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March 25, 2010 |
Vol 17, Issue 16 |
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Welcome to this week's edition of the
FAHSA Link.
Annual Legislative Workshop Exceeds
Expectations: FAHSA Members Converge on Capitol
during 2010 Session -- As lawmakers were
working on budgets and exploring revenue
generating options, 80 FAHSA members trekked the
halls of the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon with
determination. The timing of the visits could
not have been better as many legislators were in
their offices and enjoyed visiting with their
constituents to discuss FAHSA's priority bills
and the budget. Dozens of legislators were
visited; many of whom are key players because of
the leadership positions they hold.
For the most part, members felt that legislators
were receptive to our concerns and interested in
our issues. During a legislative debriefing on
Wednesday morning, several FAHSA members
commented that they attributed the accessibility
to their legislators to the relationship
cultivated during past events in their home
districts, proving that advocacy must be a year
round project. Members were warmly welcomed by
most legislators. This is especially true of
freshman legislators who are anxious to learn
and cement ties with voters. Please remember to
publish your photos and short articles in your
newsletter, and then send a copy of the
newsletter along with thank you notes to the
legislators. Please email
FAHSA a copy of your photos and they
will be added to the photo slide show, available
on FAHSA's web site.
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Awards Presentations
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FAHSA's 2009
Legislator of the Year Award was presented to
Linda King, wife of the late Senator Jim King. The
award was presented by Marty Goetz, CEO, River
Garden Hebrew Home Wolfson Health and Aging Center.
FAHSA's Inaugural
Leadership Academy certificates and
leadership pins were awarded to graduates Lisa
Lyons, CFO, John Knox Village and Sharon Griffith,
Director of Administration, Family Housing
Management, Inc, by Chris Mulrooney, Ph.D., FAHSA's
Professional Development Chair and Division Vice
President, PRAXEIS, LLC.
FAHSA's
Outstanding Advocacy Award was given to
Ron Shuck, Shareholder, Moore Stephens Lovelace,
P.A., by Chris Mulrooney, Ph.D., FAHSA's
Professional Development Chair and Division Vice
President, PRAXEIS, LLC.
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Presentations during Legislative Workshop
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FAHSA would like to thank the following presenters who
made the workshop a huge success. Nancy Rehkamp,
Principal, LarsonAllen; Larry Overton, President, Larry
Overton & Associates; Dominic Calabro, CEO, Florida
TaxWatch; Susan MacManus, Ph.D., Professor, University
of South Florida; Molly McKinstry, Chief, AHCA Bureau of
Long-Term Care Services; Kimberly R. Smoak, QMRP, MSH,
Health Quality Assurance, AHCA; Bernard Hudson, Manager,
Long-Term Care Unit Bureau of LTC Services; Anne Menard,
MSW, Unit Supervisor, Home Care Unit, AHCA Bureau of
Health Facility Regulation; Timothy Giesecke, Senior
Management Analyst Supervisor of Criminal History
Services, Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Alayna
Waldrum, Legislative Representative, American
Association of Homes and Services for the Aging;
Stephanie Benson, Director of Project Management,
Jacksonville Multifamily Program Center, U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development; Marcy Hajdukiewicz,
Division Director, Statewide Community Based Services,
Florida Department of Elder Affairs; and Sherry Jackson,
Statewide Community-Based Services, Florida Department
of Elder Affairs.
Download a copy of some of the power point presentations
by
clicking here. Whenever photos are sent in, they
will be added to a slide show that is available for
viewing on the main page of the FAHSA web site. Be sure
to send your legislative photos to FAHSA as soon as
possible.
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Education News
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Nominate Your Colleagues for a FAHSA
Award -- As an aging-services
professional, you are attuned to who your
organization's exceptional leaders and
innovators are. Recognize them by nominating
them for a 2010 FAHSA award!
The FAHSA awards honor organizations and
individuals for excellence in leadership, care
and service innovation. Apply for a 2010 FAHSA
award by June 15. For details and entry forms,
click here.
Next Leadership
Academy Program Rescheduled for July 26-27
-- FAHSA plans to conduct the 2nd class of the
Leadership Academy beginning on July 26 and 27,
2010 in conjunction with FAHSA's 47th Annual
Convention and Exposition in Boca Raton.
Applicants who previously applied do not need to
re-apply. Scholarship funds to cover half of
the tuition are available for those who would
like to participate. This training is a
valuable resource to develop leadership skills.
During the three-month course (both onsite and
online), the following leadership topics will be
discussed:
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Understanding the Role of the Emerging
Leader
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Understanding Emotional Intelligence and Its
Impact on Leadership Success
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Leading and Managing for Results
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Teamwork and Team Building
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Giving and Receiving Feedback
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Delegating and Influencing
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Problem Solving
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Managing Conflict
Please consider registering for this next
course. Registration and a brochure is available
on
FAHSA's web site. Scholarship
forms are also available.
The New MDS 3.0 Resident Assessment
Instrument (RAI) Course: A Strategic and
Systematic Approach -- Please plan to
attend the MDS 3.0 intensive two-day training
program scheduled on May 4-5. This workshop is
targeted for staff familiar with the MDS 2.0 RAI
process, and for participants who would like to
become familiar with the changes to the RAI
process with MDS 3.0.
The new MDS 3.0 is four times the size as the
current assessment tool. Although the process
is similar, there are major differences. Jean
M. Bean, RN, Director of Clinical Services,
Covenant Retirement Communities will be
attending the MDS National Train the Trainer
Conference in Baltimore on April 13-15, and will
then be FAHSA's presenter for this training.
She will provide participants with the latest
information, straight from CMS. Next week, a
copy of the brochure and online registration
will be available on the FAHSA web site.
Join Us for Upcoming Training Opportunities --
Plan to join us for the following educational
opportunities:
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March 30 - MDS 3.0 &
RUGS IV Primer Webinar
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May 4 & 5 -- MDS Intensive 2-Day
Training, Orlando
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April 28 -- OSHA Update Webinar
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General News |
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Provisions Relevant to
Aging Services Technologies in the Health Care Reform
Bill (H.R. 3590) -- As Signed into Law on March
23, 2010 - Highlights of the bill relevant to aging
services are listed below. H.R. 3590 is designed to
extend health insurance coverage to 32 million currently
uninsured Americans, provide subsidies to help
individuals purchase health insurance, prevent insurance
companies from discriminating against individuals with
pre-existing conditions, strengthen the Medicare
program, and provide billions of dollars of funding for
public health and prevention when it is implemented
fully.
Click here to view the online version of the
bill. To read some of the bill language and more
information related to each of the items listed below,
please
click here.
- Certified EHR
Grant Program for Long-term Care Facilities
-- The Act contains a $67.5 million grant program
for long-term care facilities over four years
beginning in FY 2011. The grants are to be used to
offset costs related to purchasing, leasing,
developing, and implementing certified EHR
technology and may be used for any computer
infrastructure including hardware and software,
upgrading current systems, and staff training. LTC
facilities that receive grants are required to
participate in state-level health information
exchange activities where available. The HHS
Secretary is required to adopt electronic standards
for the exchange of clinical data by long-term care
facilities, including, where available, standards
for messaging and nomenclature.
- Demonstration
Project for Use of HIT in Nursing Homes --
The Act authorizes an unspecified amount of funding
to conduct a demonstration project to develop best
practices in skilled nursing facilities and nursing
facilities for the use of information technology to
improve resident care. One or more competitive
grants are to be implemented by March 2011 for not
more than three years.
- Medicare Part D
Plans -- Requires the Secretary, in
consultation with stakeholders (including
representatives of nursing facilities) to develop
specifications for Medicare Part D prescription drug
plans ("PDPs") to reduce pharmacy waste in LTC
facilities using uniform techniques that will be
determined in the analysis process
- New Models of
Care Utilizing Technology -- The ''Community
Living Assistance Services and Supports Act''
(CLASS) Act is a primary AAHSA priority in the
Health Care Reform Bill. The CLASS Act will enable
a new model of funding for long-term services and
supports, including the use of aging services
technologies to meet care needs.
New Foundation Funding
Opportunity -- This November, the Brookdale
Foundation Group will be awarding up to 40 seed grants
for the development of dementia respite programs or
specialized programs for people with early memory loss.
The grants are $7,500 for the first year with an
opportunity for a second tier grant of $3,000. Deadline
to apply is July 1, 2010.
Eligibility: Any nonprofit service agency wishing to
develop a social model day program for Alzheimer's
families. For more details on this grant,
click here.
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HCBS News
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Proposed Home Health
Agency Rules Require Photo ID - Because of
rampant fraud, proposed home health agency rule
revisions would require employees to wear an
identification badge that includes their name and
photograph. The rule is expected to take effect before
summer. For a summary of other proposed changes, please
read the
power point presentation by Bernard Hudson, Manager,
Long-Term Care Unit Bureau of LTC Servicesposted on the
FAHSA website.
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Housing News |
Multifamily Weatherization Assistance -- The
Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance
Program (WAP) implemented a new rule 71-CFR-3847 for its
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). Under the new
rule, if a public housing, assisted multi-family or Low
Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) building is identified
by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) and included on a list published by DOE, that
building meets certain income eligibility and may meet
other WAP requirements without the need for further
evaluation or verification.
Eligibility requirements for multifamily buildings:
1. No less than 66% of the building's households must
have incomes at 200% of poverty or less;
2. Residents must not be subject to rent increases for a
reasonable period of time after weatherization work has
been completed; and
3. No undue or excessive enhancement to the unit can
occur.
4. Benefits of weatherization must accrue directly to
the tenants.
DOE has clarified that states may consider benefits
other than reduced utility costs, including the
preservation of affordable housing, when demonstrating
that weatherization benefits accrue to tenants. If
states follow this guidance it will help ensure that
low-income families who do not directly pay utilities
have an opportunity to participate in the program. For
additional information, click on the web sites below:
Mark Your Calendar and Plan to Attend the Upcoming FHEO
Training in Miami -- Madlean Tookes, FHEO Officer
in the Miami HUD Office, will be conducting training at
Stanley Axlrod Towers, 1809 Brickell Avenue in Miami on
April 13th. She will cover preparation of a new or
revised Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan. Carol
Steffen from the Miami HUD office has been helpful in
arranging this presentation and several staff from the
Miami HUD MF office will also attend. Watch your email
for registration information.
Other Housing News:
- Legislative Workshop Presentations
- North Tampa Housing Publishes Spring
Newsletter
- HUD's EIV Rule Webcast Postponed
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Legislative News |
Week Four of Legislative
Session -- This was a very exciting and
productive week in Tallahassee. With five weeks left of
session, 75 FAHSA members traveled to Tallahassee to
tell their stories and advocate for the right public
policies for the right reason - to enhance the lives of
seniors. The results were exhilarating. While traveling
the halls of the Capitol, members accomplished a lot.
They spoke with dozens of legislators, many of whom
committed to push for more funding for long-term care
programs and the preservation of affordable senior
housing. Others offered to help with amendments to make
bills that we are concerned about more palatable.
Members beamed as they shared their experiences and
talked about the worm welcome they received by
legislators and their staff.
If you took photographs during your visits with
lawmakers, please make sure to e-mail a copy to the
legislators with a thank you note. Better yet, include
the photos in your newsletter with a short article about
the meetings you had and the importance of citizen
advocacy before and during the legislative session. Send
a copy of the newsletter to the legislators and extend
an invitation for them to visit your organization during
the summer.
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Nursing Home News |
CMS to be Restructured --
To improve the
value and service that CMS provides, the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has
modified its structure to align similar
functions under a common executive leadership,
allow CMS to establish a Center for Program
Integrity, and to strengthen its focus on
beneficiary services and strategic planning.
The new structure includes the following, which
all report to the Administrator of CMS: (1)
Center for Medicare, (2) Center for Medicaid,
CHIP and Survey & Certification, (3) Center for
Strategic Planning, (4) Center for Program
Integrity, and (5) Office of External Affairs
and Beneficiary Services. In addition, the
current role of the Chief Operating Officer
(COO) has been formalized and remains
responsible for operations, information systems,
contracts, finance, E-health standards and
services, and the Consortia. The COO continues
to report to the Administrator of CMS.
Given the
complexity and importance of CMS' programs, this
realignment of existing functions positions CMS
to consistently excel in serving our
beneficiaries and strategically positions CMS
for the future. Additionally, this effort
ensures common core functions are under common
executive leadership and share a consistent
vision. Read more about CMS' new structure by
clicking here.
Top 10 NH & ALF
Citations and Other Regulatory Updates --
If you missed the 2010 FAHSA Legislative
Workshop, please be sure to download a copy of
the excellent power point presentations done by
the AHCA staff. They include information on
background screening requirements, most
frequently cited deficiencies, GPRA scores for
nursing homes and other useful information.
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Preferred Business Associates News |
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 FAHSA's
Preferred Business Associates Program (PBAs)
-- A list of PBAs can be found by on the
FAHSA Web site
www.fahsa.org and
selecting Preferred Business Associates from the
left side menu bar or clicking on the FAHSA
Preferred Business Associates Page hyperlink. FAHSA
members can also use the on-line directory to search
for PBAs by specialty.
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Career Center |
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Welcome to the Florida Association of Homes
and Services for the Aging Career Center!
Your destination for exciting Aging Services job
opportunities and the best resource for qualified
candidates in the Florida Aging Services Industry.
Searching for a job in Aging Services?
Looking to fill a position? This job board is custom
tailored for the Aging Services industry, which
means we attract the most qualified professionals in
Florida.
Create an Employer Account,
search resumes and post your Aging Services job now!
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Copyright 2010 -- Publication of the Florida
Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
(FAHSA).
- FAHSA Chair: Terri Cunliffe
- FAHSA President/CEO: Janegale Boyd
- Managing Editor: Gail Matillo, MPA, COS
Copyright Information: Copies of the articles and
other information in this publication may be
noncommercially reproduced for the purpose of
educational or scientific advancement. Otherwise, no
part of this publication may be reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any means, mechanical or
electronic, including photocopying, microfilm and
recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without the written permission of
the editor.
Correspondence: Should be addressed to: Editor, 1812
Riggins Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. For telephone
inquiries, call (850) 671-3700. Or E-mail FAHSA at
info@fahsa.org. © 2010 FAHSA. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this
correspondence is not intended as a substitute for
legal advice. Please discuss any information
gathered from this or any other FAHSA publications
with your legal counsel in the context of your
particular situation before implementing any new
policies or procedures.
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