Betasky

Chapter 5: Branch Management

Overview

Branch Management allows your home health agency to operate multiple physical locations, each with its own address, state license, and Medicare Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN). This chapter covers:

  • Understanding branches and their purpose
  • Creating and configuring new branches
  • Managing branch-specific settings
  • Assigning users to branches
  • Switching between branches in the UI

Who Should Read This Chapter:

  • Agency Administrators
  • Super Administrators
  • Multi-location agency owners

Prerequisites:

  • Completed agency settings configuration (Chapter 4)
  • Understanding of user roles and permissions (Chapter 3)

5.1 What is a Branch?

A Branch represents a physical location or service area of your home health agency. Each branch operates semi-independently within your organization.

5.1.1 When to Use Branches

You Should Create Multiple Branches If:

  • Your agency has multiple physical office locations (e.g., North Austin Office, South Austin Office)
  • You operate in multiple states or regions with different state licenses
  • You have separate Medicare Provider Transaction Access Numbers (PTANs) for different locations
  • You want to segment operations by geography (e.g., West Coast Division, East Coast Division)
  • You need to track performance and billing separately for each location

You Should Use a Single Branch If:

  • Your agency operates from one location
  • All clinicians report to the same office
  • You have one state license and one PTAN

5.1.2 How Branches Work in the System

Data Segregation

  • Patients are assigned to a specific branch
  • Care Orders, Visits, and OASIS Assessments are tied to the patient's branch
  • Clinicians can be assigned to one or multiple branches
  • Claims are generated per branch (using that branch's NPI and PTAN)

User Access

  • Users can have different roles/permissions at different branches (see Chapter 3, Section 3.8)
  • The Branch Selector in the header bar allows users to switch between branches they have access to
  • Users only see data for the currently selected branch (unless they have Super Administrator access)

Billing & Reporting

  • Each branch can have its own Fee Schedules and HIPPS Rates
  • Reports can be filtered by branch
  • Claims are submitted using the branch's specific identifiers

5.2 Accessing Branch Management

Navigation Path

  1. From the Dashboard: Click the Settings icon (gear icon) in the top-right header bar
  2. Select "Branch Management" from the dropdown menu
  3. The Branch Management page will open, showing all existing branches

Branch Management Page

What You'll See:

  • List of all branches (if any exist)
  • Each branch shows: Branch Name, Address, State License, PTAN (if available)
  • Add New Branch button in the top-right corner

5.3 Creating a New Branch

5.3.1 Click "Add New Branch"

  1. In the Branch Management page, click the Add New Branch button (top-right)
  2. The Add Branch modal will open

Add Branch Modal

5.3.2 Required Branch Information

Branch Name

  • Purpose: Identifies the branch within your agency
  • Format: Text (up to 100 characters)
  • Examples:
    • "Head Office" (default for single-branch agencies)
    • "North Austin Branch"
    • "West Coast Division"
    • "Houston Service Area"

Best Practices:

  • Use descriptive names that clearly indicate location or purpose
  • Avoid generic names like "Branch 1" or "Location A"
  • Include city or region for clarity

Address Information

Complete physical address for this branch location:

  • Street Address: Physical office location
  • City: City name
  • State: Two-letter state abbreviation (e.g., TX, CA, NY)
  • ZIP Code: 5-digit or 9-digit format

Important:

  • This address is used for official communications and regulatory purposes
  • It should match the address on your state license for this location
  • P.O. boxes are generally not accepted for home health branch offices

State License Number

  • Purpose: Your state-issued home health license for this specific location
  • Format: Varies by state (alphanumeric, typically 6-12 characters)
  • Required: Yes, for production operations
  • Examples:
    • Texas: HHA000123
    • California: 990000123
    • Florida: HH-123456

Where to Find:

  • Issued by your state's Department of Health or equivalent regulatory body
  • Separate license required for each state where you operate

Medicare PTAN (Provider Transaction Access Number)

  • Purpose: Unique identifier assigned by Medicare for billing and claims submission
  • Format: Alphanumeric (typically 10 characters)
  • Required: For Medicare billing from this branch
  • Example: 1AB2C34D5E

Important Notes:

  • Each branch location may have a separate PTAN
  • Required if this branch submits Medicare claims
  • Obtain from your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC)
  • Different from your NPI (which is agency-wide)

5.3.3 Optional Information

Phone Number

  • Purpose: Direct contact number for this branch location
  • Format: (###) ###-####
  • Use Case: If this branch has a dedicated phone line

Email

  • Purpose: Branch-specific email address
  • Use Case: For branch managers or local administrative contacts

5.4 Managing Existing Branches

5.4.1 Editing Branch Information

  1. In the Branch Management page, locate the branch you want to edit
  2. Click the Edit icon (pencil icon) next to the branch
  3. The Edit Branch modal opens with pre-filled information
  4. Update any fields as needed
  5. Click Save Changes

Editable Fields:

  • Branch Name
  • Address (Street, City, State, ZIP)
  • State License Number
  • PTAN
  • Phone and Email

Non-Editable:

  • Branch creation date
  • Associated data (patients, visits, claims already tied to this branch)

5.4.2 Deactivating a Branch

When to Deactivate:

  • You've closed a physical location
  • A branch is no longer in operation
  • You're consolidating multiple branches

How to Deactivate:

  1. Click the Deactivate or Archive button next to the branch
  2. Confirm the action in the confirmation dialog

Effect of Deactivation:

  • The branch no longer appears in the Branch Selector for most users
  • Existing patients, visits, and data remain accessible (historical record)
  • Users can no longer create new patients or visits for this branch
  • Reports can still include historical data from this branch

Important:

  • You cannot delete a branch if it has associated data (patients, visits, claims)
  • Deactivation is the recommended approach for closed branches

5.5 Assigning Users to Branches

Users can be granted access to one or multiple branches. This is managed in the User Management section (Chapter 8).

5.5.1 Single-Branch Access

Typical Users:

  • Clinicians who only work at one location
  • Schedulers responsible for one branch
  • Branch-specific intake coordinators

How It Works:

  • User only sees data for their assigned branch
  • They cannot switch branches in the header bar
  • All their work (patients, visits, documentation) is tied to that branch

5.5.2 Multi-Branch Access

Typical Users:

  • Agency Administrators (access to all branches)
  • Clinical Managers overseeing multiple locations
  • Super Administrators (Betasky staff)

How It Works:

  • User can access multiple branches via the Branch Selector in the header bar
  • Each branch can have different role assignments (see Chapter 3, Section 3.8)
  • Example: User is a "Clinical Manager" at North Austin Branch and a "Scheduler" at West Coast Division

5.6 Using the Branch Selector

5.6.1 Location in the UI

The Branch Selector is located in the top header bar, next to the Agency Selector (if applicable).

Appearance:

  • Dropdown menu showing the currently selected branch name
  • Example: "Head Office" or "North Austin Branch"
  • Only visible if you have access to multiple branches

5.6.2 Switching Branches

To Change Your Active Branch:

  1. Click the Branch Selector dropdown in the header bar
  2. A list of branches you have access to will appear
  3. Click the branch you want to switch to
  4. The page will refresh, and all data will now reflect the selected branch

What Changes:

  • Patient list (only patients from selected branch)
  • Schedule/visits (only visits at selected branch)
  • Care orders, OASIS, QA items (scoped to branch)
  • Reports and dashboards (filtered by branch)

What Stays the Same:

  • Your user profile and settings
  • Agency-wide configurations (payers, pharmacies, fee schedules)
  • User roles and permissions (though they may differ per branch)

5.6.3 Default Branch

When you log in:

  • The system selects your primary branch (configured in your user profile)
  • If you have access to only one branch, it's automatically selected
  • If you have access to multiple branches, your most recently used branch is selected

5.7 Branch-Specific Settings

Certain settings can be configured per branch:

5.7.1 Fee Schedules

  • Each branch can have its own billing rates
  • Useful for geographic pricing differences or payer contracts

5.7.2 Clinician Assignments

  • Clinicians can be assigned to specific branches
  • A clinician can work at multiple branches (e.g., traveling therapists)

5.7.3 Reporting & Analytics

  • Performance metrics tracked per branch
  • Revenue, visit counts, and outcomes can be compared across branches

5.8 Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: "Branch Selector Not Appearing"

Problem: You don't see the branch selector in the header bar

Solution:

  • You may only have access to one branch
  • The branch selector only appears for users with multi-branch access
  • Contact your Agency Administrator to request access to additional branches

Issue 2: "Cannot Create Patient in This Branch"

Error Message: "You do not have permission to create patients in this branch"

Solution:

  • Your user role at the selected branch may not include CREATE_PATIENT permission
  • Check with your administrator about your role assignment for this branch
  • Switch to a branch where you have appropriate permissions

Issue 3: "State License Number Already in Use"

Error Message: "This state license is already assigned to another branch"

Solution:

  • Each state license can only be used once in the system
  • Verify the license number for accuracy
  • If you're setting up a new location in the same state, you need a separate state license
  • Contact your state regulatory agency if you're unsure about multi-location licensing

Issue 4: "PTAN Not Accepted"

Problem: System rejects your PTAN entry

Solution:

  • Ensure the PTAN is exactly as issued by your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC)
  • Check for extra spaces or typos
  • PTAN format varies, but it's typically alphanumeric (10 characters)
  • Contact Betasky Support if the issue persists