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
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Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant, Linda Farrar
Let’s talk guidance changes…again, and again, and again. Testing now hinges on if staff are “up to date” on their vaccinations versus fully vaccinated. Facilities now required to perform routine testing on staff who are not considered “up to date” (we knew it was coming, right?), which means they have had the initial series AND a booster and that testing is based on county positivity rates. Also staff and residents, regardless of vaccination status, if the person exhibits symptoms of COVID or in an outbreak investigation. READ MORE
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Extension of State Funded Labs for COVID-19 testing through May 15th
Click here to view a letter from Secretaries Stanek from KDHE and Howard from KDADS announcing an extension of the state funded labs for COVID-19 testing through May 15th and shifting the deadlines to Battelle as a free option for testing.
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CMS in ‘Full Court Sprint’ to Carry Out Biden’s Nursing Home Reforms
If you missed Friday’s CMS Stakeholder call, this article is a nice summary of what was discussed.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is in a “full court sprint” toward fulfilling the Biden administration’s proposed nursing home reforms first announced last week, CMS Principal Deputy Administrator Jonathan Blum said during a stakeholder call on Thursday. READ MORE
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CMS Updates Nursing Home Visitation and Testing Guidance
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced changes to its visitation and testing guidance. CMS has aligned the guidance within these two memos with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s new guidance separating individuals who are “up-to-date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses” (i.e., having received a booster dose in addition to the primary series) versus being “fully vaccinated” (i.e., having received the one- or two-dose primary series).
The testing requirements from CMS now outline a routine testing policy that hinges on whether staff are up-to-date on their vaccination versus fully vaccinated. The visitation requirements from CMS have replaced “vaccinated” with “up-to-date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses” and deleted “unvaccinated.” READ MORE
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OSHA vows more infection control monitoring at SNFs
Skilled nursing facilities and hospitals that treat or handle COVID-19 patients can expect more focused inspections in the coming weeks under a new initiative launched by the Department of Occupational and Health Administration.
An OSHA memorandum issued late Monday revealed the agency will be increasing highly focused inspections for SNFs and hospitals with COVID-19 patients. READ MORE
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Long-Term Care Providers To Receive Funding For Minimum Staffing Requirement, CMS Administrator Says
McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (3/10, Brown) reports "long-term care providers can expect some funding to help them meet the federal government’s planned minimum staffing requirement, according to" Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. On Tuesday, Brooks-LaSure said, "When we talk to people on the front lines in nursing homes, the number one issue that we hear about is staffing, and I think funding is a part of that, but it is not the whole picture." These comments came after American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living president and CEO Mark Parkinson "called President Joe Biden’s minimum staffing proposal ‘unrealistic and impossible,’ considering the ongoing workforce shortage." Parkinson said last week, "We would love to hire more nurses and nurse aides to support the increasing needs of our residents. ... However, we cannot meet additional staffing requirements when we can’t find people to fill the open positions nor when we don’t have the resources to compete against other employers."
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Zoom Call with the Office of the State Fire Marshal: Wednesday March 16
Keller's fire Craig Schraad on Hood fire suppression system
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 997 2224 4664
Passcode: 0LjFQC
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No Cost Resident to Staff Aggression Training Opportunity
Could your team benefit from learning techniques to prevent, de-escalate and respond to resident to staff aggression? If so, get them registered for the upcoming Long-Term Care Resident to Staff Aggression: Prevention and Response training. This opportunity isn’t just for nursing staff. Employees from all departments and roles will benefit.
This NO COST training is supported by an OSHA Susan Harwood Targeted Training Grant. The training is designed specifically for long-term care employees. The interactive training will be offered in several formats starting in April. All attendees will receive a certificate of completion and those licensed in Kanas may be eligible for CE credits.
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Registration Now Open for 2022 AHCA/NCAL Congressional Briefing
AHCA/NCAL’s Congressional Briefing is back in 2022 and it’s time to register! Mark your calendars for June 6-7 and join us at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. Learn about the latest happenings in long term and post-acute care, make an effective and immediate plan of action with your colleagues, and meet with your Representatives and their staffs. READ MORE
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Call for Presentations
An essential service to our association is offering high quality training and education to our members. We invite you to join us in our commitment to delivering timely, relevant, and engaging information as we prepare for our 2022 Nurse Leadership Conference (June) and Annual Convention (September).
We are looking for topics that fit skilled nursing, assisted living, home plus and residential health care communities.
Click here to learn more on our needs and how you can submit a proposal.
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ICD-10 Coding Workshop (2 days in person)
Lawrence, KS
3/29- 3/30/2022
8AM - 5PM
14 CEs!!
Diagnosis coding accuracy is paramount to appropriate payment under PDPM, as ICD-10 Diagnosis codes & other patient characteristics are used as basis for classification in determining MCR payment. The 5-day MDS establishes the PDPM payment category for the entire Medicare stay which is why it is so important to have good processes in place for establishing the principal diagnosis and having information to support coding all active diagnosis prior to the 5-day assessment reference date.
This program will include information regarding the Official ICD-10 Coding Guidelines, best practices for accurate ICD-10-CM code assignment, how to avoid common coding mistakes, and the importance of principal diagnosis identification.
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Webinar: The Proficient Infection Preventionist Series: Competency in Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases & Basic Microbiology for the Infection Preventionist
3/15/2022 from 1:30PM - 2:30PM
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Webinar: Winning the Fall Prevention Battle Series: Engaging the Troops: Moving the Falls Program Forward Through Staff Training & Engagement Activities
3/16/2022 from 1:30PM - 2:30PM
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Webinar: Winning the Fall Prevention Battle Series: Tactical Plan for Sustained Falls Prevention Through QAPI
3/23/2022 from 1:30PM - 2:30PM
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ICD-10 Coding Workshop (in person)
3/29 - 3/30/2022
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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.
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Learn How to Create an Effective SNF Revenue Cycle Management System
AHCA offers a five-module online training program titled Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) Academy which offers training about a holistic interdisciplinary approach toward revenue management. RCM can be implemented in a building, more broadly or as an organization-wide approach to enhance revenue by minimizing losses from payments that too often are unnecessarily lost or overlooked. Click here for more details.
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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
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