March 5, 2025

This message contains confidential information and is intended only for KHCA/KCAL membership. Dissemination, distribution or copying the contents of this email beyond this group is strictly prohibited.

Membership Reminder: The renewal deadline for your KHCA/KCAL membership is March 31st. We strive to give you a highly-valued return on your dues investment, and we look forward to serving you in the year ahead.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your membership status, please contact Kristin Plantz kplantz@khca.org.

The Latest News

Announcement Update: HCBS Waivers Settings Final Rule 101 Training

In response to feedback received from stakeholders in the last week, this is an updated notification that agencies may pause implementation of the HCBS Waivers Settings Final Rule 101 training until further notice from KDADS on how to proceed.

KDADS has compiled comments for internal discussion and is seeking additional guidance from CMS on the requirement for the state to ensure Settings Final Rule compliance, safety, and well-being of all HCBS Settings. READ MORE

MCIRN LT SNF Preceptor Survey

In partnership with the Nebraska Health Care Association, we are seeking input from healthcare providers involved in training new nurses or nurse aides. This includes staff members on the floor, educators, and administrators addressing workforce issues. The information gathered will be used to develop free training programs, resources, and tools to better prepare those who teach and support administrators in staff development. The survey is very short and easy to complete. Click here to start the survey now.

Call for Cases – Neurologic Complications of Influenza Infection

In response to national reports of influenza-associated encephalopathy and encephalitis (IAE), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is requesting providers submit suspected cases of IAE, including acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). There have been increased reports of pediatric cases of IAE this respiratory virus season, with recent suspicion of an increase in adult cases as well. READ MORE

Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant Linda Farrar

Let’s talk smoking regulations this week. There is an increasing trend in deficiencies related to smoking safety & regulations. This might be a good time to review the facility’s policies and procedures to make sure all the requirements are being met. READ MORE

AHCA touts ‘Better Way’ forward with 2025 policy priorities

Strengthening the nursing pipeline and increasing staff recruitment — including of international caregivers — tops the American Health Care Association’s policy priorities for 2025, bumping repeal of the staffing down a notch as that outcome appears closer to reality. READ MORE

Healthcare Coalition Partners of KS Earns United States Public Health Services Award

Healthcare Coalition Partners of KS has been awarded the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Unit Commendation Award in recognition of outstanding support to the National Healthcare Coalition Annual Conference and to the Offices of Healthcare Readiness and Regional Operations, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, in service to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The USPHS Unit Commendation Award is rarely awarded to civilians. READ MORE

Looking for CE’s on Demand?

ACHA/NCAL has a robust on-demand education platform with a variety of topics as well. Check out what AHCA/NCAL has to offer on their educational platform. READ MORE

In Case You Missed It

CMS Daily Digest Bulletin - Hospitals: Actions to Make Healthcare Prices Transparent

Update: On February 25, the White House issued an Executive Order to empower patients with clear, accurate, and actionable healthcare pricing information. Read the fact sheet for more information, which indicates the Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services will:

Ensure hospitals and insurers disclose actual prices, not estimates, and take action to make prices comparable across hospitals and insurers, including prescription drug prices
Update their enforcement policies to ensure hospitals and insurers are in compliance with requirements to make prices transparent

Existing CMS guidance: Hospital Price Transparency regulations require each hospital operating in the U.S. to provide 1) a comprehensive machine-readable file with the standard charges for all items and services the hospital provides and 2) a display of shoppable services in a consumer-friendly format.

Additional resources available:

Hospital Price Transparency Tools: CMS offers a suite of tools to aid hospitals in implementing hospital price transparency. These tools are designed to help facilitate compliance with regulations and enhance the accessibility of pricing information. The Online Validator ensures machine-readable files meet CMS template layouts and data specifications, enabling hospitals to identify and fix errors before publication. The HPT TXT Generator helps hospitals create the required cms-hpt.txt file, which contains information about the hospital and a direct link to the machine-readable file.
Data Dictionary GitHub Repository: Here hospitals can access the CMS templates and data dictionary with technical instructions for encoding required standard charge information and get technical support.
For any questions related to hospital price transparency, email PriceTransparencyHospitalCharges@cms.hhs.gov.

Compliance: CMS is planning a more systematic monitoring and enforcement approach, per the Executive Order. Consistent with standing CMS policies, non-compliance will be addressed with swift enforcement. See a list of enforcement actions to date and see a list, updated quarterly, of enforcement activities and their outcomes undertaken by CMS since the January 1, 2021, effective date.

Increased National Measles Activity

As of Feb. 20, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting a total of 93 measles cases in eight (8) jurisdictions: Alaska, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island, and Texas. As of Feb. 28, 2025, the Texas Department of State Health Services has reported 146 measles cases since late January among mostly unvaccinated individuals associated with an outbreak in the South Plains region of Texas. READ MORE from KDHE.

Call for Letters of Interest for KHCA Open Board Positions

We are currently accepting letters of interest for two open board positions:

District I Vice President- Representing Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Douglas and Johnson Counties
Education Vice President – Leads in the development of high-quality educational opportunities though the Association for Adult Care Home Staff.

If you are passionate about contributing to the Association’s leadership and growth, we encourage you to apply.

Your letter of interest should include:

Your Name and Contact Information
The Board Position You Are Applying For
Your Qualifications and Relevant Experience
Your Vision and Goals for the Role
Why You Are Interested in Serving on the Board

Please submit your letter to khca@khca.org by March 10, 2025. Current KHCA board members will review letters of interest and possibly vote at the March 14, 2025 board meeting.

Aging Services Day 2025 has been rescheduled!

Due to last week's weather, we were forced to postpone our scheduled Aging Services Day.

New Date: March 24, 2025

8:30AM - 4:00PM

Registration fee for all providers: $75.00

**New date, but all other details remain the same.**

Click here for more details.

Education Spotlight

Dietary As a Business Virtual Workshop

March 26, 2025 - 1:00PM - 5:00PM

Have you ever followed a fork through a kitchen? Ralph Peterson has, and his findings are surprising. On average, a fork is touched 16 times throughout the day, and only three of those times are when the resident is using it. In this dynamic and insightful workshop, Ralph breaks down all the processes in a kitchen – revealing secrets on how to eliminate waste, increase consistency, and create a culture of excellence. The focus of this workshop is on transforming dietary services from a routine necessity into a thriving, efficient (business) operation.

Click here to learn more.

Upcoming Education