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Accurate MDS practice is essential to quality care, regulatory compliance, and reimbursement success. LeadingAge Minnesota is offering two in-person MDS training opportunities designed to support both experienced professionals and those new to the MDS role.

HJ Sims is pleased to announce the hiring of Greg Ellingson as a Vice President on its not-for-profit senior living investment banking team. Based in Des Moines, Greg will support the firm's continued Midwest growth through business development and client engagement, reinforcing HJ Sims’ commitment to serving mission-driven organizations across the region.

Operators of Independent Senior Housing are invited to participate in the monthly IL Operators Professional Networking Group. Our IL Operators Professional Networking Group meets every 2^nd Tuesday. The next virtual meeting is on Tuesday, June 9^th at 10 a.m.

The 13th Annual LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation Golf Tournament on August 4 is officially sold out! Thank you to everyone who registered to help support the Foundation's scholarship program, which empowers aging services professionals to pursue education, build new skills, and advance their careers.

The 2026 LeadingAge Minnesota Leadership Academy officially launched in May with a two-day session focused on Authentic Leadership — setting the stage for a year of reflection, growth, and connection.

In a May 22 internal memo, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revealed that the agency is reassessing its guidance for reasonable accommodations requests for assistance animals.

CMS continues to test a risk-based survey process known as a “short survey” for select nursing homes that meet higher-quality indicators. The shorter survey approach is intended to focus survey resources while still protecting resident health and safety. The short survey still meets CMS requirements for the standard survey cycle.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released Fiscal Year 2026 (FY2026) rent and income limits. These limits are now available on Minnesota Housing’s Multifamily Rent and Income Limits webpage. Minnesota Housing uses the HUD published limits to compute income and rent limits for Multifamily loan programs.

Minnesota’s much-discussed “Grandparents’ Happy Hour” provision is now live, and it gives assisted living communities, nursing homes, and boarding care homes a clearer path to host resident-focused activities or events where alcohol may be served without obtaining a separate liquor license.

Did you miss our 2026 Legislative webinar? Not to worry! This webinar is now available in our resource library and in our store.

LeadingAge Minnesota is excited to announce that we will be getting a brand-new website this Fall, and the redevelopment work is already underway.

DHS’s Minnesota Revalidate 2026 has moved from policy headline to a day-to-day operational issue — and, for many providers, into a period of unresolved uncertainty. The May 31 deadline has passed for providers in 13 high-risk Medicaid service categories, but the public outcome remains incomplete.

Coming this August is an in-depth webinar series designed for nursing home professionals responsible for quality reporting and performance.

Several grant and funding opportunities are closing soon, with deadlines ranging from tomorrow through the end of June. Organizations interested in pursuing funding should review eligibility requirements and submit applications as soon as possible.

As reported by LeadingAge National, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced policy changes that could significantly affect employment-based green card processing and create additional workforce uncertainty for aging services providers relying on international workers.

DHS’s Office of the Medicaid Medical Director is asking Minnesota Health Care Programs providers to share their experiences related to heightened federal immigration enforcement activity that occurred between December 2025 and February 2026.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue is currently reviewing its Certificate of Rent Paid (CRP) guidance specific to health care facilities and is seeking provider input to help inform future guidance.

Minnesota providers are navigating enough right now without having to wonder whether a call about revalidation is legitimate. Unfortunately, the Minnesota Department of Human Services has issued a new warning that some providers are receiving suspicious phone calls from unauthorized individuals claiming to be connected to the revalidation process.

LeadingAge Minnesota’s June District Meetings begin next week, bringing members together across the state for timely conversations, peer connections and practical strategies to strengthen aging services in local communities.

The FY 2027 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) Proposed Rule is more than just another annual reimbursement update. While the headlines focus on a 2.4% payment increase, the deeper message from CMS is much more significant: the agency is preparing for tighter oversight, faster accountability, expanded reporting expectations, and increased scrutiny of MDS coding patterns across the skilled nursing industry.

Strong quality leadership is essential in today’s aging services environment, where quality measures, payment programs, and consumer expectations continue to evolve.

Earlier this week, Saint Therese today announced the three recipients of its Youth Volunteer Scholarships, which are awarded annually to recognize youth volunteers who enrich the lives of older adults.

Aging services rules, regulations and operational challenges are complex, but through membership with LeadingAge Minnesota, you don’t have to navigate them alone.

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is proud to celebrate national recognition for its “New Americans in Long-Term Care” recruitment and retention video series, which recently earned a Bronze Telly Award in the Non-Broadcast: Not-for-Profit category.

Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) are a key part of a long-term care facility’s emergency preparedness plan, helping ensure residents can be safely transferred or temporarily sheltered when a facility cannot maintain operations.

You have questions. Our experts have answers. Join us for the Meet the Experts: Summer Series, a free virtual series from LeadingAge Minnesota created to help aging services providers navigate complex rules, regulations, and day-to-day challenges.

Connect with our team, hear from experienced experts, and learn how we support providers across the field. Open to members and prospective members.

Upcoming sessions

• June 30: Kelly Conrad and Shelli Bakken - Register here
• July 28: Kari Everson and Mark Schulz - Register here
• August 25: Anna Mowry, Jeff Bostic, and Julie Apold - Register here

Time: 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Location: Virtual

Cost: FREE

Save the dates and register today!

Guardian Pharmacy of Minnesota, a member of Guardian Pharmacy Services, one of the nation’s leading long-term care (LTC) pharmacy services companies, recently announced the promotion of Jeff Kerr to pharmacy president of the Sauk Rapids pharmacy.

The City of Saint Paul has enacted multiple ordinances in the past year that provide protections to renters. Many of the new ordinances take effect on May 14, 2026. 

June District Meetings are just a few weeks away, and we look forward to connecting with members across Minnesota for meaningful conversations, timely updates, and valuable networking opportunities.

Accurate MDS practice is critical to aligning resident care, quality outcomes, and financial performance. To support providers in strengthening this work, LeadingAge Minnesota is offering two in-person MDS training opportunities tailored to different experience levels.