April 22, 2022
KHCA/KCAL is committed to providing our members with important updates. Below is a list of the most recent information. Please visit our website for a list of complete updates. www.khca.org/covid-19-resources
The Latest News
Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant Linda Farrar

Did you know that according to current QCOR data, 58.0% of Kansas facilities surveys completed result in a G+ citation for F689 Free of Accident Hazards/Supervision/Devices? The number 2 G+ tag is F600 ANE, and the percentage is 8%...amazing! READ MORE
Recording Available! Tips for Commenting to CMS on FY 2023 SNF Proposed Payment Rule Webinar

The recording to yesterday's AHC/NCAL member webinar on tips for drafting and submitting your comments on the FY 2023 SNF Proposed Payment Rule is now available.

Please note that the recording is available to AHCA/NCAL members only.
AHCA Report Finds More Than 300 Nursing Homes Shuttered Amid Pandemic And Says Further 400 Facilities Could Close This Year

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (4/21, Berklan) reports, "More than 300 nursing homes have closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and another 400 could go out of business this year, according to" findings (PDF) released Thursday by the American Health Care Association. The analysis "documented more than 1,000 nursing home closures since 2015 – with 776 happening before the pandemic and 327 during the crisis." The article adds, "The facilities that closed tended to be smaller, with fewer than 100 beds, and in urban settings where residents rely on Medicaid," AHCA found. AHCA President and CEO Mark Parkinson said, "With hundreds of nursing home closures looming now and thousands more anticipated if government funding is cut, state and federal policymakers need to step up to support our social safety net."

Skilled Nursing News (4/21, Stulick) reports Parkinson said, "I think you will see some of these larger companies becoming not-for-profit for various reasons, sometimes it’ll be hospital affiliations and other times it’ll just be because of some business advantages that not-for-profits have." Parkinson continued, "But the one-off not-for-profits, the people that decided, ‘we’re going to…create a single campus’ those folks are struggling."

According to a separate piece in Skilled Nursing News (4/21, Reiland), Parkinson called for "significant investments to better support our frontline caregivers and transform facilities for a growing elderly population." 
No Cost Resident to Staff Aggression Training Opportunity Coming to Wichita

Could your team benefit from learning techniques to prevent, de-escalate and respond to resident to staff aggression? If so, get them (and yourself) registered for the in-person training on May 12th in Wichita. Choose between a morning or afternoon training session. This Long-Term Care Resident to Staff Aggression: Prevention and Response training opportunity isn’t just for nursing staff. Employees from all departments and roles will benefit.

The NO COST training is supported by an OSHA Susan Harwood Targeted Training Grant. The training is designed specifically for long-term care employees. All attendees will receive a certificate of completion and those licensed in Kanas may be eligible for CE credits.
The number from each organization that can attend is not limited, but spaces in each session are so get registered today! For more information or to get registered, visit Resident To Staff Aggression Training (leadingagekansas.org) or contact Stephanie Gfeller (stephanie@leadingagekansas.org).

This material was produced under grant number SH-37132-SH1 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
In Case You Missed It
CMS Considering Requiring Nursing Homes To Spend Minimum Amount Of Medicaid Reimbursement On Direct Care Workers

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (4/20, Marselas) reports the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is weighing whether to require "nursing homes to spend a minimum amount of federal Medicaid reimbursement dollars on direct care workers as the agency pushes ahead on its reform agenda, a top official said Wednesday." CMS deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid & CHIP Services Dan Tsai said, "We are contemplating and eager for discussion on how we might create either transparency or standards for a minimum amount of reimbursement to actually flow to the direct care workforce versus all sorts of other things." 
Webinar Recording Now Available

The recording of last Thursday's AHC/NCAL member webinar detailing the FY 2023 proposed payment rule is now available.

Please email educate@ahca.org with any questions or if you need assistance registering.
Kansas State Board of Nursing Update

Click here to view the last KSBN Update.
Zoom Session for CMS COVID-19 Waivers - Fire Safety and Life Safety

From the Office of the State Fire Marshal

In an effort to further explain the COVID-19 1135 changes by CMS we will have a zoom session on Thursday, April 28, at 10 a.m.

John Sprague is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: CMS 1135 waiver update
Time: Apr 28, 2022 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 990 4426 1771
Passcode: FE3SSn
Speaking face-to-face with your Members of Congress is the most effective way to advocate for the kind of quality care you want to provide in your centers.

AHCA/NCAL’s Congressional Briefing offers you that invaluable opportunity. Come to Washington, D.C. this June, and ask for what you need and want. You’ll get an update on the latest happenings in long term and post-acute care, make an effective and immediate plan of action with your colleagues, and then meet with your Representatives and their staff on Capitol Hill. It’s a priceless chance to use your voice, and one that you can’t afford to pass up. Click here for more details.
Education Spotlight
Nurse Leadership Conference - June 14 & 15, 2022 in Manhattan, KS
This special Nurse Leadership Conference sponsored by Encore Rehabilitation is an opportunity for nurses working in the Long-Term Care setting to strengthen their leadership skills. Building strong leaders through education is essential to promoting a better quality of life for our residents. Meet new vendor partners and spend time networking and getting to know others that are doing the same valuable work that you’re doing. It’s been a while since we’ve been together in person. Let’s celebrate all that we’ve accomplished, together.
Upcoming Education
2022 Spring Joint Provider Surveyor Training

4/27/22 from 9:00 - 4:30 (Topeka)
4/28/22 from 9:00 - 4:30 (Wichita/Virtual)
Webinar: Survey Top 10 Citation Series - Survey Success! Avoiding Top Citations. #4 Top Citation: F689 Free of Accident Hazards/Supervision/Devices

5/3/22 from 1:30PM - 2:30PM
8 Week Webinar Series: MDS Mastermind Insights for MDS Coding and Reimbursement Accuracy

5/4/22 through 6/22/22 from 1:30PM - 2:30PM
Webinar: The Proficient Infection Preventionist Series: Conducting Skillful IPC Program Surveillance

5/17/22 from 1:30PM - 2:30PM
The AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit is Back! Registration Now Open!

Quality Summit will be held in Kissimmee, FL, May 16-18.
This year’s AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit delivers three days of education programs and awesome networking opportunities with like-minded, quality professionals in long term and post-acute care. The Quality Summit offers 30 sessions topics focused on leadership, recruitment and retention, infection prevention and PDPM. 

Click here for more details.
Kansas Health Care Association and the Kansas Center for Assisted Living
1100 SW Gage Blvd. | PO Box 4770 | Topeka, KS 66604
PH: 785-267-6003 FAX: 785-267-0833