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District of Columbia Update

DOH: Health Notice for Health Care Providers - Updates and Reminders on Zika Virus Disease Summary
The District of Columbia (DC) Department of Health (DOH) has posted several important health notices, related to Zika virus disease (ZVD) (http://doh.dc.gov/page/health-notices). DOH requests that health care providers continue to collect travel history information when evaluating patients and to report suspected cases of ZVD and other travel-associated illnesses to DOH.

• There have been 14 cases of laboratory confirmed Zika virus infection in DC, all of which have been travel-related. To date in DC, ZVD has not been spread by local mosquitoes or via blood transfusion. Local transmission has now been confirmed in Florida (Miami-Dade County).
• The complete health notice can be viewed on our website using the following link: http://doh.dc.gov/page/health-notices

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Federal Update

New Repairs Standard for REAC Inspection Processes
HUD REAC released a notice on their website in early July entitled "Industry Standard Repair”, which indicates a new standard that details all repairs made to properties must be "made in a good and workmanlike manner with materials that are suitable for the purpose and free from defects”. This new standard outlines a series of specific items and deficiencies that will be determined to be "good and workmanlike”.

This new standard adds the following standards to all items in the inspection item list:

• Ensure that all components, as repaired, perform its intended purpose and function; and
• That all repairs are finished in manner reasonably compatible in design and quality with the original and adjoining decorative materials

CMS News
The recent uptick in initiatives and announcements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has prompted LeadingAge DC to look for ways to provide timely summary information. We are working on a “Radar Screen” for nursing homes that will, in a clear format, highlight key dates and have brief summaries of initiatives with links to more information and will be updated regularly. We will include other federal initiatives and District of Columbia information on the radar screen.  In the meantime, we have summarized CMS updates in this CMS Update Document.

Oscar Reports for the Second Quarter 2016 Now Available
LeadingAge Survey and Certification Reports, now part of LeadingAge Insights, for quarter two, 2016, are available for download by clicking here. The quarterly reports include two additional tables: i) Table 15: Average Number of Citations at G or Higher by State and Class of Ownership; and ii) Table 16: Percentage-based Measures of Quality by State and Class of Ownership.

Your individualized Survey and Certification reports, a one-page summary statement of your specific data on staffing levels, inspection results, and other statistics compared to that of your state, region, and the country, have also been posted and are accessible to members via My.LeadingAge / LeadingAge Insights, using your respective provider numbers.

PBJ and 671 Payroll Report
In response to a member question about still being asked for the 671 payroll report even though the Payroll-Based Journal system has been implemented, we learned from Evvie Munley with LeadingAge that providers are going to both be using the Payroll-Based Journal and providing surveyors with the 671 payroll report for a period of time. PBJ Submissions now are for the first quarter, with an actual deadline of 11/14/16 – so there is no PBJ data to compile/assess yet. CMS doesn’t have a target date for the complete transition yet, but this will likely continue at least through this year and maybe into some of next. CMS said they will provide advance notice when the system turns over completely to PBJ.

HHS OCR Guidance on MDS Section Q
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights recently issued guidance for nursing homes on how to better "…comply with their civil rights obligations by administering the Minimum Data Set appropriately so that residents receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs…” The guidance is found here.

MDS Update: Gearing up for Section GG Charting
As facilities get ready for the new Minimum Data Set section GG, which captures a resident’s functional abilities and goals, they must examine how to change their charting workflows and systems to meet the new supportive documentation requirements. An excellent summary can be found by clicking here.

Senate Passes Housing Streamlining Bill; President Will Sign
The Senate passed the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HR3700/S 3083) before it adjourned for summer recess! This is a significant victory for housing advocates. For housing providers it means many of the remaining reforms we’ve been talking about for so long have been accomplished: simplifying deductions for the elderly and people with disabilities, reducing the frequency of interim income reviews, basing rent on a tenant’s actual income in the previous year, and more.

The legislation will streamline tenant income determinations and rent setting, and vastly improve the ability to project-base vouchers, among other benefits. LeadingAge covers the history and major components of this legislation here.
 

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Resources

PBJ Resources
LeadingAge DC hosted a webinar in April on PBJ with Gold Partner, The Asbury Group IT and Business Member, Reinsel Kuntz Lesher.  The slides from the webinar, FAQ sheet, and contact information are posted on our website.

EHR Resource
The LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) has updated its electronic health record (EHR) portfolio with a new CAST 7-stage EHR Adoption Model, as well as a new interactive online guide and a new case study. These free tools, designed to help long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) provider organizations understand, plan for, identify and select the EHR system that best fit their needs, include a white paper and a product selection matrix among other items.

The Roles and Responsibilities of Not-for-Profit Boards
This Education Spotlight provides LeadingAge members information and resources on how board members can effectively fulfill their ethical, legal and fiduciary responsibilities.  Read more...

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Education and Networking

Talk and Reception with Francis Njuakom, CDVTA

• August 11th from 10am -12pm
• Join us on August 11th from 10am -11am est for a very special presentation from IAHSA Member, Francis Njuakom, Director of Community Development Volunteers for Technical Assistance (CDVTA). Francis will be traveling from Cameroon to visit the LeadingAge office and share with us the story and work of his organization.The presentation will be followed by a Welcome Reception for Francis from 11-12pm (light fare and libations provided). 
• LeadingAge Members Only
• Click here to register

LeadingAge DC Annual Meeting

 

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