News

The OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training program has seen 100 nurses complete the Train the Trainer course! Those 100 RN Trainers are now supporting OnTrack Nursing Assistant programs all over the state. 

The 2018 LeadingAge Minnesota Nominating Committee is seeking nominations for candidates for the 2019 Board of Directors. Nominations are due by Friday, Aug. 10.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) held a statewide regulatory call for care centers on July 16 and provided updates on commonly-cited deficiencies and other topics. MDH recorded Monday’s call and will post the recording on its webpage within the next week, and it will remain archived there for 90 days. Here are notes from the call: 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week released a proposed rule on physician payment that would take effect for calendar year 2019. Included are several proposals for updating and changing those payment practices, but the changes of most significance to LeadingAge Minnesota members are the proposed expansion of coverage of telehealth services. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) issued a number of regulatory updates in the two weeks since we last published Advantage. Care centers will want to take note of these items: 

The New York Times recently published an article (‘It’s Almost Like a Ghost Town.’ Most Nursing Homes Overstated Staffing for Years. July 7, 2018) that calls into question staffing levels in nursing homes. The article cites data analyzed by Kaiser Health News that nursing homes submit to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) each quarter via the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system, as well as staffing data that facilities previously submitted annually using the CMS-671 form.   

OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training has been available for seven months and now has 55 organizations enrolled. Of those 55 organizations, 16 have been approved by the Minnesota Department of Health and 39 are in the application process.  

Are you looking for ways to boost your organization’s performance or 5-Star rating? Quality Apex is an affordable, secure, web-based analytics tool that translates your most current MDS 3.0 data into actionable information to improve quality and outcomes. 

The Long-Term Care Imperative's annual nursing facility financial indicators survey shows a continued a trend of improvement that started in 2016, largely due to the new Value-Based Reimbursement (VBR) system that began on Jan. 1, 2016. Despite the improvement, the data makes clear that providers continue to face significant financial challenges.   

The deadline for our annual salary survey has been extended to July 27. By taking time today to complete this important survey, you will receive two free reports that will help you judge the competitiveness of your compensation program in this dynamic job market. 

OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training has been available for six months and has enrolled 120 students to date. Based on student outcomes, OnTrack is providing quality training: State Exam results are trending 6 percent higher than the statewide average, with a 90 percent overall pass rate.

Falls are one of the top categories of substantiated OHFC reports in Home Care/Assisted Living settings in Minnesota. Members should be taking the necessary steps to prevent falls in their community. Our new Assisted Living Fall Prevention Learning & Improvement Collaborative will give you the tools you need to implement an effective falls prevention program and reduce costs for your organization.  

OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training has been available for nearly six months and has enrolled 106 students to date! Find out what everyone is raving about – call 651.425.1110 to schedule your OnTrack demo today. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) intends to issue guidance clarifying that existing care centers may store and use liquid oxygen in resident rooms without having to meet a fire-resistance enclosure rating. 

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that went into effect on Jan.1, 2018 affects nonprofits both operationally and in their fundraising strategies. 

As we reported a few weeks ago, care centers are currently being asked by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to select a QIIP goal by June 30 for the rate year beginning Jan.1, 2020. 

The new AgingServicesJobs.Org platform has launched! Want to trial the site by posting a job for free? The first 25 members to contact Jenna Kellerman will get a free promo code to post their next open position! 

It is estimated that up to 50 percent of individuals residing in assisted living experience one or more falls annually, and between 10 percent – 25 percent of these falls result in serious injuries requiring medical attention. In addition, falls is one of the top categories of substantiated OHFC reports in Home Care/Assisted Living settings in Minnesota. Implementing an effective falls prevention program in the assisted living setting has the potential to reduce falls, improve quality of life and reduce costs for your organization. 

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has extended to deadline to complete the Elderly Waiver (EW) provider cost survey to Monday, June 11. The survey is an important step toward establishing the need for rate reforms, and we strongly encourage all members to participate. 

Settings providing Customized Living services including Housing with Services, Assisted Living and Adult Foster Care, are not subject to Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) according to a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document issued last week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and verified by Argentum and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). DHS also clarified that those settings are not required to complete the recent survey sent by the department on the topic.