news bites March 17 2017

Member Login

Elevating the Post-Acute and
Long Term Care Profession

News and Information exclusively for members of OHCA - please do not forward to non-members

March 17, 2017

Top Stories

Budget Hearings Continue in House
Pete Van Runkle
The House Health and Human Services Subcommittee heard testimony from dozens of witnesses from the general public on House Bill 49, the state budget bill. The public testimony will carry over into next week. After that, there will be a hiatus while Health and Human Services and the other subcommittees of the House Finance Committee formulate and report back their recommended amendments. OHCA Executive Director Pete Van Runkle testified to the subcommittee, focusing primarily on the $263 million proposed rate cut for skilled nursing facilities and the Kasich Administration’s plan to move long-term services and supports (LTSS) consumers in the state’s non-MyCare Ohio counties into a Medicaid managed care program, but also touching on several other concerns about provisions in the budget legislation. Subcommittee Chair Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario) and members Robert Sprague (R-Findlay) and Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) asked a number of generally supportive questions. Other LTSS-related organizations also presented testimony that in many cases included concerns about the managed care expansion.

AHCA Narrowly Clears Budget Committee Hurdle; AHCA Urges Member Action
Pete Van Runkle
By a thin margin of 19-17, the US House of Representatives Budget Committee passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the legislation to repeal and replace, partially, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This close vote may presage trouble for the legislation on the House floor or in the Senate. Opposition continues both from conservatives who feel the bill does not go far enough in tearing down the ACA and from moderates who feel it goes too far. Moderate concerns were stoked by a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report that the bill will result in 24 million Americans losing health-care coverage in the next 10 years. The CBO also scored the legislation as saving $337 billion in federal spending over that period, largely through Medicaid per-capita caps, eliminating the Medicaid expansion by Federal Fiscal Year 2020, and reducing assistance for people buying individual health-insurance policies. These same aspects of the legislation are the main points of contentions for the conservative and moderate critics, of course from different directions. The Budget Committee recommended four changes to the bill that could help draw additional votes, but the committee does not have jurisdiction actually to make the changes. That will be up to the Rules Committee, which will take up the legislation next. House Speaker Paul Ryan stated that changes will be made, although he did not name the amendments suggested by the Budget Committee. While the goal of passing the AHCA through both houses of Congress by April 7 theoretically remains, it is becoming less and less likely. The American Health Care Association reported the House Budget Committee action and urged members to keep up the drumbeat of opposition to the Medicaid cuts in the bill.

Convention Coupon Codes Emailed
Kathy Chapman
You may be aware that again this year the OHCA Board has authorized the issuance of complimentary registration coupons for all member facilities. Coupons were emailed directly to each member administrator several weeks ago. If your facility did not receive the email with your complimentary coupon code, please contact Susie Blair at sblair@ohca.org. Detailed information on the convention is available at www.ohca.org/convention. The coupons are a great benefit for being an Association member. We urge you to redeem coupons through online convention registration at www.ohca.org/convention. The Early Bird registration deadline is March 23; please register today!

Reimbursement

MedPAC and MACPAC Reports
Pete Van Runkle
BPeriodically, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) report to Congress on issues within their respective jurisdictions. These reports are purely advisory and typically do not generate Congressional action. Good thing, because once again MedPAC is recommending cuts to SNFs, this time by eliminating the market-basket update for two years. MedPAC also recommends implementing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ proposed new SNF reimbursement system (which AHCA opposes) in Federal Fiscal Year 2020. As always, MedPAC focuses exclusively on SNF Medicare margins and does not factor its statutorily required finding that overall margins are a miniscule 1.6% into its recommendations. On the MACPAC side, the report includes a listing of potential Medicaid savings measures but does not make recommendations on them. For more information, please see AHCA’s brief on the two reports.

NIC Report Shows Lower SNF Census
Pete Van Runkle
A report from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care (NIC), based on a data reported by a sample of 1,400 SNFs in 18 companies shows that occupancy nationally in the fourth quarter of 2016 fell more than 1.5% from the previous year, to 81.8%.Total census bounced between 84% and 86% from 2012, when NIC began compiling these data, to 2014. The data are not broken down by state. Other findings in the latest report include that skilled and quality mix both declined, although both are within the historical ranges for the past few years. Medicaid utilization grew to more than 66% nationally, a 1.26% jump. NIC determined that Medicaid rates grew on average by 1.8%, but Medicare managed care rates fell 9%, which actually is a smaller decline than from 2014 to 2015. NIC’s figures show that Medicare fee-for-service rates hovered between $504 and $517 per day from 2012 to 2016, but Medicare Advantage rates declined steadily from $476 to $422 over the period.

New 9401 Posted for Clearance
Diane Dietz
As anticipated, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) has posted a new ODM 09401 Facility Communication form for public comment. As reported in previous NewsBites, OHCA is hopeful this will be the final iteration of the 9401 since the form, and process for using it, changed following the August 1, 2016 launch of the Ohio Benefits eligibility system for the Aged Blind and Disabled (ABD) Medicaid population. Kim Donica, ODM Chief, Bureau of Long Term Care, communicated in her clearance memo the key changes to the ODM 9401. According to her memo, those include:

Removing excess facility information from Section II such as address and telephone number
Removing Level of Care (LOC) Exemption and LOC Validation fields
Removing additional data fields related to reporting changes to the CDJFS that could affect an individual’s Medicaid eligibility
Updating submission instructions to include directions for both Fee-For-Service and Managed Care individuals

Donica further noted that the information that has been removed from the ODM 9401 related to Medicaid eligibility will be incorporated into a new form (ODM 10203) that can be utilized by any Medicaid recipient or their authorized representative to report changes to the CDJFS. This new form is currently being developed and put through a separate clearance process, but a draft version has been included in the ODM clearance package for reference. To review the draft ODM 09401 Facility Communication form in clearance, please click here. Comments are due by Wednesday, March 22, 2017. OHCA will continue to await further information from ODM on when the pre-recorded training webinar on the use of the 9401 by nursing facilities will be posted to the ODM website.

Online Uploading of 2016 Year End Cost Reports
Debbie Jenkins
The Ohio Department of Medicaid has posted on its website a recorded webinar training for providers and accounting firms on the uploading of cost reports in the MITS portal. Included on the website is a .pdf version of the presentation. Earlier training covered the process for obtaining security access based on defined roles. This training covers the actual process to upload the cost report in MITS and the required attestation.

Our partners at HW&Co. attempted to upload a cost report in MITS and experienced an issue that we’d like you to be aware of. Apparently, once the cost report was uploaded under one provider number, the system sent a notification to all providers in which the user had access to this role and not just the provider under which the cost report was being submitted. ODM has been notified of this issue.

CMS Indicates Increase in SNF Denials; Tips for Improvement
Diane Dietz
According to the 2015 Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) Report, the denial rate for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) increased from 6.9% in 2014 to 11% in 2015 due to missing or incomplete certification/recertification information. The major reason for claims being denied is failure to obtain certification and recertification statements from physicians or NPPs. The routine admission order established by a physician is not a certification of the necessity for post hospital extended care services for purposes of the program. Specifically:

Statement must contain need for skilled services that can only be provided in SNF/swing-bed on a daily basis for a condition patient was treated for in prior hospital stay
Must include physician’s dated signature (printed name if signature is illegible)

In addition, recertifications should include:

Expected length of stay
Explanation if continued need for services is for a condition that arose after SNF admission
Any plans for home care

Some resources to assist providers in complying with proper documentation and billing requirements to help avoid these denials include the following:

MLN Guidance on Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT): Skilled Nursing Facility(SNF) Certifications and Recertification
SNF Billing Reference Fact Sheet
Medicare Fee-For-Service 2015 Improper Payments Report, page 18
Medicare Fee-For-Service 2014 Improper Payments Report, page 19

Medicare Provider Enrollment Revalidation – Cycle 2; Not to be Confused with Medicaid Revalidation
Diane Dietz
MLN SE 1605 on the Medicare revalidation process was updated to include a table to better illustrate the timeline providers can expect to experience through this revalidation process. Please note, that Medicare revalidation is completely separate from Medicaid revalidation and both processes need to be completed independent of each other. For more information on the Medicaid revalidation process including a helpful FAQ and the list of upcoming revalidations for 2017 and 2018, please click here.

Medicaid Once Again Accepting New Trading Partners
Diane Dietz
The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) had a hold on accepting new trading partners due to moving to a new HP platform. ODM is now accepting applications for new trading partners here. Questions can be directed to the EDI Support team at OhioMCD-EDI-Support@hpe.com

Regulatory

Plan of Correction – Disclaimer Statement
Mandy Smith
TAlthough Ohio has not experienced an issue with disclaimer statements on plans of correction to ODH and CMS, other regions have been told they were no longer able to have these disclaimers on the POCs. In response to a number of inquiries from the field regarding the effect of the inclusion of a “disclaimer statement” with a Plan of Correction to a Statement of Deficiency, the OIG reached out to CMS, Region IV for a clarification. The OIG is withdrawing its earlier Notice on this topic, issued February 28, 2017 by issuance of the following: “Office of Inspector General (OIG) Will Accept Disclaimer Statements on Plan of Corrections.” NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF THE OIG NOTICE, DATED FEBRUARY 28, 2017, REGARDING THE INCLUSION OF A DISCLAIMER STATEMENT IN A TENDERED PLAN OF CORRECTION. Effective immediately, plans of correction containing a disclaimer statement WILL BE ACCEPTABLE if the disclaimer does not obscure the deficiency citation or Plan of Correction (POC). However, the five criteria contained in Form 2567 will be fully applicable and no such disclaimer statement will impede the requirement to timely address the Statement of Deficiencies or Citation. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Inspector General extends its sincere thanks to Ms. Sandra Pace, CMS, Region IV for clarifying the effect of a disclaimer statement.

"Good Faith Estimate" Law On Hold Until After Budget
Debbie Jenkins
As reported previously, the last budget bill included a new section of code, 5162.80, http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/5162.80 that would have required certain providers, including skilled nursing centers and residential care facilities, to give, in writing, prior to delivery of products/services, good-faith estimates of the amount the provider will charge the patient's health plan, the amount the health plan will pay and the amount that the patient would be required to pay for the product/service. This law was targeted to be effective January 1, 2017. However, prior to the effective date, it was put under a court injunction. OHCA has learned that the court recently extended the injunction until August, apparently in an attempt to give the legislature time to review this provision during the budget process.

Trump Administration Releases FY 2018 Budget Blueprint
AHCA has issued an initial memo highlighting the Trump administration's budget blueprint, "America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again." https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/budget/fy2018/2018_blueprint.pdf This outlines the administration's budget priorities for fiscal year (FY) 2018 beginning October 1, 2017. The first budget of an administration is typically known as a "skinny budget." AHCA will publish additional analysis and positions once there is more detail regarding what the budget includes, which will be available when the various agencies present their budget briefs. For FY 2018, the budget blueprint calls for a $54 billion increase in defense spending, offset by reductions in other spending areas. AHCA notes that:

For the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), the budget blueprint is requesting $69 billion in discretionary budget authority, which is a decrease of $15.1 billion (17.9%) from FY 2017. The budget blueprint excludes certain mandatory spending changes (e.g. Medicare and Medicaid spending), but it does request additional funds to implement the 21st Century CURES Act. According to the blueprint, the Administration's highest priorities are community health centers, Ryan White HIV/AIDS providers, Indian Health services, early care and education, and medical products review and innovation. Specifically, the proposed budget blueprint would:
Increase spending by $70 million on the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control program to strengthen program integrity programs at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS);
Provide an additional $500 million to expand opioid abuse prevention and increase access to treatment and recovery;
Increase Food and Drug Administration medical product user fees from $1 billion in FY 2017 to $2 billion in FY 2018;
Reduce funding for the National Institutes of Health by $5.8 billion in FY 2018;
Reform public health, emergency preparedness, and prevention programs to reduce overlap and administrative costs;
Provide a new $500 million block grant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase state flexibility and focus on the leading public health challenge for each state; and
Eliminate $403 million in health professionals and nurse training programs.
The budget blueprint would affect other agencies, as well. This includes:
Reduced funding for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by $6.2 billion in FY 2018;
Increased funding for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by $4.4 billion in FY 2018;
Elimination of certain OSHA training grants at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL);
Reduced funding for some DOL job training grants; and
Decreased federal support for job training and employment service formula grants (DOL).
Typically, HHS and other agencies issue a "Budget in Brief" document shortly after the release of the President's budget, which outlines more specific policy proposals to bring spending levels in line with the President's top-line numbers. Given the delayed timeline of the release of budget documents this year, individual Cabinet departments may or may not issue this. If and when the Budgets in Brief are released, AHCA/NCAL staff will analyze their content and describe what potential impacts they may have on members.
Please note that while the President's budget blueprint establishes the administration's spending priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, it is ultimately the responsibility of the Congress to establish spending levels through the appropriations process. Congress could adopt, modify, or altogether disregard the President's budget blueprint. AHCA/NCAL will continue to monitor budget activities and keep members apprised of any new developments.

SNF Chain Hit With $347 Million Fraud Judgment; List Of RUG Upcoding Cases Grows
Steve Mould
OHCA Legal Counsel Rolf Goffman Martin Lang LLP http://www.rolflaw.com/ reports that a March 1, 2017 judgment from a Florida District Court added another SNF chain to the ever-growing list of facilities that have made massive payouts in response to False Claims Act (“FCA”) cases based on MDS and therapy practices. The theory of these cases often call into question practices that are standard across the long-term care industry, such as providing residents the highest level of therapy tolerated and setting company goals for RUG levels and productivity. Few nursing facilities are exempt from the risk of a similar verdict. This most recent case arose when the relator, a facility’s MDS coordinator, made allegations regarding the company’s therapy practices. The relator alleged that whenever the company accepted a new Medicare resident, the company’s practice was to provide the new resident with all three therapeutic services: speech, occupational and physical therapy, and thereafter, bill to Medicare at an “ultra" level (RU). After years of litigation, the jury sided with the relator on February 15th, finding damages of $115 million. The court then tripled these damages as required by the False Claims Act, and assessed statutory penalties of $5,500 for each of the 446 cited false claim submissions. For more details, please click here for the Rolf Blog.

Other News

Cleveland "Plain Dealer" Begins Series on Nursing Centers on Sunday
Pete Van Runkle
WThe Cleveland Plain Dealer is promoting a series of articles that is to begin on Sunday with the headline "A Critical Choice series begins: Tell us about your nursing home experience." The Plain Dealer contacted nursing facilities for input over the past month, and OHCA Executive Director Pete Van Runkle had several conversations with the reporter. The paper's promotion of the story is below, which will be available at http://cleveland.com/.

It's something that we don't want to think about: The day when we must place a loved one in a nursing home.
Beginning Sunday, The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com will explore the quality of care in Ohio nursing homes. We will look at the federal government's statistical measure for rating care facilities, the importance of staffing and the millions of dollars in fines levied against nursing homes.
We also will seek to guide consumers to the best ways to find a quality nursing home. It could be one of the most important decisions a family member makes.

Please watch OHCA Communications for additional information once the story is released.

Seema Verma Named CMS Administrator
Seema Verma has been confirmed as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Department of Health and Human Services, filling a critical top health care role in the Trump administration.. Verma is an American health policy consultant and the founder and CEO of SVC Inc., a health policy consulting firm specializing in Medicaid reform at the state level. . The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) President and CEO Mark Parkinson said that “we congratulate Ms. Verma and look forward to the opportunity to work with her and the team at CMS. Her experience and health care policy knowledge will serve the country well as we continue on the journey to provide quality care for millions of patients and residents.”

AHCA Issues Policy Papers
Steve Mould
In preparations for next week's Capitol Hill Fly-In, AHCA has issued a series of one-page briefing papers. Additional analysis and positions regarding the Trump Administration's budget will be issued once there is more detail regarding what the budget includes, which will be available when the various agencies present their budget briefs.

Protect and Preserve Medicaid Funding Lifeline for Long Term Services and Supports, asking Congress to support Medicaid providers and beneficiaries by opposing cuts to the program that will negatively impact local economies and people’s access to quality long term care.
A Response to House Republican Legislation to Repeal and Replace Obamacare, encouraging Congress to protect Medicaid access for seniors and people with disabilities and arguing against the Obamacare repeal and replace effort.
Guest Worker Bill Alleviates Workforce Shortage for Skilled Nursing Providers, Which states that this bill creates a guest worker program with a smart, market-based approach that will meet the care needs of our residents and patients.

Third Round of BWC Rebates on the Horizon
Diane Dietz
Private and public employers in Ohio could soon receive their third Bureau of Workers’ Compensation premium rebate since 2013. The proposed rebate, announced by Governor Kasich earlier this week, will go before the BWC Board of Directors on Friday, April 28, 2017. If approved, it will return $1.1 billion to both public and private employers. Ohio employers would receive a rebate that equates to two-thirds of the premiums they paid to Ohio BWC for the time period July 1, 2015 thru June 30, 2016. The Third Billion Back Fact Sheet http://www.ohca.org/docs/documents/5291/The_3rd_Billion_Back_3-13-17.pdf explains the details of the proposal including who is eligible and when the rebate will come to Ohio employers.

Fall Prevention Symposium Offered
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Partnership with the Older Adults Falls Prevention Coalition will present the Fall Prevention Symposium: Strategies to Address the Epidemic, https://www.eiseverywhere.com/file_uploads/4947c3f96b5d6cbc7e2143d45c3ea5db_FinalFallPreventionBrochure.pdf which will take place on Friday, April 7, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Columbus North, Columbus. Registration is $75, which includes lunch. Additional information and registration for the Symposium is available here.

Education Updates

TConvention Session Spotlight
Kathy Chapman
Judy Ryan, author, columnist, and owner of LifeWork Systems will present Creating Your Extraordinary Workplace during the Annual Convention on Thursday, May 4, 2017 from 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. This is an extraordinary opportunity during which Ryan will deliver custom and responsive information to you. In her presentation on workplace culture, she has offered to provide details and a roadmap for how to address your specific, most pressing challenges and areas of desired leadership support, including how issues you identify, are addressed in a cultural transformation process (strict confidentiality from the surveys is maintained). Data collected from Judy’s complimentary Exploration survey is used to inform the particular focus and direction of her presentation to meet what most matters to you. Please fill out the following survey no later than Friday, April 21. Your input will help determine the content for Judy’s presentation, and participants will also receive a free custom report. The link to the survey is here. Details are registration for the Convention are available here.

The Blueprint for MDS Success - A 9-part Webinar Series
Kathy Chapman
RUGS, MDS Focus Surveys, ADR requests, bundled payments, Quality Measures...changes are coming at us from every direction. This webinar series will provide participants with the tools necessary to master accuracy of MDS 3.0 coding, as well strategies for successful implementation of MDS systems. The courses have been designed to support each member of the Interdisciplinary Team, from those completing the assessment itself, to the direct care team at the heart of the residents? day to day care. For details and registration please go to www.efohca.org.

Medicare: The Ins and Outs of Skilling
Kathy Chapman
Did you know that the Skilled Nursing Chapter 8 was updated in October 2016? This presentation will highlight for you those changes. A must attend to keep up on these important changes, the program Includes updates from October 2016 particularly related to the interaction of managed care and traditional Medicare. The biggest challenge the SNF team faces is knowing when skilled coverage is proper and how to document all the efforts made by the SNF staff to assure timely reimbursement and future audit success. The program will review Medicare technical eligibility requirements, the Skilled Medicare criteria and the documentation requirements for skilled services. Definitions commonly used but often misunderstood will also be reviewed, such as spell of illness or benefit period. The specific components of the MDS 3.0 and RUG groupers that control Medicare reimbursement will be covered. This program is scheduled for March 21 in Independence and March 22 in Columbus. For details and registration please go to www.efohca.org.

Become a Certified INTERACT Champion (CIC)
Kathy Chapman
Limited to 25 people, Don't Delay, Register Today! As a leader, you play an integral role in ensuring the delivery of quality care and reducing avoidable re-hospitalizations. Becoming a CIC emphasizes your commitment to ongoing quality improvement within your organization. Advancing clinical leaders within your organization as a CIC will further promote your commitment to quality and care transition outcomes. This 2-day program is scheduled for March 21 - 22. For details and registration please go to www.efohca.org.

Manage HIPAA Compliance -- and Social Media Abuses, Too!
Kathy Chapman
The job of protecting patient privacy is hard enough, and long-term care facilities face especially high risks. So much so that state survey and credentialing teams are now under a federal mandate to enforce measures to protect nursing home residents from social media abuses. The crackdown came in response to multiple media reports exposing horrible examples of staff members taking embarrassing photos and videos of residents and then sharing them with friends. Lax enforcement of privacy requirements fuels the problem. To the contrary, a culture of ethical conduct can prevent infractions. Staff members must be fully aware that it?s their responsibility to protect patient information, and that loose chatter, social media postings and other inappropriate activity will result in real consequences, all the way up to job loss. This seminar offers a pathway for making high standards stick within your organization. Fines and penalties aside, protecting privacy is the right thing to do. This program is scheduled for March 23, 2017 at the OHCA offices in Lewis Center. For details and registration please go to www.efohca.org.

Capture Your Market Share: Strategies for Competing in your Hospital Referral Region
Kathy Chapman
IRecent research into the leading indicators of Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) revenue has revealed new insights into how to providers can successfully compete in even the most competitive environments. This session will blend empirical evidence with proven strategies for capturing your ?unfair? market share from the competition. Using data from various Hospital Referral Regions (HRRs) across Ohio that yield greater occupancy and a preferred payer mix, participants will leave knowing whether Five-Star data or post-acute outcomes (e.g., rehospitalization and length of stay) are driving referrals and what steps you need to take to gain a competitive edge. This webinar is scheduled for March 28, 2017, from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. For details and registration please go to www.efohca.org.

What Administrators Don't Know about the MDS Can Hurt Them . . .
Kathy Chapman
Successfully managing the MDS within your facility is key to proper documentation and improved revenues. Failure to understand and monitor the process can have a detrimental outcome, including inaccurate and incorrectly timed assessments. Topics for this program will include Regulatory Basis of the MDS 3.0; MDS 3.0 as part of ongoing QAPI; Reimbursement & Operational Considerations; Compliance/Effective Utilization; Case Management, CMS Initiatives; and Five Star Management & Success. This program is scheduled for March 30, 2017 at the OHCA offices in Lewis Center. 3 CEUs for NHA, Nurses are available. For details and registration please go to www.efohca.org.

OHCA Sponsors Ostomy Management, Diabetic Wound Management Courses
Kathy Chapman
In cooperation with the Wound Care Educational institute (WCEI), OHCA is sponsoring two courses with discounted educational fees for Association members.

The Ostomy Management Specialist Certification Course is a 5-day onsite course will take you through the anatomy and physiology of the systems involved in fecal/urinary diversions. The course includes hands-on workshops and online pre-course modules.

The Diabetic Wound Management Course is a 90-day online program taught by a Board Certified DWC Physician who is passionate about caring for diabetic patients. The program walks participants through the science of the disease process, focuses on limb salvage and prevention, and covers the unique needs of a diabetic patient. This course will advance participants' knowledge in the field of Diabetes which will help make a difference in the lives of Diabetic patients.

WCEI is an educational center of excellence supporting thousands of healthcare professionals in all care settings. Educational programs include comprehensive courses in skin and wound management, diabetic wound management and ostomy management. OHCA partners with WCEI to provide wound care education to long term care providers in Ohio.

Association News/Services

AHCA Free Emergency Preparedness Webinar for Members
On Thursday, April 27, from 2 – 3 p.m., AHCA, with guest speakers Ray Miller, Director of Risk and Safety Solutions from Direct Supply and Craig Camidge, Executive Director and Regional Coordinator from Near Southwest Preparedness Alliance (NSPA), will hold a webinar on the new emergency preparedness final rule impacting Skilled Nursing Facilities, Nursing Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. This final rule is not applicable to Assisted Living Providers. Providers will need to be in compliance by November 2017. The webinar will include an overview of the all-hazard risk assessment, how to address health and safety risks for your population and reasons to network with other providers. This is the second webinar in the four-part webinar series AHCA will hold this year on the emergency preparedness rule.

Gero Nurse Prep Sale
AHCA/NCAL Gero Nurse Prep is on sale through April 30 and each RN registrant can save $100 off his/her Gero Nurse Prep by entering promo code QUALITY17 (all caps) at checkout. That means RNs who are interested can become board certified for less than $1,000 ($590 sale price for AHCA/NCAL Gero Nurse Prep and a separate $395 to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center {ANCC} exam).

National Nursing Home Week Products Available
This year's National Nursing Home Week® theme "The Spirit of America" is all about your center's spirit and sense of community for residents, volunteers, and staff alike. Acts of kindness generosity and compassions from proud veterans, immigrants, and hardworking people of different faiths fill every center. Get all the t-shirts, posters, buttons, lapel pins, star-shaped stress relievers and balloons to help you celebrate this exciting week. Use the balloons and posters to decorate your halls and t-shirts, buttons and pins as giveaways and prizes for your games or events. Place your product orders early, these special items will sell out. Don't miss the opportunity to celebrate! Order products online or by phone, 800-321-0343. For planning resources and other information check out the official website.

Heroes Needed!
Steve Mould
Nominate your Hero of Long-Term care today! The OHCA/OCAL/OCID Heroes of Long-Term Care program honors individual long-term care employees for their service to residents, the facility, and to their community. Heroes are nominated from long-term care employees across the state. The program is also intended to provide good news opportunities for use in local and statewide markets. Program details and copies of the Heroes of Long-Term Care nomination form are available at Heroes of Long-Term Care.

Free Job Posting Available to Members
Steve Mould
Members may post openings in the "Job Opportunities" section of the OHCA/OCAL/OCID website for 30 days at no cost. To post an opening, go to the Long Term Care Careers page at www.ohca.org log in and post the job through your account. You will need to be logged into the site with your user name and password before you attempt to post a position. For additional information contact Stephen L. Mould, APR (smould@ohca.org), 614/540-1325.

OHCA News Bites
OHCA News Bites is distributed electronically each week (except for holidays and special occasions). Member representatives who would like to be added to or deleted from the distribution list should send an email to Stephen L. Mould, APR (smould@ohca.org), including the individual's name, company, and email address. Individuals will be added to the email listing for all of OHCA's electronic bulletins and publications.

Elevating the Post-Acute and Long Term Care Profession

With Support from OHCA Champion Partners

Elevating the Post-Acute and
Long Term Care Profession