How do I start a Health Care Service such as a hospital?

How to Start a Home Health Care Service in Georgia

• Answer:

  Start a home health agency in Georgia by obtaining a license from the Office of Regulatory Services. Home health agencies operate under Georgia Law: 290-5-38 (Rules and Regulations for Home Health Agencies). Home health agencies benefit from receiving certification by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS). Home health agencies without CMS certification rely upon private duty, direct pay-for-service clients. Because home health costs challenge most family budgets, most home health agencies desire certification as CMS-approved businesses. Difficulty: Moderately Easy Instructions Write a business plan for your home health agency. Compare other home health agencies in your local area. Determine how to differentiate your service from others. Aligning your service with a hospital or nursing facility may help to raise funds and generate credibility for the new service. Use the business plan in conversations with lenders, such as the Small Business Administration. More home health workers are needed to provide care for an aging U.S. population, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Home health jobs are expected to increase by 50 percent between 2008 to 2018. Register your home health business with the State of Georgia. Apply for an employee identification number online with the Internal Revenue Service. Contact your local government regarding state and local permits and requirements. Contact your local and state Departments of Health regarding registrations and requirements. Georgia's Office of the Secretary of State (SoS) has a handy checklist of "first stop" business requirements. Georgia's SoS Office wants to help new businesses circumvent red tape sometimes encountered in the first year of operations. Identify a future labor pool. Your home health agency needs certified nursing assistants, home health aides, and a field nursing staff. A clinical nursing manager must oversee the needs of patients. He ensures that patients receive the proper care plans. He also provides a point of contact to the certified nursing assistant force. Some home health agencies train certified nursing assistants to maintain a constant labor pool. Others plan to hire existing certified nursing assistants from other employers at a higher wage. Aligning the business with a hospital or nursing home can help to bring workers to the business. Tips & Warnings Tip: Read "Start Your Own Senior Services Business" by Charlene Davis published in 2010 for more ideas.