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Legislative Update
Governor Kelly Signs Budget!
Today, Governor Laura Kelly signed the state’s budget, House Bill 2184, which allocates funding for Fiscal Year 2023, Fiscal Year 2024, and Fiscal Year 2025. The budget allows the state to continue its path of economic growth through targeted investments in workforce development, health care, and affordable housing.
Click here to view Linda's Legislative Update sent earlier this afternoon with all the details.
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National Office Hours Call on the Ending Of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is holding an informational call on Tuesday, April 25 at 2:30 p.m. CT to help providers, facilities, and people with Medicare prepare for the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ending at midnight ET on May 11, 2023. CMS leaders and expert staff will present an overview of the effects of the PHE’s ending on its current waivers and flexibilities and then answer questions.
In preparation for this webinar, attendees are encouraged to review the following resources to determine what questions remain that will support their efforts after the end of the PHE:
When registering, there is an option to ask questions in advance of the webinar. Please enter any questions in the registration form and CMS will work to address them during the session. Even though CMS won’t be able to individually answer all questions, they are helpful in preparing the presentations and materials.
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Follow Up Documents from today's Nurse Advisory Committee Call
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FDA Amends Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for COVID-19 Vaccines
On April 18, 2023 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent mRNA vaccines to simplify the vaccination schedule for most individuals. This action includes authorizing the current bivalent vaccines (original and omicron BA.4/BA.5 strains) to be used for all doses administered to individuals 6 months of age and older, including for an additional dose or doses for certain populations. READ MORE
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AHCA Chief Medical Officer Discusses Long Term Care Data Cooperative
Provider Magazine (4/20, 151K) reports on "the Long Term Care Data Cooperative" that "aggregates electronic medical record data to find trends and insights." In a video interview, AHCA Chief Medical Officer David Gifford, MD, MPH, "explains how facilities can be involved and reap benefits."
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AHCA/NCAL Summarizes Tuesday’s Presidential Executive Order
Biden Administration Announces Executive Actions to Improve Care
Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and the Administration announced what they described as “the most sweeping set of Executive Actions to improve care in history.” The White House fact sheet on these Executive Actions specifically notes the Administration’s focus in the fiscal year 2024 budget around support for quality and affordable long term care (LTC), along with childcare and pre-school. While Congress is considering these options, the President noted he wanted to take “immediate action to make care more affordable for American families, support family caregivers, boost compensation and improve job quality for care workers, and expand care options.”
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The President’s Executive Order (EO) directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consider issuing regulations and guidance documents to build on the planned SNF minimum staffing proposal expected to be released this Spring and condition a portion of Medicare payments on worker retention.
Other provisions of the EO specifically impacting our LTC providers are listed below. The EO:
- Encourages providers to establish incentives to recruit and retain workers, help prevent burnout, make it as easy as possible for care workers to access behavioral health services, and thereby improve the care that individuals receive.
- Directs the Department of Labor to publish a sample employment agreement so long-term care workers and their employers can ensure both parties better understand their rights and responsibilities around unionizing, compensation and support.
- Encourages the Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to work with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop materials addressing the employment rights of non-citizen domestic LTC workers who are legally eligible to work.
- To make the delivery and design of federal care assistance and programs work better for families, the care workforce, and people seeking care, the Treasury and the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Labor, HHS, Education, and Veterans Affairs will engage with parents, guardians, and other relatives with care responsibilities; individuals receiving LTC; State and local care experts; care providers and workers; employers; and labor unions. The Executive Order also encourages the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to consider conducting a similar engagement.
- Promotes the use of apprenticeship programs and partnering with employers, unions, and others to recruit, train, and keep LTC workers on the job while also helping them advance their careers as registered and licensed nurses.
- Directs federal agencies to identify which of their grant programs can support LTC for individuals working on federal projects and consider requiring applicants seeking federal job-creating funds to expand access to care for their workers.
- Directs HHS to increase beneficiary communications regarding beneficiary access to Medicare information via 1-800-MEDICARE and the State health insurance assistance program networks.
AHCA/NCAL will keep members apprised of any further developments and information around this EO as details become available.
Also reported by:
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FDA sanctions 2nd dose of updated booster for seniors, simplifies vax schedule
The FDA has simplified the COVID-19 vaccination schedule, deauthorizing the original mRNA shots and recommending that seniors receive a second dose of a bivalent, omicron-adapted shot. READ MORE
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Your AL Top-Line publication for assisted living communities is now available!
Your AL Top-Line is a LTC Trend Tracker℠ publication that includes metrics and charts outlining progress of individual assisted living communities on AL Quality Measures, the Quality Initiative for Assisted Living, and other necessary data to help them achieve their desired goals. Distributed each quarter, the report also highlights member resources that may help providers.
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State Fire Marshal Webinar - Friday, April 28, 2023 at 10:00 AM - The Importance and Layout of a Fire Safety Book in Your Facility
Microsoft Teams Meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Meeting ID: 292 232 261 520
Passcode: vmVHPq
Or call in (audio only)
Phone Conference ID: 636 862 972#
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2023 AHCA/NCAL Awards Program Now Open!
Nominations for the 2023 ACHA/NCAL Awards Program are now open! AHCA/NCAL members are strongly encouraged to nominate those in their community who go above and beyond to provide exceptional service in the long term care profession.
All nominations are available via Award Force. Members are encouraged to check back on each of AHCA and NCAL's award pages for more information, including rules and guidelines. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, June 9, 2023.
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Person-Centered Dementia Care - From the Perspective of the Resident - Lunch and Learn
5/4/2023 10:00AM - 3:00PM
This Lunch and Learn course includes the common framework and the stages of Dementia with a focus on improving the quality of care for individuals with dementia living in Long Term Care communities including Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living, and Home Plus settings. Presented by Linda Farrar, RN, LNHA this course will look at how care partners can approach prevention and de-escalation of challenging behaviors and will help you to intervene when behavior escalates. You will know how to recognize, respond and calm the individual using non-pharmacological approaches.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will demonstrate an understanding of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias and the impact on cognitive function.
- Participants will demonstrate ability to identify key care approaches for stages of dementia promote the highest practicable level of well-being for elders with dementia.
- Participants will demonstrate understanding of strategies to enhance communication and minimize negative behaviors.
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Spring Sale! Required In-Service Bundles
Assisted Living In-Service Bundle was $157.50 now $65! Click here for more details.
SNF In-Service Bundle was $165 now $99! Click here for more details.
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Two On Demand Webinars focusing on Social Services
Questions about education can be directed to Polly Berkley VP of Operations and Education.
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Webinar: Mission Possible: SNF Department Head Briefing - Thriving Therapy Departments
4/25/2023 1:30PM-2:30PM
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Assisted Living Lunch and Learn: A Deeper Look at FCS/NSA and HSP
4/28/2023 10:00AM - 2:00PM
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Person-Centered Dementia Care...From the Perspective of the Resident Lunch & Learn
5/4/2023 10:00AM - 3:00PM
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Nurse Leadership Conference
6/13/2023 11:00AM - 6/14/2023 4:00PM
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Administrator in Training (AIT) Program
We are excited to announce our new AIT Program! 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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