STUDER COVENANT ALLIANCE TEAM

Brandi Speigner

Brandi Speigner is a member of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Regulatory Committee and CMS Workgroup. Prior to joining the Studer Covenant Alliance as a Coach, she was the Area Vice President of Operations for a major hospice provider, the Director of Critical Care at Southeast Alabama Medical Center, and the Education Coordinator of Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Alabama.

Results:

• Created culture of partnership and shared purpose with operations and sales
• Increased profitability through revenue growth and expense reduction, exceeding goals
• Founded a Clinical Practice Council of select nurses to identify opportunities and implement strategies to improve patient care and outcomes
• Assisted in development of Standards of Behavior and rollout of program
• Improved the quality of new employee orientation through design and implementation of a preceptor development program
• Developed and implemented leadership development program

Brandi has a Master of Business Administration from Samford University, a Master of Science in Nursing from Samford University, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Auburn University. Contact Brandi

Kerrie Barney, RN, BSN

Education:

• Bachelors of Science in Nursing, James Madison University
• Pursuing Dual Masters in Healthcare Administration and Business Administration through the University of Maryland University College.

Certifications:

• Certified in Hospice and Palliative Care in 2004 (CHPN) (Renewal exam in March)
• Pursuing certification in Case Management (CCM)
• In process of completing Level 1 Manager Development Program through the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization with the plan to complete Level 2 as well

Work Experience:

• Director of Case Management and Social Services: SouthCrest Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Clinical Manager: Harbor Hospice in Muskegon, Michigan
• Education Coordinator: Harbor Hospice in Muskegon, Michigan
• Case Manager: Harbor Hospice in Muskegon, Michigan
• Orientation Preceptor/Relief Clinical Supervisor: Oswego Hospital, Oswego, New York
• Float Nurse/Relief Clinical Supervisor: Oswego Hospital, Oswego, New York
• Staff/ Charge Nurse in a variety of hospital settings
• Nurse Case Manager: Harrisonburg Rockingham Free Clinic, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Results:

• Trained/prepared entire hospice CNA team for Hospice and Palliative Care Certification (CHPNA) with 94% pass rate.
• Implemented 7day/week 365 day/year in house case management program
• Implemented ER Case Management program
• Successfully led hospice through full Joint Commission survey
• Implemented interdisciplinary rounds with 100% attendance by case management and participation by all disciplines.
• Achieved performance bonus due to management of Medicare length of stay and achievement of EBITDA goals.
• Increased baccalaureate prepared RN staff by 100%
• Implemented Quarterly Physician Education sessions resulting in increased compliance with admission criteria, increased use of chest pain risk stratification and better quality physician documentation.
• Founded and led the Recovery Audit Contractor team for SouthCrest Hospital.
• Successfully appealed hospice denials at the Administrative Law Judge Level achieving a 92% overturn rate in favor of the hospice.
• Realigned hospice team assignment to achieve geographic teams and facility teams resulting in decreased travel time and increased continuity of care as well as elevated facility satisfaction.
• Increased individual case management reporting to 100% compliance by all case managers.

Professional Affiliations:

• Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association

Stacey Kostevicki

Stacey Kostevicki joined Studer Group in 2008 as a Partner Relations Coordinator. She graduated from Florida State University with a BA in English in 2005 and will receive her MBA in May 2010 from the University of West Florida.

Stacey has five years of experience in the non-profit sector. Stacey has worked in a variety of roles including an Interim Executive Director, a Development Coordinator and most recently as a Public Relations Coordinator in various not-for-profits. Stacey has a strong passion for service, which is exemplified through her past experience and her current position within Studer Group.

In order to pursue her passion for leadership, Stacey is actively involved with several professional organizations in Pensacola, Florida, including the Pensacola Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association and the Pensacola Bay Area Advertising Federation.

Stacey is fully committed to making healthcare a better place for employees to work, physicians to practice medicine and patients to receive care through her support of quality leadership and service.

Stacey Kostevicki

Dale Knee

Dale Knee is co-founder of the Studer Covenant Alliance with Quint Studer. Dale has served as President and CEO of Covenant Hospice since 1993, and has over 38 years experience in healthcare, 17 of which have been in the area of end-of-life care and post-acute care. He is an avid believer in improving the quality of life for individuals reaching the end of their lives. Dale, a former hospital executive and owner of a healthcare consulting and development company, serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), its Public Policy Committee, and is Chairman of the NHPCO Ethics Committee. He is a member of the Florida Hospices and Palliative Care Organization, the Alabama Hospice Organization, and the National Hospice Work Group. He also has over 25 years experience in teaching at the university level and currently is Adjunct Professor for Healthcare Administration and Policy at the University of West Florida.

Dale is a senior coach with the Studer Covenant Alliance and is principally involved in strategic planning and goals setting with hospice Boards of Directors, CEOs and senior leaders of those organizations. He has a national reputation for being a very passionate and forthright speaker on multiple subjects related to hospice and healthcare in general. At the same time, he is able to provide coaching services on specific aspects of the Studer Principles in a very practical, real world manner. He is a hands on executive whose own organization, Covenant Hospice, has employed Studer principals and leadership development for over 7 years. Covenant's performance consistently ranks among the top hospice providers in the nation, serving approximately 1,300 patients daily, in 33 counties in two states, and with two owned hospice and palliative care inpatient facilities. Covenant, in addition to its partnership with the Studer Group, operates a subsidiary company, Alzheimer's Family Services, providing a wide range of services to patients and their families suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia. They are also one of the few hospices in the nation performing a federal/state demonstration project named Partners in Care - Together for Kids, who provides services to children and their families with life expectancies of more than one year.

Dale holds a Bachelor's Degree in Hospital Administration, a Master's Degree in Health Services Administration, and a Doctoral Degree in Health Care Administration.