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How Our Program Works
 Our CMS Accreditation Prep program is broken down into "phases." While each client is different, here is a typical program breakdown:
(NOTE: Oxebridge work is based on CMS standards published by ACHC. See below for more info.)
Phase One: Information Gathering
An Oxebridge Implementation Specialist (we hate the word "consultant") will come on-site to your company and interview your key employees and managers. This typically takes 1 - 2 days, depending on the size of your company. During this phase, the Specialist takes lots and lots and lots of notes. A ridiculous amount of notes, in fact; you'll see why in a moment.
Phase Two: Documentation Preparation
Based on all those notes he or she took earlier, the Oxebridge Implementation Specialist will then develop custom documentation, including:
- Policies and Procedures Manual
- HIPAA Compliance Manual (patient privacy protection)
- Forms
- Spreadsheets
- Work Instructions
- Labels
- Training presentations
- Anything else needed
The focus here is on writing custom documentation that reflects what you are currently doing. Where your actual practice does not meet CMS requirements, these are highlighted and suggested language written.
Phase Three: Implementation and Training
Here's where the rubber meets the road. Documentation in hand, our Implementation Specialist returns to your company and reviews the resulting documents with you, revising anything you don't like or simply cannot live with.
Where there are gaps between what you are doing and CMS requirements, the Specialist will help you develop ways to meet those requirements. The Specialist will then generate any new documents, forms, logs or systems as a result; your folks will not be handed off assignments.
Once the documentation is finalized and agreed on, the Oxebridge Specialist will customize various training presentations and train your employees and top management. In all cases, training sessions last about 30 - 45 minutes, as opposed to day-long sessions given by other consultants.
Finally, we help implement any new systems, doing whatever remains to get you ready for an audit by the accreditor.
Phase Four: Survey and Post-Survey Support
Because your final aurvey (audit) by the accreditor is rarely scheduled to the day, Oxebridge cannot guarantee to physically attend the event. Instead, however, we offer free telephone support during the days of the audit, as well as 8 hours of free support afte rthe audit, to help resolve any findings the surveyor may have discovered.
Beware consultants who "guarantee" their work -- this can either mean they have an inappropriate relationship with the Deeming Authority, or with the individual auditor, either of which could invalidate your accreditation at a later date, forcing you to start over! Instead, Oxebridge provides impeccable references and free post-survey support. That's the way it should be done.
Why Only ACHC?
When, like traditional consultants, you base your CMS consulting on boilerplate documents that can be handed off to any company, and demand that they company adhere to the document whether it reflects their practice or not, you can easily create boilerplates to meet any CMS-accredited Deeming Authority.
Oxebridge doesn't do it like that, and as a result we have had to tailor our services around a single Deeming Authority. After studying all the standards of the top DA's, we determined that those of Accreditation Council for Healthcare (ACHC) presented the lowest impact on end user organizations such as yours, and did not stray far from the core requirements of CMS, and do not add unnecessary requiremetns that "get into your business" uncontrollably.
Finally, ACHC is ISO 9001 certified, and we have a special place in our hearts for that particular certification.
Whle we have a great working relationship with ACHC, it's important to note that Oxebridge has no formal or financial relationship with ACHC or any other DA. That's important, because it means we are independent, and conflicts of interest can never arise. Eventually, the US Government will disallow DA's from providing consulting and training -- Enron, anyone? -- but for now its allowed.
To protect your company, it's best to make sure your accreditor and consultant are independent of each other.
Next: See if there is grant funding to offset your Oxebridge fees... and maybe make us free.
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