September 24, 2025

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The Latest News

KHCA’s AIT Program: Celebrating Success and Leadership!

Over the past three years, KHCA’s Administrator-in-Training (AIT) Program has been an incredible success. We’ve had the privilege of working with so many talented individuals who have gone on to become outstanding administrators. Today, we want to take a moment to celebrate and congratulate another AIT and their hard work, dedication, and the incredible impact they will make in our communities.

Thank you Roger Berg for setting the standard for excellence and leadership in long-term care. Your accomplishments inspire us, and we’re proud to be a part of your journey! Congratulations on passing your exam!

If you are interested in signing up for KHCA’s AIT program you can find more information on our website: https://www.khca.org/ait-program/ or you can always reach out to Teresa at tkeating@khca.org

Dream Flights - Philip Billard Airport, Topeka, KS

KHCA/KCAL was proud to help facilitate Dream Flights for Veterans from Brookside Retirement Community in Overbrook. Seven residents and two staff, all veterans, had the opportunity to take a flight of a lifetime today in a 1941 Stearman biplane with family, friends and staff watching on.

A Dream Flight is a free, 15-minute thank-you flight in a restored WWII-era open-cockpit biplane. It’s a magical, life-changing experience for veterans who fought for our freedom and way of life.

During a Dream Flight event, it’s all about our veterans. We connect and bond with them and we see them for who they were and who they are today. The magic of a Dream Flight inspires a range of happy and hopeful emotions. The pure joy we see on their faces can only come from soaring in a biplane, feeling the wind on their faces, and experiencing the freedom and excitement from this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

For more information on Dream Flights, click here.

TOMORROW! First-Time Applicant Hour: Intro to the Quality Award Journey

09/25/2025 at 2:00 PM (CDT)

AHCA/NCAL is hosting a webinar on the National Quality Award Program, with a focus on helping first-time applicants understand the structure and purpose of the program. READ MORE

HHS ending appeals of nursing home staffing mandate cases

The Department of Health and Human Services has asked two federal courts to dismiss its appeals defending a federal rule establishing nursing home staffing minimums. READ MORE

Meet Maximus: An Introduction to the New Statewide HCBS Assessing Organization

Have you heard about the new Statewide Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Assessing Organization, Maximus, and would like to learn more about them? Join KDADS for a new series of informative sessions where program leaders will introduce themselves, talk about their new role as the assessing entity for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) program and brain injury (BI), frail elderly (FE) and physical disability (PD) waivers, and answer questions they frequently receive.

Save the date for future sessions below:

Oct. 23, 2025; 2:00pm CT – Meet Maximus: Getting to know the new statewide HCBS Assessing Organization
Nov. 18, 2025; 10:00am CT – Meet Maximus: Building Connections Together
Dec. 15, 2025; 1:00pm CT – Meet Maximus: Your new partner in the community

Click here for more information.

Senior Care Pharmacy Rebrands as Guardian Pharmacy of Wichita

Click here for the full announcement.

2026 Webinar Survey

Proactive is currently collecting data on topics for 2026 webinars. KHCA/KCAL is seeking your input on desired topics for next year. The purpose of this survey is solely to see what our members are interested in and is not a complete list of trainings that Proactive plans to provide. The KHCA/KCAL Education committee will review results and make decisions on education delivered based on your input.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY

Omnicare files for bankruptcy

Omnicare, the largest long-term care pharmacy in the United States, announced Monday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company said it will use the process to implement either a standalone restructuring strategy or sale. READ MORE

Lawsuit Dismissal Permanently Prevents Minimum Staffing Regulations

Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) withdrew its appeal of the District Court decision in AHCA v. Kennedy. Earlier this year, a District Court in the Northern District of Texas vacated the federal minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes issued by the Biden Administration, including the 24/7 RN requirement and a minimum number of hours per resident per day. The DOJ filed an appeal in June – but yesterday filed an opposed motion to drop the appeal. And as of today, the lawsuit has officially been dismissed.

The DOJ also filed paperwork to withdraw its appeal in State of Kansas v. Kennedy. A month after the AHCA case was filed, this similar lawsuit to challenge the rule was filed in Iowa by 20 state attorneys general. The Iowa District Court issued a similar finding to vacate the regulation.

WHAT THIS MEANS

The DOJ’s actions mean the Court rulings will stand. The statute does not permit CMS to set staffing standards beyond what Congress enacted. This will prevent future administrations from issuing such a regulation later.

In addition to the Court decision, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) passed this summer includes a 10-year moratorium on implementing the staffing standards in the rule. The Trump Administration has signaled its intention to repeal the regulations through an interim final rule (IFR), currently at the Office of Management and Budget for review.

It’s important to note that the Court ruling and OBBBA do not impact the facility assessment portion of the rule. AHCA will continue to monitor for the release of the IFR to identify the full impact.

Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant Linda Farrar

On Friday, September 19^th McKnights News led with this headline: “Nursing homes fail to report 43% of major falls: Behind OIG’s findings”. The article goes on to say: “The Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General examined a year’s worth of MDS assessments and linked Medicare claims to assess whether falls resulting in major injury and hospitalization were reported in the MDS. READ MORE

Senior care advocates seek more after ‘lead balloon’ vaccine recommendations

Federal vaccination recommendations sparked discontent and unease among senior care stakeholders after an advisory panel on Friday promoted new points of emphasis.

Caregiver reactions ranged from full-throated criticism to pleas for calm, which themselves were punctuated with concerns about staff vaccination administration. READ MORE

October 2025 KDHE/DHCF Medicaid Training Opportunities

Looking for an opportunity to expand your knowledge of Kansas Medicaid and KanCare? Look no further than the upcoming Medicaid training courses the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Division of Health Care Finance (KDHE-DHCF) offers!

The Medicaid Training team has scheduled training courses in October 2025. READ MORE

Nominations Now Open for the 2026/2027 AHCA/NCAL Committees

From September 9 through October 10, all AHCA/NCAL provider members have the opportunity to nominate themselves or another member to serve on one or more of the AHCA/NCAL Committees. READ MORE

Education Spotlight

Assisted Living Lunch and Learn: A Deeper Look at FCS, NSA, and HSP

October 16, 2025

Wichita, KS

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

The Functional Capacity Screen (FCS) may look simple—but completing it accurately can be anything but. In this interactive Lunch and Learn, you’ll learn how to correctly complete an FCS, identify and work through common gray areas, and document your findings with confidence.

Click here for more details.

Upcoming Education