UPDATE Weekly

Register today for the NC Health Care Facilities Association’s “All Hazards Emergency Management for Long Term Care.” 2011 and 2012 were years in which the United States experienced some of the most devastating disasters that impacted the long term care community – wildfires out west, Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, the tornados in Joplin, MO / Tuscaloosa & Moulton, AL / Springfield, MA and the 2011 “Halloween” blizzard in the northeast. In Hurricane Sandy alone, more than 66 nursing homes and 11 hospitals evacuated and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world was devastated.

This year, we are bringing in the firm that has been reviewing all of these disasters and is working with the long term care industry to improve planning, response and recovery operations to better protect the facility infrastructure, residents and staff.

The tools and customizable disaster procedures provided by this seminar will prove to be invaluable for you and your facility. This one-day seminar will be held on May 16, 2013 at The Sheraton Chapel Hill. To register, please visit our Web site at http://www.NursingHomesNC.com. Brochures were mailed yesterday!

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“The Basics of Medicare Enrollment for Institutional Providers” Fact Sheet was revised and is now available in downloadable format. This fact sheet is designed to provide education on basic Medicare enrollment information and how to ensure institutional providers are qualified and eligible to enroll in the Medicare Program. It includes information on how to enroll in the Medicare Program, how to report changes, and a list of resources. To access this revised resource, click here.

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Make plans today to join your colleagues for the second annual NCHCFA Summer Symposium. The three-day event will be August 6-8, 2013 at the Marriott Grande Dunes Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC. Call the Marriott Resort at (800) 228-9290 to reserve your overnight room. Identify yourself as a NC Health Care Facilities Association Convention attendee! To make your reservation online, visit http://tinyurl.com/2013symposiumreserve. Please note that when our room block is full, rooms will be on a first come, first served basis at prevailing published rates.

Please call the Association office at (919) 782-3827 with any questions. Brochures will be mailed to members in May!

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Mark your calendar now and plan to attend four value-packed days of learning and networking in Phoenix, AZ, October 6-9, 2013! Choose from over 60 sessions in 11 education tracks ranging from advocacy to finance to person-centered care to quality improvement. Take advantage of terrific networking opportunities, outstanding educational programming, and fabulous entertainment, all in a beautiful location. Visit http://www.AHCAconvention.org for event details and registration information! Early bird discount ends July 19, 2013!

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The AHCA 2012 Nursing Facility staffing survey is underway. The survey collects information on vacancy, turnover and retention for all staff categories. The information collected can be made available in LTC Trend Tracker to help you track and benchmark staff stability in your market, and will help AHCA and other stakeholders in policy development and advocating on workforce issues on your behalf.

The survey questionnaire can be downloaded from the AHCA Web site. All facilities are asked to complete and return the survey by Wednesday April 24, 2013. For more information, please e-mail research@ahca.org.

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The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have made reducing the off-label use of antipsychotics a priority for long term care facilities. The Quality Initiative and the Partnership to Improve Dementia Care have set a national 15% reduction goal, and antipsychotic quality measures have been developed for public reporting.

This Webinar will introduce a process framework to help clinicians better manage the clinical factors that contribute to quality care and antipsychotic medication use. The framework includes care objectives, staff expectations and identifies and offers tools and resources to help providers successfully manage antipsychotic medication use at the resident and facility level by focusing on 7 critical steps needed to ensure successful and continuous quality outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. How to apply the care process to managing patients taking antipsychotic medications
2. Learn about the Clinical Considerations of Antipsychotic Management toolkit – (AHCA members-only content; login required) steps, objectives, expectations, tools and resources
3. How the toolkit is consistent with CMS’ continuous quality improvement and assessment process

Speakers:

• Steven Levenson, MD – Medical Director, Genesis Multi Med Center
• Debra Kriner, President, D Kriner & Associates
• Al Barber, PharmD – Director of Pharmacy Services, alixaRX Pharmacy/Golden Living

To register, click here!

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Visit the American Health Care Association (AHCA) Affordable Care Act (ACA) Web site to find the latest resources to help your facility meet the requirements. Some of the recent news added to the Web site:

• Information about the recently announced delay in the Small Business Health Options Program
• Webinar from the health care and benefits professionals at Clifton Larson Allen
• AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions and the free member services provided

Click here to access the AHCA ACA Web site.

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The North Carolina Culture Change Coalition will be offering a free workshop at three different locations throughout the state. Each location will offer a 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon session or 1:00 – 4:00 PM session.

• May 22, 2013 at Wake County Commons Building (Raleigh) | 4011 Cary Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610
• August 6, 2013 at WillowBrooke Court at Plantation Estates | 701 Plantation Estates Drive, Matthews, NC 28105
• October 9, 2013 at Davis Health Care Center | 1011 Porters Neck Road, Wilmington, NC 28411

Administrator CEUs, drinks and snacks will be provided. To register, contact Patsy Rudolph at patsy.rudolph@kindred.com. Comments and questions can be directed to Becky Wertz, becky.wertz@dhhs.nc.gov or by visiting the NC Culture Change Coalition’s Web site at http://www.ltcenhance.com.

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The national theme for the 2013 National Nursing Home Week (NNHW) is Team Care. NNHW will be observed in skilled nursing facilities throughout America, Beginning Mother’s Day, May 12th and continuing through May 18th, 2013.

NNHW’s theme recognizes residents and patients in long term and post-acute care settings, the dedicated staff who care for them, and the value of care planning where everyone “pitches in” for optimal outcomes. The observance is an opportunity to involve families, community members, youth, and others in a community-wide show of support and respect for these individuals and the staff who provide care or support services. Activities are designed to foster intergenerational contact, strengthen family relationships and to encourage volunteerism by individuals and local organizations.

Team Care should be on display at your facility by using special themed products that are available from the AHCA Bookstore. Order soon as quantities are limited. More information is available at the dedicated Web site http://www.nnhw.org and on Facebook. E-mail inquiries should be sent to nnhw@ahca.org. Please inform your staff of the date and theme!

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The NC State Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators will offer the 2013 Preceptor Seminars on April 22nd and 23rd, 2013 and April 23rd and 24th, 2013 at the Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, SC. You will need to choose the first seminar dates for Renewal Preceptor certification and the second seminar dates for Initial Preceptor Certification and Continuing Education Only. The seminars will be open to all nursing home administrators seeking continuing education credits and/or preceptor certification. This is the only Preceptor Seminar being planned for 2013 by the NC State Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators.

Click Here to download more information along with the registration form.

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Submit nomination forms today for the American Health Care Association (AHCA) 2013 Volunteer of the Year awards. Nominations for the Volunteer of the Year award must be submitted through the NCHCFA office — not directly from individual facilities. The deadline for nominations is Friday, May 17, 2013. Visit the News and Updates section of the Member Center on the Association’s Web site at http://www.NursingHomesNC.com to obtain nomination forms and to review all rules and criteria. Because the nomination forms are reproduced as is and submitted to judges in the long term care community, please make sure your forms are typed. Variations of AHCA’s nomination forms will not be accepted. Faxed nomination forms will not be accepted. The winners will be honored at AHCA’s 64th Annual Convention and Exposition, October 6-9, 2013 in Phoenix, AZ. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail or call Ms. Claire Krawsczyn at ckrawsczyn@ahca.org or (410) 340-2210.

AHCA will also recognize an honoree of distinction from an ICF/IID facility or HCBS Waiver Home for their dedication to improving the quality of life of clients and advancing community understanding of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The same rules/regulations apply as above. (Intellectual Disabilities/Developmental Disabilities Hero of the Year Award- ID/DD Hero of the Year)

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Back to Basics with EHR Adoption: Planning, Wednesday, May 8 at 12:30 – 1:00 PM, EDT. This is the third session in CCME Consulting’s six-part EHR adoption Webinar series and covers the topic of pre-EHR planning. This Webinar will address the importance of the planning for EHR adoption and creating strategies to aid in the planning process. For more information, please download the Back to Basics with EHR Adoption Series flyer.

At the end of the Webinar attendees will be able to:

• Understand the need for a project management approach in strategically adopting and implementing an EHR.
• Understand how various technologies are integrated into a changing health care system.
• Prepare for changes and mitigate skepticism through advanced preparation.

COST: Complimentary

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Physicians, Office Managers, and Staff

SPEAKER:

Jennifer Boyd, RHIA, EHR consultant | Read Bio

To register, click here.

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This book explores 28 challenging cases which cover pivotal issues that most health care administrators and managers are likely to encounter at some point in their work—quality improvement, strategic planning, ethical dilemmas, organizational dynamics, cost–benefit analyses, resource utilization, and more. Providing an exceptional framework for decision-making and debate, Cases in Health Services Management is an outstanding casebook that provokes thought and discussion.

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

Product #8248
AHCA MEMBERS $59.95

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Some food satisfaction issues in senior living communities stem from changes in residents’ taste buds.

http://www.providermagazine.com/archives/2013_Archives/Pages/0413/It%E2%80%99s-A-Matter-Of-Taste.aspx

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On April 15, 1955 Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s. It was the ninth restaurant in the chain. He eventually bought out the McDonald brothers.

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