Heather Hettrick, PT, PhD, MLT, CWS, FACCWS

Heather Hettrick, PT, PhD, MLT, CWS, FACCWS offers in-depth insight into the Continuum of Care Coalition LTD (C3) and the company’s purpose in working with government agencies to right the inadvertent negative consequences of otherwise positive legislation or regulation.
Q: Please describe your work experiences that prepared you for your current position as President and Executive Chair:   A: I have been involved in the field of wound management for over 16 years, working in a variety of settings ranging from clinical (hospital and clinic based), administrative (Director and VP level), research (clinical trials and burn rehab research coordinator), academic (Clinical Professor and adjunct), and as an entrepreneur. I am passionate about the field of wound management and gain tremendous satisfaction by helping others. My greatest enjoyment stems from educating people about wounds, burns, lymphedema, and other integumentary issues.

Q: What should our readers know first and foremost about the Continuum of Care Coalition LTD?   A: The Continuum of Care Coalition (C3) is a non-profit coalition dedicated to ensuring Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries always receive the quality healthcare to which they are entitled. We strive to work with government agencies and lawmakers to right any inadvertent negative consequences of otherwise positive legislation or regulation.
Q: How were you first introduced to the arena of wound care/long-term care and why you enjoy working in this arena?   A: I first became interested in wound care during graduate school. We had a wonderful lecture by my now friend, mentor, and colleague Tracey Mullan, PT. Her passion for the field was infectious and I was fortunate to spend my acute care rotation at Harborview’s Burn Center in Seattle. I fell in love with burn care and rehabilitation and then cross trained into wound care after graduation. The body and skin’s ability to heal and repair fascinate me, and it is very rewarding helping someone overcome these maladies.
Q: Please expand on the mission of “de-consolidating” wound care from the Consolidated Billing and Prospective Payment Systems:   A: The implementation of Consolidated Billing and Prospective Payment inadvertently created a “donut hole” in the continuum of wound care. It was classified as “usual and normal” expenses along with gloves, tongue depressors, tissue, etc. As a result, skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies were required pay for modern, active wound care dressings out of the already strained-to-the-limit Medicare per diem. This lack of separate reimbursement and understanding about how these active dressings work caused a fallback to the use of the old, familiar gauze. This greatly retards healing and can exacerbate the very costly side effects of these wounds.
Q: What are some of your company’s biggest accomplishments thus far? What are some of your key products and/or initiatives that clearly distinguish your brand?   A: (a) The creation of legislation that will eliminate this “donut hole” and improve the quality of care and life for thousands of Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries; (b) The chartering of the Lewin Group actuaries report, which documents that this legislation will save the Medicare and Medicaid Program $3.99 billion over the next 5-years while improving the efficiency of the Skilled Nursing Facilities/Home Health Agencies, saving them $737 million over the same 5-year period; (c) Educating the members of Congress and their respective staff about this “donut hole” and the advances made in active wound care products.
Q: How exactly does your personal vision fit with the company’s goals?   A: As a patient advocate, I felt compelled to try to help correct this oversight after discussing it with my colleague Michael Watson. He has spent a lot of time previously working on this cause and he inspired me to get involved. We formed C3 in January of 2009 and have been working on a strategic plan to submit this legislation to correct this inadvertent negative consequence of consolidated billing/prospective payment.
Q: Looking ahead, what are some incentives or legislative plans the company is working on?   A: Our legislation is merely the first goal for C3. With our prestigious Board of Governors, Honorary Chairman, and Collaborating Organizations, we hope to tackle other issues that are detrimental to the field of wound management and to those individuals who require the skills of wound professionals.