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July 1, 2010 |
Vol 17, Issue 29
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Welcome to this week's
edition of the FAHSA Link!
Happy 4th of
July! -- The FAHSA office will be closed
on Monday, July 5, 2010 in observance of the
July 4th holiday. If you need to reach someone
on staff, please call either Janegale Boyd,
(850) 294-3412 or Gail Matillo, (850) 294-3415.
Cast Your Vote
for AAHSA's New Name -- This week, FAHSA
members will receive a ballot in the mail from
AAHSA to cast their vote on a new name, ' LeadingAge'.
The FAHSA Board endorses the name change and
encourages FAHSA members to support the name
change and cast your vote. Only the member's
votes will count. So, in the words of the late
Paul Harvey, "for the rest of the story......."
please continue reading below.
Two years ago, AAHSA began a journey to research
a new name to represent what AAHSA members do
every day - Inspire, Serve and Advocate - for
those we serve. The journey included a
comprehensive branding study focused on the
history, and many decades and generations of
not-for-profit organizations who have been
leaders in caring for elders and expanding the
possibilities for people as they age. The
proposed new name brings that work to life.
We ask members to lend your voice to the AAHSA
journey. According to AAHSA's certificate of
incorporation and the New York Not-for-Profit
Corporation Law, association members must vote
to approve the new name. Each member
organization will receive one vote, which must
be cast by the organization's primary contact.
When you receive your ballot, please fill out
the reverse side or if you prefer,
click here to cast your vote. AAHSA must
receive your vote no later than 11:59 pm EST,
July 30, 2010, in order to be counted. To learn
more, watch this short video by
clicking here.
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FAHSA Update
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Dr. Erwin Bodo Begins New Journey at FAHSA --
On Tuesday evening, FAHSA hosted a reception for Dr.
Erwin Bodo, who is transitioning from COO to FAHSA's
Medicaid Reimbursement Consultant after eleven years
of service. The reception, attended by more than 35
colleagues, members and friends, featured short
presentations by Janegale Boyd, President/CEO;
Elliott Palevsky and Marty Goetz, River Garden
Hebrew Home Wolfson Health & Aging Center; Liz Dudek,
Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA); Cathy
Westberry, Florida Health Care Association (FHCA)
and Bonnie Sniffen, retired FAHSA staff. They
thanked Dr. Bodo for his many years of service,
friendship and for his expertise in Medicaid
reimbursement. He received many cards and
well-wishes. We congratulate Dr. Bodo and look
forward to working with him in his new role.
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Innovation Exchange
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FAHSA's Innovation
Exchange Corner Features "Pet Therapy" --
FAHSA's Innovation Exchange Program provides members
with an opportunity to share ideas and best
practices with others and to recognize their staff
for extraordinary performance. This month, FAHSA is
showcasing "Pet Therapy" submitted by Village on the
Green.
At Village on the Green, pets have always been
included in the activities program through birds,
aquariums, and dog visits from family members and
volunteers. In 2003, "Missy,"a two-year old golden
retriever was donated to the facility by a
resident. Missy is a therapy dog trained by East
Coast Assistance Dogs (ECAD) in Connecticut. ECAD
partners with Children's Village in Dobbs Ferry, New
York, a home/treatment center for underprivileged
children. As part of the therapy program, the
children train the dogs to become service dogs. Our
staff and some residents have been trained as
"handlers" to maintain her skills. She has a skills
evaluation every six months to determine if she
requires retraining in any areas.
While some of her unique skills are turning the
lights on and off, opening and closing cabinets, and
retrieving dropped items, Missy's number one job is
to provide affection to the residents. She snuggles
in bed with some residents who benefit from the
physical contact. Other residents enjoy the
opportunity to nurture her, by taking turns
brushing, grooming and walking her. In the afternoon
during "sun downing" she serves as a soothing
diversion to anxious and agitated residents by
wandering the facility visiting residents. Missy
also delivers the mail and often carries a basket of
treats for the residents.
To read more about "Pet Therapy," please go to the
FAHSA Innovation Exchange Web page.
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CCRC News
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Retirement Community Round Table Session Topics
Finalized --
Calling All Retirement Communities to Register for
the Session --With the help of FAHSA members,
we now have a long and very enticing list of topics
for the retirement community round table session
that is scheduled for July 28 from 3:00 p.m. - 5:00
p.m. This session is extremely popular and always
gets excellent reviews. In light of the marketing,
economic and regulatory challenges that retirement
communities are facing, the ability to discuss
challenges and opportunities with colleagues is more
important than ever. Please register for this
session as well as the Strategic Visioning Workshop
that is scheduled for July 25 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30
p.m. The featured speaker, Edith Gandy, is an
adjunct professor from the University of Florida.
She is a well known presenter on advanced leadership
techniques and skills. No matter how long you have
been in the field of senior housing or long-term
care you will benefit from Edie's insight and
suggestions. It is a proven fact that
organizational performance improves with good
leadership.
Chapter 651 Changes
Go Into Effect Today -- As noted in a
previous alert, the changes to chapter 651, F.S.,
which passed during the 2010 legislative session as
HB 1253 take effect today. To help members comply
with the new disclosure requirements, the alert
included a disclosure check list developed by FAHSA
staff as well as a link to the new law. For your
convenience, this information has been posted on the
FAHSA website on the Retirement Community page in
the Technical Brief for 6/22/10.
Click here to access it.
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Education News
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Order Your New
Two-Hour Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking
DVD Now -- FAHSA has developed a
NEW
Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking DVD
featuring Robin Thompson, M.A., J.D., an expert
in domestic and sexual violence law and policy
analysis, program evaluation, and facilitation.
Order your new DVD now, by downloading a
copy of the
order form. Either mail or fax the order
form to FAHSA, 1812 Riggins Road, Tallahassee,
FL 32308, fax: (850) 671-3790 with your check or
credit card information.
REGISTER
FOR WEBINAR ON NEW BACKGROUND SCREENING
REQUIREMENTS NOW! -- Don't forget
to sign up for FAHSA's upcoming webinar
on 2010 Background Screening
Requirements for Direct Care Staff,
featuring representatives from the
Agency for Health Care Administration
Staff and Florida Department of Law
Enforcement on Tuesday, July 13, 2010,
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT (2 contact
hours). Cost is $ 75.00 for members, $
110.00 for nonmembers. Many of you have
called with questions about the new
law. This is your opportunity to hear
from the regulatory agencies that will
be implementing it.
Join Us
for Upcoming Training Opportunities:
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General News |
New FAHSA
Technical Brief Outlines Changes to Chapter 399,
F.S. Related to Elevators --
FAHSA was
successful in adding an exemption to legislation
related to elevators in Chapter 399, F.S.,
during the 2010 legislative session. These and
other changes go into effect today. Please read
FAHSA's Technical Brief and download a copy of
the Bureau of Elevator Safety's new Industry
Bulletin by clicking on the
General Alert page below for more
information on the changes.
Hurricane Alex
Reminds Us to Prepare Now -- With
Hurricane Alex, the first hurricane of the
season, hitting land as a Category 2 hurricane
this week in south Texas, it has reminded us
that now is the time to prepare for hurricane
season. General and local emergency contact
information and a list of supplies have been
posted this week in the Housing, Home and
Community-Based Services and Nursing Home
Alerts. Please post the information on your
bulletin boards and pass it along to your
residents, so they too, will be prepared for
this year's hurricane season. FAHSA will keep
you informed of any new emergency information
during this hurricane season.
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HCBS News
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CY 2010 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH
PPS) PC Pricer Updates --
The CY 2010 Home
Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) PC Pricer
has been updated with revised logic required by the
Health Care Reform legislation. The PC Pricers are
on the web page at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PCPricer/05_HH.asp,
under the Downloads section. If you use the CY
2010 HHA PPS PC Pricers, please go to the page
above and download the latest versions of the PC
Pricers with the revised logic. Please note there
are now two CY 2010 PC Pricers. One is for claims
10/01/2009 to 03/31/2010 and another is for claims
04/01/2010 to 09/30/2010. Both were updated on
6/17/2010.
Other HCBS News:
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CMS Works to Address Concerns with PECOS
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CMS Hosted Open Door Forum on the Medicare
Shared Savings Program
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AHCA Memo Contains Helpful Information on
Hurricane Preparation & Contact Information
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Housing & Service Coordinator News
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Contact Congress to Support H.R. 4213 --
H.R. 4213 contains a
number of provisions that are critically important
to the aging services community. It prevents cuts to
state Medicaid programs for six months and includes
first-year capital resources for the National
Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) and for new project-based
Section 8 assistance to be used in conjunction with
the NHTF. Please
Contact Congress today and tell your legislators
to support this measure.
Program Offers Help to Some Without Health Insurance
-- In an
article appearing in the Miami Herald today, a
federal plan is going into effect to provide health
insurance to people who can't buy it from private
insurers because they have preexisting conditions
such as heart problems, cancer, diabetes, asthma and
other conditions. Critics fear the program will run
out of money before it runs out of people. Read
more by
clicking here.
Other Housing News:
- Expansion of Real Estate Assessment Center
Authority to Approve or Deny Requests to Defer
Partial Year Submissions of Annual Financial
Statements
- HUD Publishes Quarterly Regulatory Waiver
Requests
- 2010 Sustainable Communities Planning Grant
NOFA Published
- Challenge and TIGER Planning Grants NOFA
Issued
- Now is the Time to Prepare for Hurricane
Season
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Legislative News |
Six Billion Budget Deficit Predicted for
FY 2011-12: Medicaid Sure to Be Targeted for
Cuts --
Florida's budget woes are not over. State
economists are predicting that 2011-12 may be
worse than previous years because federal
stimulus dollars will no longer be available.
The legislators with whom we've been meeting
anticipate a deficit of $6 billion which could
increase dramatically when economic damage from
the oil spill is factored in. To add to the
uncertainty, the state's unemployment rate is
still high (slightly less than 12%), mortgage
defaults continue in record numbers, and the
housing market is stagnant.
Medicaid and
education consume most of Florida's budget.
Legislative leaders say they have no choice --
they must find a way to reduce Medicaid costs.
They acknowledge that Medicaid reform will bring
gradual change rather than the immediate cuts
that are needed. Optional services (those not
required be federal law) may have to go. In
addition, reimbursement cuts for all providers
are likely unless something drastic happens to
improve Florida's financial outlook.
Medicaid Providers Urged to Meet with
Legislators During the Summer --
These are
challenging economic times. We have been lucky
so far. The Florida Legislature has raided
trust funds and used reserves and stimulus
dollars to blunt Medicaid reimbursement cuts
over the part three years. It is highly
unlikely that they will be able to work their
magic again when the 2011 Legislature meets.
It is very
important for FAHSA members that are dependent
on Medicaid to meet with state legislators and
candidates for the legislature over the summer
months to explain why reimbursement cuts will
affect the quality of care, job availability,
and salaries and benefits for your employees.
You must tell your story. FAHSA cannot do it
for you. We can help you prepare for the
meetings by providing you with talking points
and information. Please set up meetings with
you legislators and candidates now while they
are more accessible. Call or e-mail
Mary Ellen Early if you have any questions
(386-738-0503; mearly@earthlink.net).
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Nursing Home News |
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FMAP Extension
Still Possible - Action Required -- Last
Friday, AAHSA informed us that congressional
leaders for the time being had pulled the tax
extenders bill that would have extended the
medical assistance percentage (FMAP) by six
months because no Republican would vote for it.
This week, the news is better. According to
McKnight's Daily LTC News, the provision will
remain a part of the bill while Senate Democrats
continue to negotiate a deal with Senate
Republicans. If you have not already done so,
please contact Florida's Republican Senator
George LeMieux and ask him to support the
extension of the FMAP that is in the modified
American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes bill (H.
R. 4213). Dial 1-888-340-6521 to be connected to
your senator. Follow the automated prompts to
request your senator's office. In addition, you
may try the following numbers if you cannot get
through on the aforementioned line: All Senate
offices can be reached toll-free by calling
877-210-5351 or 877-442-6801 or through the
Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Other Nursing Home News:
- AHCA Memo
Contains Helpful Information on Hurricane
Preparation & Contact Information
- Physician
Reimbursement Fix Resolves Nursing Home
Therapy Reimbursement Rates
- Special Focus
Facilities - June 24 Updated List
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The
President Signs the Preservation of Access
to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and
Pension Relief Act of 2010 -- 2.2 Percent
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Update for
June 1, 2010, Through November 30, 2010
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Region / Membership News |
The Mayflower
Featured on Florida Pioneer Network --
This month, The Florida Pioneer Network website
went live. And guess what? One of the featured
stories was about The Mayflower, a FAHSA member
continuing care community with a gold seal
nursing home. The article described the
wonderful care that one long time resident of
the Mayflower received while in the nursing home
for therapy. Check out the story by
clicking here.
New Region Chairs Elected in North and Central
Regions -- The FAHSA Board of Trustees
are pleased to announce the elections of Maureen
Gartland, Vice President/Administrator, St.
Catherine Laboure' Manor, Jacksonville, in the
North Region and Ansley Holt, Executive
Director, Village on the Green, Longwood, in the
Central Region. They will be installed on
Wednesday, July 28 during the Annual Business
and Membership Meeting in conjunction with
FAHSA's 47th Annual Convention and Exposition,
July 26-29, 2010 to be held at the Boca Raton
Resort. If you have not registered for the
convention yet, please
register before July 10 to receive the early
bird discount.
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Preferred Business Associates News |
 FAHSA's
Preferred Business Associates Program (PBAs)
-- A list of PBAs can be found by on
the FAHSA website
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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