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April 8, 2010 |
Vol 17, Issue 18 |
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Welcome to this week's edition of the FAHSA Link!
AAHSA Publishes New
Summary for Employers from Health Care Reform
Legislation -- Yesterday, AAHSA posted a
document that provides the main provisions affecting
employers on their
Healthcare Reform HUB
website. The document is entitled, "Health Care
Reform: Patient Protection Affordable Care Act with
provisions and changes from the House Reconciliation
Bill - Employer Provisions".
The new publication lists the main provisions of the
Act that directly affects employers, including the
following:
- Shared responsibility for employers;
- Employer requirement to inform employees of
coverage options;
- Protections for employees;
- Small business tax credit: for employee
health insurance expenses of tax-exempt small
employers;
- Exchange-eligible employers; and
- Other provisions.
AAHSA has created "the HUB," a webpage designed to
be a "one stop shop" for information about the
health care reform debate and what you can learn
about the new legislation. AAHSA will continue to
add new information and reports on health care
reform to this website as the information becomes
available. Please refer to the website often to
receive updates and additional information.
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FAHSA Welcomes New Staff
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 FAHSA
would like to welcome its newest staff member, Kathy
Keiffer, CMP, who joins FAHSA as the new Executive
Assistant, replacing Carole Hart, who retired
earlier this year after 21 years of service. Kathy
is moving back to her home town of Tallahassee from
Jacksonville, Florida where she was employed for two
years by Visit Jacksonville. Previously, she was
employed by the Institute for Intergovernmental
Research for seven years. She has a bachelor's
degree in sociology from Florida State University.
Welcome Kathy!
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CCRC News
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CCRCs - The Consumer
Perspective -- The below information appeared in
a recent AAHSA publication. The position paper
byARAMARK Senior Living Services is worth reading. It
discusses the CCRC market and the preferences of current
and future generations of residents. It is a very
interesting read that may be useful to marketing staff
and your board.
AAHSA's
The Continuing Care Retirement Community: A Guidebook
for Consumers explains everything about CCRCs for
consumers and features tips and tools that consumers can
use to discover if a CCRC is right for them. AAHSA
Premier Sponsor, ARAMARK Senior Living Services, has
published a
position paper, "What Seniors Think about CCRCs:
What's Most Important to Your Residents and Prospective
Residents."
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District/Membership News
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( L to R ) Presidents of River Garden Entities - Janis
Fleet, Ron Elinoff, Stacie Wilf, Barbara Safer (River
Garden Auxiliary), not pictured Don Romo.
Rain Did Not Dampen
River Garden's 64th Anniversary Day Celebration
-- March 21st was a rainy Sunday, but that didn't stop
more than 300 people from attending River Garden's 64th
Annual Meeting and Anniversary Day celebration.
Unwavering community support and pride has helped make
River Garden Hebrew Home/Wolfson Health and Aging Center
the outstanding eldercare community resource it has
become. In addition, outstanding lay leadership has
nurtured River Garden into becoming an Agency for Health
Care Administration (AHCA) 5-star rated nursing home
well as a four-time recipient of the State of Florida's
Governor's Gold Seal Award for Excellence in Long-Term
Care.
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Education News
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Nominate Your
Colleagues for a Prestigious 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. Nominate someone for a 2010 FAHSA
Award. 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 Tuesday,
May 4 and Wednesday, May 5. SAVE THE DATE! This
workshop is targeted for MDS Coordinators as
well as those 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 April 13-15, and will
then be FAHSA's presenter for the training. She
will provide participants with the latest
information, straight from CMS. To read the
brochure and register online,
CLICK HERE.
Join Us for Upcoming Training
Opportunities --
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April 28
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OSHA's Radar
Screen: Are You on It? Webinar
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May 4 & 5 -- MDS Intensive 2-Day
Training, Regal Sun Resort, Orlando
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General News |
Obstacles
Seniors Face in Accessing Dental Care May Grow
-- In an article published by Charles Hoffman,
DDS, Florida Dental Association, a survey of
seniors' access to dental care presented by the
International Association of Dental Research has
uncovered an alarming reality - 89 percent of
seniors surveyed indicated they did not have
dental insurance. Another 52 percent of seniors
reported financial need as their biggest barrier
to receiving dental care. These barriers, which
all too often keep seniors out of the dental
chair, are likely to increase if insurance
companies continue their unfair practices of
price fixing, which may ultimately shift the
cost burden to the uninsured. Read the entire
article by
clicking here.
FDA Issues the Following Safety Announcements:
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High-Dose
Zocor and Increased Risk of Muscle Injury
-- Based on review of data from a large
clinical trial and other sources, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is
informing the public about an increased risk
of muscle injury in patients taking the
highest approved dose of the
cholesterol-lowering medication, Zocor (simvastatin)
80 mg, compared to patients taking lower
doses of simvastatin and possibly other
drugs in the "statin" class.
Ongoing Safety Review of High-dose Zocor (simvastatin)
and Increased Risk of Muscle Injury.
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Whole Foods
Market Voluntarily Recalls Frozen Whole
Catch Yellow Fin Tuna Steaks Due to Possible
Health Risks -- Whole Foods Market
announced the recall of its Whole Catch
Yellow Fin Tuna Steaks (frozen) with a best
buy date of Dec 5th, 2010, because of
possible elevated levels of histamine that
may result in symptoms that generally appear
within minutes to an hour after eating the
affected fish. No other Whole Foods Market,
Whole Catch, 365 or 365 Organic products are
affected.
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FDA Approves
New Formulation for OxyContin -- The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration today
approved a new formulation of the
controlled-release drug OxyContin that has
been designed to help discourage misuse and
abuse of the medication.
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Home and Community-based Services News
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CMS Approves the Accreditation Commission for Health
Care (ACHC) to Deem Hospice -- The Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a Survey and
Certification Letter announcing approval of ACHC to deem
hospice for participation in the Medicare and Medicaid
Programs. CMS' approval of ACHC provides hospices with
an accreditation option additional to the Joint
Commission (JCAHO) and the Community Health
Accreditation Program. Read the Letter by
clicking here:
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Housing News |
Plan to Attend the
Complimentary Two-Hour Fair Housing and AFHMP Training
-- It's not too late to sign up and attend the free
Fair Housing Training to be held on Tuesday, April
13, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Stanley
Axlrod Towers, 1809 Brickell Avenue in Miami. Madlean
Tookes, Fair Housing Equal Opportunity (FHEO)
Officer, Miami HUD Office, will be conducting an
Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan (AFHMP).
FAHSA would like to thank Carol Steffen from the
Miami HUD office and Randy Holmes from Douglas
Gardens for planning and coordinating this meeting.
In addition, several HUD staff from the Miami office
will be in attendance. To RSVP, please send an
email to Randy Holmes at: RHolmes@mjhha.org or by
calling 954-704-3464.
Other Housing News:
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Good News for NSP: Redefining "Foreclosed" and
"Abandoned"
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Compassion Capital Fund - National Resource
Center Announces Nonprofit Capacity Building
Program
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EIV Final Rule Webcast on April 14, 2010 --
Questions Requested
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Batch Income and Verification Reports will be
Temporarily Unavailable
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Be a Part of a Very Special Neighborhood
Networks Week!
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HUD Audits NSP in Broward County
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Sadowski Coalition Applauds Members of the
Senate Committee on Finance & Tax
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HAP Contract Section 8 Tenant Based Assistance
Form Posted
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HUD Issues Final Delegated Processing Procedures
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Legislative News |
House Unveils
Plan to Revamp Medicaid -- With only
three weeks left of the 2010 Legislative
Session, the House Select Policy Council on
Strategic & Economic Planning unveiled two
lengthy proposed bills that would transform the
Medicaid program. The Senate does not have a
similar plan. If the Senate and Governor Crist
accept the House proposal and the bills become
law, all but a handful of minor Medicaid
services will be administered by managed care
organizations (MCOs) and provider service
networks (PSNs) by 2015. The proposed
legislation would require hospitals and
physicians to participate in all approved
network plans for their respective region of the
state. Representatives of the Florida Hospital
Association, the Florida Medical Association and
a group representing teaching and children's
hospitals spoke in opposition to the mandate
stating that it would compromise their ability
to negotiate contracts, including reimbursement
rates and prior authorization requirements. To
read more, please
click here or read this week's
Legislative Update.
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Nursing Home News |
Federal Funding
Awarded to Florida Regional Extension Centers--
The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA)
congratulates the four Florida regional
extension centers that have been awarded $33
million in federal funding to promote health
information exchange: University of Central
Florida, Orlando; Community Health Centers
Alliance, Inc., St. Petersburg; Health Choice
Network, Miami; and the University of South
Florida, Tampa. This funding will allow the
regional extension centers to serve as local
resources for technical assistance and guidance
and provide best practices for health care
providers as they begin using electronic health
records.
AHCA has been hosting various public
meetings and workshops and is collaborating
with multiple stakeholders to further
develop health information exchange in
Florida as a part of the Health Information
Exchange Cooperative Agreement with the
federal Office of the National Coordinator
for Health Information Technology.
For more information on the federal funding
awarded to Florida's regional extension
centers, please
click here.
Advancing
Excellence Campaign Releases Nursing Home
Checklist for Consumers
-- A checklist released by the Advancing
Excellence in America's Nursing Homes
campaign last week contains 10 questions
families or patients can ask and steps they
can take to make sure their nursing home
stay is of the highest quality possible.
Questions cover different aspects of
staffing issues, quality of care at a
facility, and measures of resident
satisfaction.
Other
Nursing Home News:
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) Public Website Address Change
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Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Inpatient
Prospective Payment System (PPS)
Personal Computer (PC) Pricer Updated
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New Data Format for Medicare National
Correct Coding Initiative Edit Files
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Medicare Learning Network
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AHCA Requests ESS Compliance
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New Name for Medicaid Fiscal Agent
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The Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act (PPACA)
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Timely Filing Requirements for Medicare
Fee-For-Service Claims
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Preferred Business Associates News |
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 Short-lived
Financing Options Can Make Capital Projects Feasible
in a Tough Economy-- It could be said that if
the credit markets were not so risk-averse right
now, it would be an incredible time to issue debt
for expansions, renovations, acquisitions or
refinances. Construction costs remain low, and the
10-year treasury rate, an indicator of base interest
rates with no risk pricing built in, has been
hovering under 4 percent - compared with 6 percent
in the late 1990s and 9 percent in the 1980s.
It appears that a "typical borrower" cannot take
advantage of these low-cost opportunities to
modernize a property, extend service lines or expand
a facility because many financing options fell off
the table as bond insurers and banks retreated in
2008 and 2009. Credit remains tight, and it seems
that only the strongest borrowers can issue debt
without enhancement or subsidy at a reasonable cost.
But, several credit enhancement and financing
options created or modified in the past two years
have helped ensure key community resources could
continue evolving despite the temporarily tough
economy. Some allow borrowers to capitalize on
local relationships; others allow them to rely on
federal credit enhancement or subsidies in ways that
weren't possible before. Some work brilliantly for
small projects that perhaps would not see any
interest from a larger bank; others are being used
for huge new facilities.
And, some will expire after 2010, before many
realize they exist. By looking both locally and
federally for financing, providers may find more
options available to them in 2010 than they did in
2008 or will in 2011.
To Read More
Reprinted with permission from Lancaster Pollard's
'The Capital Issue'.
 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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