Looking Forward to Seeing You SOON!

You can still attend the Convention by registering ON-SITE at the Gaylord Palm Resort!

and, for the first time this year

Convention attendees can earn up to five (5) hours of CE credit for visiting the Exhibit Hall! 

For every 60 minutes you attend the Exhibit Hall, you will receive one (1) CE. Be sure to have your Convention Badge scanned upon entering and exiting the hall to document your attendance.

Exhibit Hall Hours

Monday, July 30: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, July 31: 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

MEMBER UPDATES

• Leean Chojnowski is now the Deputy Director of Life & Health Financial Oversight. She still reports directly to Carolyn Morgan who remains the Director.
• The CCRC analysis staff, which consists of Courtney Trim (supervisor), Jenny Zhou (analyst) and Juanita Silva (analyst), now reports to Paul Johns. Johns is the Financial Administrator who oversees licensing applications and specialty insurers for the Life & Health Financial Oversight section. He reports directly to Carolyn Morgan.
• The CCRC examination staff, which consists of Bernie Stoffel (supervisor), Alicia Thompkins-Perryman (examiner) and Hannah Scott (analyst), now reports to Peggy McCrary. McCrary is the Chief Examiner who oversees all financial examinations for the Life & Health Financial Oversight section. She reports directly to Carolyn Morgan.
• The review of CCRC contracts is currently being transitioned to the Life & Health Product Review section.

AHCA Posts Nursing Home Medicaid PPS Reimbursement Rates

The state Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has just posted the updated Medicaid reimbursement rates on its website. The posted Excel spreadsheets show (1) the final rates and (2) the final rates with the details. These rates are effective October 1, 2018. Click here to access the information.

For questions or for more information, please contact Susan Langston, LeadingAge Florida's Vice President of Advocacy, via email or call her at (850) 671-3700.

REGULATORY

Restorative Care

Over the many years I have worked in long-term care, I have visited thousands of facilities. One of the distinctions that I always notice is how a facility implements its restorative care program.

Restorative care programs are any intervention that helps a resident be more independent, or maintain a resident’s functioning level, or that slows down anticipated decline.

Facilities that began restorative care programs on admission and carried out programs for all residents always seemed different. As I watched residents ambulating down hallways with walkers or using adaptive equipment to eat, I felt a sense of hope. And, I knew the residents had hope that they could gain some independence back or, at least, delay inevitable decline based on their diagnoses.

Sometimes restorative care are just the simple things - giving time for a resident to complete a task, or giving providing some food that can be eaten independently. These programs should be carried out by all staff, not just one or two “restorative” care CNAs.

If a facility wants to record the restorative care program on the MDS, it must be (1) carried out for at least 15 minutes, (2) be on the care plan, (3) be periodically evaluated by a nurse and (4) staff must be trained to carry out the program.

It takes commitment to fully implement a restorative care program; however, it is so worth the effort.

Connie Cheren, RN, MSW, LeadingAge Florida's Clinical and Compliance Specialist, can be reached via email or phone at (678) 778-0561 to help answer questions before, during and after your surveys.  As a value-added service provided by LeadingAge Florida, Connie can help nursing home and assisted living facility members improve regulatory compliance and clinical outcomes, in addition to offering suggestions about corrective plans of action to improve your surveys.

SPECIAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Conference Scheduled for August 17

The Fourth Annual Advances in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Conference, hosted by the Florida State University (FSU) Department of Geriatrics, will discuss and present various approaches to enhance the quality of care and life of older adults in the post-acute and long-term care continuum. Any and all professionals engaged in the care of individuals residing within this continuum are invited to attend, and continuing education credits for multiple disciplines are offered.

The conference is co-sponsored by LeadingAge Florida and our member Westminster Communities of Florida, among sponsors, and will be held at Westminster Oaks Maguire Center, Tallahassee.

For registration information and the conference schedule, visit the FSU Department of Geriatrics website. 

FAHA Health and Services Newsletter - July 26, 2018

NEW SMMC PROGRAM GOALS ESTABLISHED BY AHCA FOR MEDICAID LONG TERM CARE 

As explained in previous articles, we are providing analysis of the upcoming new Statewide Medicaid Managed Care contract effective January 1, 2019. This week is focused on the state Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) Program Goals. Read more in the newsletter...

MEMBER UPDATE

Plymouth Harbor Honors Harry Hobson

From inception to completion, the Northwest Garden building was a huge project. Several years were dedicated to the extensive research, planning and finally construction of this building, and Harry Hobson was at the forefront of the process through its entirety. That is no small feat and is certainly a performance to celebrate. Read more...

COMING ATTRACTIONS

AUGUST

16: CCRC Benchmark Webinar
This webinar will discuss the continuing importance and use of benchmarking your Life Plan Community (aka Continuing Care Retirement Community; CCRC) and discuss the advantages and potential pitfalls in benchmarking. It will also present Florida Life Plan Community trends using the most recent filed data from the Office of Insurance Regulation. This webinar is offered FREE for LeadingAge Florida members.

21: AHCA Joint Training for Skilled Nursing Facilities - Sunrise
The 2018 AHCA Joint Training for Skilled Nursing Facilities offers a unique forum for the Agency for Health Care Administration and leading long term care experts to brief providers, state surveyors and consultants on regulatory compliance with enforcement provisions explained. This annual program is a must-attend for skilled nursing facility administrators. Nurses, therapists, social workers, activity directors, consultants, medical directors and dietary staff are also encouraged to attend. Additional stakeholders attending include state surveyors from local AHCA Field Offices.

22: AHCA Joint Training for Assisted Living Facilities - Sunrise
The 2018 AHCA Joint Training for Assisted Living Facilities provides an invaluable opportunity to learn from state surveyors from the Agency for Health Care Administration and other long term care experts in a unique educational forum. Assisted living administrators, nurses, activity directors, dietary staff and consultants are among those encouraged to attend. Featured speakers include representatives from AHCA, Karen Goldsmith with Goldsmith & Grout, and other experts in assisted living laws and rules.

23: AHCA Joint Training for Skilled Nursing Facilities - Lake Mary
The 2018 AHCA Joint Training for Skilled Nursing Facilities offers a unique forum for the Agency for Health Care Administration and leading long term care experts to brief providers, state surveyors and consultants on regulatory compliance with enforcement provisions explained. This annual program is a must-attend for skilled nursing facility administrators. Nurses, therapists, social workers, activity directors, consultants, medical directors and dietary staff are also encouraged to attend. Additional stakeholders attending include state surveyors from local AHCA Field Offices.

24: AHCA Joint Training for Assisted Living Facilities - Lake Mary
The 2018 AHCA Joint Training for Assisted Living Facilities provides an invaluable opportunity to learn from state surveyors from the Agency for Health Care Administration and other long term care experts in a unique educational forum. Assisted living administrators, nurses, activity directors, dietary staff and consultants are among those encouraged to attend. Featured speakers include representatives from AHCA, Karen Goldsmith with Goldsmith & Grout, and other experts in assisted living laws and rules.

29: Activities of Daily Living Requirements F-Tag 677 Review Webinar
This session will focus on the Activities of Daily Living Regulations including, but not limited to, F-Tag 677, with a review of the regulations and an analysis of the associated Interpretive Guidance. A review of survey procedures used to guide the investigative process will be discussed. Actual citation examples will be shared and discussed. Tools to assist the facility interdisciplinary team in monitoring compliance and incorporating into the facility QAPI processes will be discussed.

VALUE 1ST

As your Florida Value First representative, I stand ready to assist you in saving money on goods and services that you purchase for your community. Through our partnership with Vizient, (formerly MedAssets) and an expanding portfolio of vendors, Value First can help you realize cost-savings in all four purchasing categories – Medical, Food, Environmental/Janitorial/Sanitation and Office Supplies

Our program works in concert with your purchasing, finance and leadership teams to analyze current expenses and provide a price comparisons on exactly how much you can save. Additionally, we can assist you with obtaining capital equipment quotes; just provide the specifications, and we will contact our partners to get the best prices available at that time. You receive ALL of this, at NO FEE TO YOU. Look at Value First as an extension of your staff. More than 225 LeadingAge Florida members are using Value First partners regularly, and we look forward to assisting as many LeadingAge Florida members as possible in 2018.

At this year's LeadingAge Florida Annual Convention, July 29-August 1, at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, there will be a special session on Value First. Titled "Leveraging Effective Partnership through your GPO," this session will be held on Monday, July 30, at 1:00 p.m. Please join us to learn from industry experts on how to maximize savings through your very own Value First relationship. Speakers for this session will be Mario Deluca, Corporate Director, Resident Experience, Westminster Communities of Florida; and Chet Chandler, Vice President of Strategic Accounts, Value First.

To email me, click the photo above, or call me at either of the numbers below. I look forward to speaking with you and visiting your community.

Robert "Bobby" Bernal
Director of Business Development, Florida Value 1st Representative
P: (850) 671-3700 | C: (850) 509-8112

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