UPDATE Weekly

The NC Health Care Facilities Association presents “Keeping and Growing Your Staff: Quantifying the Amount and Causes of Turnover and Developing a Plan to Reverse It.” In today’s world of constantly having to do more with less, are you unnecessarily spending too much money recruiting and training staff just to have them leave? Do you know exactly what staff instability is costing your nursing center in terms of time, money and quality? Tools exist that can help you have solid data. Come learn what tools you can add to your toolbox, what is causing this never ending cycle and things to consider when developing a plan to address it. In this session, you will learn how to develop a plan for implementing strategies to correct turnover and instability in your nursing center.

This information will be presented by Gail Patry, RN, Chief Program Officer for Healthcentric Advisors and Marguerite McLaughlin, Sr. Director of Quality Improvement at the American Health Care Association (AHCA). This seminar will be offered in Charlotte on September 28th and Raleigh on September 29th. Click here to register on-line! Click here to download a brochure/registration form. Don’t wait! Register today!

[Return to top]

This is a reminder that the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) claims are being reprocessed and appeared in the September 20th checkwrite. This is an update to a June 2016 Special Medicaid Bulletin on Reprocessing of Crossover Claims for Services Rendered to Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries. The NC Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) began the reprocessing of QMB claims with the June 21, 2016, checkwrite. During the month of July, DMA did not reprocess any QMB claims.

The reprocessing of QMB claims resumed with the August 16, 2016, checkwrite, and continued with the September 20, 2016, checkwrite.

Additional details regarding QMB claim reprocessing can be found in the June 2016 Special Medicaid Bulletin.

Note that reprocessing of claims may result in a recoupment. If there are insufficient funds in the current checkwrite to fully satisfy the recoupment, an Accounts Receivable (AR) will be created. Affected providers will receive a First Demand Letter when the AR is created. Recoupment of the AR will begin with the subsequent NCTracks checkwrite. If funds are insufficient to completely collect the amount due from the NPI for which the AR was generated, NCTracks will automatically seek to recoup the AR from other NPIs with the same Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). For more information about the Accounts Receivable process, refer to the February 29, 2016, announcement.

[Return to top]

On Wednesday, September 28th at 1:30 PM ET, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold a National Provider Call on the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. The Program adjusts SNF Part A payments by up to 2 percent each year for 10 years starting in FY 2019 based on Calendar Year 2017 rehospitalization rates.

CMS experts will discuss the legislative background of the program, and participants will have the opportunity to learn how implementation will affect Medicare payments. Planned discussion also includes the SNF 30-Day Potentially Preventable Readmission measure, performance standards, and scoring methodology finalized in the FY 2017 SNF Prospective Payment System final rule.

This is also an opportunity to find out about the confidential quarterly feedback reports CMS will provide beginning on October 1, 2016. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session, and materials will be available on the CMS Website approximately two weeks following the call.

To register, click here.

[Return to top]

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a conference call on the new national preparedness requirements on Wednesday, October 5, 2016 at 1:30 to 3:00 PM ET.

The Emergency Preparedness Requirements final rule established national requirements for Medicare and Medicaid providers. During this call, CMS will discuss the new requirements and revisions in the final rule, as well as how to plan for both natural and man-made disasters, while coordinating with other emergency preparedness systems. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

CMS will post the call presentation at least one day in advance on the MLN Connects National Provider Calls and Events Webpage. They will post the audio recording and written transcript approximately 2 weeks after the call.

To register for this call, click here. Registration will close at 12:00 PM ET on the day of the call or when available space has been filled.

[Return to top]

On August 2, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published four new payment models and refinements to a current model through a notice of proposed rulemaking to further advance care coordination for Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries, which will begin on July 1, 2017.

Three new episode payment models (EPMs) would test making participants financially accountable for the quality and cost of episodes of care helping achieve the goal of higher quality at a lower cost for the following episodes:

• An acute myocardial infarction (AMI), including both medical therapy and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI),
• A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and
• A surgical hip/femur fracture treatment, excluding lower extremity joint replacements (SHFFT).

The Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) incentive payment model for EPMs and Medicare FFS participants would test financial incentives for Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) hospitals that encourage the management of beneficiaries following an AMI or CABG toward greater utilization of CR services.

Lastly, CMS is proposing refinements to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model.

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center) will host a live repeat of the August 31, 2016 Webinar to present various aspects of the Advancing Care Coordination through Episode Payment Models (EPMs); Cardiac Incentive Payment Model; and Changes to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model proposals on Thursday, September 22, 2016, from Noon-1:00 PM ET. Registration for this Webinar is now open. The agency can answer questions on details of proposed policies, but cannot speculate on final rule decisions.

CMS will accept comments on the proposed rule until October 3, 2016, and will respond to comments in a final rule. The proposed rule can be found on the Federal Register. To learn more about these efforts, please review the fact sheet and press release.

[Return to top]

District meetings are back by popular demand, and District III has scheduled their next meeting for October 26 at Clapp’s Convalescent Nursing Home, in Asheboro. The meeting will begin at 10:00AM and end at 2:00PM. One confirmed presenter, Judy Wilhide from Brandt Consulting out of Virginia, will discuss utilizing chart reviews to verify accurate coding and scheduling to ensure your QM stars are accurate. Judy can predict Quality Measure (QM) rating, offer tips for strategic planning to balance Resource Utilization Group (RUG) and QM implications of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) and Prospective Payment System (PPS) Minimum Data Set (MDS) schedule. Several providers have used her several times and found her service very beneficial.

Other topics are open for discussion. If you have a subject you would like addressed by Association Staff, please contact Eric Kivisto, erick@nchcfa.org.

This meeting is limited to 50 attendees and registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Unlike the previous district meeting, this will be open to any and all other employees at your facility who could benefit from attending. Please look for an e-mail with registration information in the next few weeks.

[Return to top]

According to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) almost 2,000 nursing facilities have not yet registered in the Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) system. CMS staff are considering what penalties to impose on nursing facilities who have not shown a good faith effort to comply with this Requirement of Participation. The deadline is November 14, 2016 for nursing facilities to submit July – September 2016 data. It is likely that simply registering by the deadline will NOT be sufficient to reflect a facility’s “good faith effort.”

Electronic submission of staffing data through the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) is required of all long term care facilities in 2016. July 1 began the first date of data collection. All nursing homes are required to register to submit data to prepare to meet this requirement and maintain compliance. To register in the PBJ system:

• Step 1: Obtain a CMSNet User ID for PBJ Individual, Corporate and Third Party users, if you don’t already have one for other Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES) applications (https://www.qtso.com/cmsnet.html) (many users may already have this access for MDS submission).
• Step 2: Obtain a PBJ QIES Provider ID for CASPER Reporting and PBJ system access (https://mds.qiesnet.org/mds_home.html).

Training: PBJ Training Modules for an introduction to the PBJ system and step by step registration instruction are available on QIES Technical Support Office (QTSO) e-University, select the PBJ option https://www.qtso.com/webex/qiesclasses.php More information is available on the PBJ Website.

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/Staffing-Data-Submission-PBJ.html

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) has several PBJ resources which can be accessed by clicking here.

[Return to top]

A significant shift skilled nursing facilities have experienced relates to discharge to community. A provider’s role is to create seamless transitions that return residents safely home – a departure from “long stay” roots. As a result, skilled nursing centers are responsible for assisting individuals in improving functional independence and adequately preparing individuals for discharge from the center. Assuring individuals and their families are able to manage care needs after discharge is critical to preventing rehospitalizations.

On September 28 at 3:00 PM ET join AHCA SVP of Quality and Regulatory Affairs Dr. David Gifford and his team of experts as they offer valuable insights on how to provide high quality and seamless service related to discharge to community. To register for this live webcast, “Discharge to Community: Creating Seamless Transitions,” click here.

This Webcast is part of an 8-part Quality Initiative Series designed to provide in-depth instruction and strategies to help AHCA/NCAL members effectively meet impending payment and regulatory changes. For more information and list of upcoming webcast dates, click here.

[Return to top]

Join the North Carolina Culture Change Coalition for a workshop challenging your understanding of diversity in the realm of caring for seniors. This event is open to all assisted living and nursing home staff, members of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO), Ombudsmen, etc.

Through this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Recognize attitudinal barriers, stereotypes and fears that affect how we interact and feel about people with disabilities.
• Recognize attitudinal barriers, stereotypes and fears that affect how we interact and feel about people in the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender) community.
• Describe techniques for embracing a diverse cultural staff and resident-body as an asset to a LTC community.

Cost: $50 per person
Continuing Education Hours: 5.5 (Pre-approval submitted for NH & AL Administrators and Nurses)

Dates & Locations:

• October 6th – Nash Community College; 522 N Old Carriage Road, Rocky Mount, NC 27804
• October 12th – Trinity Village; 1265 21st Street NE, Hickory, NC 28601
• October 19th – Levine Senior Center; 1050 Devore Lane, Matthews, NC 28105
• October 26th – Coastline Convention Center; 503 Nutt Street, Wilmington, NC 28401

Time: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Lunch & snacks will be provided

Speakers:

• Paige Averett, Ph.D., MSW – Associate Professor at East Carolina University’s School of Social Work and internationally recognized expert on LGBT aging, families, and children.
• Lyndall Hare, Ph.D. – Concierge Gerontologist coaching organizations and training professionals working in the field of aging.
• Cindy Deporter, MSSW – State Survey Agency Director for NC Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR)
• Tammy Wade and Frances Robinson – Regional Employment Services Specialists for Vocational Rehabilitation with the NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

The Registration deadline has been extended to September 30, 2016.

Have questions? Please contact:
Carolyn Hill at chill371@nc.rr.com or Alice Carroll at alicecarroll@friendshomes.org.

To register, click here.

[Return to top]

Alliant Quality wants to encourage SNFs to keep signing up for the National Collaborative – or SPACE. Alliant recommends having as much time as possible to get started on Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) improvement work and improving facility quality measures in a systems approach to improve their five star and composite scores.

Alliant Quality is the Medicare Quality Innovation Network (QIN)-Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for North Carolina. Under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Alliant Quality invites your nursing home to participate in a collaborative designed to ensure that every nursing home resident receives the highest quality of care.

The Collaborative offers an exciting opportunity to learn from high performing nursing homes regarding their processes as they pertain to consistent/permanent staff assignment, teamwork and communications, leadership, regulatory compliance, clinical models, and quality of life indicators. The Collaborative aligns national nursing home quality initiatives and partnerships such as the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes Campaign, The Partnership to Improve Dementia Care, and QAPI. Targeted focus areas will include increasing mobility, decreasing unnecessary use of antipsychotics in residents with dementia, decreasing potentially avoidable hospitalizations and decreasing healthcare acquired infections and conditions.

When ready to register, click here for the Participation Agreement and fax or e-mail it back to Lisa Klemis, contact information is on the Participation Agreement. For more details, e-mail Jennifer Brock at Jennifer.Brock@area-F.hcqis.org or call (678) 527-3417.

[Return to top]

It is time once again to acknowledge front line, unlicensed personnel who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in the long term care profession. This awards program honors individuals who are the backbone in our facilities because of the support they provide to our residents. A panel of judges from the Education and Programs Committee will select a Nurse Aide winner from each of NCHCFA’s five districts. In addition, one recipient in a non-nursing discipline will receive the Riley W. Clapp Outstanding Service Award. Each of the award recipients will be honored at the Annual Awards Gala during the Annual Convention and Expo on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 in Greensboro, NC.

To fill out nomination forms online, visit the Member Center of the Association Web site at http://www.NursingHomesNC.com. Click on “News & Updates”, select “2017 NCHCFA Annual Awards Nomination Packet” and choose “Survey Monkey”. If you have any questions, call the Association office at (919) 782-3827. Pictures for nominations submitted online may be e-mailed to karenl@nchcfa.org or mailed to the Association office. Click here to download and print the nomination packet. Nominations received in the Association office after Friday, October 21, 2016 will not be considered.

[Return to top]

Today is the last day to register for the 67th AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention & Expo at the Advance Registration rate. Thousands of your long term and post-acute colleagues from across the country have already confirmed their spot. What are you waiting for? Commit now and register today! After September 21st, on-site fees apply! If you miss the advance registration period, you may register on-site in Nashville, Sunday, October 16th. Registration will be open at 6:45 AM.

Obtain all of the information you need on-line, including: speakers, education sessions, Expo Hall hours and exhibitors, along with the full schedule of networking opportunities and events.

[Return to top]

This newly updated and revised book presents ready-to-use materials for planning, implementing, and evaluating cultural competence strategies and programs. Learn to identify the needs of diverse constituents, evaluate and assess cultural competence on a companion Web site.

To order, visit http://www.AHCApublications.org or call (800) 321-0343. Fax orders may also be placed at (800) 869-5605.

Product #8173
AHCA MEMBERS $80.00

[Return to top]

This brochure outlines what physical restraints are, when they should be used, rules and regulations concerning restraints, and making decisions about using them. To order, e-mail your request to Donna Snyder at donnas@nchcfa.org.

• NCHCFA Member: $30.00 per 100 brochures plus tax and shipping
• Non-Members: $60.00 per 100 brochures plus tax and shipping

[Return to top]

8 Common Causes Of Workplace Demotivation

http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/01/20/8-common-causes-of-workplace-demotivation/#6e8ffb3675af

[Return to top]

Golden Corral is the world’s largest purchaser of brussel sprouts.

[Return to top]