President's Note
As temperatures rise, many of us open up our homes and offices for spring cleaning - a time to clear the clutter and find better ways to organize our belongings and files.One of the best ways to tackle spring cleaning at the office is to manage your records. And not just for the sake of keeping a clean and organized office. Disorderly and mismanaged business records regularly lead to major compliance, security and operational consequences. That's where we come in. At FSI, our team is here to help you streamline your records management and keep you in compliance. How do we do this? We rely on technology to achieve the most powerful and convenient results for you. And we follow the highest compliance industry standards and remain aware of continually changing and complex laws and regulations. Whether you need stronger records management, support in securing your sensitive data or being available to you for any other support, we will always make your success our top priority. We look forward to connecting with you soon. Happy Spring. Sincerely,  Bill Williams President and CEO, Funeral Services, Inc. |
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The eCommerce solution is integrated right into your website, allowing your customers to conveniently select a preneed package, execute a preneed contract, pay with a credit card and set up recurring payments. Then, records of the final executed contract can be easily accessed at any time. If you're not already taking advantage of the many benefits of eCommerce, contact Client Services to learn more about how our tech solution can bring more efficiency to your business. |
FSI Chief Technology Officer Named to Alumni Spotlight Top 100 ListCongratulations to our Chief Technology Officer, Prakash Mohan, on earning a ranking among Alumni Spotlight's Top 100 Chief Technology Officers for 2022 list! In his role, Mohan leads a team in the IT department and is focused on enhancing our PRISM system, a tool that allows clients to streamline their records management program and see a complete picture of their trust at all times. We're honored to have him as a part of our team. Congratulations, Prakash! |
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So much of the advice we give "goes without saying" but our clients continue to make easy to avoid mistakes. Failures related to identification of decedents are among the most common and most detrimental. Decedents in the care of any facility must be identified prior to final disposition pursuant to state law with a tag affixed to the deceased or the container or urn containing cremated remains. However, if the tag placed on a decedent at the beginning of the process is removed or incorrect, unless the facility checks the tag again, the error can persist throughout the decedent's care, creating liability for the facility. Facilities can limit their liability by establishing good practices and forms for the identification of decedents throughout the process and not just at the initial stage of accepting the remains from a transport company. At each stage of the process, including any transfer of the remains in and out of storage, embalming, preparing the remains for transport, cremation, acceptance of cremated remains, and providing the cremated remains to the Individual Responsible for Disposition (IRD), the tag should be checked by a member of staff to ensure that there is no error or misidentification. Each check can be recorded on a dedicated form for this purpose to show chain of custody between a transport company, funeral establishment, and direct disposal establishment. Misidentification of decedents can result in any number of undesirable outcomes, including unintended cremation of remains, swapping of remains, or even delivery of cremated remains to the incorrect IRD. This can result in discipline from the deathcare regulator against a facility's or funeral director's license, or a costly civil suit from family members. Discipline against licensees by the regulator can be expensive, and result in the licenses being placed on probation, suspension or even suffering permanent revocation of licensure. Recent civil suits stemming from misidentified remains and lost cremated remains have become very costly to litigate and settle. The best course of action is to avoid the situation entirely by ensuring that identification of each decedent is correct at every stage throughout the process. Check identification, and then check it again, to ensure your facility does not make a costly mistake. |
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Here are brief summaries of several recent stories featuring FSI: Bill Williams Featured in The Director As consumers increasingly turn to cremation over burial, the deathcare profession has an opportunity to explore proactive tools to maintain - and even grow - returns. In this article with The Director, FSI CEO Bill Williams explores a strategic path forward. Read more here. Paul White Shares Strategy Insights with Memento Mori In the February issue of Memento Mori, FSI's Senior Vice President of Client Development and Marketing, Paul White, provides guidance on growth strategies for 2022. For funeral homes and cemeteries, many choices exist to grow their businesses in the long term and even increase existing investments - if they know where to look. Read more for guidance to grow your business in 2022. Wendy Russell Wiener and Bill Williams Discuss Revenue Growth with The Cremationist In the first quarter issue of The Cremationist, FSI CEO Bill Williams and WRW Legal's Wendy Russell Wiener examine three ways crematories can grow revenue as cremation rates rise. From leveraging technology to re-examining Preneed to adding new services, the article walks readers through actionable steps to grow their business. Read more here. |
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My role at FSI is Software Developer, so I proactively identify and implement software improvements. What has your path in IT looked like so far? I completed my bachelor's degree just after the pandemic started, then graduated with my master's degree in December of 2021. Throughout and after school, I've enjoyed helping out my family and friends with their technological needs. At FSI, I'm looking forward to the many learning opportunities that exist within the IT department. What do you enjoy doing outside of work? I enjoy playing video games online, watching and playing basketball and working out. I also like to cook when I get the chance. It's always fun to learn how to cook something new or even experiment with a recipe I've done before. |
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