News

Mental Health Resources for You, Your Team, and Community

On June 1, 2023 by Anna Mowry

As Mental Health Awareness Month ends, don’t forget the mental health resources and tools you and your teams can revisit throughout the year.

Fourth Attempt to Pass the Nurse Aide Knowledge Test Becomes a Standard in Minnesota

On April 27, 2023 by Anna Mowry

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has announced that the temporary fourth testing attempt to pass the nurse aide knowledge test is now a standard in Minnesota.

OnTrack Pass Rates Continue to Exceed the State Average

On April 20, 2023 by Anna Mowry

Statewide nurse aide test pass rates are rising, but OnTrack nursing assistant students continue to exceed these averages.

Upcoming Trained Medication Aides Trainings available through Minnesota State

On April 20, 2023 by Anna Mowry

Minnesota State is rolling out new spring and summer offerings for their Trained Medication Aide (TMA) training, including customized training options to help meet your organization’s workforce needs.

2023 Leadership Academy Fellows Selected

On April 6, 2023 by Barbara Landeen

Fellows for LeadingAge Minnesota’s 2023 Leadership Academy have been selected.

59 leaders will comprise the largest cohort in this program’s history. They represent a wide diversity of professions, service settings, geographic regions, and organizational profiles within our membership. View the 2023 class of fellows.

Need to Certify Temporary Nurse Aides? OnTrack Can Help

On March 16, 2023 by Anna Mowry

Temporary nurse aides who worked under the 1135 CMS waiver have until Aug. 5 to be placed on the Nursing Assistant Registry. OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training is here to help providers with this transition process.

Disability Waiver Rate Webinars Available From DHS

On March 16, 2023 by Bobbie Guidry

The Department of Human Services (DHS) will hold quarterly webinars for anyone interested in the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS). This webinar series will replace and expand the work formerly done by the DWRS Advisory Committee. The webinars will be held on the State TrainLink platform. Instructions to register for the webinars are on the DHS website.

Required Training for Provider Enrollment and Revalidation

On January 26, 2023 by Bobbie Guidry

Providers enrolled or seeking enrollment with the State Department of Human Services (DHS) as home and community-based service providers, including waiver-paid customized living or adult day services, must include evidence of two specific trainings.

OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training: A Year in Review

On December 22, 2022 by Anna Mowry

This year, OnTrack had its best year yet, training over 1,800 nursing assistants in member settings around the state.

Free Virtual Reality Headsets for Nurse Aide Training Programs

On November 10, 2022 by Anna Mowry

New software is being developed to create virtual reality (VR) nurse aide skill simulations that align with the Headmaster skills test. Nurse aide training programs and instructors can volunteer to test the VR software to help provide feedback during the final product development stages.

Funding Available for Dementia Care Training By Lori Meyer on Sept. 1, 2022

On September 1, 2022 by Lori Meyer

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has several openings for Minnesota Medicaid-Certified Nursing Facilities interested in participating in an online Dementia Care staff training program.

OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training Now Updated with Tips for Testing with Headmaster

On June 16, 2022 by Anna Mowry

In honor of CNA week, we are excited to announce that OnTrack recently released the most up-to-date nursing assistant training curriculum to align with new Headmaster state testing!

Older Adult Mental Health Video Training Series Available

On May 19, 2022 by Bobbie Guidry

Mental and behavioral health are increasing challenges for many residents of our settings. Tools to equip staff to serve individuals with these challenges and be knowledgeable in de-escalation techniques are valuable. You can better understand older adult mental illness and learn new skills with this free, three-episode video training series funded by a grant from the Stratis Health Building Healthier Communities Program.

Nursing Assistant Test Sites Weekly Update

On May 5, 2022 by Anna Mowry

With the 1135 waiver ending on June 6, members will have until Oct. 6 to place Nursing Assistants on the state registry. Minnesota State and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) communicate weekly updates to LeadingAge Minnesota regarding nursing assistant test sites as they open and increase their capacity.

2022 Leadership Academy Fellows Selected

On April 28, 2022 by Barbara Landeen

Fellows for LeadingAge Minnesota’s 2022 Leadership Academy have been selected.

This year, 56 leaders will comprise the largest cohort in this program's history. They represent the diversity of the profession, service settings, geographic regions, and organizational profiles within our membership.

Free Sign-up Now Open for Minnesota Geriatrics ECHO

On April 27, 2022 by Kari Everson

Free sign-up for Minnesota Geriatrics ECHO is now open to LeadingAge Minnesota members.

Funding Available for Senior Living Culinary Manager Course at Saint Paul College through the Pipeline Dual Training Grant

On April 7, 2022 by Anna Mowry

The Pipeline Dual Training Grant is accepting applications until April 12 for employers interested in leveraging the Minnesota Office of Higher Education’s Pipeline dual training model of pairing on-the-job training with related instruction. Applicants can train workers for one of more than 75 eligible occupations of the Minnesota Dual-Training Pipeline, including Senior Living Culinary Managers.

Pipeline Dual Training Grant Applications Due April 12

On April 7, 2022 by Anna Mowry

The Pipeline Dual Training Grant Applications will be accepted through April 12 for up to $150,000 in grants to help employers build dual-training programs. The Pipeline Dual Training Grant, managed by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, is available for employers in four select industries—including health care services—interested in leveraging Dual-Training Pipeline's model of pairing on-the-job training with related instruction to generate a comprehensive platform for learning.

NHSN to Offer Webinar for Nursing Homes on Vaccination Data Tracking Worksheets

On March 24, 2022 by Jonathan Lips

The NHSN Vaccination Team is providing two webinars on Tuesday, March 29, and Thursday, March 31, at 1 pm to review new “Event-Level COVID-19 Vaccination Forms.”  These are currently called the Data Tracking Worksheets that are available to facilities in an Excel spreadsheet format. This worksheet has now been built into the NHSN application for long-term care facilities to manage person-level vaccination data.

Upcoming Changes to Reporting Negative Antigen Results

On March 24, 2022 by Kari Everson

The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updated the reporting requirements for COVID-19 point of care (POC) tests. The update to section 18115 of the Cares Act changes the facility’s reporting requirements for negative point of care (POC) test results.