Hospice Readiness for HOPE: Practical Steps to Take Now
Effective October 1, 2025, the HOPE (Hospice Outcome and Patient Evaluation) assessment tool is replacing the HIS with more requirements for quality data. By proactively preparing, hospices can be confident in their ability to not only comply with the documentation requirements– but also achieve good quality metrics without overburdening staff.
This webinar features a panel discussion with hospice industry experts in regulatory compliance (Judi Lund Person, MPH, CHC), EMR implementation (Donnette Threats), and clinical operations (Carla Braveman, BSN, RN, M.Ed.). The panelists address the current state of hospice industry readiness for HOPE. They discuss essential steps hospices can take now– focusing on clinical process optimization that will allow for a smooth transition when the EMR updates are released.
Panelists: Judi Lund Person, MPH, CHC | Donnette Threats | Carla Braveman, BSN, RN, M.Ed.
Judi Lund Person, MPH, CHC began her career in 1980 as the Executive Director of Hospice of North Carolina, which became the Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care. In 1981, she joined other passionate hospice advocates to successfully lobby for the passage of the Medicare Hospice Benefit in Congress in 1982. She worked to prepare recommendations for the original Medicare Hospice Conditions of Participation in 1983 and the major revision in 2008, as well as participating in the Negotiated Rulemaking for the hospice wage index. Judi has been involved in the implementation of the HOSPICE Act with CMS, including surveyor training, enforcement remedies, and the hospice special focus program. She has also represented hospice and palliative care with the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) addressing confusion about attending physicians, claims processing and hospice payment policy issues. For more than 20 years, Judi Lund Person served as the Vice President, Regulatory and Compliance, at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, where she worked on hospice payment policy, Part D, survey and certification, contractor management, and program integrity functions.
Donnette Threats, MA is bringing over 30 years of experience in the hospice industry. She has held executive positions in both software development and hospice operations, with extensive expertise in industry operations, regulatory compliance, quality assessment, and performance improvement programming.
Carla Braveman, BSN, RN, M.Ed. is a Registered Nurse in NY state and has more than 35 years of operational experience in clinical and executive positions within home health, hospice and palliative care. Having worked in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Carla combines efficiency and productivity expertise with a passion for the mission of non-profit providers. She has provided leadership during multiple post-acute provider turnaround situations, improving margins and leading culture change for staff. Carla has served as Clinical Director, VP of Clinical Services, COO, and CEO at home health and hospice agencies across multiple states. Her recent positions include VP of Post-Acute Care at a hospital-based home health, home care, hospice and palliative care agency and the CEO/President of the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of NY State. Carla has served multiple terms on the board of NAHC, contributed to CMS Medicare committees and NHPCO committees in regulatory, quality, and education capacities, chaired hospice and palliative care organizations in New Hampshire, Florida, and Massachusetts, and chaired the Hospice Association of America.