UPDATE Weekly

In May 2016, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued a final rule providing guidance for protection of individuals from discrimination in health care based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, and sex. Receipt of any Federal funding, e.g., Medicare and Medicaid payments, Federal Financial assistance is considered an entity covered by the Section 1557 requirements. Notices must be posted that include the following information:

• The covered entity provides appropriate auxiliary aids and services;
• The covered entity does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability;
• The covered entity provides language assistance services;
• How to obtain applicable aids and services;
• Identification of and contact information for an employee who will coordinate efforts to comply with Section 1557 including investigation of grievances/complaints;
• The availability of a grievance procedure and instructions for filing a grievance; and
• Instructions for filing a discrimination complaint with the Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”).

Taglines must be posted in the top 15 non-English speaking languages in the applicable State to alert individuals with limited English proficiency to the availability of language assistance services. The notice of non-discrimination and taglines in the top 15 non-English speaking languages must be posted In a “conspicuously-visible font size” in the following locations”

1. In physical locations where the provider interacts with the public;
2. In a conspicuous location on the provider’s Web site, accessible from the Web site’s home page; and
3. In significant publications and communications.

Links to the top 15 languages identified by OCR for each state and territory used in each state and territory and OCR’s sample documents are provided below

For top 15 languages used in each state and territory:
https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Regulations-and-Guidance/Downloads/Appendix-A-Top-15.pdf

For sample documents: http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557

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The brochure for potential trade associate members and exhibitors at EXPO 2017 is now available. Do you have a favorite supplier you think might be interested in participating? If so, now is the time to have them contact Donna Snyder at donnas@nchcfa.org or by phone at (919) 782-3827 to get on the mailing list. The trade show will be held on Tuesday, February 28th during our Annual Convention and Expo in Greensboro, NC.

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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.

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If you missed 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.

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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 noon ET on the day of the call or when available space has been filled.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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High-quality clinical care comes from high-quality education. Prove the value of your staff development program with help from author and staff development expert Adrianne E. Avillion, DEd, RN, in this new groundbreaking book. Dr. Avillion offers clear guidance to help you put your program’s worth into quantifiable terms and align staff development with your organization’s goals. Educators of all levels will be able to evaluate the effect of training on retention, staff competency, and patient outcomes.

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

Product # 8333
AHCA Members (on-line price) $99.00

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More Seniors Welcome Virtual Socializing

http://www.providermagazine.com/news/Pages/2016/0916/More-Seniors-Welcome-Virtual-Socializing.aspx

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The history of presidential debates is surprisingly short. In the early years of the United States, presidential candidates considered it unseemly to campaign, let alone debate their opponents. Not until Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy and Republican Vice President Richard Nixon met in Chicago on September 26, 1960, did the major parties’ nominees square off. Despite the enormous audiences for the Kennedy-Nixon encounters, 16 years would go by before the next series of presidential debates. President Lyndon Johnson refused to debate in 1964, while Nixon did the same in 1968 and 1972.

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