Early Bird Registration Ends July 21

If you still haven’t registered for the AHCA/NCAL 68th Annual Convention & Expo, do it today!  Register before July 21 for maximum savings!

The Convention & Expo is a great value for our members and consists of four days of unparalleled education, national speakers, networking and special events. We host an Expo Hall packed with all the best products and services for long term and post-acute care professionals.

When registering, make sure to get your tickets for the Gala Dinner & Show with the Grammy-Award winning Huey Lewis and the News.

We hope you join us for a night you won't forget! Less than three weeks remain before the early bird deadline ends, so don’t delay and register today!

AHCA/NCAL Responds to House Passage of the Protecting Access to Care Act Bill

On June 28, 2017, the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) President and CEO Mark Parkinson issued the following statement regarding the House passage of the Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017 (H.R.1215), which would reform health care liability laws.

“Long term and post-acute care providers deliver critical care to more than one million seniors and people with disabilities and employ millions more. Rising liability costs to an already underfunded sector not only threaten access to care but can also cost jobs. This legislation helps at a time when we need it the most. Now more than ever, it’s important to preserve dwindling resources to improve the lives of those who need it and deserve better. We applaud the passage of this bill and look forward to working with members of the Senate.”

AHCA/NCAL Announces 2017 Silver National Quality Award Recipients

On July 6, 2017, the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) announced the names of the 191 skilled nursing care centers and assisted living communities in 43 states that have earned the 2017 Silver - Achievement in Quality Award.  The award is the second of three distinctions possible through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program, which recognizes providers across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to improving quality of care for residents and patients in long term and post-acute care centers and communities.

“Silver award recipients are champions of performance excellence and quality health care outcomes,” said AHCA/NCAL President and CEO Mark Parkinson.  “I commend their dedication to delivering solutions for quality care to the populations we serve.”

Based on the core values and criteria of the nationally recognized Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which is also the foundation of the metric-based AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative, the Association’s Quality Award program challenges member providers to achieve performance excellence through three progressive levels—Bronze, Silver, and Gold.  Members at the Silver award level develop and demonstrate effective approaches that help improve performance and quality outcomes.

“I am honored to recognize those who have achieved this year’s Silver distinction,” said Alana Wolfe, Chair of the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers.  “These organizations have done an outstanding job adhering to the rigorous demands of the Baldrige criteria and have demonstrated an effective approach to improving quality performance.”

This year’s Silver recipients can now advance in developing approaches that meet the criteria required for the Gold – Excellence in Quality Award.  On June 1, the Association announced the honorees of the Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award.  A full list of Silver and Bronze recipients is available on the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award website here.  Gold award recipients will be announced later this summer.

The program is sponsored by AHCA/NCAL Associate Business Members: First Quality, National Research Corporation, and Team TSI Corporation.  The awards will be presented to recipients during AHCA/NCAL’s 68th Annual Convention & Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 15-18, 2017.

25 National Organizations Sign Letter to CMS on the Observation Stays Matter

On June 20, 2017, 25 organizations, including AHCA/NCAL, submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services outlining a regulatory fix relating to the observation stays matter.  The organizations that signed the letter are members of a broad coalition of beneficiary and provider advocacy groups who are dedicated to preserving Medicare beneficiaries’ access to necessary skilled nursing care following a hospital stay, regardless of whether that stay was classified as inpatient or outpatient observation.  Under current law, a Medicare beneficiary must spend at least three days as a hospital inpatient for Medicare to cover a subsequent stay in a skilled nursing center (known as the “SNF 3-day rule”).

AHCA/NCAL continues to keep the observation stays issue one of its top advocacy and outreach priorities.  Increasingly, patients have no idea what their status is in a hospital, or the importance of it, which can lead to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket medical expenses should they need skilled nursing center care following their hospital stay.  In addition to placing a financial burden on seniors and their families, this anomaly in Medicare rules can cause unnecessary spend-down, accelerating the time frame in which seniors will have to turn to programs such as Medicaid to pay for their care.  For more information about the observation stays issue, please visit the AHCA/NCAL website.

AHCA Summary of Interpretive Guidance for Emergency Preparedness Requirements

As you may know from previous AHCA correspondences, the Emergency Preparedness Final Rule was released on Friday, September 16, 2016.  The rule impacts skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IIDs), but does not apply to assisted living providers. 

On June 2, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Emergency Preparedness Interpretive Guidance (IG), which can be found here.  AHCA members are highly encouraged to look through the IG.  Providers will need to comply with the final rule by November 2017.  Click here for a summary AHCA put together of the IG for your use.  Finally, AHCA has an Emergency Preparedness Final Rule Webinar Series that can be found here.  Please contact Erin Prendergast (SNF Providers) or Dana Halvorson (ICF/IID Providers) with any questions.

‘Family is Forever’ Designated as 2017 Theme for National Assisted Living Week

The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) recently revealed “Family is Forever” as this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week®.  The annual, national observance provides a unique opportunity for residents, their loved ones, staff, volunteers, and surrounding communities to celebrate the individuals served in assisted living and learn more about this sector of long term care. ​​​​​

“Anyone who has spent valuable time in an assisted living community has seen how staff can come to think of their residents like family,” said NCAL Executive Director Scott Tittle. “It takes a special person to work in our profession, and often, caregivers form bonds that can never be broken.  This National Assisted Living Week, we want to recognize these amazing individuals who give their heart and soul to their residents, as well as those seniors and individuals with disabilities who leave a lasting imprint on their caregivers.”

Established by NCAL in 1995, National Assisted Living Week (NALW) will be held Sept. 10-16, 2017.  This year’s theme is inspired by a quote from the poet Maya Angelou: “Family isn’t always blood, it’s the people in your life who want you in theirs: the ones who accept you for who you are, the ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.” Assisted living communities across the country are encouraged to organize activities and events during NALW that celebrate these deep connections between staff and residents.

The “Family is Forever” logo is available for download to assisted living communities, stakeholders, and members of the public on the NALW website.  In the coming months, NCAL will issue a planning guide and product catalog centered on ways to celebrate “Family is Forever.” Please visit www.NALW.org for updated information and resources.

NFP Grassroots Advocacy – Facility Visits over Recess

Gary Kelso, AHCA’s NFP Council Chair, encourages AHCA’s NFP providers to participate in our grassroots advocacy efforts in 2017.  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.