UPDATE Weekly

Please remember that this seminar will be next Wednesday and Thursday in Greensboro! If you have registered to attend and are not able to be there OR would like to send a substitute, please call the Association office, (919) 782-3827, and let us know ASAP! There are still a few seats left. Call the office if you are interested in registering!

The Empira Fall Prevention program is a combination of nationally recognized, evidence-based, fall-prevention practices and practical applications from numerous research studies. At the completion of their three-year program, Empira nursing facilities have collectively achieved a twenty to thirty percent (20% – 30%) reduction in the prevalence of resident falls. This finding, coupled with a significant reduction in the number of repeated falls, makes this presentation one that you will want to attend! If you missed the one-day seminar in March of this year, you will not want to miss this one!

Presented by Sue Ann Guildermann, this two-day in-depth session will cover the implementation of a comprehensive fall prevention and reduction program.

The cost to attend this seminar is $315 for members and $630 for non-members. This fee includes handouts, snacks, and lunch for two days.

Location and Dates
November 13-14, 2013
Sheraton Greensboro at Four Seasons
3121 High Point Road
Greensboro, NC 27407

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This week, the District V Fabulous Fifty celebration was held November 4th at The Renaissance North Hills, Raleigh, NC. Representative Nelson Dollar hosted the event.

Recipients of the 2014 District V Fabulous Fifty honor are:

Clara Alston – Universal Healthcare-Oxford, Oxford, NC
Annette Badgett – Wellington Rehab and Healthcare, Knightdale, NC
Donald Daugherty – Roanoke River Nursing and Rehab, Williamston, NC
Carol Dickens – Longleaf Neuro-Medical Treatment Center, Wilson, NC
Andre Gaston – UniHealth Post-Acute Care-Raleigh, Raleigh, NC
Katina Harris – Universal Healthcare-Greenville, Greenville, NC
Robert Lockey – WilMed Nursing Care Center, Wilson, NC
Janet Pankey – Golden Living Center-Greenville, Greenville, NC
Sidney Richardson – South Village, Rocky Mount, NC
Elizabeth Tyner – Rex Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center of Apex, Apex, NC

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The brochure for potential trade associate members and exhibitors at EXPO 2014 has been mailed out. Do you have a favorite supplier you think might be interested in participating? If so, now is the time to have them contact Jan Williams at janw@nchcfa.org or by phone at (919) 782-3827 to request a copy. The trade show will be held on Tuesday, February 25th during our Annual Convention and Expo in Greensboro, NC.

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The November issue of the Medicaid Bulletin has been posted by the Division of Medical Assistance. Current articles contain information on receiving e-mail alerts through NCTracks, Medicaid crossover claims payment calculation, common questions and answers, the remaining 2013 checkwrite schedule and other informative articles. To access all of the posted issues and special bulletins, click here.

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NCTracks is offering an in-person Provider Help Center. NCTracks staff from provider enrollment, provider relations, claims, and prior approval will be on site at locations across the state to assist NC providers with questions or concerns regarding NCTracks. No appointment is necessary. Providers will be assisted on a first come, first served basis. To see the schedule of dates, times and cities, click here.

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The “Updated LEIE” database file reflects all OIG exclusion and reinstatement actions up to, and including, those taken in October 2013. This new, “Updated LEIE” (List of Excluded Individuals and Entities) is a complete database file containing all exclusions currently in effect. Individuals and entities that have been reinstated to the federal health care programs are not included in this file.

All the updated files are posted at http://www.oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/exclusions_list.asp.

Instructional videos explaining how to use the online database and the downloadable files are available.

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Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2014 SNF co-insurance amount for days 21-100. The new amount is $152, an increase from the current rate of $148.

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The North Carolina Culture Change Coalition is accepting culture change grant applications from every certified nursing home.

The Coalition has made major changes to its grant program in accordance with new rules from CMS which took effect in 2012. Facilities will apply for grants using the updated RFA, which is available throughout the year. Once the coalition receives the proposal, trained members will review the application to make sure it meets CMS criteria. Each section of the application will be scored on the basis of incomplete, needs improvement, acceptable, or exceptional. Any section of the proposal receiving an incomplete or needs improvement will be sent back to the facility, and a trained coalition member will mentor the facility to help refine the section(s). Once all sections meet the acceptable or exceptional score, DHHS will help the facility convert the application into CMS’s required format and will then send the application to CMS for review. CMS has 45 days to make a determination on the application and may contact the facility for further information if necessary. Approval or denial is made by CMS and all decisions are final.

While this represents a major change in the method for reviewing grant proposals, the Coalition is willing to work with any eligible facility wishing to use CMP money to fund enhancement projects so they have the best chance of having their application approved by CMS. The revised RFA became available in early April and was sent to the administrators of all eligible North Carolina facilities. If you have any questions about the program, or need assistance with the application process, please contact Becky Wertz, becky.wertz@dhhs.nc.gov.

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Does your facility need an extra copy of the Membership Directory around the office? This informative guide lists the NCHCFA Board of Directors, member facilities (by facility, administrator and district), staff contacts, and the NCHCFA trade members. Contact Jan Williams at janw@nchcfa.org to order one for your facility.

NCHCFA Members only: $35.00 plus tax and shipping

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This three-part DVD training series includes must-have background information for feeding assistants (Getting Started, 20 minutes), specific job responsibilities and procedures (Proper Feeding Techniques, 18 minutes), and helps prepare employees in case problems or emergencies arise (Problem Behavior and Emergencies, 14 minutes).

To order, visit http://www.AHCApublications.org or call (800) 321-0343.

Product # 6790D
AHCA Members (on-line price) $99.00

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The latest healthcare industry trend? To de-stress nurses, just add puppies.

http://medcitynews.com/2013/11/wow-week-caregivers-need-care-puppies-give-clinicians-respite-compassion-burnout/#ixzz2jsSoQ2Kl

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On November 5, 1915 a U.S. Navy AB-2 became the first plane to be catapult launched from a ship at sea, the USS North Carolina.

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