The BALL PROGRAMS - Management Software module is described below. The BALL PROGRAMS can be licensed with or without the Electronic Charting module.

The Facility's Administrator has complete control over access to the BALL PROGRAMS - Facility Manager, Electronic Charting and the encrypted databases on the facility's server. Access can be provided or limited on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration each employee's job description and each individual's need to know.

• Administration - This feature was developed to assist the administrator or his/her designee to administer and manage the facility using the BALL PROGRAMS and encrypted databases.
  
  
1. Facility Administration - Building Layout - allows the establishment of facility layout i.e. floors, rooms and beds within rooms. System Administration and Pick List - allows the establishment of departments, job titles, position status, shift, holidays, staffing levels, agency names, a yearly agency pool budget and shift cancellation reasons.
   
   
2. Manual Check-In program - allows the manger to check employees in or out in the event that staff members forget to check themselves in or out.
   
   
3. Salary and Hourly Rates - provides the tools to manage all employees' salaries or hourly rates, marital status and number of exemptions.
    
4. Electronic Check-In/Check-Out and Payroll Processing - These programs were developed to electronically capture hourly employee and pool worker check-in and checkout times for each work shift vs. using a time clock and time cards and doing the work manually. Click to review the benefits of cost and time savings these programs provide.
    
   

   This system uses a bar code reader and requires those employees and/or pool workers each have a bar code on their employee identification badge. It also requires that the employee/pool worker in question has been scheduled for work. The program will not let a worker check in for work unless they have been scheduled. Another feature allows the nursing staff to pre-direct nursing employees to their day's work assignments at the time of check-in, thus eliminating backup at the Nurses’ Station for work assignments.
    
   If a facility has an electronic capturing system already in place, The BALL PROGRAMS needs to be given access to the existing system to capture employee-hours-worked data. This data can then be used to develop additional management reports.

5. Process Payroll program - processes the payroll for each pay period more efficiently by eliminating timecards, time clocks, hours spent on calculating hourly payroll, and human errors. A computer always executes the rules impartially. The program also generates a Labor Distribution Report and an Agency Pool Labor Distribution Report. These are just some of the features of the Administration programs. Click here to see other features.
   

For examples of Administrative Reports click here.

• Human Resources - This feature manages both the facility employees and the resident records.
  
  
1. The employee segment tracks staff records such as employee and pool worker information, work preferences, certifications, in-service training, CEU, background checks, evaluation, and more.
   
   
2. The resident portion contains residents' information, medical records including diagnoses, responsible parties, power of attorney, and advanced directives. These are just two of the features of the human resource programs. Click here to see other features.

For examples of DON Reports click here.

• Scheduling - This proprietary feature is a big time-saver for schedulers, because it quickly and efficiently manages the work schedules for all of the facility’s hourly employees and pool workers. The program is also used to track vacations, sick days, holidays, and miscellaneous leave hours for all hourly and salaried employees. An edit function allows for the orderly changing of an employee’s existing schedule when needed. The scheduling program can be used to set schedules for any length of time.
  
  Our Scheduling module provides two unique features:
  

"Scheduling Overtime Cost Report" and the companion "Scheduled Underutilized Report" allow you to quickly compare employee shift schedules so that underutilized employees can absorb excess hours that would otherwise have to be paid at an overtime premium. Click here to learn how to Reduce Overtime Labor Costs by 75%, or 100%. 

1. Ongoing cumulative analysis of the nursing staff/resident ratio
   This unique function allows you to adjust nursing staff levels to precisely meet residents' needs. You need never be over-or understaffed again.
    
2. The “Current Staffing Ratio” (CSR) program monitors, displays, and stores 24-hour ratios, each shift ratio, and individual ratios for RNs, LPNs, and CNAs per shift. The program also signals management with a warning when ratios fall below the facility’s requirements. When scheduling x days into the future, the CSR program continuously monitors nursing staff/resident ratios for compliance. (See Electronic Documentation 101: Scheduling for the Current Staffing Ratios window.)

For examples of Scheduling Reports click here.
 

Reimbursement Cuts – The New Normal