Rural Health Care Access Legislation Signed into Law

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 had proposed to amend the 1996 Telecommunications Act to permit eligible not for profit and public skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in rural areas to apply for support from the Universal Service Fund’s Rural Health Care Program (RHCP).  The RHCP provides funding for eligible health care providers to expand and mitigate the high cost of broadband to facilitate and deliver healthcare services in rural areas and communities.

S. 1916/H.R. 4111 simply specify 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 were not eligible to receive these funds as, we believe, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 intended.  The Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015, which was included in the Toxic Substances Control Act conference report, passed in the full Senate on June 7th.  AHCA applauds the Congressional leaders in both chambers who made this passage possible.  The conference report was recently signed into law by the President. 

Living the Mission: A Day for Not for Profit (NFP) Providers from AHCA/NCAL

AHCA/NCAL’s constituency education program for NFP providers will be held on Tuesday, October 18, in Nashville, TN, and is packed with motivational and educational speakers. The keynote speaker, John O’Leary (pictured), was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, he created a massive explosion in his garage and was burned on 100% of his body. Given less than 1% chance of survival, John is proof of the power of the human spirit. Using his fire story as a backdrop, John will inspire you to take back your life, see the abundant possibility within your professional and personal challenges, and change the world. Participants will also have the opportunity to hear from other top-notch speakers. More information about this day and where to register can be found here. Registration opened on April 6. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson.      

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. 

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

• AHCA/NCAL Announces 2016 Bronze National Quality Award Recipients – ahcancal.org
• AHCA Member, Warren Slavin, Receives 2016 Distinguished Service Award – jcouncil.org  
• Delays in Spotting Dementia Can Bring Dangers – healthfinder.gov
• Why Pleasant Mealtimes Could Be Key to Alzheimer's Care – healthfinder.gov
• Health Tip: Exercising for Seniors – healthfinder.gov
• Talking With Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People – nia.nih.gov
• PTSD: National Center for PTSD – ptsd.va.gov

Legislative and Agency Corner

• Long Term & Post-Acute Care Advocates Applaud Senate Passage of Rural Health Care Access Bill – ahcancal.org
• AHCA Responds to MedPAC Comments on SNF/PPS Proposed Rule – ahcancal.org
• New CMS Data Show Half of AHCA Members Hit 30 Percent Antipsychotics Reduction Goal Ahead of Schedule – ahcancal.org
• Long Term Care Advocates Gather on Capitol Hill – ahcancal.org
• Long Term Care Advocates Recognized at AHCA/NCAL Congressional Briefing – ahcancal.org
• June 2016 Medicare and the Health Delivery System report to Congress – medpac.gov 
• HUD ‘Very Pleased’ with Reverse Mortgage Changes – reversemortgagedaily.com
• [Updated] FHA Proposes New Consumer Protections for Reverse Mortgages – reversemortgagedaily.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.  On July 13, 2016, from 2 – 3pm EDT, AHCA/NCAL will host a webinar entitled, “Payroll-Based Journal Reporting: Staffing Strategies for Success.”  You can learn more and register here. 

A webinar entitled, “Times of Transformation:  The Changing LTSS Environment for the Aging and Disability Networks” will be held on Wednesday, June 29^th, 2016, as part of the National Aging and Disability Business Center Series.  More details on the webinar and registration information can be found 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.

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. 

• A Winning Secret from Chess Grand Master
• Empathy Is the New Killer App
• Will a Robot Be Your Next Boss?
• The Reverse
• The Poison of Labeling
• More, Less, Stop

Shake Shack – Work Like You Own It

 

According to Dr. Bryan K. Williams, “During a recent day-trip to Baltimore, my family decided to have lunch at Shake Shack. While the team obviously shows great care in selecting quality ingredients and preparing delicious meals, the service is what stands out. It was lunchtime, so the place was packed. Yet, it took us less than five minutes to zip through the line to order our food.”  The full blog version of the “Shake Shack – Work Like You Own It” 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.

BW Leadership Academy 2016

On November 3-4, Dr. Bryan K. Williams is introducing the first ever BW Leadership Academy in Baltimore, Maryland.  According to Dr. Williams, “the BW Leadership Academy is an experience unlike any other because it's not just about leadership ... it's about the leader. It's a unique opportunity for strong mid-managers and those who are close to becoming senior leaders. They will become completely engaged in a two-day event that strictly focuses on making the attendee the leader they are meant to be, and to grow the future generation of the leaders.”  For more information and to register for the Academy, visit www.BWLeadershipAcademy.com.

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 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.  July 2016 marks, among other observances, Eye Injury Prevention Month and UV Safety Month.