UPDATE Weekly

On Friday, January 13, 2017, Gov. Roy Cooper announced his selection of Dr. Mandy Cohen as the NC Secretary of Health and Human Services. Dr. Cohen is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), providing coordination and operational leadership across that agency. Prior to that role, Dr. Cohen served in leadership roles in CMS’s Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight and in the CMS Innovation Center. She also advised on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Dr. Cohen is an internist who received her medical degree from Yale University, and she also holds degrees from Cornell University and the Harvard School of Public Health.

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Register today to attend the NCHCFA Annual Convention and Expo February 26 – March 1, 2017 at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons/Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC! Call the Sheraton at (800) 242-6556 to make your room reservation. Identify that you are with “NC Health Care Facilities Association 2017 Convention” to receive the group discounted rate. Don’t miss the opportunity to earn up to 17.0 hours of educational credit for North Carolina Nursing Home Administrators, as well as up to 16.0 hours of Nursing CE credit! The advanced registration deadline is Friday, February 10th. To obtain an additional brochure visit the Member Center of the Association’s Web site at http://www.NursingHomesNC.com.

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The NC Health Care Facilities Association presents “Updated Regulations.” The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule to make major changes to improve the care and safety of the nearly 1.5 million residents in the more than 15,000 long term care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The policies in this final rule are targeted at reducing unnecessary hospital readmissions and infections, improving the quality of care, and strengthening safety measures for residents in these facilities. This program will kick off the lengthy implementation of these rules, beginning with Phase One and the new survey process. Much remains unknown as we anxiously await interpretive guidelines and many needed clarifications.

This session will be presented by Cindy DePorter, MSSW. Ms. DePorter was appointed as Interim Assistant Section Chief of the Acute Home Care Section in July of 2013, overseeing approximately 2000 home care agencies, 269 certified home health care agencies, and 200 Hospice Agencies in North Carolina. She is also Branch Manager of Quality Evaluative Systems at DHSR. This section is responsible for Informal Dispute Resolution (IDR), Independent Informal Dispute Resolution (IIDR), Enhancement Coalition, Enhancement Grants, Civil Money Penalties (CMP), and the Quality Improvement Committee. Ms. Deporter also directs Quality Indicator Surveys (QIS), and leads Electronic Plans of Correction (ePOC) that are being implemented by CMS. In this session, Ms. DePorter will:

• Provide an overview of the revised survey process.
• Discuss timelines for implementation of the revised survey process.
• Discuss the Phase 1 implementation of the federal long term care requirements.

Please note that this will be a five-hour comprehensive session devoted to both the new requirements and survey process. Ms. DePorter will return to our convention in late February for a quick review of the implementation and any available updates or commentary on implementation progress from CMS.

This seminar will be offered in Charlotte on February 2nd and again in Raleigh on February 15th. The price is $205.00. Click here to download a brochure/registration form. Click here to register on-line!

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The North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association would like to thank our 2017 Gold Convention Hosts for supporting the upcoming Annual Convention & Expo. Be sure to visit them on Tuesday, February 28th during EXPO 2017 – Mardi Gras – Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler:

Blue Ridge Pharmacy at booths 425 & 524
Healthcare Services Group at booths 527 & 529
Medipack Pharmacy at booths 315 & 414
Neil Medical at booths 301, 303, 400 & 402
NH Med Services at booths 415 & 514
Southern Pharmacy at booths 501 & 503

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Make plans today to attend the NCHCFA Annual Convention and Expo February 26 – March 1, 2017. You do not want to miss Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, Dementia Care & Training Specialist, Positive Approach, LLC & Counseling Associate, Duke University School of Nursing. Ms. Snow will present Dementia 360: Seeing It from All Directions on Tuesday, February 28th at 8:00 am for Package One attendees.

Dementia 360: Seeing It from All Directions will provide attendees with a wide variety of perspectives on dementia. It will help you develop programming and services that meet the needs of all those affected by the disease. It will address dementia-related issues from the point of view of the individuals with dementia, individuals without dementia, family members, caregiving staff, food service and housekeeping staff, maintenance and reception staff, as well as friends and visitors, regulators, and marketing. By the end of this session, you will be able to discuss the impact of dementia on each of these ‘players’, describe some of the key strategies to meet the needs each has, and begin to develop programming and services that have a high probability of making a positive difference in the lives of all concerned.

In addition, Teepa will also present Improving Our Hands on Skills for Giving Care When Someone is Living with Dementia for Package Two attendees (Activity Director, Nurse, Nurse Aide, and Social Worker Day) on Tuesday, February 28th at 10:30 am. Important reminder, if a facility registers two staff members for Package Two, a third staff member (Activity Director, Nurse Aide or Social Worker) may register for Package Two at no charge!

Join Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, Dementia Care & Training Specialist, Positive Approach, LLC, Counseling Associate, Duke University School of Nursing, to build on what is now ‘known’ and understood about dementia and develop new skills to better support and help. Teepa will start with your approach, your cues, and your ability to connect. Attendees will work on hands on ways of communicating and assisting with daily life and in times of distress.

Objectives:

• Recognize the role that your words and actions play in the behavior and responses of people with dementia
• Describe some of the critical factors for optimizing positive interactions
• Identify techniques that improve the potential for successful communication
• Demonstrate use of positive communication strategies in an interaction

Techniques: Lecture, role play, group discussion, partnered practice, DVD clip review, case discussion, handouts, & power point slides

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Palmetto GBA is partnering with Cotiviti Healthcare, the new CMS Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) to provide the JM Part A and B providers an opportunity to meet the new RAC. Cotiviti is the Recovery Auditor for Regions 2 & 3. North Carolina is located in RAC Region 3. Whether you are new to Medicare, new to the CMS Recovery Auditor Contract (RAC), or just new to working with Cotiviti, Palmetto invites you to join them for a Webcast where Cotiviti will:

• Explain some notable differences in between this RAC contract and the prior.
• Highlight some key timeframes with the auditing process that every Medicare provider should know.
• Review the resources that Cotiviti supplies for Providers.

The Webcast takes place from 10:00 – 11:00 AM ET, on February 2, 2017. Click here to register.

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A revised Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System Booklet is available. Learn about:

• Elements of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System
• SNF Quality Reporting Program
• SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program

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The award-winning, evidence-based Bathing Without a Battle training on person-centered bathing for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is now accessible online free of charge. The interactive training provides 2½ hours of free continuing education credit for nurses and 2 hours of free credit for nursing assistants. Students who plan to enter long-term care or geriatric home care are also encouraged to participate in the online training.

Training can be accessed through the Website http://www.bathingwithoutabattle.unc.edu. Once registered, users can open modules on practical approaches to showering, tub bathing, in-room bathing, and hair washing; information on innovative bathing equipment and supplies; recommendations for policy change within long-term care organizations; and guidance on regulatory compliance. A condensed training DVD with printable Instructor’s Guide continues to be available for purchase for group in-service training or individual study.

This new training modality is provided by a grant from the Retirement Research Foundation to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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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) 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 Leighann Sauls at Leighann.Sauls@area-F.hcqis.org or call (919) 745-4730.

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Alliant Quality, the QIN-QIO (Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization) for North Carolina is seeking central North Carolina skilled nursing facilities interested in collaborating on the Special Innovation Project (SIP) Improving Access to Palliative Care in the Long Term Care Facility.

Palliative care focuses on comfort and improving quality of life. A team of professionals helps residents and families navigate through the health care system and make health care decisions that are right for them. Goals of this project not only include providing quality of life and satisfaction for residents of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), but also provision of services that minimize risks of potentially avoidable transfers to acute care.

Often, nursing home residents lack advance directives that would assist them at the end of life. When a resident without an advanced directive suffers a worsening of their clinical condition, a cascade of care is put into motion and can trigger unwanted emergency room visits and admissions, which can lead to other complications. The provision of palliative care services for SNF residents supports person-directed care in a proactive way to honor the patient and their choices.

Alliant Quality, in partnership with SNFs and palliative care organizations, will develop customized education and learning sessions for SNF leaders to better understand palliative care and its beneficial role for the residents whom they are caring for each day. This educational offering will be pilot-tested in central North Carolina with SNFs who are interested in this Special Innovation Project offered through the Center for Medicaid & Medicare Services.

Participating SNFs will have the opportunity to:

• Receive free training programs designed to improve their SNF staff competency and knowledge related to end-of-life care
• Join a learning network with experts on palliative care in the SNF setting
• Partner with palliative care providers in order to improve the quality of life of their residents
• Implement low-burden measurement strategies that monitor resident and family satisfaction with end-of-life care
• Improve rates of avoidable acute care transfers and hospital admission and readmission rates

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Judson RN, BSN
Project Lead, Palliative Care
Office: (678) 527-3473
Jennifer.Judson@alliantquality.org

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This book offers CNAs the support of trained and experienced mentors to guide their way as they develop into quality health care professionals. Implementing this program can help you reduce your facility’s CNA turnover rate, save money and build a more competent staff. You’ll have happier residents and a higher quality facility as a result!

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

Product #6706
AHCA MEMBERS $59.95

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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

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Leading Through Team Building – Nursing center academy prepares leaders for new regulatory requirements and performance-based health care.

http://www.providermagazine.com/archives/2017_Archives/Pages/0117/Leading-Through-Team-Building.aspx

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There are actually four species of giraffe.

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