UPDATE Weekly

All NCHCFA Members received by e-mail last week a brief comprehensive survey regarding NCHCFA’s future Annual Convention & Expo, Summer Symposium, and educational programs. Our goal is to present informative and enjoyable programs and we take feedback from our members very seriously as we plan for future events. It is imperative that we get 100% participation from our membership so that we can better serve you. You can complete this survey by clicking here.

The deadline to complete this survey is Friday, March 31, 2017. We appreciate your time and thank you very much for your feedback! We value your comments and look forward to providing you the highest quality educational programing in the future.

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Healthcare providers will be expected to meet the training and testing requirements included in the recent emergency preparedness final rule by its implementation date of November 15, 2017.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing information to assist providers and suppliers in meeting the Training and Testing requirements of the new Emergency Preparedness Final Rule that was published on September 16, 2016 and became effective on November 15, 2016. This guidance includes information on the requirements background, exercise requirements, resources and contact information. To read this guidance (S&C 17-21-ALL), click here.

Due to the large number of speaking requests CMS has received regarding the final rule for Emergency Preparedness Requirements, CMS is offering an additional learning session through the Medicare Learning Network. During the additional session, CMS will provide an overview of the final rule and specifically discuss meeting the training and testing requirements by the implementation date of November 15, 2017. This session is scheduled for Thursday, April 27th from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM ET. To register or to get more information, visit MLN Connects Event Registration. Space may be limited, register early.

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Pat Boyer, RN, MSM, NHA of Boyer & Associates will present Essentials for Medicaid & Medicare Using the MDS 3.0! CMS has made many changes in the MDS and RUGs system over the years. Now in 2017, we are still challenged with correct coding of the MDS and what documentation supports the coding to ensure proper reimbursement. This training will discuss the MDS “Hot Spots” that are being identified in RAC review and other medical review activity. Participants are encouraged to submit questions and concerns prior to the workshop to karenl@nchcfa.org if there are specific issues they would like addressed. Discussion will also address the financial implications of the RUGs system, SNF VBP, the Quality Measures and identify strategies you can implement to make sure you maintain accurate reimbursement.

Learning Objectives:
• Identify the status of the RUGS IV and MDS systems and any changes that have occurred in the last few years
• Determine how the MDS drives the Quality Measures and SNF VBP
• Discuss MDS “Hot Spots” being reviewed by RACs and Medical Reviewer
• Describe strategies for appropriate management of Medicare Part A Reimbursement using the MDS 3.0

YOU MAY REGISTER AND PAY ON-LINE! Please visit http://NursingHomesNC.com and click on Essentials for Medicaid & Medicare Using the MDS 3.0!

• April 19th – McKimmon Center, Raleigh, NC
• April 20th – Hilton Charlotte University Place, Charlotte, NC

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The American Health Care Association (AHCA) announces the launch of the new publication Your Top Line from Long Term Care Trend Tracker. This new publication highlights metrics and graphics outlining your progress on Five-Star performance, the AHCA Quality Initiative, SNF Value-Based Purchasing relative to peers in your market, and other necessary data to help you achieve your desired goals.

Distributed each quarter, the publication will also include links for resources from AHCANCALed that will help with specific goals.

To log on to Long Term Care Trend Tracker and download your publications, click here. Once logged on, you can also select which buildings will be included in your download, you can run other reports to benchmark your Centers against different peer groups and view trends over time.

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On a conference call last week, officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said that skilled nursing providers should submit their next round of payroll based journaling data well ahead of the deadline in order to catch errors. Providers will have until May 15th to submit data for the fiscal quarter lasting from January 1 to March 31, 2017.

While providers’ compliance with the program has not been added to their Five-Star rating yet, CMS officials noted the addition of a badge to the Nursing Home Compare Web site that will show whether or not a facility has submitted staffing data. A green badge indicates that the facility is already participating in the PBJ program; gray means a facility is not participating yet. The badge also includes a note that the staffing reporting program will “be on Nursing Home Compare by early 2018.”

An “advance notice” from CMS will be sent to providers before the use of staffing submissions to calculate star ratings, CMS officials explained.

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National Nursing Home Week® is May 14-20, 2017! AHCA’s 2017 National Nursing Home Week® (NNHW) specialty products are now available for purchase. This year’s theme with logo, The Spirit of America, is featured on many of the available items. This theme underscores the bond between staff, volunteers and residents that capture the American spirit. To purchase National Nursing Home week specialty products including posters, balloons, t-shirts, buttons, and more, shop on-line or call (800) 321-0343.

Members are encouraged to place orders early for best product selection (color, size, and available quantities). NNHW items are very popular and will sell out.

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The registration limit has been reached for the April 6th Empowerment Leadership workshop, but a waiting list has been created in the event a participant cancels. This workshop is an interactive, dynamic, developmental session focusing on what it truly means to serve others as a leader. Discuss what employees, customers, and others truly need from leaders. Learn how to operate most effectively in a leadership role using Servant Leadership core principles.

Based on the James Hunter book, “The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership”, Servant Leadership is a set of behaviors and practices that turn the traditional “power leadership” model upside down; instead of the people working to serve the leader, the leader exists to serve the people. The goal of this workshop is to provide attendees with information and tools that are relevant, transformative, memorable, and actionable.

Some of the most successful companies, known for their positive and effective culture, develop and promote Servant Leadership. These include Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Chick-Fil-A, SAS, and Nordstrom. Servant Leadership was found to have a significant effect on employee commitment.

This style of leadership is strongly correlated to employee satisfaction and, a considerable body of research has illustrated that Servant Leadership is associated with a variety of favorable employee outcomes, including:

• Improved psychological well-being
• Favorable job attitudes
• Improved job performance
• Decreased workplace deviance

This seminar will be facilitated by Mark Gogal, a Human Resources Leader with over 25 years of progressive, global, and diverse human resources experience, practical business partnering expertise, strong organizational and analytical skills, and proven strategic management experience. He has a multi-faceted background in developing and implementing core HR policies/practices to meet the changing business, legal and labor compliance environment. He has worked in a variety of industries in the public and private sectors including healthcare.

Mark is an enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate leader and presenter who truly enjoys developing others to reach their fullest potential both professionally and personally.

Although registration is now closed, NCHCFA will accept registrations for those interested in being added to the waiting list. For the complete brochure and to add your name to the waiting list, click here.

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The NC State Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators (NCBENHA) will offer the 2017 Preceptor Seminars on April 24-25, 2017 and April 25-26, 2017 at the Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, SC. You will need to choose the first seminar dates for Renewal Preceptor certification and the second seminar dates for Initial Preceptor Certification and Continuing Education Only. The seminars will be open to all nursing home administrators seeking continuing education credits and/or preceptor certification. This is the only preceptor seminar being planned for 2017 by NCBENHA. The deadline to register is April 14th!

Click here to download more information along with the registration form.

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District III and IV have scheduled their spring meetings.

District III
Clapp’s Convalescent Nursing Home
500 Mountain Top Drive
Asheboro, NC 27203
May 16, 2017
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

District IV
Trinity Grove
631 Junction Creek Drive
Wilmington, NC 28412
May 11, 2017
10:00 AM -2:00 PM

Speakers are pending. If you have a subject you would like addressed by Association staff, please contact Eric Kivisto, erick@nchcfa.org.

District meetings allow participants to feel more interactive and create a comfortable atmosphere, promoting valuable and productive conversation. Due to size considerations, we will be limiting the number of attendees to 50 individuals but, unlike the previous district meeting, this will be open to any employees of your facility who may benefit from attending.

These programs will offer 3.5 contact hours for nursing home administrators. The North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association is a Registered Sponsor of continuing education with the NC State Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators. Comments regarding the Registered Sponsor Course may be addressed to: NCBENHA, 3733 National Drive, Suite 110, Raleigh, NC 27612.

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Alliant Quality wants to encourage SNFs to keep signing up for the National Collaborative – or SPACE. Alliant recommends having as much time as possible to get started on Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) work and improving facility quality measures in a systems approach to improve their five star and composite scores.

Alliant Quality is the Medicare Quality Innovation Network (QIN)-Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for North Carolina. Under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Alliant Quality invites your nursing home to participate in a collaborative designed to ensure that every nursing home resident receives the highest quality of care.

The Collaborative offers an exciting opportunity to learn from high performing nursing homes regarding their processes as they pertain to consistent/permanent staff assignment, teamwork and communications, leadership, regulatory compliance, clinical models, and quality of life indicators. The Collaborative aligns national nursing home quality initiatives and partnerships such as the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes Campaign, The Partnership to Improve Dementia Care, and QAPI. Targeted focus areas will include increasing mobility, decreasing unnecessary use of antipsychotics in residents with dementia, decreasing potentially avoidable hospitalizations and decreasing healthcare acquired infections and conditions.

When ready to register, click here for the Participation Agreement and fax or e-mail it back to Lisa Klemis, contact information is on the Participation Agreement. For more details, e-mail Leighann Sauls at Leighann.Sauls@area-F.hcqis.org or call (919) 745-4730.

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Alliant Quality, the QIN-QIO (Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization) for North Carolina is seeking central North Carolina skilled nursing facilities interested in collaborating on the Special Innovation Project (SIP) Improving Access to Palliative Care in the Long Term Care Facility.

Palliative care focuses on comfort and improving quality of life. A team of professionals helps residents and families navigate through the health care system and make health care decisions that are right for them. Goals of this project not only include providing quality of life and satisfaction for residents of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), but also provision of services that minimize risks of potentially avoidable transfers to acute care.

Often, nursing home residents lack advance directives that would assist them at the end of life. When a resident without an advanced directive suffers a worsening of their clinical condition, a cascade of care is put into motion and can trigger unwanted emergency room visits and admissions, which can lead to other complications. The provision of palliative care services for SNF residents supports person-directed care in a proactive way to honor the patient and their choices.

Alliant Quality, in partnership with SNFs and palliative care organizations, will develop customized education and learning sessions for SNF leaders to better understand palliative care and its beneficial role for the residents whom they are caring for each day. This educational offering will be pilot-tested in central North Carolina with SNFs who are interested in this Special Innovation Project offered through the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services.

Participating SNFs will have the opportunity to:

• Receive free training programs designed to improve their SNF staff competency and knowledge related to end-of-life care
• Join a learning network with experts on palliative care in the SNF setting
• Partner with palliative care providers in order to improve the quality of life of their residents
• Implement low-burden measurement strategies that monitor resident and family satisfaction with end-of-life care
• Improve rates of avoidable acute care transfers and hospital admission and readmission rates

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Judson RN, BSN
Project Lead, Palliative Care
Office: (678) 527-3473
Jennifer.Judson@alliantquality.org

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With more than 100 activities and care plans for long term care residents, there’s an activity that suits each resident’s distinct needs, no matter what the clinical condition or cognitive limitation.

Inside this book, you’ll find:

• Dozens of comprehensive activity plans for every type of resident
• Simple explanations of corresponding CMS regulations
• Chapters devoted to residents with unique activity needs, including Alzheimer’s and dementia residents, bariatric residents, short-term stay residents, non-ambulatory residents, and more

Each activity provides concise and specific steps that will help make it a success. Several variations, adaptations, modifications, and hints for customizing the activity to your facility are also offered. Bonus CD-ROM included! Each of the activities, forms, and care plans found in this book can also be accessed on the companion CD-ROM. Take this CD-ROM with you to any location and provide your residents with meaningful activities to foster a higher quality of life.

To order, visit http://www.AHCApublications.org or call (800) 321-0343. Fax orders may also be placed at (800) 869-5605.

Product # 8131
AHCA Members (on-line price) $129.00

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If you were unable to attend one of our sessions on Updated Regulations with Cindy DePorter, the notebook used in the training is now available for purchase. E-mail Donna Snyder to order a notebook for your facility at donnas@nchcfa.org. The cost is $25.00 plus tax and shipping.

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How to apply 21st century leadership intelligence.

http://pilotonline.com/inside-business/news/columns/expert-column-how-to-apply-st-century-leadership-intelligence/article_ad056f22-6ed2-5037-bc7a-3f2cfd551174.html

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A Dromedary camel has one hump and a Bactrian camel two humps.

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