LEADINGAGE KANSAS

Did You Miss our Weekly Webinar Today? Testing Was the Hot Topic.
You can listen to a recording of the call here. You can download the handout to register for the Fall Virtual Conference, Social Hour and get important links to state and federal topics.

Here is the link to register and we look forward to seeing you all next week.

Foundation Scholarships Decided This Week and an Easy Way to Support the Program
We had nearly 30 applicants for our 2020 Foundation Scholarship Program recently. The Foundation Board met this week to review the applications and select the recipients. They will be notified in the coming week so stay tuned. We will officially announce the winners in a few weeks.

You can help us raise money for the Scholarship program in an easy way thanks to the Amazon Smiles program. When you make a purchase online or now through the app on your phone, you can designate the “LeadingAge Kansas Foundation” to receive a small percentage. Every purchase you make can help fund a scholarship for a deserving individual – or perhaps you someday.

TESTING

Saliva Testing for COVID-19
In Kansas, saliva-based PCR testing is an option for COVID-19. The tests are approximately equivalent in pricing to the nasopharyngeal swab tests, but less invasive.

A LeadingAge Kansas multi-site system has entered into an arrangement with CytoCheck, a lab based in Kansas to process saliva based-COVID 19 PCR tests. They have been very satisfied with customer service and turnaround time on tests.    

If a large enough group of LeadingAge Kansas members agree to enter into an arrangement with CytoCheck, they might be able to collectively lower the price of each test.  One key element to determine the ultimate cost of the test is transportation of test kits from the facility to the lab.  Regional groups of members could make arrangements to join together to establish transportation arrangements and lower costs.   

Please reply to this survey if you are interested in being a part of a member group to collectively approach CytoCheck on saliva tests for COVID-19.

No Machine Yet?
If you have not received a testing machine from the feds yet, it it critical that you contact the KDHE CLIA program at kdhe.clia2@ks.gov to make sure they have you on file as having a CLIA waiver. Make sure to include all the names that your facility may be known as, because the waiver may not be registered under your DBA.

Nursing Home Care Providers – Important to Get Your Comments to CMS No Later Than Nov. 2
Send your comments on the new CMS rule, that includes the new testing mandate, to CMS no later than 4PM Central Time on November 2, 2020.  Volume of comments and specificity within comments will be important to demonstrate to CMS the serious concerns among nursing home care providers.

How to submit comments:

  1. Electronically to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the “Submit a comment” instructions.
  2. By regular mail to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3401-IFC, P.O. Box 8016, Baltimore, MD 21244-8016.  (Please allow sufficient time for snail-mailed comments to be received before the close of the comment period, 4 PM Central time, November 2, 2020. With federal mail screening this could take several weeks.)
  3. By express or overnight mail to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3401-IFC, Mail Stop C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.

Tips for writing your comments:
Your comments should not only include your general reasons for opposition, but it is also VERY IMPORTANT to include individualized impacts such as:

  • Number of staff and residents
  • If staff have actually quit because of the testing rule (number, percentage, your vacancy rate, reasons they say they quit)
  • Cost in terms of labor and supplies – Number of labor hours it takes to complete one round of testing, how many rounds you are being required to perform right now, where you are getting the staff to do testing (ex. are you having to shift them from other duties), dollars associated with labor (make sure to include staff wait time before they begin their assigned shift), hard costs in dollars for supplies
  • Whether the CARES Act Provider Relief funds you have received will cover the cost of this new requirement (or how much of the cost will NOT be covered by the CARES Act provider Relief Funds you have received.)
  • Questions you have that are not clearly addressed in the rule or guidance at QSO-20-38

Please cc your comments to Dana and Jeyigor@leadingage.org  

FEDERAL

STATE

KDHE’s Long Term Care Webinar Recording and Slides Now Available
For those who were unable to attend the September 3rd webinar with KDHE to review long term care requirements and questions surrounding COVID-19, the webinar recording is available here.  KDHE has also provided the webinar slides as well as a Q and A document.

Kansas State of Emergency Extended to October 15th
After a very tense, 3-hour meeting, the State Finance Council voted to extend the current state of emergency order to October 15th. The Governor will sign a new Executive Order which extends previous EOs set to expire on Sept 15th through Jan 26th as long as the Disaster Declaration is in place. That means temporary aides and other similar waivers will remain in place for long-term care providers.

Nursing Home COVID-19 Relief Funds to be Released: Sign and Return attestation now.
Before KDADS sends nursing homes their extra Cares Act allocation that was approved by SPARK and the State Finance Council providers will need to download this Coronavirus Relief Fund Attestation, sign and return it no later than Sept. 30  (if you wish to accept your allocation.) See Your organization’s allocation at Federal Coronavirus Relief Fund Allocation.  Here is what KDADS shared about how the allocations were calculated.

Creating Regional Cooperative Partnership-Based Plans for COVID-19 Care
Here is the link to the September 3rd webinar on the Regional Covid-19 Post-Acute Care Planning Project (31 minutes long).  Here are the brief and informative handouts.

LEADINGAGE NATIONAL UPDATE

Scenario Planning Toolbox
This new Spotlight in the LeadingAge Knowledge Center explores the future need for and delivery of aging services in the context of expectable, challenging and visionary futures. The Scenario Planning Toolbox includes a detailed video presentation describing the four scenarios that will impact aging services. It also includes a downloadable discussion guide to get your board and senior leadership team talking about how these scenarios will impact your plans for the future, as well as supplemental resources to help you hold your own scenario workshop. The Toolbox is free to members!

Other updates from National

RESOURCES

Wellness Resource Now Available
Do your leaders need some practical tips on how to support their staff’s well-being during this crisis? Check out this one-pager from LeadingAge National for ideas you can implement today. View the Mental Wellbeing Resources Page for more tools/resources on the topic.

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Nicole Schings
Nicole Schings is the Director of Member Services and Business Development. She oversees the Partnership/Sponsorship program, recruitment and retention of the association’s provider and associate members as well as coordinating all aspects of online education. Nicole graduated from Washburn University and is a Platinum Geocacher. Her favorite thing about working at the association is to bring new partners in to help us better serve members. Along with her geocaching hobby, Nicole enjoys spending time with her dog, Blu. Her favorite part of working at LeadingAge Kansas is that the people are cool and she enjoys getting to know the members and helping them solve problems. You can reach Nicole directly at 785.670.8048.

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