UPDATE Weekly

Register today to attend the NCHCFA Annual Convention and Expo January 28 – 31, 2018, at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons/Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC! Call the Sheraton at (800) 242-6556 to make your room reservation. Identify that you are with “NC Health Care Facilities Association 2018 Convention” to receive the group discounted rate. Don’t miss the opportunity to earn up to 16.5 hours of educational credit for North Carolina Nursing Home Administrators, as well as up to 15.5 hours of Nursing CE credit! Due to the weather, the advanced registration deadline has been extended until Friday, January 19th. Click here to register.

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It has been brought to our attention that there are companies contacting NCHCFA members offering for sale the NCHCFA 2018 Annual Convention and Expo attendee list. Please do not respond to this e-mail. No company is authorized to distribute or sell any lists for this event. NCHCFA does not share your contact information with third parties. NCHCFA trade members/exhibitors are provided an attendee list prior to the tradeshow to promote their booth location and services only. Statements from any 3rd party companies claiming to have NCHCFA attendee lists for sell are fraudulent. Please do not engage with and/or acquire/purchase any list from any company claiming to have use of NCHCFA database, attendees or contact information.

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These memos are “Revised Federal Oversight Support Survey (FOSS) Process National Pilot” https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Administrative-Information-Memos-to-the-States-and-Regions-Items/Admin-Info-Letter-18-06.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries, and ” An Initiative to Address Facility Initiated Discharges that Violate Federal Regulations.” https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-18-08.pdf

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) has prepared a summary of these two memos for members outlining changes and updates to the FOSS process as well as highlighting how CMS’ new initiative will undertake facility initiated discharges that violate federal regulations. AHCA will continue to review and assess the impact of these two programs/initiatives and identify resources and information to support members. Members can access AHCA tools including action briefs and other resources on these subjects on ahcancalED: https://www.ahcancal.org/facility_operations/Documents/Summary_CMS%20FOSS%20and%20Facility%20Initiatied%20Discharges_Final.pdf.

In addition, we recommend that centers review information from CMS on survey investigative pathways/critical element pathways and interpretive guidance in the Appendix PP. The pathways are a valuable tool for auditing center practices and identifying areas for improvement to prepare for survey.

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The North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association would like to thank our 2018 Sponsors for supporting the upcoming Annual Convention & Expo.

Platinum Corporate Sponsor:

Gold Convention Hosts:

Silver Convention Supporters:

Neil Medical Group
Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP
TeamHealth

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Don’t miss the opportunity to bring a staff member to the 2018 Annual Convention & Expo for free! If a facility registers two staff for Package Two, a third staff member (Activity Director, Dietary or Maintenance staff, Nurse Aide, or Social Worker) may register for Package Two at no charge. The Expo 2018 seminar for Package Two registrants will include topics appropriate for any team member that works in long term care including Activity Directors, Dietary & Maintenance staff, Nurses, Nurse Aides, and Social Workers. Click here for additional details.

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On Tuesday, January 23rd from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold a call to educate stakeholders about the change from Social Security Number-based Health Insurance Claim Numbers to new Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs). A question and answer session follows the presentation. This is the same presentation that was given on November 9th.

CMS will discuss:

• Background and implementation
• MBI format
• Timeline and milestones, including the transition period
• Beneficiary outreach and education
• How to get ready for the new number

To participate on the call, dial (800) 837-1935 and reference conference ID number 8259057. It is recommended that you dial in at least 15 minutes before the start of the call.

For More Information you can visit the New Medicare Project Web site or the Transcripts Web page.

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A revised Medicare-Required SNF PPS Assessments Educational Tool is available. Learn about:

• Minimum Data Set 3.0
• Factors affecting the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) assessment schedule
• Assessment results reporting

Click here to access this new tool.

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Since January 1, 2018, NCHCFA has allowed Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) in North Carolina to join the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) through NCHCFA’s affiliation with AHCA/NCAL. Any ALF that elects to join NCAL will be a member facility of NCAL but will not be a member of NCHCFA.

If an ALF wishes to join NCAL, please e-mail Karen Lennon for membership dues information at KarenL@nchcfa.org or phone at (919) 782-3827.

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NCHCFA is adding a new benefit of membership in 2018—a monthly Lunch and Learn Webinar Series. NCHCFA will offer a one-hour Webinar on a timely and relevant topic to its members for no additional charge. There will be no CEUs offered for these Webinars. Information on topics for the year will be available in the coming weeks.

The next Webinar in the series is scheduled for February 15, 2018, from 12 noon-1:00 PM. Mark your calendar today! Webinar details are below:

Title: Using the Composite Measures to YOUR Advantage
Presenter: Alliant Quality (the QIN-QIO for Georgia and North Carolina)

This Webinar will focus on the composite measures as an important tool to monitor quality improvements and outcomes in nursing homes. The calculator can help nursing homes identify specific areas for improvement among 13 long-stay quality measures that comprise the composite score. Alliant Quality will focus on opportunities for improvement with the various quality measures and discuss best practices for successful outcomes.

A link to the Webinar will be e-mailed to all members soon.

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Since the inception of AHCA/NCAL’s National Quality Award Program, more than 4,700 centers across the country have been recognized for their dedication and commitment to quality improvement.

The program, which is based on the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, is known for its focus on excellence and its rigorous and demanding set of criteria. The journey to quality improvement and performance excellence is challenging – but it can be done.

AHCA/NCAL has made available the story of Mountain Valley through a new six-part Webinar series for members on AHCA’s education platform, ahcancalED, to showcase the center’s successful journey to performance excellence.

In this series, Mountain Valley leaders share how their small, 68-bed rural center in Kellogg, Idaho achieved all three levels of the Quality Award Program, and then went on to receive the nation’s highest award for performance excellence, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Mountain Valley was the first and only long term care center ever to be recognized with this honor.

AHCA/NCAL members can access this series through ahcancalED here. Questions may be submitted to qualityaward@ahca.org.

The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program Application and Payment Deadline is February 1, 2018 at 8pm EST

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The issue of Legionella and water safety has increasingly been a hot topic for members, particularly since the release of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidance last year. In response to member requests for more guidance, AHCA has coordinated this Webinar from Dr. Nimalie Stone of the CDC to provide clarity on the issue and invite questions & answers. The Webinar will be recorded and available to access on ahcancalED after the event date.

Title: Water Safety and Reducing the Risk for Legionella in Nursing Homes
Event Date: January 31, 2018 – 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM (EDT)
Registration: https://educate.ahcancal.org/p/180131
Speaker: Nimalie D. Stone, MD, MSMD, MS
LTC Team Lead, Prevention and Response Branch
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

Description: Legionnaires’ disease is caused by a type of bacterium called Legionella. Those at risk include persons who are at least 50 years old, smokers, or those with underlying medical conditions such as chronic lung disease or immunosuppression. Outbreaks have been linked to poorly maintained water systems in buildings with large or complex water systems including hospitals and long term care facilities. Transmission can occur via aerosols from devices such as showerheads, cooling towers, hot tubs, and decorative fountains. CMS expects Medicare certified healthcare facilities to have water management policies and procedures to reduce the risk of growth and spread of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens in building water systems. This Webinar will review the necessary steps to take and resources available to support your efforts in developing these prevention and management systems and processes.

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NCHCFA has partnered with nationally recognized speaker, Cara Silletto and her company Crescendo Strategies, to offer you a new online course. Are you having trouble retaining young workers? Do you find it hard to understand Millennials? If you missed our Full Day Workforce Summit, this 90-minute, self-paced online course shows leaders a Millennial speaker’s first-hand stories about the real generational issues on the T.A.B.L.E. (technology, authority, balance, loyalty, entitlement). Course participants will learn critical insights about all of today’s workers in order to bridge the widening generational gaps and reduce unnecessary employee turnover.

How companies use this online course:

• Consistent training across multiple locations
• Catch-up session for those who missed it live
• New supervisor and manager orientation
• Prep for strategic planning or leadership retreats
• Deep-dive diversity training beyond the basics
• Continuing education credits (1.5 NAB-approved credits)

NCHCFA is pleased to offer member discounts! Click here for more information and promotional codes. Click here to start the course (Remember to enter your promo code).

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Action Planning for Successful Retention – Developing employees to their fullest potential is a critical element in the quest for better retention.

Provider Magazine Article

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Walt Disney was the original voice of Mickey Mouse. He voiced the iconic character for almost 20 years (from 1928-47).

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