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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 company’s 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 Facility’s Commitment to Quality Care

Participation in MyZiva provides documented proof of your nursing facility’s 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.