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.

You also might be interested in an AADMD Virtual Grand Rounds Aging in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities webinar, which can be viewed here.   

Finally, The ARC has webinars coming up this year and next year that might be of interest.  More details are below.

• Healthy Relationships and Healthy Sexuality for People with Developmental Disability
• Aging and Dementia Care for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• Transition of Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities to Adult-Systems of Care
• Social Support Networks of Aging Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

AHCA/NCAL Learning Management Website

AHCA/NCAL has recently launched a comprehensive online Learning Management System to support the training needs of its members. The website, known as ahcancalED, contains a wealth of information including educational programs, webinars, instructional videos, training courses, and other tools. It is available free to AHCA/NCAL members.

"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.

From the Blog of Josh Linkner

Noted on the Josh Linkner blog, “To Josh Linkner, creativity and innovation are the lifeblood of all human progress. As such, he’s spent his career harnessing the power of creative disruption.  His journey has been non-traditional at every step. As the founder and CEO of four tech companies, Josh built his businesses from a blank page into a combined value of over $200 million. As a hyper-growth CEO of over 20 years, he’s used innovative approaches to topple competitors, fight through adversity, and achieve at the highest levels.”  The bio section of Linkner’s blog goes on to include that, “Josh is an internationally-recognized thought leader and top-rated keynote speaker on innovation, creativity, reinvention, and hyper-growth leadership. His keynotes are focused on not only inspiring audiences, but also sharing actionable strategies to drive meaningful outcomes.”  Read some of Linkner’s blogs below.  In addition, you can view some of his keynote speaking addresses here.

• The Red Zone
• The Wonkavator
• Innovation out of Thin Air
• A Cunningly Creative Cannonball
• How a 5-Minute Ritual Can Fuel Your Success

Two Kings

Dr. Bryan K. Williams notes on his blog that, “True hospitality. True service excellence demands that each person we are privileged to serve is worthy of the best service we have to offer. The assumption is that everyone we serve is a VIP. Specifically, we are not trying to treat VIPs like everyone else.  Instead we are treating everyone like they are VIPs.  This assertion is a paradigm shift that may make some people uncomfortable, because it assumes that everyone is worthy of being served with excellence.”  The full blog version of the “Two Kings” article can be found 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.

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 2017 Events

• AHCA/NCAL 2017 Quality Summit – March 6 – 8, 2017
• AHCA/NCAL 2017 Independent Owner Leadership Conference – March 8 – 10, 2017
• AHCA ID/DD Committee In-Person Meeting and Hill Fly-In Event – March 21 and 22, 2017 

2017 Health Care Observances

February 2017 marks, among other observances, American Heart Month, National Cancer Prevention Month, and AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month.  The full 2017 health care related observances calendar can be found here.