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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HRSA Continues Phase 4 Funding Release
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released an additional $2 billion in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 General Distribution payments to more than 7,600 providers across the country this week. These payments are in addition to the nearly $9 billion in funding that was already released in December 2021.
This means approximately $11 billion in PRF Phase 4 payments have been distributed to more than 74,000 providers in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and five territories. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural has distributed $7.5 billion in funding to more than 43,000 providers in December 2021 and January 2022.
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Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant Linda Farrar
You have been getting a plethora of information on the new surveyors guidance for the vaccine mandate. Just quickly, you should have the Staff Vaccination Matrix ready to go for them. You will have 4 hours after entrance to get it to the survey team and it will likely take some time to put it together. Remember, it asks for those who have worked in the previous 4 weeks, so it will be similar to the CMS 802, CMS 672 and your census which have to be kept current. CMS has also updated the Entrance Conference Checklist, so print it out & get it into your survey ready book. READ MORE
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CMS Releases Updated Guidance and Resources to Surveyors
CMS has made updates to the Long Term Care Survey Process Procedure Guide effective January 27, 2022. These updates include:
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Mandatory facility task assignment and review of NHSN data related to the QSO Memo-QSO-22-07-ALL
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Entrance Conference Worksheet updates to include COVID-19 Vaccine review and COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Matrix located under Survey Resources January 2022 (1/25/22) (ZIP).
- Closed record review may select a resident with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in last four weeks who was hospitalized or died to add to closed record review.
- Infection Control surveyor will review the infection prevention and control program, policy and procedures for staff COVID-19 vaccination, antibiotic stewardship program, and the influenza, pneumococcal, and COVID-19 for residents and staff.
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Mark Parkinson, AHCA/NCAL President & CEO, Gives Forecast on Omicron
AHCA/NCAL President & CEO Mark Parkinson gives an outlook on what the national trends suggest--and two possible paths for the future.
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In the this article Mcknight’s reports that a group of nearly 200 House lawmakers, led by Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA), wrote a letter to the White House COVID-19 Response Team coordinator calling on federal agencies with competition and consumer protection authority to investigate staffing firms’ conduct and practices.
The bi-partisan collation House members includes Kansas Representatives Davids and LaTurner.
In Kansas, hearings are being held by the state legislature to address the staffing crisis. VP of Governmental Affairs Tony Johnson (RecoverCare) testifies today at the hearing held in the House Social Services Budget Committee chaired by Representative Will Carpenter. The hearing started at 3:30 and will be recorded. Tune in or listen to the recording by clicking here.
A bill (HB2524) addressing the staffing agencies practices was introduced last week in the House Children and Senior’s Committee chaired by Representative Susan Concannon. A hearing will be held next Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 1:30 in room 152S. KHCA/KCAL will be offering testimony and possible additional constraints on the agencies. Any KHCA/KCAL member wishing to provide testimony should contact Linda MowBray as soon as possible and we will get you signed up.
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Nursing Homes Face "Tone Deaf" Staff Reporting Mandates Amid Record Worker Shortage, AHCA/NCAL Says
Bloomberg Law (1/26, Pugh, Subscription Publication, 4K) reports that amid "record staff shortages" and increasing COVID-19 infections, nursing homes "will soon have to publicly report their employee turnover rates and weekend staffing levels for nurses," and while the mandate is "designed to help consumers select quality facilities," the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) said the timing of the requirement is "tone deaf." AHCA/NCAL told Bloomberg, "The addition of this reporting requirement when we are in the middle of the worst labor shortage the nursing home sector has ever faced is tone deaf." Bloomberg adds, "AHCA/NCAL said the new reporting requirement is the wrong approach. It has called for higher reimbursements from Medicaid and more targeted funding to help providers with rising labor, equipment and Covid testing costs." AHCA/NCAL added, "While we support transparency and agree that staffing hours and turnover metrics are important, more reporting will not solve this issue."
The AP (1/26, Alonso-Zaldivar) reports AHCA/NCAL said, "We’ve repeatedly called for help, yet no meaningful aid has been sent to the frontlines. We need public health officials to do more than acknowledge these challenges, but stand up to address them."
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Tuesday, February 8, 2022 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
KDADS LTC Provider Webinar on Staff Vaccination Regulatory Oversight and Enforcement, with time for Q &A
Presenters: Deputy Secretary Scott Brunner, Commissioner Lacey Hunter, Assistant Commissioner Dawne Stevenson
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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.
Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality for the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, Lee A. Fleisher, MD, is the opening keynote speaker.
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ICD-10 Coding Workshop (in person)
3/29 - 3/30/2022
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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Virtual Adult Care Home Operators Course
2/9-2/22/2022
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8 Week Webinar Series: Winning the Fall Prevention Battle
Every Wednesday Starting February 2 and Ending March 23, 2022
1:30PM - 2:30PM
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Webinar: Survey Top 10 Citation Series - Survey Success! Avoiding Top Citations. #1 Top Citation: F880 Infection Control & F884 NHSN Reporting
2/1/2022 1:30PM - 2:30PM
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Focus on Dementia Care (3-part webinar series)
2/10/22, 2/17/22, 2/24/22 1:00PM - 2:15PM
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Webinar: The Proficient Infection Preventionist Series: Developing an Exceptional Infection Control & Prevention Program
2/15/2022 1:30PM - 2:30PM
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ICD-10 Coding Workshop (in person)
3/29 - 3/30/2022
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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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