If you would like to attend, please contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson. If you have any questions whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to let Dana know. AHCA hopes to see you at this important event!
Friday, December 4, 2015
Mark Your Calendars – AHCA’s 2016 ID/DD Hill Fly-In Date Set!
If you would like to attend, please contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson. If you have any questions whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to let Dana know. AHCA hopes to see you at this important event!
Top Resources for Quality Award Applicants
The 2016
AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Intent to Apply deadline has just passed. Most
applicants have likely been working on their application for the past few
months; but for those who haven’t started, the time to get started is now! If you need a jump start, than you have come to the right place. The Quality Award website has a number of resources designed to help facilities with the application process. Whether you are writing a Bronze, Silver or Gold application this year; there is something for you! Learn more by clicking here.
CMS Releases Medicaid Enrollment Data for September 2015
According to the National Disability
Navigator Resource Collaborative, on November 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
released the Eligibility Determinations and Enrollment Report from
September 2015. To read the
report from CMS, click here.
AHCA’s State of the States Clearinghouse
This resource provides valuable data,
including:
- Overview of the demographic landscape;
- State-specific nursing center occupancy and ownership breakouts;
- Certificate of Need requirements for nursing centers and state licensure requirements;
- State data on the cost of care for long term services and supports;
- State data on the total number of Medicare enrollees;
- Data on state Medicare Advantage plan enrollees and comparisons to the national average;
- State and national Medicaid expenditure data;
- State Medicaid rates, costs and shortfalls;
- And other significant state-specific data related to payment structure, managed long term services and home and community based services coverage.
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Grassroots Advocacy
Renee Naylor, AHCA's
ID/DD Committee Chair, encourages AHCA's ID/DD providers to participate in our
grassroots advocacy efforts this year and in 2016.AHCA would like to help you get facility
tours and in-district meetings set up over future recess days. Please provide your name, facility address,
and email address and we will craft the invite and send it to you to send to
the Congressional office. The four brief steps for a successful facility
tour visit can be found here. Please feel free to contact Matthew Smyth and Dana
Halvorson who can help you
with all of the logistics.
Renee Naylor
(pictured to the left) and AHCA’s ID/DD Committee member, Kelly Head (pictured
to the right), met with Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5) on March 24,
during AHCA’s ID/DD Residential Services Providers annual Hill Fly-In
event.
Renee Naylor
(pictured to the left) and AHCA’s ID/DD Committee member, Kelly Head (pictured
to the right), met with Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5) on March 24,
during AHCA’s ID/DD Residential Services Providers annual Hill Fly-In
event.
U.S. Congressional Calendars
As you are planning your visits
with members of Congress and their staff in Washington, D.C., or in your
district, the Congressional calendars will be of assistance to you. The U.S. House of Representatives calendar
for the 114th Congress, second session, can be found here. The U.S. Senate
schedule for 2016 can be found here. The dates in blue reference the times the U.S. Senate is
in session. The red dates represent when the U.S. Senate is in recess.
AHCA/NCAL Advocacy App
If you
haven’t already heard about it, then we wanted to alert you to a great app that
allows you to keep abreast of AHCA advocacy efforts. Among other things, it provides important
talking points, issue briefs and features that allow you to take action. It will be useful not only to you, but serves
as a great way for providers to weigh in.
You can get the app by clicking on the appropriate black box below.
Download our
advocacy app!
VOR Corner
We’ve Got You Covered! AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions Website
The program offers health insurance options, group and voluntary benefit packages, an aggressive Stop-Loss insurance program as well as cloud based HR platforms that will help members achieve savings and greater efficiencies on HR services within your company, while also tracking and reporting on key Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements. For more information, please contact AHCA’s Dave Kyllo at dkyllo@AHCA.org and visit the AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions website.
Articles and Resources of Interest
-
Study Highlights Health Risks For Those With Autism – disabilityscoop.com
- Simulated Town Offers Life Skills Training – disabilityscoop.com
- CDC: Child Autism Rate Now 1 in 45 After Survey Method Changes – healthfinder.gov
- Health Tip: You May Not Have to Give Up Dessert – healthfinder.gov
- Health Tip: Enjoy Heart-Healthy Holiday Foods – healthfinder.gov
- Health Tip: Learn About Processed Foods – healthfinder.gov
- Too Much Sitting Hurts Heart Patients' Health – healthfinder.gov
- Health Tip: Who Gets Pneumonia? – healthfinder.gov
- International Day of Persons with Disabilities – un.org
- Tips from IRS for Year-End Gifts to Charity – irs.gov
- Identity Theft Tax Tips Available; Special Series to Help Taxpayers Available Through January – irs.gov
Legislative and Agency Corner
-
IRS Relaxes Rules For New ABLE Accounts – disabilityscoop.com
- Gov. Dayton, legislators prepare far-reaching reforms to disability services – startribune.com
- Assisted Living Conversion Program – longtermcareleader.com
Webinars of Interest
Stay informed
and tune in to AHCA/NCAL-hosted pre-recorded and live webinars on a number of topics impacting the long
term care profession.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will also be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, December 16, entitled, “LTSS in Indian Country: The 2014 Survey of ACL Title VI Program Participants.” You may register here.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will also be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, December 16, entitled, “LTSS in Indian Country: The 2014 Survey of ACL Title VI Program Participants.” You may register here.
Association Launches New Learning Management Website
"We created ahcancalED for our members who do not have the time or budget to develop the newest in-service training," said Dr. David Gifford, AHCA/NCAL Senior Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Affairs. "Our objective also was to provide the best and latest educational tools, especially as CMS increases its regulatory requirements about staff training and competency in a number of areas. ahcancalED is designed to help individuals in our profession do a better job of caring for patients and residents and advance in their careers."
The information on ahcancalED is structured to make the online learning experience engaging, meaningful, and interactive for users. The fresh graphics and clearly defined sections within the site make it easy for users to navigate and find the information they need. The site also allows users to track their own learning progress.
Teams of experts from around the country working with AHCA/NCAL staff helped to create the content. "We will constantly be adding new programs and materials so that we can keep the site fresh and dynamic," said Gifford. "We'll continue to look for new ways the site can grow and serve our members. It's a great value-added benefit and a tangible example of our commitment to enhancing quality."
ahcancalED can be accessed at https://educate.ahcancal.org/. Suggestions for content or other site enhancements can be submitted to the ahcancalED team at educate@ahca.org. AHCA/NCAL welcomes ideas that will help improve quality and strengthen the knowledge, skills and attitudes of staff in the long term and post-acute care community.
The Professional’s Pledge
He goes on to note, “To be professional is what I am called to be. To take pride in my work is what I am called to do. Henceforth, I will always do more than is expected of me. I will not rely on my mood of the day to dictate how I go about my work. Like the wind, my mood will shift. Consistency can not…must not shift. And professionals are consistent.” To read the full blog posting, please click here.
| Dr.
Williams is a consultant, trainer, and author, who focuses on the areas of
service excellence and organizational effectiveness. He has spoken at numerous AHCA/NCAL events,
and his passion is to serve others so they may better serve the world.
Here is a link where you can see some of
Dr. Williams’ book recommendations on service, leadership and personal development. |
From the Blog of Josh Linkner
National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities
The National Association of States
United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) holds a monthly call or webinar
concerning topics of interest to those who work in the field of aging and
disability. One of the past calls focused on resources
for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and their caregivers. Information about
future calls, and audio recording of previous ones, can be found here.
Upcoming 2016 Events
-
AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit – February 9 – 11, 2016
- AHCA’s ID/DD Hill Fly-In Event – March 1, 2016
- Developmental Disabilities: Update for Health Professionals – March 3-4, 2016
- AHCA/NCAL Independent Owner Leadership Conference – March 16 – 18, 2016
2015 and 2016 Health Care Observances
The 2015 AHCA/NCAL Health Care Observances
Calendar can be found here,
which includes observances for the month of December. January 2016 marks, among other observances, Glaucoma
Awareness Month, National Blood
Donor Month, and Thyroid
Awareness Month.
Friday, November 13, 2015
Mark Your Calendars – AHCA’s 2016 ID/DD Hill Fly-In Date Set!
If you would like to attend, please
contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson. If you have any
questions whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to let Dana know. AHCA
hopes to see you at this important event!
ID/DD Facility Tour Visits
Pictured from left to right is the Director of Nursing Services, Laura Madden, RN, BSN, for Cedarcrest Center for Children with Disabitlies, Holly Jarek, VP/NHA of Seven Hills Pediatric Center, and the President/CEO of Cedarcrest Center for Children with Disabilities, Cathy Gray, M.A., NHA.
The group is standing in front of the recently installed "KaBOOM!" playground for the children of Cedarcrest.
AHCA Applauds CMS Action on Issuing Medicaid Final Rule
AHCA recently applauded the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for
finalizing the rule “Medicaid Program; Methods for Assuring Access to Covered
Medicaid Services.” The rule puts
additional structures in place that are intended to make Medicaid fee-for-service
payment rate development more data-driven and transparent to beneficiaries and
providers.
“We applaud CMS for taking action on this long-awaited rule,” said Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA. “AHCA provided input, and we are pleased to see that CMS had like-minded ideas. This is a framework for more transparency and accountability in the state plan amendment process for both beneficiaries and providers.”
You can click here to read the full news release from AHCA.
“We applaud CMS for taking action on this long-awaited rule,” said Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA. “AHCA provided input, and we are pleased to see that CMS had like-minded ideas. This is a framework for more transparency and accountability in the state plan amendment process for both beneficiaries and providers.”
AHCA’s State of the States Clearinghouse
This resource provides valuable data, including:
- Overview of the demographic landscape;
- State-specific nursing center occupancy and ownership breakouts;
- Certificate of Need requirements for nursing centers and state licensure requirements;
- State data on the cost of care for long term services and supports;
- State data on the total number of Medicare enrollees;
- Data on state Medicare Advantage plan enrollees and comparisons to the national average;
- State and national Medicaid expenditure data;
- State Medicaid rates, costs and shortfalls;
- And other significant state-specific data related to payment structure, managed long term services and home and community based services coverage.
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Grassroots Advocacy
Renee Naylor, AHCA's
ID/DD Committee Chair, encourages AHCA's ID/DD providers to participate in our
grassroots advocacy efforts this year.
AHCA would like to help you get facility tours and in-district meetings
set up over future recess days. Please
provide your name, facility address, and email address and we will craft the
invite and send it to you to send to the Congressional office. The four
brief steps for a successful facility tour visit can be found here. Please feel free to contact Matthew Smyth and Dana Halvorson who can help you
with all of the logistics.
Renee Naylor
(pictured to the left) and AHCA’s ID/DD Committee member, Kelly Head (pictured
to the right), met with Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5) on March 24,
during AHCA’s ID/DD Residential Services Providers annual Hill Fly-In
event.
U.S. Congressional Calendars
AHCA/NCAL Advocacy App
If you
haven’t already heard about it, then we wanted to alert you to a great app that
allows you to keep abreast of AHCA advocacy efforts. Among other things, it provides important
talking points, issue briefs and features that allow you to take action. It will be useful not only to you, but serves
as a great way for providers to weigh in.
You can get the app by clicking on the appropriate black box below.
Download our
advocacy app!
VOR Corner
We’ve Got You Covered! AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions Website
The program offers health insurance options, group and voluntary benefit packages, an aggressive Stop-Loss insurance program as well as cloud based HR platforms that will help members achieve savings and greater efficiencies on HR services within your company, while also tracking and reporting on key Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements. For more information, please contact AHCA’s Dave Kyllo at dkyllo@AHCA.org and visit the AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions website.
Articles and Resources of Interest
-
AHCA/NCAL Elects New Board of Governors, Directors at Annual Convention in San Antonio – ahcancal.org
- Health care costs for dementia found greater than for any other disease – nih.gov
- Government Study Suggests Autism Overdiagnosed – disabilityscoop.com
- An Aging Population, Without the Doctors to Match – nytimes.com
- Are you ready for Autism? Simple steps for preparing for a Monday morning dental appointment with a child with autism – rdhmag.com
- Obesity More Common Among Kids With Autism, Study Finds – disabilityscoop.com
Legislative and Agency Corner
- AHCA/NCAL Welcomes Speaker Ryan – ahcancal.org
- AHCA Voices Concerns with Proposed Rule – ahcancal.org
- Leveling the Playing Field: Improving Technology Access and Design for People with Intellectual Disabilities – acl.gov
- Fully Integrated Duals Advantage (FIDA-IDD) – opwdd.ny.gov
- Businesses Seek Relief From Congress Over ADA Suits – disabilityscoop.com
Webinars of Interest
Stay informed
and tune in to AHCA/NCAL-hosted pre-recorded and live webinars on a number of topics impacting the long term care profession.
Association Launches New Learning Management Website
"We created ahcancalED for our members who do not have the time or budget to develop the newest in-service training," said Dr. David Gifford, AHCA/NCAL Senior Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Affairs. "Our objective also was to provide the best and latest educational tools, especially as CMS increases its regulatory requirements about staff training and competency in a number of areas. ahcancalED is designed to help individuals in our profession do a better job of caring for patients and residents and advance in their careers."
The information on ahcancalED is structured to make the online learning experience engaging, meaningful, and interactive for users. The fresh graphics and clearly defined sections within the site make it easy for users to navigate and find the information they need. The site also allows users to track their own learning progress.
Teams of experts from around the country working with AHCA/NCAL staff helped to create the content. "We will constantly be adding new programs and materials so that we can keep the site fresh and dynamic," said Gifford. "We'll continue to look for new ways the site can grow and serve our members. It's a great value-added benefit and a tangible example of our commitment to enhancing quality."
ahcancalED can be accessed at https://educate.ahcancal.org/. Suggestions for content or other site enhancements can be submitted to the ahcancalED team at educate@ahca.org. AHCA/NCAL welcomes ideas that will help improve quality and strengthen the knowledge, skills and attitudes of staff in the long term and post-acute care community.
Leaders are Lifters
| Dr.
Williams is a consultant, trainer, and author, who focuses on the areas of
service excellence and organizational effectiveness. He has spoken at numerous AHCA/NCAL events,
and his passion is to serve others so they may better serve the world.
Here is a link where you can see some of
Dr. Williams’ book recommendations on service,
leadership and personal development. |
From the Blog of Josh Linkner
National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities
The National Association of States
United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) holds a monthly call or webinar
concerning topics of interest to those who work in the field of aging and
disability. One of the past calls focused on resources
for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and their caregivers. Information about
future calls, and audio recording of previous ones, can be found here.
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