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News Archives

December 2021 Archives

Below is a list of all of the articles published in the selected month, ordered from most recent to least.

Federal Government Starts Distributing Phase Four Provider Relief Funds (PRF)

On December 16, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

This week the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) began distributing the $17 billion in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 funding to a broad range of health care providers, including care centers, assisted living, and adult day providers who experienced revenue loss and increased expenses associated with the pandemic.

Read more »

Skilled Nursing Providers: Take Action Before the Senate Passes the Build Back Better Act!

On December 16, 2021 by Matt Steele

The Build Back Better Act (BBB) currently being debated in the Senate requires nursing homes to have a registered nurse on staff 24 hours a day.

Read more »

April 6 Deadline for HCBS and LALD Grant Applications

On December 16, 2021 by Jenna Kellerman

The latest Request for Proposal for the Home and Community Based (HCBS) Scholarship Grant will be released on Dec. 20. Applications are due on Jan. 31, 2022. This grant is offered through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Office of Rural Health and Primary Care. You can find the HCBS Scholarship Grant details on the MDH website.

Read more »

Changing LALD/ALDIR for Assisted Living Licensed Facility

On December 16, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

With assisted living licensees several months into the new licensing structure, several directors have transitioned from one position to another. When a director leaves an assisted living setting or the setting gets a new director, they must notify the Board of Executives for Long-term Services and Supports (BELTSS).

Read more »

DHS Puts Out Guidance on Care Center Staff Bonuses

On December 16, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

$50 million in American Rescue Plan funding will be sent to care centers soon to provide retention and recruitment bonuses for employees. Although the initial announcement indicated the money would arrive in December, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) plans to send the funding out on the Jan. 4 remittance advice due to red tape within the agency. Each care center will receive $10.97 times their number of Medicaid resident days on the 2020 cost report.

Read more »

Rapid Evaluation Team Implementation Collaborative Begins Jan. 25

On December 16, 2021 by Julie Apold

Over the next six months, three critical hours of your time can positively impact resident safety and your organizational culture. A new opportunity is available to participate in a learning collaborative designed to provide the support you need to build and strengthen your processes for responding to urgent and emergent situations.

Read more »

Court Green Lights CMS Vaccination Mandate in 26 States, Next Steps Unclear

On December 16, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

Following an order yesterday by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the CMS staff vaccination mandate is no longer subject to an injunction in Minnesota and 25 other states. CMS has not yet issued a statement in response to this development.

Read more »

National Guard Deployment to Nursing Homes Begins This Week

On December 9, 2021 by Kari Everson

Starting this week, Minnesota National Guard teams arrived in selected nursing homes to fill staffing needs. On Nov. 22, 2021, Gov. Tim Walz announced an emergency relief package for nursing homes that included a plan to deploy 400 national guard soldiers in small teams to nursing homes that have crisis staffing needs. Starting this week, teams arrived in selected nursing homes to fill staffing needs.

Read more »

2022 Institute & Expo – Education and Updates on the Issues Most Important to You

On December 9, 2021 by Heidi Simpson

Attend the 2022 Institute & Expo in February for timely education and updates on the issues that matter most.

This year’s Institute is a blended conference model – three days of in-person education, expo, and events Feb. 9-11 in St. Paul, and three days of virtual education Feb. 22-24. Over 100 education sessions have been carefully selected and developed to address top-of-mind issues and opportunities. Here is a sampling:

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Leadership Academy Fellows Conclude 2021 Program Year

On December 9, 2021 by Barbara Landeen

The newest cohort of emerging leaders have completed their coursework and will graduate from the 2021 Leadership Academy at the Institute & Expo in February.

Read more »

Update: CEO Search Process Proceeds

On December 9, 2021 by LeadingAge

A special message from Erin Hilligan, Chair of the LeadingAge Minnesota CEO Search Committee

LeadingAge Minnesota's CEO Search Committee has been hard at work participating in a very thoughtful search process to select the next CEO. The committee has begun conducting candidate interviews, and committee members have been impressed with the interest level and caliber of candidates.

Read more »

Safe Care Resource Available to Address Effective I’m Okay and Resident Safety Checks

On December 9, 2021 by Julie Apold

LeadingAge Minnesota has developed a new Safe Care for Seniors resource to help you ensure safe and consistent I’m Okay and Resident Safety Checks.

Read more »

MDH Engineering Provides Survey Checklist for Assisted Living

On December 9, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) shared a checklist to help guide assisted living providers in self-auditing compliance with physical environment requirements. The checklist covers the details from 144G that surveyors are looking for in the areas of:

Read more »

Forecasted Record-Level State Surplus Represents Opportunity for Investment

On December 9, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget released an updated state budget forecast projecting a $7.7 billion surplus of revenue over expenses in its general fund. The surplus shows that the state is weathering the pandemic well and allows lawmakers to make permanent investments in professional caregivers.

Read more »

Review Music and Activity Guidance for Safe and Happy Holiday Celebrations

On December 9, 2021 by Kari Everson

The holidays are upon us, and several members asked questions about musicians in our settings. MDH published recommendations for music activities and performances during COVID-19 on May 28. The document is not healthcare specific, but it is the document that MDH references when asked about musicians in our settings.

Read more »

Litigation Update: Status of Lawsuits Challenging Federal Vaccination Mandates

On December 9, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

Aging services providers across the country are closely following the status of the federal staff vaccination mandates as legal challenges work their way through the courts. 

Read more »

1000+ New CNAs: State Launches New Pipeline Initiative to Help Alleviate Workforce Concerns

On December 9, 2021 by Jenna Kellerman

This week, Gov. Tim Walz announced a new initiative to recruit, train, and deploy at least 1,000 new certified nursing assistants for Minnesota long-term care facilities experiencing staffing shortages by the end of January. LeadingAge Minnesota and our Long-Term Care Imperative played a critical role in advocating for this initiative.

Read more »

Elderly Waiver Rates Increasing on Jan. 1

On December 9, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

Thanks to actions taken by the legislature earlier this year and the availability of federal funds targeted to home and community-based services, Elderly Waiver (EW) rates will be increasing this year for the first time in several years. The Long-Term Care Imperative has been advocating for a reform plan for many years that would tie those rates to the actual cost of providing care, which is especially important now as providers face workforce shortages and increasing costs to attract and retain caregivers.

Read more »

2022 Institute & Expo – Momentum! Registration Opens This Friday!

On December 2, 2021 by Heidi Simpson

Momentum is the force that propels us forward and fuels growth. That is the theme and promise of the 2022 Institute & Expo in February. Our annual conference offers a blended event model for the first time – three days of live education, exhibits, and special events in Saint Paul and three additional days of virtual education programming. 

Read more »

Dec. 10 Webinar – Submitting a Moratorium Exceptions Application

On December 2, 2021 by Heidi Simpson

Care centers may apply for a moratorium exception project for approval by the Minnesota Department of Health. A webinar on Dec. 10 provides information and guidance to submit a successful application.

Read more »

A Message from Board Chair Erin Hilligan

On December 2, 2021 by LeadingAge

A special message from Erin Hilligan, Chair of the LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors

I am writing to share some news that you may already have heard, which impacts my continued service as the Chair of the LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors. An exciting new career opportunity emerged several weeks ago, and I have accepted a new leadership position with WesleyLife in Iowa. I will take up my new responsibilities there at the beginning of 2022.

Read more »

Free Grantwriting 101 Webinar

On December 2, 2021 by Terri Foley

LeadingAge MN Foundation and Trellis are offering a free introductory course on writing a successful grant proposal. Choose from two different dates below. Both will be held via Zoom:

Read more »

CMS 5-Star Report Webinar Recording Now Available

On December 2, 2021 by Julie Apold

The Nov. 18 webinar, Understanding the CMS 5-Star Analysis Report to Guide Quality Improvement featuring Susan Chenail, RN, CCM, RAC-CT, Senior Quality Improvement Analyst from LeadingAge New York, is now available to view.

Read more »

Department of Labor Issues Rule Increasing Minimum Hourly Wage for Federal Contractors

On December 2, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

On Nov. 24, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) published a final rule increasing the minimum hourly wage for federal contractors to $15 beginning Jan. 30, 2022. This document finalizes regulations to implement an Executive Order signed by President Biden in April and moves the hourly minimum up from its current level of $10.95.

Read more »

Housing Support Program (GRH) Clarifies Meals Policy Relative to AL Statute

On December 2, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

In a recently released memo, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) clarified the Housing Support Program’s requirement to provide three meals a day in relation to the new assisted living contract limitation found in 144G.41, Subd. 1(13)(i)(C), which stipulates that “the facility cannot require a resident to include and pay for meals in their contract.”

Read more »

Assisted Living Surveys and Resources

On December 2, 2021 by Bobbie Guidry

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has recently started posting assisted living survey findings on its website.

The site allows searches by facility, county, city. To see all completed assisted living surveys to date, set the date range for Aug. 1, 2021 to today's date and search "all."

Read more »

ICYMI: Nationwide Injunction on CMS Mandate

On December 2, 2021 by Kari Thurlow

On Tuesday of this week, a federal judge in Louisiana has granted a nationwide preliminary injunction against the COVID-19 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) vaccine mandate following a lawsuit filed by Montana and 13 other states.

Read more »

Free Webinar—COVID-19 Burnout Prevention

On December 2, 2021 by Terri Foley

As we brace for a new COVID-19 variant and your teams are exhausted from staffing challenges, learn ways to reduce burnout risk in your organization. Register for a 30-minute workshop with Dr. Alyson Van Ahn from the Associated Clinic of Psychology.

Read more »

CMS Issues Blanket Waiver for Nursing Home Food and Nutrition Services Director

On December 2, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

CMS has updated its COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers list to address requirements for a nursing home's Director of Food and Nutrition Services.

Read more »

American Rescue Plan Funds to be Sent to Care Centers to Fund Bonuses

On December 2, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is developing plans to distribute the $50 million in American Rescue Plan funds to care centers after an announcement from Gov. Walz last week. This funding is to provide recruitment and retention bonuses to staff when staffing shortages are having a significant impact on care centers statewide. The Long-Term Care Imperative is pleased that the Administration has heard our workforce concerns and is taking steps to address that problem.

Read more »

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