July 7, 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/dailyupdates
The Latest News
CMS Reemphasizes State Surveyors Not Required To Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (7/7, Berklan) reports CMS "has held audiences with skilled nursing providers, made presentations and entertained comments in recent months to assure operators that regulatory actions are being done with best intentions." However, "there’s one area that remains a particularly sore spot with nursing home operators, and that point was re-emphasized at the recent NADONA annual meeting in New Orleans." According to CMS Division of Nursing Homes Director Evan Shulman, "state surveyors do not have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter any nursing home." 
2022 Staff Recognition Program Nomination

The 2022 Staff Recognition Program is here again and this is a way for you to honor your staff and volunteers. Our yearly awards ceremony is just a small way of honoring some of the great men and women who care for the elders of our great state! The time taken from your busy schedules to fill out this nomination is very much appreciated. 

Click here for more details.
In Case You Missed It
AHCA/NCAL Issues Statement On Members Of Congress Expressing Concerns Over Proposed Payment Cuts For Nursing Homes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, released a statement today in response to two letters, one signed by 22 U.S. senators led by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), and another signed by 18 U.S. representatives led by Congressman J. Luis Correa (D-CA-46), sent to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, urging the Biden administration to reconsider a proposed rule that would cut $330 million in Medicare funding for nursing homes. 

The following statement is attributable to AHCA/NCAL president and CEO Mark Parkinson: 

“We thank Senator Tester and Congressman Correa for their leadership in advocating on behalf of our nation’s seniors. We agree that cutting millions in nursing home funding will put access to care for our most vulnerable citizens at risk. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented workforce shortage and economic crisis within the long term and post-acute care sector. Sixty percent of nursing homes say their workforce situation has worsened since January, and more than half say they cannot sustain their current operating pace for more than one year.

“We believe the Medicare parity adjustment should be phased in over multiple years – not during a time when our industry continues to face these historic challenges. Hundreds of nursing homes across the country have already been forced to permanently close their doors, and the proposed Medicare cuts will put even more facilities in jeopardy of shutting down and displace thousands of seniors. We look forward to working with the Biden administration and Members of Congress to ensure vulnerable seniors have access to the care they need.”

Read the Senate letter HERE.

Read the House letter HERE.
Now Available - Detailed Overview of New and Updated CMS Guidance

CMS recently issued QSO-22-19-NH, which outlines revisions to the following:

  • Surveyor Guidance for some Phase 2 & and all Phase 3 Requirements of Participation;
  • Arbitration Agreement Requirements;
  • Investigating Complaints & Facility Reported Incidents; and
  • Psychosocial Outcome Severity Guide.

CMS also issued an advance copy of the State Operations Manual to clarify specific regulatory requirements and provide information on how compliance will be assessed. Surveyors will begin using this guidance to identify noncompliance on October 24, 2022.
AHCA has developed a detailed summary of significant changes for each impacted area to assist with review and identification of potential action for facilities to consider related to the guidance. Please note the summary requires a member login to access.
Please contact Crystal Bowens or Holly Harmon with any questions at regulatory@ahca.org. 
Lawmakers, AHCA Urge CMS To Phase-In Nursing Home Cuts

Skilled Nursing News (7/5, Stulick) reports two letters by 22 Senators and 18 Representatives "were sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) late last month, calling on the federal agency to phase-in the proposed $320 million in cuts to the" nursing home industry. The letters warned that the risk of facility closures due to payment reductions "could reduce access to care for our most vulnerable citizens," and asked CMS to "recognize the sector’s considerable labor and economic challenges as it considers public comment on the proposed parity adjustment." Additionally, American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living President and CEO Mark Parkinson said Tuesday that the "proposed Medicare cuts will put even more facilities in jeopardy of shutting down and displace thousands of seniors." Parkinson added that "sixty percent of nursing homes say their workforce situation has worsened since January, and more than half say they cannot sustain their current operating pace for more than one year."

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (7/6, Brown) reports the AHCA/NCAL "previously said spreading the PDPM cuts over three years is a more humane way for operators to deal with the government’s desire to reclaim funding." 
PCC Conference Announcement

PEAK, KDADS, and the PEAK Advisory Group are hosting the first ever Person-Centered Care Conference. More details to come at a later date.

Save the date: October 25, 2022 from 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Education Spotlight
Webinar: How Are You Feeling? Mastering Emotional Intelligence

7/13/2022
2pm - 3:30pm

Have you ever wished that you could take back something you said in anger or frustration? Do you accept criticism with grace or become defensive? Does the stress in your life cause you to act impulsively? Emotional intelligence is all about being the master of your own behavior. More than knowing the right time or place for a conversation, emotional intelligence is the ability to monitor and control your emotions to achieve improved communication and social interactions. This session offers strategies and resources for supporting a culture of heightened self-awareness and the development of skills to improve interpersonal communication, teamwork, and successful mediation of conflict.
Learning Objectives:
  1. Explain the content and core elements of emotional intelligence (EI);
  2. Describe the ways in which mastering EI will improve morale, social, and work-related interactions; and
  3. Create effective education and training practices to support the development of EI as a cornerstone of the organization’s culture
Upcoming Education
Webinar: How Are You Feeling? Mastering Emotional Intelligence

7/13/22 2:00PM-3:30PM
Joint Provider Fire Marshal Training - Topeka

7/13/22 8:00AM-5:00PM
Joint Provider Fire Marshal Training - Wichita/Livestream

7/14/22 8:00AM-5:00PM
Assisted Living FCS, NSA and HSP Lunch and Learn

Topeka, KS
7/15/2022 12:00PM-4:00PM


Contact us to be added to waiting list
Webinar: The Proficient Infection Preventionist Series: Adept Antibiotic Stewardship for the Infection Preventionist

7/19/2022 1:30PM-2:30PM
Webinar: Documentation for Social Services

7/26/2022 2:00PM-3:15PM
Dynamic DON

This 8-week webinar series runs August-September 2022 and focuses on skill building for serving effectively as the Director of Nursing with emphasis on effective leadership and staff engagement, nursing operations and systems of care for common conditions treated in the LTC setting.
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