health Board Member David Bucciferro
David is just back from his week representing Radicle and Foothold customers at the HIMSS 22 conference in Orlando, Florida. Read below to hear his thoughts on the topics addressed at this year's conference.
Spring marks an important time in the world of Health IT. It is the time that people come from all over the country, from every facet of healthcare information technology (HIT), to attend a week's worth of meetings, vendor presentations, and educational sessions covering the broad area of HIT. As Vice-chair of the Electronic Health Record Association (EHRA), I have the opportunity to attend, facilitate, and present in a wide array of meetings and sessions. This varied participation allows me to not only learn what is happening in HIT, but to also very importantly share the perspectives of community-based providers that are a part of the Foothold Technology - Radicle Health family.
This year I was able to facilitate meetings with congressional and state government officials focusing on topics from CURES to Social Determinants of Health (SODH), broadband access to Cyber Security, and everything in between. I was also able to help facilitate a discussion with CMS on new payment models, new value-based performance measures, and the future direction of their infrastructure modernization. Additionally, we met with stakeholders representing state government health agencies to discuss standardization of data sets and ways to address the devastating Opioid Crisis using technology already available, but often not used. In addition to these meetings and others, I would say that the highlight for me was being asked to participate on a panel for a Showcase Presentation on Social Determinants of Health, one of the major focus points of this year's conference.
There were many themes to this year's conference, and depending upon the healthcare space you live in, they all resonated differently. For those of us who live in the behavioral health, disability, foster care, and care coordination spaces, the themes boiled down to a few key areas.
- Due to the timing of the conference, cyber security and the impact and threat of the Ukraine-Russia conflict was front and center on everyone's mind. I attended a number of sessions regarding cyber security and can say with full honesty that Foothold Technology is doing things right and will continue to follow trusted guidance to protect your information.
- CURES was a major topic, along with information blocking and data modernization. Attention was focused on the need for state and federal governments to have information systems in place that deal with the everyday pieces of data plans in decision making. There was much talk about ensuring that we never repeat the lessons learned during the COVID pandemic, where data systems were unprepared to handle the demand for information necessary to effectively deal with a pandemic. I was able to speak to SDOH on this issue, with a focus on the critical importance of ensuring consistent information sharing at all levels, including social service community-based organizations, behavioral health organizations, primary care physicians, and the rest of the healthcare community, while still protecting the rights of individuals through consent and education.
- Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence were also a major part of the conference sessions. Listening to these discussions, I was left with the feeling that we are only in the infant stages of what these technologies have to offer. The potential is there, but the right use cases are still being developed.
- A common theme throughout many of the sessions and panels was the growing emphasis on putting healthcare information into the hands of the consumers, in a safe and easily accessible manner. Telehealth, and the value of telehealth beyond the pandemic, have become a rallying point for many patient and professional associations.
On a personal note, there were a few key wins for me this year:
- I found the opportunity to bring forward a number of key messages from the behavioral health world to be very satisfying. Having people hear what our customers have known for years - that keeping a person healthy requires looking at all facets of their life - was the most rewarding part of the week. We all know that treating the illness itself is not sufficient, and that knowing where someone lives, works, what they eat, as well as many other social determinants, are crucial pieces of information along with what their diagnosis tells you.
- It felt like for the first time, people realized and acknowledged the unfairness of the Meaningful Use program, which put technology in the hands of clinicians but fell far short by not including behavioral health and other community-based organizations.
- I was glad to see that much attention was paid to the incredibly destructive Opioid crisis that has again started to rampage our country. For those who want to learn more about the Opioid crisis, I highly recommend the book “Dreamland,” which chronicles the destruction of an entire community because of opioids and other drugs.
- I left the week truly believing that people are listening to the fact that Behavioral Health has a lot to offer to the healthiness of America, and should be treated with the same respect and attention given to traditional primary care.
HIMSS is not a conference for everyone - as I walked over 7 miles a day to get from one meeting to another - but for me and my desire to bring awareness to the needs of behavioral health providers in the area of technology, it was well worth it!