Honoring Our Nation’s Veterans

Veterans Day 2016 will be observed this Friday, today. In honor of Veterans Day, American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) wanted to share a story of one of its members, the Maine Veterans’ Home. Their skilled nursing care center in Scarborough, Maine, had been selected as one of only three centers across the nation to receive the prestigious AHCA/NCAL Gold – Excellence in Quality Award.

A center that receives this award joins an extremely elite group of long term care providers in the nation. Gold award recipients are rare nationwide, and Maine Veterans’ Home in Scarborough’s (MVH-Scarborough) selection was the first gold award recipient in Maine and only the second State Veterans’ Home (SVH) in the nation to have ever achieved this distinction. Serving veterans, their spouses, and gold-star parents is a mission that Maine Veterans’ Homes has always viewed as a privilege and a sacred trust that goes far beyond simply providing excellent medical care. Provider Magazine covers more about the quality care MVH provides to our nation’s veterans. The full story, entitled Reflections on a Quality Journey by Devin Robinson (director, public relations & marketing, Maine Veterans’ Homes, Scarborough) is online.

AHCA/NCAL is proud to represent a number of SVHs, as well as countless civilian facilities nationwide that serve veterans as their residents. More information can be found on the AHCA’s Veterans webpage.

Thank You for Supporting a Day for Not for Profit (NFP) Providers at Convention

AHCA/NCAL’s constituency education program for NFP providers was held on Tuesday, October 18, in Nashville, TN, and was 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 inspired participants to take back their life, see the abundant possibility within their professional and personal challenges, and change the world. Participants also had the opportunity to hear from other top-notch speakers.  To learn more about this day, which will be held again next year at the AHCA/NCAL Convention in Las Vegas, please don’t hesitate to contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson.

Congrats to Our AHCA/NCAL 2016 Award Recipients

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) honored the recipients for the 2016 AHCA/NCAL Awards program last month.  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 were honored at the AHCA/NCAL 67th Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee on October 19, 2016.

FCC Rural Health Care Program Funding Application Process and the Ability to Partner with a Consortia

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, which is effectively Jan. 1, 2017.  The FCC’s Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) administers the universal service fund program associated with 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 additional filing window periods for FY2016.  Because of the 180 day delay of enactment included in the legislation, SNFs will technically not be able to apply for funds from the RHCF program until Jan. 1, 2017.  Therefore, the first filing window period for SNFs  will be from February 1 - April 30, 2017.  Given the potential of applications reaching the funding cap, eligible SNFs are strongly encouraged to submit their funding requests for the FY ended on June 30, 2017 as soon after Jan. 1, 2017 as possible.

Notwithstanding the delay of enactment for SNFs, there is much preparatory work that must and can be done in advance of formal application of funds.  For questions about the filing window periods, you can contact the RHCP Help Desk via email or at (800) 453-1546.  Suggested first steps for SNFs that are eligible and would like to apply for funds from the RHCP include:

• 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.

Required preparatory steps can be time consuming.  Some SNF management may wish to hire a consultant with expertise in the FCC’s application process if there is interest in submitting an application for either FY2016 or FY2017.  Another option is to join an already existing consortia to apply for and obtain funding.

In that regard, The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society (Good Sam) – an AHCA member – has completed a consortia request which was recently approved by USAC.  It would be a rather simple and seamless process to join to be part of the Good Sam consortium.  If any eligible provider is interested in exploring this option, you may contact Dan Holdhusen, Good Sam’s Director of Government Relations.  Dan is familiar with the USAC application process and testified on behalf of SNF providers this past spring at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing in support of the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act.

Finally, 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 if you have any questions.

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.