Home Health Care Services Business Plan

Wheatland Health Services

Executive Summary

Opportunity

Problem

There is a significant need for quality home health care and social services within this region and we believe that by employing competent and well-educated staff and providing them with organized and responsive management, we can become the home health care/social service agency of choice in Southeastern Kansas.

Solution

Wheatland Health Services offers a unique combination of premier home health care and community-based social services to Southeastern Kansas.

Market

The consumer base for Wheatland Health Services (Home Health Care Services) will be patients referred by physicians, health care facilities and other health care professionals. The majority of these patients will be covered by Medicare with a smaller portion being insured by Kansas Medicaid or other private insurance carriers.

Competition

The key factor considered by both consumers and referring professionals when purchasing home health care is trust in the professional reputation, reliability and quality of services provided by the home health Agency.

Why Us?

Wheatland Health Services strives to offer excellent and affordable home health care and community-based social services to individuals and families of Southeastern Kansas.

Expectations

Forecast

We are projecting growth and total annual sales very conservatively, with high projected expenses. Our cost of sales is relatively low, as this is a service agency and the primary costs involved in providing the services are those related to payroll. The costs of sales reflects the cost of mileage reimbursement to employees, because the services we provide are home- and community-based and require travel to and from service locations.

Financial Highlights by Year

Financing Needed

We will use $70,000: $50,000 five year loan and $20,000 cash from Elizabeth Patzer

Opportunity

Problem & Solution

Problem Worth Solving

There is a significant need for quality home health care and social services within this region and we believe that by employing competent and well-educated staff and providing them with organized and responsive management, we can become the home health care/social service agency of choice in Southeastern Kansas.

Our Solution

Wheatland Health Services strives to offer excellent and affordable home health care and community-based social services to individuals and families of Southeastern Kansas.

It is our goal to employ competent, caring, and well-trained individuals who are responsive to the needs of our patients, their families, and the communities we serve. Each staff member will meet the State of Kansas educational and training requirements for the services they provide. We encourage and support continued education of each service provider. In turn, our agency will provide staff with competitive compensation, an inviting work environment, and knowledgeable, trustworthy management and direction.

Target Market

Market Size & Segments

Market Segments 

The population base in Southeastern Kansas is aging, and more individuals are opting to stay in their own homes longer and return home following hospitalization, rather than proceeding to a nursing home. Our primary market segment includes those patients — typically in an older age bracket — who require health care services by home health nursing staff. These patients may also require other home health services, such as social work, in order to access needed community resources.

Our secondary market will be those individuals who have suffered a personal injury and require case management services to assist them in addressing medical, financial, and employment issues.

Target Market 

Because our agency specializes in home health care and community-based social services, we will focus on those market segments where we know our services are most needed. Focusing on those market segments that require only home-based services will greatly decrease overhead, since additional office space will not be required.

Competition

Current Alternatives

The key factor considered by both consumers and referring professionals when purchasing home health care is trust in the professional reputation, reliability and quality of services provided by the home health Agency.

Pricing of home health services does not usually influence consumers’ choices, as most home health services are reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies, and reimbursement rates are set by those entities. Pricing of personal injury case management services is a more important factor, as these services are paid for as negotiated on a case-by-case basis at an hourly rate. When pricing personal injury case management services, we will explain to the client that we estimate the total number of hours needed to complete services liberally, rather than bidding low and then exceeding the anticipated total bid price for services.

Consumers of both home health care services and personal injury case management services rarely compare service providers directly. Usually they follow word-of-mouth recommendations, especially when those recommendations come from their physicians.

Perhaps the most important element for assessing competition in the Home Health and Social Service fields is how to persuade other professionals to repeatedly refer their clients to our agency for services. As our agency demonstrates outstanding patient care, current and pertinent qualification of service providers, and professional organization and business management, we believe that we will be able to capture the majority of the home health care and personal injury case management market in our designated region.

Our Advantages

We start with a competitive edge:  There are currently only three home health care agencies serving southeastern Kansas; Kellene Walker, our Clinical Director, has been employed with one of them for three years and has learned many of the day-to-day administrative functions that make a home health care agency successful. Ms. Walker has built a reputation for outstanding customer service, and it is our belief that her reputation will help to build a strong client base even before our start-up date.

Wheatland Health Services will also stand out in integrating community-based social services, such as Personal Injury Case Management, with our more traditional home health care. This broader base will allow us to access additional clientele and payor bases, adding to our financial stability. This integration also leaves room in the long-term for the addition of other social services, such as Family Counseling, Psycho-Educational Services, and Mental Health Case Management.

Keys to Success

Keys to Success

Our keys to success: 

• Professional quality of services offered
• Reliability — being available through on-call, and adequate staffing
• Effective collaboration with other community professionals (physicians, hospitals, and other organizations)

Execution

Marketing & Sales

Marketing Plan

Marketing our service-oriented business requires establishing a reputation for expertise and excellence. It starts with our known contacts who are in positions to recommend us and make referrals to us, and continues with long-term efforts to develop recognition among other professionals within the health care and social service fields.

We will develop and maintain a database of our contacts in the field. Ms. Walker is already well-known to physicians, other nurses and hospital facilities in our market area, and will work to maintain those relationships throughout our start-up process. Ms. Patzer will make initial contacts in the community as she establishes the business entity and provider status with Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance companies and local attorneys. She will then join Ms. Walker in an effort to introduce Wheatland Health Services to area professionals who are potential referral sources. Our communications will be professional, as will our marketing tools such as brochures, business cards, and advertisements.

Sales Plan

Sales in our business means quality patient service and utmost satisfaction from referring physicians and health care facilities. It is perpetual business. One doesn’t sell home health care and personal injury case management; rather one sells excellent care, availability, and effective interpersonal relationships.

In a service industry, growth can mean loss of quality control, which in turn leads to client dissatisfaction. The services we provide should always reflect the mission and oversight of management. We want our clients to know that the quality of service they receive will be excellent, regardless of the individual service provider performing the service.

We will therefore avoid the temptation to broaden the scope of our services too quickly. Rather, we will focus our immediate attentions on making the services we offer of the highest possible quality. Only when those services are well-established and grounded in excellence will we consider expanding our service base.

Milestones & Metrics

Milestones Table

Key Metrics

Our key metrics are: 

• 125 Home Health Care patients served by the end of first year.
• 12 Personal Injury Case Management Clients served by the end of first year.
• Respectable gross sales by the end of first year.
• 80% of Customer Satisfaction Surveys returned indicating satisfaction with services.
• # of facebook page views and website links 

Company

Overview

Ownership & Structure

Wheatland Health Services is a limited liability company owned and operated by Elizabeth G. Patzer, MSW/MPA and Marlon B. Patzer, M.S./M.Ed.

Team

Management Team

Wheatland Health Services’ initial team will consist of one Administrative Director, one Clinical Director, three employees and a contracted agency to fulfill the need for Physical Therapists,  Occupational Therapists, and Speech Therapists. Initially, both managers will also provide direct service. Elizabeth Patzer is a licensed social worker and will provide all social work services during the start-up stage of the business. She will also provide all administrative direction and will perform most of the administrative functions with assistance from an Administrative Assistant. Kellene Walker is a registered nurse and has experience as a Skilled Nurse and Director of Nursing for a Home Health Agency. She will also provide direct nursing services during the initial stages of the business, as well as supervising the nursing staff. As the need for service providers grows, both managers will assume primary roles in management and will delegate direct service to employees.

Wheatland Health Services has no current management or personnel gaps; our plan provides for hiring service providers only as growth demands. Job descriptions have been written for each position and we will develop an employee handbook prior to our Start Date. 

Personnel Table

Financial Plan

Forecast

Key Assumptions

The General Assumptions table, below, shows our important (and conservative) annual assumptions concerning interest rates, tax rates, and personnel burden. In addition:

1. We assume a strong economy, without major recession.
2. We assume, of course, that there are no significant unforeseen changes in the federal policy that dictates Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement of Home Health Care Services.

Revenue by Month

Expenses by Month

Net Profit (or Loss) by Year

Financing

Use of Funds

Startup Expenses: 

Attorney Fees – Setting Up Limited Liability Company $875

State of Kansas Home Health Agency License $100

Medisoft Billing Program plus Support $5,000

Professional Liability Insurance $3,000 (Assuming 25% down of $12,000.00)

Workman’s Comp Insurance Deposit $500

Premises and Content Insurance Deposit $300 (Assuming 25% down of $1,200.00)

Contract Retainer with PT/OT/ST $500

Office Upgrades (Carpet and Paint) $3,000

Deposit plus First $400

Phone Set Up (Excluding Phones) $250

Utilities Deposit $150

Post Office Box $26

OFFICE EQUIPMENT

2 Computers (Fully Loaded) $3,000

4-in-1 Printer/Fax/Copier/Scanner $750

QuickBooks Pro $300

Phones $200

Pager $50

OFFICE SUPPLIES

Stationary $200

Business Cards $150

Brochures $200

Other Misc. Office Supplies $450

NURSING SUPPLIES $2,500

TOTAL START-UP EXPENSES 21,901 

Sources of Funds

$20,000 investment from Elizabeth Patzer and a 5-year $50,000 loan, total of $70,000. 

Statements

Projected Profit & Loss`

Projected Balance Sheet

Projected Cash Flow Statement