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Fifty-one LeadingAge Minnesota members have been named to the Safe Care for Seniors Action Honor Roll. The Action Honor Roll recognizes aging services providers who have made the Safe Care for Seniors pledge and demonstrated action and outcomes in prevention, safety, respect, learning and improvement, and collaboration.  

A new collaboration of businesses, governments, non-profits and community groups across the state have formed We Count. Minnesota to support a fair and accurate 2020 Census. Why do we need to count every person in Minnesota?   

We hear it from lawmakers all the time: what matters most to them as they weigh issues and make decisions at the State Capitol is their constituents. That’s why your voice matters! It’s time to be heard. Join us at our Day at the Capitol on March 19 to show lawmakers that we are committed partners in our shared goal to assure access to safe, quality care for older Minnesotans in the communities they call home.  

Leadership Academy celebrated its 10th Anniversary and 300th graduate when 38 fellows were recognized during last week’s Institute & Expo.

Amanda Gruber, a Household Coordinator at Three Links Northfield, has been named the Caregiver of the Year by LeadingAge Minnesota. The award was presented to Amanda during last week’s Institute & Expo by Governor Tim Walz. 

Yesterday marked the first day of Minnesota’s 2020 legislative session and we are ready to advocate for you, maximizing our time at the State Capitol advocating for several public policy solutions this session that will benefit the seniors you serve and their caregivers.  

When it comes to quality, you can’t afford to wait. Simply addressing and attempting improvement opportunities as individual initiatives is not enough. Join us in March for two opportunities to start your comprehensive journey that will align your existing work and resources to help you achieve Performance Excellence in Aging Services. 

Volunteers of America in Minnesota is one of 18 aging services providers who received new grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) to support affordable housing for older adults. 

LeadingAge Minnesota last week recognized 12 aging services providers for their achievements in quality, continuous improvement and performance excellence. Awards of Merit for Performance Excellence in Aging Services were provided to eight members and four members were recognized with the advanced Award of Honor. The providers are:  

What’s the Economic Benefit of Workforce Investments? A new LeadingAge study will attempt to answer this question by exploring how increased compensation for direct care workers could favorably impact the national economy, the field of long-term services and supports and individual direct care workers.  

President Donald Trump this week released A Budget for America’s Future, which includes $4 trillion in mandatory and discretionary budget cuts in FY 2021 that would result in significant reductions to federal health care spending, including Medicare and Medicaid and other entitlement programs.  

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a state Medicaid director's letter on Jan. 30 outlining how states can apply for Medicaid block grant waivers. We oppose Medicaid block grants and similar initiatives that would limit Medicaid funding, including per capita caps. 

As concerns arise with the emerging 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) threat, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is encouraging all healthcare settings to carefully review information provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

Save the Date: The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will host a statewide Nursing Home Regulatory call on March 9 from 11 a.m. to Noon. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Infection Control Assessment and Response Program (ICAR) issued a notice on Jan. 31 to alert care centers that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released interim guidance on the implementation of Enhanced Barrier Precautions (EBP) in July 2019. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has published a new report related to the development of the Minnesota assisted living report card. Once complete, the report card will measure and report on the quality of assisted living settings across Minnesota.  

Governor Tim Walz joined the LeadingAge Minnesota Institute & Expo last week to present the Caregiver of the Year Award, express his appreciation for professional caregivers and share his vision for an Age-Friendly Minnesota.  

Better Together means creating a better aging experience with the people we serve. LeadingAge Minnesota President & CEO Gayle Kvenvold will host The View from Here: Perspectives on Life and Aging, a conversation with three consumers of our member communities, during the Friday, Feb. 7 General Session at next week’s Institute & Expo.  

Are your staff ready to drive quality and innovation from the front-line? Participate in our upcoming ICan webinar to learn how you can implement this highly successful program in your setting and have the chance to win $500 in our ICan contest.   

Doing ordinary things with extraordinary love is the mission of Saint Therese and you need not look further than a receptionist, volunteer and two nursing assistants from that community to see individuals who are living that mission and demonstrating their commitment to their Safe Care for Seniors pledge. Meet the latest recipients of our Make Zero Harm Possible awards:  

Superior Health is inviting Minnesota nursing homes to participate in a free quality improvement collaborative designed to enhance performance in nursing homes and reduce the burden associated with achieving that quality.    

Rahul Koranne, M.D., MBA, FACP, has been named president and CEO of the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA). Koranne has served as MHA’s senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer since 2015. 

The Trump Administration is working on three major changes in the area of affordable housing and pathways to citizenship that will weaken obligations to fair housing, lessen resources for affordable housing, and discourage older adults from receiving needed assistance. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the eight “compare” websites currently operating will be integrated into one streamlined user interface in spring 2020. The move is part of the its efforts to increase transparency and will create a one-stop-shop for Medicare beneficiaries exploring their provider options.  

A new brochure from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) will help consumers better understand Elderly Waiver (EW) services in assisted living, including eligibility and the application process. 

It takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work to make the Institute & Expo run as smoothly as possible. There’s one vital job that requires no previous experience, no public speaking, an opportunity to network with expert faculty, involves minimal training, no major time commitments and can be immensely rewarding – that of a concurrent session host. To be a host: 

Teamwork makes the dream work. At the Minnesota Veteran’s Home in Luverne, there is a team of dedicated safety and quality champions that are making a positive difference in the health and wellness of the veterans they serve. Meet the Buddies Forever Champions, our latest recipient of the Make Zero Harm Possible award in our Safe Care for Seniors program.  

To help our members achieve high excellence in clinical practice, survey compliance and quality outcomes, LeadingAge Minnesota is seeking a Director of Clinical Care & Nurse Consultant. 

In many areas of Minnesota, people don’t know where to turn when their aging loved ones need help. Even those of us who work in senior care are often at a loss when we are in that situation. In four rural Minnesota communities, an initiative called Silos to Circles Age Well is tackling these challenges through local coalitions of aging services professionals.

Post-acute care providers must demonstrate their value and outcomes in more care setting as payment models evolve in the coming years, according to a new report by Avalere Health.