Issue #2019 - May 22, 2019

NINE DAYS REMAINING TO SIGN PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT WITH NC HEALTHCONNEX

As you know, NCHCFA has been working to inform our membership of the upcoming deadline to submit a Participation Agreement to North Carolina's state-designated health information exchange, NC HealthConnex. During this campaign we have received several questions regarding the requirement as applied to Assisted Living Facilities.

WHO IS REQUIRED TO CONNECT TO NC HEALTHCONNEX?

All health care providers who receive state funds (e.g., Medicaid, NC Health Choice, State Health Plan, etc.) for the provision of health care services must connect to NC HealthConnex by specific dates in 2018 and 2019 to continue to receive payments for services provided (NCSL 2015-241 as amended by NCSL 2017-57).

Specifically:

If you have additional questions on the upcoming changes to your ratings, please email erick@nchcfa.org.

MAKE YOUR OVERNIGHT RESERVATION TODAY FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL NCHCFA SUMMER SYMPOSIUM

Make plans today to join your colleagues for the eighth annual NCHCFA Summer Symposium. The three-day event will be August 7-9, 2019 at the Embassy Suites Resort at Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, SC.  Call the Embassy Suites Resort at (800) 876-0010 to reserve your overnight room. Use group code “NCC” to identify yourself as a NC Health Care Facilities Association Convention attendee! To make your reservation online, click below:

Please make your reservation today! Rooms will be released on July 6th to the public and NCHCFA anticipates filling our room block. All suites include bedroom, sitting area with queen pullout sofa, private balconies, wet bar with refrigerator, and many additional amenities. Brochures will be available the first of June.

REGISTER TODAY FOR THE NCHCFA INTERSECTION OF QUALITY AND WORKFORCE SUMMIT

Organizations can reap substantial, tangible outcomes through a consistent, stable, and dedicated workforce that directly improves residents' care and better meets the expectations of families. But how do successful organizations retain employees and find the talent they need to grow and prosper while improving quality of care? What has proven to really reduce turnover and increase retention? NCHCFA will host the Intersection of Quality and Workforce Summit on June 5 – 6, 2019 in Greensboro, NC to answer these questions as well as bringing together the skilled nursing care leaders and caregivers to learn dynamic strategies, innovative tools and available options. Don’t miss out on the outstanding speaker line-up we have planned for you! Click here to download the brochure and session summaries or click here to register now!

Speaker Highlight

Veronica Cool, Founder and CEO with Cool and Associates, will be presenting Attracting, Retaining and Engaging the Hispanic Workforce. Summary from the speaker: One of every 6 people is a Latino. One out of every 5 Millennials is a Latino. Latinos represent over 75% of the growth in the U.S. workforce. How can you leverage this tremendous demographic shift?

Join us for an informative session addressing the current opportunities with the Hispanic population, discussing the updated demographics, along with the cultural, characteristics and behavioral traits and patterns of this complex segment. Learn various tactics related to cultural awareness and competence to improve employee engagement and in turn provide better care to Latinos at large. Participants will also learn initiatives to improve recruitment, onboarding and retention of the Latino workforce.

Thank You NCHCFA Event Sponsors:

EARLY RELEASE OF NEW RAI MANUAL FOR PDPM HAS BEEN POSTED

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted an early release of the MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.17. This much-anticipated draft document spells out many requirements that providers will need to follow once the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) takes effect on October 1, 2019.

The 1,299-page manual can be found on the MDS 3.0 RAI Manual web page or accessed directly here.

The posting will allow providers to better prepare for the largest payment and resident classification changes in more than a generation. Although the released document is called a “draft,” it includes many key elements that will help providers prepare.

One item worth noting is a 117-page section at the end of the manual that tracks all of the changes. An exception to this is Chapter 2, which is not included in the tracking because so much in that chapter was overhauled. That chapter actually is much shorter this year because it deals with instructions about required assessments, which have fallen in number under PDPM. Chapter 6 is also entirely new since it deals with the SNF PPS system and contains much of the PDPM language.

CMS included in their explanation that more changes may be expected in the coming months. “Please note this early release is being provided in response to stakeholder feedback,” CMS officials noted on the website. “The MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.17 contains many updates including information related to the Patient Driven Payment Model. Please check back prior to October 1, 2019 for a final posting which may contain additional updates,” CMS noted.

REGISTER FOR TOMORROW'S LUNCH AND LEARN WEBINAR

The next Lunch and Learn Webinar is scheduled for Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 12:00 PM. Ken Burgess, Partner, Poyner & Spruill, LLP will be discussing the following topics:

Title: Employment Law Update

Presenter: Ken Burgess, Partner, Poyner & Spruill, LLP

Click here to register today.

REGISTER TODAY FOR THE NCHCFA LEAN MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP WITH MARK GOGAL

LEAN thinking is fundamentally transforming the way organizations operate. The LEAN principles of continuous improvement, respect for people, and delivering customer value are making teams and organizations rethink the practices that might have guided them for decades. A new, transformative approach to working requires a transformation in leadership, as well. Practicing LEAN management principles requires a shift in mindset - from that of a supervisor to that of a teacher and coach. LEAN leaders must lead gently, by example, ensuring that LEAN principles are being applied with the right goal in mind - to sustainably maximize the delivery of value to the customer.

In this session, you will learn and practice the principles, tools, and techniques of LEAN processing for improving the operating performance of your healthcare facility. We will discuss how LEAN processing is a relentless focus on eliminating waste and inefficiencies from all aspects of an organization. We will identify the powerful benefits of implementing LEAN management principles on your organization’s culture, employee engagement and retention, financial performance, and most importantly on the service and care of your residents.

This session will be presented across the state and facilitated by Mark Gogal, a Human Resources Leader with over 25 years of progressive, global, and diverse human resources experience, practical business partnering expertise, strong organizational and analytical skills, and proven strategic management experience. He has a multi-faceted background in developing and implementing core HR policies/practices to meet the changing business, legal, and labor compliance environment. He has worked in a variety of industries in the public and private sectors including healthcare.

The first workshop will be June 19th in Greensboro, NC. Click here to download and print the brochure and register today.

SPACE (SOUTHERN PARTNERS ACTION COLLABORATIVE FOR EXCELLENCE) ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP-PRACTICAL APPROACHES FOR THE LONG TERM SETTING MONTHLY WEBINAR - MAY 23, 2019

Event Date: May 23, 2019

Event Time: 1:00 - 2:00 PM (ET)

Prior to the Event Date, please register here.

Please join the event 15 minutes prior to the start time to ensure the automatic system set-up has been properly established.

Instructions:

The automatic system set-up should start at this point. If a dialogue box appears, click run. Please note, the automatic system set-up does take a few minutes to complete.

Dial in to the teleconference:

Teleconference Number: (800) 747-5150

Access Code: 2323667#

If you have any questions or problems accessing the web portion of this meeting, please call the Ventech Solutions WebEx Helpline at (571) 598-1988.

SPACE (SOUTHERN PARTNERS ACTION COLLABORATIVE FOR EXCELLENCE) EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF SEPSIS IN THE POST-ACUTE CARE SETTING WEBINAR - MAY 30, 2019

Event Date: May 30, 2019

Event Time: 1:00 - 2:00 PM (ET)

Prior to the event date, Please register here.

Please join the event 15 minutes prior to the start time to ensure the automatic system set-up has been properly established.

Instructions:

The automatic system set-up should start at this point. If a dialogue box appears, click run. Please note, the automatic system set-up does take a few minutes to complete.

Dial in to the teleconference:

Teleconference Number: (800) 747-5150

Access Code: 2323667#

If you have any questions or problems accessing the web portion of this meeting, please call the Ventech Solutions WebEx Helpline at (571) 598-1988.

AHCA/NCAL AWARDS

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) is now accepting entries for the AHCA Awards Program and the NCAL Awards Program. Completed nominations must be submitted no later than Friday, June 7, 2019.

AHCA is also accepting nominations for the 2019 Mary K. Ousley Champion of Quality Award. This award recognizes an individual who has made significant national contributions in advancing quality performance in long term and/or post-acute care. Nominations must be submitted online here by Friday, June 7 at 11:59 PM ET.

AHCA/NCAL 70TH CONVENTION & EXPO

Registration is open for the AHCA/NCAL 70th Convention & Expo in Orlando, Florida, October 13-16, 2019. To learn more about all Convention & Expo keynote speakers, education sessions, events, and sponsors, visit AHCA/NCAL's official convention website.

NEED TO KNOW

Google's employee questions can help you build skills - Google collects feedback from employees by asking a series of questions, such as whether their managers value them or give them feedback. Google also uses open-ended questions to solicit opinions about what the manager should keep doing or change, writes Zack Friedman.

DID YOU KNOW?

10,000 varieties of wine grapes exist worldwide.