The North Carolina PACE Association E-Newsletter
In this Issue: Medicaid Reform Update, Early Bird ends Friday
March 2016
In This Issue
NC PACE Programs
Wilmington, NC
 
Burlington, NC
Pittsboro, NC
 
Fayetteville, NC
 
Greensboro, NC
 
Newton, NC
 
Lexington, NC
 
Charlotte, NC
 
Durham, NC
 
Gastonia, NC
 
StayWell Senior Care
Asheboro, NC
 
Asheville, NC
Our Vision Statement
The Association serves as the credible voice and leader to advance PACE,
thereby transforming healthcare in North Carolina.
NPA Conferences
Call for Proposals
National PACE Association is accepting proposals for its fall conference in San Francisco. The deadline is April 11th.

Summer in Charlotte
Don't forget that NPA's summer conference is in Charlotte this year! The quality and clinical symposiums, as well as Medical Directors essentials, will be right down the road in the Queen City June 3-5. PACE of the Southern Piedmont will host a site tour.
Free Webinar
Hill Visit Training
Are you attending the NPA Spring Policy Form in DC? Then this webinar may be of interest. NPA is offering this free webinar to help you prepare for your hill visits on Tuesday, March 22, at 2pm.  Register Here
Legislative Day
Mark Your Calendar
for May 10th to join the NC PACE Association for the NC Coalition on Aging's Legislative Day in Raleigh.
NC Medicaid Reform Preserves PACE
On March 1, the NC Department of Health and Human Services submitted its draft plan for reforming Medicaid to the NC General Assembly, which mandated the reform last fall.
 
Included in the draft waiver and legislative report is DHHS' recommendation that PACE be specifically excluded in the reform program, as it is already a capitated program with only approximately 3% of participants not dual-eligible.

NC PACE Association supports the recommendation to amend the Medicaid reform statute to exclude PACE, and will continue to educate and advocate for PACE to remain a direct enrollment option.
 
The draft waiver must have public input before submitting the final application to CMS on June 1st. Listening sessions will be held across the state over the next month and a half, and until April 18, the public can make comments through DHHS' website.
 Register by Friday, March 11th to Save!

Our much anticipated, third annual statewide conference is just around the corner on April 28 & 29.

Don't miss out on early bird rates - Register today!
PACE in the News
Is PACE the Key to Aging at Home?
Nicki L. Applefield, an attorney with Patla, Straus, Robinson & Moore, P.A.  of Asheville, recently authored an article on PACE for the NC Bar Association's " Gray Matters " newsletter. The newsletter focuses on the association's elder and special needs law section

This section brings together bar association members with a special interest in elder law practice, and focuses on issues related to the state's elderly population, including Medicare and Medicaid - a perfect audience to learn more about PACE.

We thank Nicki for her informative article, her profile of how CarePartners PACE "rescued [her] friend and her mom" and her advocacy for PACE, as well as her permission to share the article with you all! 
Lila* and Skye 
(credit: Areon Mobasher) * pseudonym
Music and Memory
Senior CommUnity Care of North Carolina 's "Music and Memory" program was recently featured in NC State's Arts magazine. 

The profile, by Orla Swift, talks about how Senior CommUnity Care connected with the arts program at NC State to involve student volunteers. Music and Memory enrichs the lives of older people with Alzheimer's, other dementia or other challenges by providing them familiar music through digital devices. The students at NC State not only helped download the music onto the iPods, but provide the essential human interaction that the music memories help spark.
People Setting the PACE
James Nich olas, MSW is t he new PACE Unit Manager for NC DHHS' Division of Medical Assistance . James has been with DMA since 2013. Congratulations to James on his new position !

Kerry and Terri helping healthcare providers understand PACE
(credit: Cat Balentine,
Piedmont Health SeniorCare)
Kerry Rubio, MHS, OTR/L and Terri Smoot, COTA, of
Senior CommUnity Care of North Carolina  recently presented " PACE: Understanding this Model of Care " at the NC Occupational Therapy Association 's conference.Thanks to Kerry and Terri for spreading the word about PACE!

Three programs have new Quality Coordinato rs:  Kizzy Kennedy  of  PACE of the Southern PiedmontAngelic Flack  at  Carolina SeniorCare and Christopher Williams at LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines . Congratulations, Kizzy, Angelic and Christopher!

Staywell SeniorCare  has a new Medical Director, Dr. Beth Hodges , as well as provider, Dr. Francisco "Cisco" Hodges . They also have two new Nurse Practitioners: Ruth Miller and  Shelby McNeil (who starts March 21st). Welcome, Beth, Cisco, Ruth and Shelby!

Send your personnel updates for inclusion in upcoming newsletters.