AHCA/NCAL 2016 Award Recipients Honored Next Week

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) will be honoring the recipients for the 2016 AHCA/NCAL Awards program next week.  Each year, AHCA/NCAL recognizes the men and women who selflessly care for individuals in long term and post-acute care centers, ID/DD residences, and assisted living communities.  Honorees demonstrate selflessness, compassion, and strive to enhance the lives of the elderly and intellectually or developmentally disabled in their communities.

The 2016 AHCA/NCAL Awards recipients are:

• Hero of the Year- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: John Lair, New Hope Services a division of Medicalodges, Inc., Pittsburg, KS
• Not for Profit Program of the Year: Chaparral House, Berkeley, CA
• Not for Profit Trustee Award: Robert Martin, Madison County Nursing Home, Canton, MS
• Adult Volunteer of the Year: Randy McQueen, Mercy Living Plus, Oelwein, IA
• Group Volunteer of the Year: Adopt A Senior, Jackson, NJ
• Young Adult Volunteer of the Year: Zach Severson, Good Samaritan Society, Canton, SD

The Hero of the Year award recognizes an individual who works or volunteers in an ICF/IID facility or HCBS Waiver Homes and has shown commitment and dedication to serving people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.  The Not for Profit Program of the Year award highlights a specific program that adds value to the care of individuals within a community.  The NFP Trustee of the Year Award recognizes the vital role played by members of the Board of Trustees in not for profit nursing centers.  The Volunteer of the Year program seeks to honor a young adult (under 19), an adult, and a group organization that have served in a volunteer capacity for more than one year and have made a positive contribution to residents and staff of a care center.

Award recipients will be honored at the AHCA/NCAL 67th Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee on October 19, 2016.

National Quality Forum Releases Final Report from the HCBS Committee

The National Quality Forum (NQF) has released the final report from the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Committee: Quality in Home and Community-Based Services to Support Community Living: Addressing Gaps in Performance Measures. Under a contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), NQF convened a committee to develop recommendations for prioritization of measurement opportunities. During this two-year project, the committee created a conceptual framework for measurement and an operational definition of HCBS; conducted an environmental scan for measures, concepts, and instruments; identified gaps in quality measures; and drafted recommendations for prioritization in measurement. During the project, three interim reports were released, which can be found on the NQF website. The final report includes global recommendations to improving quality measures in HCBS, the suggested measurement domains and subdomains, examples of measure concepts relevant to each subdomain, and recommendations for each domain.

Next Week – 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 can be found here. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson.

FCC Rural Health Care Program Funding Application Process

The Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015 was passed by Congress and enacted into law on June 22, 2016. The Act authorized eligible rural not for profit skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to participate in the Rural Health Care Program (RHCP) to assist in payment for broadband expansion and expenses to facilitate and deliver health care services. It also mandated the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow applications by eligible SNFs within 180 days of enactment. The FCC’s Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) administers the universal service fund from the RHCP.

According to a recent press release from USAC, RHCP funding requests reached a historic high of $377.64 million in Funding Year (FY) 2015, and demand may exceed the $400 million funding cap in FY2016 (July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017). To fairly distribute future RHCP funding if the funding cap is reached, the FCC just announced two additional filing window periods for FY2016. The next filing window period is from September 1 - November 30, 2016. If funding remains, the third filing window period will be from February 1 - April 30, 2017. Eligible health care providers are strongly encouraged to submit their funding requests by November 30, 2016, the last day of the upcoming FY2016 filing window period. For questions about the filing window periods, you can contact the RHCP Help Desk via email or at (800) 453-1546.

Suggested first steps are below for SNFs who are eligible and would like to apply for funds from the RHCP to allow reduced rates for broadband expenses:

• Become familiar with the overview of the RHCP and determine eligibility by visiting the USAC web site.
• Become familiar with the specific steps required in the application process.
• Sign up on USAC’s listserv to receive ongoing updates of activity and timeline requirements.
• Register for and listen in on the October 11th RHCP 101: Intro to the RHCP webinar being held at 2pm ET. 

There are several preparatory steps that are required, and some can be time consuming. You might wish to hire a consultant with expertise in the FCC’s RHCP if you are seriously looking at submitting an application for either FY2016 or FY2017. You might also contact Dan Holdhusen, Director of Government Relations at The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, an AHCA member, who testified on behalf of SNF providers this past Spring at an Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing in support of the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act.  Feel free to also contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit and Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson, who has been closely following this matter.  

NFP Grassroots Advocacy – Facility Visits over Recess

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

• Falls are leading cause of injury and death in older Americans – cdc.gov
• Combatting Senior Malnutrition – acl.gov
• How to Sidestep Chronic Health Problems as you Age – agerrtc.washington.edu
• Your Biological Clock: Why Some Age Faster Than Others – healthfinder.gov
• Zika Causes Widespread Damage to Fetal Brain – healthfinder.gov
• Health Tip: Separate Foods – healthfinder.gov
• To Help Prevent Colon Cancer, 'Listen to Your Gut' – healthfinder.gov
• The Gap in Medigap – kff.org

Legislative and Agency Corner

• AHCA Statement on CMS Final Rule Requirements of Participation – ahcancal.org
• Influenza Vaccination Information for Health Care Workers – cdc.gov
• Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2015-16 Influenza Season - cdc.gov
• More Health Care Workers Need Flu Shots: CDC – healthfinder.gov
• How to Protect Yourself From the Seasonal Flu – healthfinder.gov
• Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers – nia.nih.gov
• Home and Community-Based Services: NASUAD Annual Conference Workshop Materials Available – hcbsconference.org
• Assessing Innovations in Medicaid – allhealth.org

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. One of the webinars coming up that you might find of interest is below.

• New CMS Regulatory LTC Requirements for Food/Nutrition and Dining

HUD Webinars Being Offered this Month

Through these webinars, attendees will learn about the basics of the multifamily FSS program, best practices for running a successful FSS program, and details of program compliance.  There are three webinars in the series.  Webinars #1 and #2 will be presented by industry stakeholders.  Webinar #3, dealing with program requirements outlined in H Notice 2016-08, will be presented by HUD staff.  To register for a session, click on the corresponding URL provided below and complete the registration form.  You will need to separately register for each webinar you’d like to attend.  All webinars are free of charge.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will be offering a new webinar series focused on the Multifamily Family Self-Sufficiency (MF FSS) program.

• Webinar #1: Launching a Multifamily FSS Program
• Webinar #2: Best Practices in Running an FSS Program
• Webinar #3: Complying with Multifamily FSS Program Requirements

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.

• Unexpected Teachers
• The Mañana Trap
• Doing Well by Doing Good
• Force Fields
• An Unlikely Business Makeover

The Missing Link

Dr. Bryan K. Williams notes, “With all the talk on what leaders need to do and the organization needs to do, the malnourished component is the individual leader, and what he/she, specifically needs to do every day. What am I going to do? What behaviors will I be accountable for? Challenge yourself and encourage your colleagues to challenge you as well.”  The full blog version of “The Missing Link” 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.  November 2016 marks, among other observances, National Family Caregivers Month, National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, and American Diabetes Month.