AHCA NFP Council Member Testifies on Capitol Hill Supporting Rural Health Care Access Legislation

Dan Holdhusen (pictured to the right), Director of Government Relations at the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society and AHCA member, testified (pictured at left) in front of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology during a hearing in support of the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015. Dan encouraged swift passage of this important legislation. The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society has been ahead of the curve regarding the exchange of health information through their programs such as the LivingWell@Home technology, which helps seniors maintain their wellness and continue to live in their homes. With more than 240 locations across the country, The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is the largest not for profit provider of senior care and services in the United States. 

As noted in the past, AHCA is in full support of the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015 (S. 1916/ H.R. 4111). This legislation would amend the Communications Act to permit eligible not for profit and public skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to apply for support from the Universal Service Fund’s Rural Health Care Program (RHCP). The RHCP provides funding for telecommunications and broadband services used to provide health care in rural areas and communities. S. 1916/H.R. 4111 specifies that SNFs be included in the definition of health care providers that are eligible to receive RHCP support. By Federal Communications Commission (FCC) interpretation, SNFs are currently not eligible to receive these funds as, we believe, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 intended. S. 1916 passed unanimously by the Senate Commerce Committee on November 18, 2015.

2016-2017 AHCA Elections and Solicitation for Candidates

The 2016-2017 election cycle has officially opened for AHCA members in good standing interested in running for the AHCA Board of Governors. The AHCA elections are for three officer positions (Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer), one Not-for-Profit Representative, one Multifacility Representative and three At-large Representatives. AHCA members interested in running for an AHCA Board position may obtain the necessary candidacy materials online. Applicants must complete and electronically submit the AHCA candidacy materials by close of business on June 6, 2016. Candidates will submit completed materials by sending an e-mail to Christy Sharp.

The AHCA elections will take place during the second Council of States meeting at the AHCA/NCAL 67th Annual Convention & Expo, October 16 - 19 in Nashville, TN. Once the application phase has ended, the AHCA/NCAL Credentialing Committee will hold an in-person meeting to conduct a certification process for each candidate. Once certification occurs, AHCA will announce the slate of candidates to the membership. If you have further questions, contact Christy Sharp.

At Congressional Briefing, We Pack a lot into Two Days

Keynote Speaker Chuck Todd, NBC News Political Director and Host of Meet the Press and MTP Daily, will bring in current events in the context of politics and the upcoming election. More special guests will be announced shortly.

Join us in Washington, D.C.
May 23-24, 2016
Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel

Get all the details and register today. Congressional Briefing is a unique and critical opportunity to meet and discuss key issues in long term and post-acute care, and then take meaningful action by speaking directly to your Representatives.

• Earn 8.5 CEUs
• Find out all the latest news from Capitol Hill
• Discuss and plan around key talking points for Congressional visits
• Meet with your Members of Congress and their staff

The conference registration fee is complimentary to AHCA/NCAL Members and AHCA/NCAL Associate Business Members, and their spouses, and is accepted on a first-come basis. All registrations include continental breakfast, networking lunch, and cocktail reception.

Make Your Hotel Reservations Early
Rooms fill fast in the spring time as D.C. is a popular destination. Make your hotel reservations today and register for Congressional Briefing.

See the complete agenda at cb.ahcancal.org. The Advanced Registration deadline is April 22.

Awards Expanding to Trustees

New! Not for Profit Trustee Award

You have now entered the 2016 AHCA/NCAL Awards season! And this year a new category, much in demand, is available called the Trustee Award. The Trustee Award, along with the solid returning standard berarers of the NFP Program of the Year’s two categories of a community benefit or resident services program and the IDDD Hero of the Year Award, makes for several opportunities to honor those within your specialized sphere of skilled nursing care centers. The connection for these disparate health care settings, and core requirement for these awards, is having a “not for profit” sponsorship status. Nomination forms are availabe here on the Awards Program.

Trustees Front and Center

2016 will mark the second year for the Trustee Award, with the inaugural 2015 award being made to Neil Gulsvig for his many years serving as a Trustee at the Good Samaritan Society. The Trustee Award’s presentation will be at the NFP Day ceremonies of the 2016 Nashville convention in October. We need good participation numbers so please nominate a Trustee or someone on the board of directors. Key attributes to look for include a strong commitment to faithfully carrying out the functions of the board, fostering effective board practices, demonstrating a passion about the organization’s mission, and a willingness to devote whatever it takes to attain success.  

2016 Mary K. Ousley Champion of Quality Award

The AHCA Quality Improvement Committee is excited to announce that it is now accepting nominations for the 2016 Mary K. Ousley Champion of Quality Award. This award recognizes an individual who has made significant national contributions to advancing quality performance in long term and/or post-acute care, including either skilled nursing or assisted living settings.

Recipients of the award are not required to be AHCA/NCAL members, but the nomination must be submitted by an individual with an organization that is an AHCA/NCAL member of good standing. In addition, the nomination must demonstrate how the nominee has made a significant impact on a national scale. The recipient will be honored at the 2016 AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention & Expo’s Closing General Session in Nashville, TN, on October 19. Nomination forms must be submitted online by June 9^th.  Please contact Erin Prendergast for questions, or visit the Champion of Quality award page for more information.

NFP Grassroots Advocacy

Steven Chies, AHCA’s NFP Council Chair, encourages AHCA’s NFP providers to participate in our grassroots advocacy efforts 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.

AHCA’s NFP Council member, Van Moore (pictured to the right), meets with Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR-2, pictured on the left) at the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles.  Van discussed with the Congressman issues impacting AHCA/NCAL members, including the observation stays issue.  

NFPs Engaging in the Political Process

For more information on how NFPs can engage in the political process, please review this webinar and handout from Wiley Rein, LLP.  Both documents will give members of 501(c) 3 tax exempt organizations an overview of what they can and cannot do in regards to lobbying and political activity.  For issue briefs, talking points and more, visit AHCA’s advocacy page. 

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 114^th 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!

   

AHCA’s State of the States Clearinghouse

AHCA members have access to key Medicaid and Medicare information through the State of the States Clearinghouse.  The AHCA State of the States Clearinghouse is a one stop shop for key Medicaid and Medicare information impacting the long term care profession.   

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.

AHCA will continue to provide the most up-to-date information through the Clearinghouse and share new data/resources as they become available.  Also be sure to visit the AHCA Medicaid Page to learn more about the program and to access additional AHCA members-only Medicaid resources.

We’ve Got You Covered! AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions Website

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) now offers a variety of comprehensive insurance programs to meet your business needs. Backed by the strength of our membership, AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions programs are designed with exclusive member savings and discounts for both the fully-insured or self-insured members.

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

• Staff Learning Circle – Gary Kelso – geronurseprep.com
• Telemedicine Use Grows Among Health Care Professionals – eweek.com
• Severe Depression Linked to Dementia in Seniors – healthfinder.gov
• Alzheimer's Can Steal Ability to Know Loved Ones' Faces – healthfinder.gov
• Simple Steps Can Ease Care of Loved One With Alzheimer's – healthfinder.gov
• Alzheimer’s Caregiving Tips – Healthy Eating – nia.nih.gov
• Health Tip: Alzheimer's Disease Can Interfere With Sleep – healthfinder.gov
• Weekly US Map: Influenza Summary Update – cdc.gov 

Legislative and Agency Corner

• Five-Star: What You Need to Know and Do to Prepare Now – longtermcareleader.com
• How I Plan on Succeeding with Payroll Based Journal – longtermcareleader.com
• AHCA Reacts to Creation of Task Forces by Department of Justice – ahcancal.org
• AHCA Enters Fray over False Claims Act in Appellate Court – ahcancal.org
• AHCA/NCAL Statement on Committee Vote to Advance Provider Assessment Cuts – ahcancal.org
• AHCA Commends Veterans Choice Improvement Act – ahcancal.org
• Options for long-term care may open for veterans – Bismarcktribune.com
• VA’s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry – publichealth.va.gov 

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.  On May 18, 2016, from 2 – 3pm EDT, AHCA/NCAL will host a webinar entitled, “Nutrition and Person-Centered Care for Successful Quality Outcomes.”  You can learn more and register here.  

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.

It’s About Your Heart

Dr. Bryan K. Williams notes on his blog, “It’s about your heart. With all I’ve written about touchpoints, anticipating needs and steps of service, none of them can compare with your heart. Your heart is what connects with people. Your heart is what allows you to listen empathetically. Your heart is what causes you to give a genuine smile to a complete stranger, who you find yourself now serving. Yes, the heart is what pushes you to love. Love IS service, and service IS love. To create consistent, world-class service on your team, there must be a regular discussion about the heart and its role in driving service excellence.”  

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

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.

• Two Must-Read New Books for Growth Leaders and Entrepreneurs
• Is Your Brand Tattoo Worthy?
• Simulate to Stimulate
• The 7 Sins of Mediocrity
• 21 Creativity Quotes

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

• National Nursing Home Week – May 8 – 14
• Committee on Healthcare Financing Annual Meeting – June 7, 2016
• AHCA/NCAL 67^th Annual Convention & Expo – October 16 – 19, 2016
• A Day for Not for Profit Providers at the AHCA/NCAL Convention – October 18, 2016
• 26th Alzheimer Europe Conference – October 31 – November 2, 2016 

2016 Health Care Observances

The 2016 AHCA/NCAL Health Care Observances Calendar can be found here.  May 2016 marks, among other observances, Better Hearing and Speech Month, Healthy Vision Month, National American Stroke Month and Older Americans Month.