June 2, 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
Notice of Final Nursing Facility Medicaid Rates for State Fiscal Year 2023; Methodology for Calculating Rates, and Rate Justifications; Response to Written Comments; Notice of Intent to Amend the Medicaid State Plan

Click here for more details.
NHSN Revisions to COVID-19 Module Pathways

The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) recently announced various revisions to the COVID-19 module pathways, which AHCA/NCAL has outlined here. The LTCF COVID-19 Module forms are updated and available on the NHSN website

The new vaccination form will be available on the COVID-19 Vaccine Module by tomorrow, June 3. In the meantime, members can review the recent NHSN training slide deck for an in-depth overview of the changes made to the COVID-19 vaccination module. Please note that these changes are active for the current reporting period. 

Please email COVID-19@ahca.org with questions.
TOMORROW! KCAL District 1 Round Table

Friday, June 3, 2022
2:00PM - 4:00PM
Mission Chateau Assisted Living
4100 W 85th Street
Prairie Village, KS 66206

Assisted Living Round Table with Kansas Center for Assisted Living Board Members and KHCA/KCAL President/CEO Linda MowBray

Includes all Assisted Living, Home Plus, and Residential Health Care Communities in Douglas, Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte Counties.

Topics of discussion:
  • Information sharing about trends in our communities
  • what’s happening in D.C. that directly affects
  • providers additional participant led discussions

RSVP by emailing khca@khca.org
Skilled Nursing Providers To Press Lawmakers For Staffing, Revenue Solutions

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (6/2, Marselas) reports, "More than 500 skilled nursing providers are expected to arrive in Washington, D.C., Monday ready to press federal lawmakers for solutions on staffing and revenue issues that threaten" to harm patient access across the US. Those twin challenges "will inform most conversations as members of the American Health Care Association try to bring their elected officials onto their side and exert pressure on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ahead of a major funding decision." AHCA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Clifton J. "Clif" Porter II told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, "The topline message is on continuing our recovery from the pandemic. Obviously, we’re nowhere close to being finished."

A separate McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (6/1, Marselas) article also reports. 
As skilled nursing ‘teeters,’ leaders look to DC for help on pay rule and more 

More than 500 skilled nursing providers are expected to arrive in Washington, D.C., Monday ready to press federal lawmakers for solutions on staffing and revenue issues that threaten patient access across the country.

Those dual challenges will inform most conversations as members of the American Health Care Association try to bring their elected officials onto their side and exert pressure on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ahead of a major funding decision. READ MORE
Supporting Caregivers' Emotional Needs to Avoid Burnout

Recognizing when to reach out for support is important and is often missed by caregivers as they are often the beacons of support for others. READ MORE
In Case You Missed It
PEAK Temporary Criteria Changes Announcement

The PEAK Advisory Board work with KDADS to create some temporary changes to the PEAK criteria for FY23. The changes are described in a video found here. Questions can be sent to Laci Cornelison at ljh8484@ksu.edu
PEAK Advisory Group: Call for New Members

The PEAK 2.0 Advisory Group is seeking new members to counsel KDADS in championing person-centered care, as well as, provide guidance in continually improving the PEAK 2.0 program. Interested individuals must be employed by a home in the PEAK program (at any level) and passionate about person-centered care or be employed as an LTC Ombudsman. Members serve one-year terms. Fill out this application to get involved. Application deadline is June 24, 2022.
Opioids, Antidepressants Replacing Antipsychotics In Nursing Homes, Study Suggests

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (6/1, Brown) reports that while veterans’ "nursing homes have made significant strides in reducing antipsychotic medication use," they "may be contributing to the use of more alternative medications," according to a new study. Researchers found that while "antipsychotic prescribing dropped from 33.7% to 27.5% from fiscal 2009 to 2018," the "prescribing of anti-epileptics, antidepressants and opioids increased significantly" over the same period. The "findings are in line with data released in March by the American Health Care Association." 
2023 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program Year Is Now Open!
The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program is excited to announce that the 2023 application year is now open. For the first time, application packets are available three months earlier than previous years so that skilled nursing care centers and assisted living communities can begin to prepare.

We encourage members to take advantage of this additional time to download application packets and materials and to begin planning, reviewing and gathering relevant data.


WHY APPLY
The National Quality Award Program is a rigorous three-level process (Bronze, Silver, and Gold) that evaluates an organization's capabilities against nationally recognized standards for excellence. The program provides a pathway to improved outcomes in areas including care, workforce, leadership and operations. 

The Value of Applying
  • An outside perspective 
  • Learning from the feedback
  • Team building 
  • Becoming stronger and more resilient 
  • A focus on results
  • Recognition and pride
  • A commitment to the process leads to better occupancy rates and prepare providers to meet regulatory demands.

DATES TO KNOW
  • May 9 - Application packets and materials available to download
  • May 16-18 - Quality Award workshops, sessions and LED Talks at Quality Summit
  • September 15 - Portal opens for application and Intent to Apply (ITA) submissions
  • October 9-12 – AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo​ and 2022 Quality Award Ceremony 
  • November 15​ – ITA deadline
  • January 26, 2023 – Application deadline
  • Summer 2023 – Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award notifications

​HAVE QUESTIONS?
Email the National Quality Award team at qualityaward@ahca.org
Education Spotlight
QAPI for Assisted Living - Lunch and Learn

June 17, 2022
12:00PM - 4:00PM
Topeka, KS

Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) is not just for skilled nursing facilities; in fact it is used in many industries and can be used in assisted living (AL). Assisted Living providers must think of quality improvement holistically and how improving quality can drastically improve your business.

By operationalizing business systems, you can drive quality. These systems should support quality AND acceptable business practices. In this lunch and learn, attendees will learn how they can use QAPI and performance improvement projects (PIP) to improve quality in your Assisted Living or Home Plus. 

This work shop will be a hands-on session, sharing QAPI templates and walking through them to understand implementation. Attendees will also learn how to implement a PIP by going through examples of PIPs. Learn about best practices for these quality improvement practices, including barriers to implementation and how to address them so you can start or continue your quality journey.

This course is limited to 45 attendees.
Upcoming Education
Webinar: Survey Top 10 Citation Series – Survey Success! Avoiding Top Citations. #5 Top Citation: F656 Develop/Implement Comprehensive Care Plan

6/7/22 from 1:30PM - 2:30PM
Webinar: MDS Mastermind Series: Achieving PDPM Success (Part 2)

6/8/22 from 1:30PM - 2:30PM
Nurse Leadership Conference - In Person

Manhattan, KS
6/14/2022 11AM - 6/15/2022 3:30PM
QAPI for Assisted Living - Lunch and Learn - In Person

Topeka, KS
6/17/2022 12:00PM-4:00PM
Webinar: The Proficient Infection Preventionist Series: Competency in Multidrug Resistant Organisms (MDRO) for the Infection Preventionist

6/21/2022 1:30PM-2:30PM
Webinar: MDS Mastermind Series: Surmounting Survey and Audit Preparedness

6/22/2022 1:30PM-2:30PM
FREE Webinar: Candida auris outbreaks in LTC Communities

6/23/2022 2:00PM-3:00PM
Fearless In the Face of Crisis (On Demand Education)

Fearless in the Face of Crisis is the ultimate playbook for leaders. A self-directed, online course it contains five modules, made up of short, easy-to-digest videos, that are filled with simple actions you can take immediately.

7 NAB approved CE approved

View at your convenience!
The Stability Zone (On Demand Education)

The Stability Zone is a go-at-your-own-pace, online program that is brimming with my very best stress-busting advice! Just like Fearless in the Face of Crisis, this course contains quick, easy-to-implement actions in bite-sized videos. The Stability Zone is the main course, the pièce de résistance, to get leaders full of stress-free hacks and JOY, delicious joy! One of the best parts of The Stability Zone is that leaders can share this joy by teaching their teams how to banish their stress for good too!  


6.5 NAB approved CE approved

View at your convenience!
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