Nursing Home Company Discusses Reasons For Joining AHCA In Lawsuit Against Federal Staffing Mandate

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (6/11, Marselas) reports that months before CMS "proposed federal staffing minimums for nursing homes, the American Health Care Association said it would sue over the rule should it offer providers little hope of compliance." However, when the rule was finalized in May, "finding providers to carry the legal torch wasn’t necessarily a given." But despite factors preventing providers from joining the challenge, "Derek Prince, CEO and Managing Partner of HMG Health care, knew he wanted his company to play a major role in the case many now see as a last line of defense for the sector." In this episode of McKnight’s Newsmakers podcast, "Prince explains his reasoning on the lawsuit, why his company puts quality achievement ahead of staffing stars and what he sees as the best outcome for his patients and the sector." 

Additional 102K Nurses, Nurse Aides Needed To Comply With Federal Staffing Mandate

Provider Magazine (6/1, 151K) reported the long-term care "sector would have to hire an additional 102,000 nurses and nurse aides to comply with the" federal nursing home staffing mandate. But "AHCA/NCAL is fighting to block the mandate from going into effect." 

NEXT WEEK! Nurse Leadership Conference

6/18/2024 11:00AM - 6/19/2024 4:00PM

Manhattan, KS

This special Nurse Leadership Conference sponsored by Tapestry Health is an opportunity for nurses working in the Long-Term Care setting to strengthen their leadership and clinical skills. Building strong leaders through education is essential to promoting a better quality of life for our residents. Meet new vendor partners and spend time networking and getting to know others that are doing the same valuable work that you’re doing. A networking event is in the works for the evening of June 18th. This will be a separate ticket event, so don’t forget to sign up. Let’s celebrate all that we’ve accomplished, together.

Education Topics Include:

• The Magic of Connection for Leaders
• Unlocking Behaviors; A Holistic Approach to Dementia Care
• Work Smarter not Harder; Harnessing the Power of People and Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Leadership
• Advance Care Planning and Effective Conversations about DNR
• The Pitfalls of Documentation
• Diagnosing Deeper, Root Cause Exploration for Nursing Excellence
• Survey Prep; A review of common wound citations and how to avoid them
• Regulatory Hot Topics and Open Discucssion
• Plus a Nurse Advisory Committee Elections and a social and networking event at the Liquid Art Winery on the evening of June 18th.

Click here for more details.

FACE of Kansas Scholarship for KHCA/KCAL CNA’s wanting to become CMA’s

The Foundation for Aging and Caring of Elders of Kansas Inc. (FACE of Kansas) is pleased to offer the FACE of Kansas Education Scholarship Program. FACE will award $500 scholarships to qualified future CMA’s who are interested in enrolling in a KDADS approved CMA course in the state of Kansas. Potential recipients must have worked as a CNA for at least 6 months in a KHCA/KCAL member building and plan to continue a career in the Long Term Care Profession.

FACE of Kansas is a non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of the long-term care homes of Kansas through professional opportunities and education for long-term care providers.



The Foundation for Aging and Care of Elders of Kansas, Inc. (FACE of Kansas) was established in 2006 to provide a community organization to promote quality care in Kansas adult care homes. FACE of Kansas seeks to improve the quality of care and services, and the quality of life for elderly and disabled Americans, through opportunities under which members may exchange ideas and obtain education to improve the knowledge, abilities, and standing of the adult care home profession. Only one scholarship per facility may be awarded per year.

Questions about the scholarship can be directed to khca@khca.org. The criteria and application form can be found by clicking here.

Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant Linda Farrar

There is definitely an uptick in F880 Infection Prevention & Control tags related to Water Management Plans (Legionella prevention). Every facility is required to have a Water Management Plan, but surveyors now expect, and are requiring to see documentation of the required testing in the plan.

AHCA has issued a Legionella Prevention with Water management Program “Hot Topic Brief” which addresses the subject. They also have a training webinar that can be accessed here. In addition to survey scrutiny, Legionnaires’ disease in increasing in frequency. “Legionnaires’ disease is very similar to other types of pneumonia and hard to distinguish from pneumonia caused by other pathogens …including cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches, headaches and in some cases diarrhea, nausea, and confusion.” “CDC encouraged healthcare facilities, including assisted living facilities and senior living facilities to have effective water management programs. A water management program is a multistep process to reduce Legionella and OPPP growth and spread; includes identifying devices where Legionella might grow or spread to people, determining control measures, monitoring control measures, and establishing remediation activities and interventions when control measures are not met.”

CMS goes further than “recommendations”. F880 says: READ MORE