When Post-Acute Care Shifts, You Need More Than a Vendor

The one thing that is always constant in post-acute care is: change. CMS requirements evolve constantly and regulations rarely stay still for long. Quality programs continue expanding, documentation expectations keep increasing and staffing shortages only add to the pressure providers already face. For providers already managing complex care delivery, these shifts can strain the workforce and workflows they perform, disrupting the time clinicians spend with the patients they serve.

That's why organizations need more than software. They need a vendor who will partner with them to help their teams prepare for change, strengthen execution through education and deliver continuous and responsive support.

The Reality: Regulatory Change Never Stops

Hospice providers experienced this firsthand in 2025.

On October 1, the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool replaced the Hospice Item Set (HIS), requiring agencies to submit patient assessments through the iQIES system. With CMS enforcing a 90% submission threshold and penalties up to 4% of Medicare payments, the stakes were high.

Without proper preparation, this transition could have disrupted documentation workflows, increased administrative burden and put reimbursement at risk, pulling focus from patient care.

Netsmart began supporting providers well ahead of the deadline, bringing together teams across the organization to help hospices navigate the most significant regulatory update the industry had seen in years.

How Netsmart Supported Hospices Through HOPE

The HOPE transition required more than new technology. It demanded industry-wide education, workflow preparation and sustained support throughout the year.

Netsmart mobilized resources across product development, consulting, client success and marketing to ensure hospices had what they needed at every stage. We hosted webinars that reached thousands of providers, built a dedicated HOPE Success Center with educational resources and best practices, and maintained consistent communication through blogs, FAQs, podcasts and targeted outreach.

From a solutions standpoint, our Simple product team strategically developed tools to help agencies manage compliance. SimpleConnect™ for Hospice scrubs assessment data, flags common errors, formats files for iQIES, submits to CMS and retrieves reports, all from one dashboard. It's designed to reduce rejections, streamline submission and support continuous compliance without adding unnecessary burden.

When the transition went live, our support teams were ready. Case volume surged as expected, but our preparation allowed us to maintain responsiveness and keep providers moving forward during a critical period.

This kind of coordinated effort across every part of the organization reflects how Netsmart approaches industry shifts: not as isolated product updates, but as moments that require partnership, preparation and follow-through.

What Responsive Support Looks Like

In healthcare, continuous support and timely responsiveness matter. When system workflows are disrupted, delays can occur on completion of activities which can affect compliance timelines and staff productivity. Angela Hospice in Michigan knows the difference. After trying another EHR vendor, they returned to Netsmart with one priority: finding a technology provider they could trust.

"With our previous vendor, we would wait a week or two just to get a reply," said Tyler Cary, Health Information Manager. "Now, we get same-day responses from Netsmart, and in many cases, the issue is resolved that same day."

Whether it's a quick question or a complex workflow challenge, Cary knows he can rely on Netsmart Support. "Even when I reach out with a small issue, I get detailed help. The support staff is knowledgeable and often walks me through it in real time over a call or screen share."

For Cary, the difference goes beyond resolution time. "It doesn't feel like a vendor relationship. It feels like we're on the same team."

A Universal Truth Across Post-Acute Care

While HOPE was hospice-specific, the pattern is familiar across post-acute care including home health, skilled nursing facilities, personal care, senior living and palliative care. Post-acute providers have to adapt to evolving payment models and quality reporting requirements along with balancing audit risk and survey readiness. Post-acute organizations continue to manage the complexities of a rising aging population and growing care coordination needs across healthcare

Although these care settings differ, the underlying challenges providers face are remarkably similar.

When post-acute care shifts, organizations need solutions that evolve with requirements, guidance that strengthens workflows, education that shares best practices and responsive support that resolves issues quickly. This is how Netsmart supports providers across hospice, home health, senior living, palliative care, skilled nursing and personal care, not only with technology but with the expertise and service models that helps teams stay steady through change.

Support That Protects Care Today and Tomorrow

Regulatory and operational change won't slow down. But with the right support system, it doesn't have to feel overwhelming.

Whether you're navigating new requirements, strengthening workflows or looking for more responsive support, Netsmart is here to help you adapt and thrive.

Learn more about Netsmart support and services