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A Website We Recommend
MyZiva.net Provides Free, Easy Nursing Home
Comparison Tools
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
July 14, 2004 - Choosing a nursing home and
monitoring their performance in patient care is critical and MyZiva.Net,
a free service, is establishing itself as the leader in easy-to-use
nursing home evaluation and comparison. The company is the online
provider of a free comprehensive guide to all licensed U.S. nursing
homes and has distinct advantages over all other such sites we have
found.
The company reports that thousands are currently
using the MyZiva Comparison Tool, which is one of many easy-to-use,
effective resources, which enables users to conduct side-by-side
comparisons of selected nursing homes in their local community and
across the nation. This is where you find it -
http://www.myziva.net/
This site is considerably more user friendly that
the Nursing Home Compare site provided by Medicare (www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/home.asp).
There are other sites that offer similar information but all we have
found charge for their service.
Users are able to make informed placement decisions
through detailed comparisons of Survey (Inspection) performance reports,
Quality Measure rankings, Staffing Ratios and other relevant
facility-specific information released by the federal government's
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Healthcare professionals such as hospital discharge
planners and care managers are using information from MyZiva.Net to
better counsel patients seeking placement information. These
professionals comprise approximately 25 percent of MyZiva.Net's total
users. They understand patients are sophisticated and wish to be
involved in the placement process, the company says..
By using the Comparison Tool in conjunction with
the free MyZiva Nursing Home Checklist, prospective residents are
better prepared to assess the facilities they choose to visit. As a
result, they can address concerns in person and can ask nursing home
providers intelligent and insightful questions to ensure the facility is
able to meet their needs.
Robert Abrams, CEO of MyZiva and an elder law
attorney, urges all prospective residents and healthcare professionals
to share their findings with the nursing homes in their area, so these
providers may have a fair opportunity to address issues of concern.
According to Abrams, "facilities can now demonstrate how they have
improved performance since the last release of a government report. If,
however, a facility cannot explain concerns regarding its performance to
the consumer's satisfaction, the prospective resident can decide to
pursue alternative placement."
Recognizing that the government data does not
present a complete picture of a nursing home's performance,
participating facilities are able to present additional information in
MyZiva.Net's Facility Focus section. This feature allows nursing homes
to further explain their performance following the government survey, as
well as provide information on services offered.
MyZiva.Net won the Silver Category for the 2003
eHealthcare Leadership Award for Best Overall Internet Site. MyZiva was
one of the winners selected from nearly 1,200 entries.
This recognition strengthens our position in the
consumer health care market and acknowledges the innovation and success
of MyZiva, said Abrams. The companys growth is testament to the
achievement of our people and in our ability to provide innovative
solutions to both consumers and providers of the elder care community.
When asked how the site is financially supported,
the company responded with the following:
We have invested a substantial amount of our own
money and time in creating MyZiva.net.
Our decision to self-fund is based on our
commitment to remain independent and to maintain complete editorial
control of all MyZiva.net content.
We expect to generate income from this site from
sponsorships and fees paid by the nursing homes who participate in our
Facility Focus feature.
Facility Focus is just one of the many tools and
resources incorporated in the all-inclusive MyZiva web-based
technological platform for nursing facilities. The unprecedented depth
and breadth of MyZiva combines state-of-the-art technology with the
offline expertise of respected professionals in the field, to provide
nursing facilities with the tools and resources needed to ensure quality
care, financial viability and corporate compliance.
By participating in MyZiva, nursing facilities are
able to demonstrate and provide documented proof of their commitment to
quality care in their Facility Focus profile. Facility Focus also
provides each participating nursing facility the opportunity to tell
their unique story -- in pictures and words. Nursing facilities can
provide an explanation of the government data, a description of
services, a photo tour of the facility, a link to their own website and
much much more! View the Facility Focus Demo at
http://facilityfocus.myziva.net.
Demonstrate Your Nursing Facilitys Commitment to
Quality Care
Participation in MyZiva provides documented proof
of your nursing facilitys commitment to corporate compliance, staff
education, communication with staff and residents and an organizational
culture devoted to quality care.
MyZiva enables your nursing facility to further
enhance a facility culture committed to:
Staff education and training (MyZiva University,
CEU Credits);
Open channels of communication between your
facility, staff, residents and family members (Care Hotline,
Satisfaction Survey Tool, Facility Focus and Compliance Officer Corner);
Hiring individuals and working with companies that
are professional and competent (Vendor Check);
Financial responsibility (PET, CMT); and
Compliance with federal and state statutes and
regulations and other government mandates (MyZiva Library and
Information Services, Care Hotline, Vendor Check, Compliance Officer
Corner).
About MyZiva How the company describes
their service
MyZiva is the leading provider of informative
content and government data for consumers and providers of nursing home
care. MyZiva.com offers nursing facilities the necessary tools and
technology to deliver quality care, both efficiently and
cost-effectively. MyZiva.net gives consumers and healthcare
professionals the opportunity to compare quality issues and other
relevant data, to make informed choices about nursing facility
placement. These components form a powerful resource that merges all
aspects of the nursing home community and facilitates accomplishment of
a common goal meeting the needs of residents and providers. |
