July 3 2023
OASIS

Congratulations Christine: the 30,000th COS-C Exam Participant

The Certificate for OASIS Specialist-Clinical (COS-C) exam program recently achieved a significant milestone, with over 30,000 individuals taking the exam!

Christine Mahoney, an RN at a family owned and operated home health agency (Oriol Home Health) in Massachusetts, became the 30,000th test taker this spring after completing the COS-C exam hosted by the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts (HCAM). Prior to the exam, Christine participated in the Blueprint for OASIS Accuracy workshop sponsored by HCAM and taught by OASIS Answers’ Blueprint presenters Megan Bernier and Lori Marmon.

The COS-C exam, established in 2004 by the OASIS Certificate and Competency Board (OCCB), is a nationally standardized, psychometrically validated test that assesses candidates’ knowledge and application of CMS OASIS data collection rules and guidance. Linda Krulish, the founder and CEO of OASIS Answers, Inc., credits Warren Hebert, the CEO of HCLA, for originating the idea of the COS-C Exam. According to Hebert, the COS-C Exam is a mutually beneficial program that meets the needs of patients, providers, and state associations.

State Home Care Association Partnership Program

The relationship between the COS-C Exam program and state home care associations remains strong, with OASIS Answers, Inc. collaborating closely with these associations. Through the Elite Sponsorship program, OASIS Answers, Inc. provides a portion of the exam revenues directly to the state associations that sponsor COS-C Exam administrations for their members, resulting in over $1.3 million dollars in exam commissions since the program’s inception. As noted by Hebert, “this program is the most long standing and lucrative arrangement that state associations have ever had.”

While some clinicians pursue OASIS training and COS-C exam testing independently, organizations increasingly opt for the objective and nationally standardized approach offered by OASIS Answers. Brent Korte, former Chief Home Care Officer of EvergreenHealth and now CEO of Frontpoint Health, regularly coordinated with OASIS Answers, Inc. to provide Blueprint training and COS-C Exam testing to the EvergreenHealth staff. Korte emphasizes the exceptional return on investment and the transformative value gained through partnering with OASIS Answers, recognizing them as the authority on OASIS proficiency.

OASIS Answers Relationship with CMS

The strength of the COS-C program stems from OASIS Answers’ unique position and extensive experience in the home health industry. All clinical members of the OASIS Answers team have worked as field clinicians, clinical supervisors, quality managers, and OASIS educators, fostering a deep understanding of the field. OASIS Answers has been actively engaged with CMS since OASIS was implemented.

In addition to teaching Blueprint workshops and supporting OASIS Answers contracts with CMS, Krulish states that OAI’s role often feels like “the bridge” between the day-to-day home care assessments, visits, audits, quality improvement, and patient outcomes and all of the federal workgroups that drive the decisions about how care will be assessed, measured, reported, and rewarded. Currently the OAI clinical team provides support for the national OASIS helpdesk, quality measure development for the CMS Home Health Quality Reporting Program, and provider education for the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model.

Krulish emphasizes the importance of OASIS accuracy, which is reinforced through OASIS Answers’ work as contractors to CMS. The COS-C certification program fosters a culture of purpose, community, and achievement, leveraging the strong commitment of home health nurses and therapists. The challenge and reward that the COS-C certification provides seems to influence individuals into making the effort to engage, learn and excel in their OASIS knowledge and use, to the benefit of all.”