72nd Annual Fall Convention & Expo Recap

On October 18, members, partners, and post-acute care professionals gathered for the 72^nd Annual Fall Convention & Expo at the beautiful Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake.
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NOVEMBER 6 DEADLINE: CMS Needs to Hear from YOU About Its Problematic Proposed Minimum Staffing Rule

WHCA/WiCAL is committed in our effort along with AHCA/NCAL and state affiliates around the country to educate CMS on why its recently proposed one-size-fits-all minimum staffing rule for nursing homes is unworkable.
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New WHCA Post-Survey Tool: Share Your NH Survey Experience

WHCA/WiCAL has launched a new member resource for nursing home providers: an Association-produced post-survey questionnaire.
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Now Available: Revised Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 Calendar Year 2022 RUGS-PDPM Hold Harmless Report

The state fiscal year (SFY) 2022 Nursing Home Methods of Implementation included a hold harmless provision in which facilities would be reimbursed for any rate reduction in excess of $2 per patient day. This resulted from the transition from Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs) to patient driven payment model (PDPM) acuity systems. This communication includes revisions to the quarter 1 (Q1) 2022 payments that were initially shared in November 2022, and new information for payments for Q2 2022.
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Bipartisan Congressional Coalition Sends Letter to HHS to Share Concerns with Minimum Staffing Rule Proposal

On October 20, a bipartisan coalition of 91 members of Congress sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, expressing their concerns with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed SNF minimum staffing rule for nursing homes.
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AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Intent to Apply applications due on November 16th

The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Awards Program is a progressive program that is based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. Open to all WHCA/WiCAL members, participants move from the Bronze level, to Silver, and then ultimately to the Gold.
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ICYMI: CMS Updates MDS Manual to Correct Errors

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted errata updates to the Minimum Data Set Resident Assessment Instrument (MDS-RAI) Manual, version 1.18.11 on the MDS 3.0 RAI Manual page effective October 1, 2023. Provider MDS nurses and staff responsible for completing the specific sections of the MDS or Care Area Assessment (CAA) requirements impacted by this errata update should review and implement it as soon as possible.
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ICYMI: Nursing Home Administrators and Financial Staff

Case mix index (CMI) resident rosters for the picture quarters ending March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022, September 30, 2022, and December 31, 2022, are now available on the ForwardHealth Portal.
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ICYMI: Salmonella Outbreak from Diced Onion Products Distributed in Long Term Care Settings

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have issued a food safety alert regarding a Salmonella outbreak linked to Gills Onions brand fresh diced onion products. These products have been distributed to long term care facilities.
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Updated WisCaregiver Careers Employer Guide and Webinar

WisCaregiver Careers CNA has recently released a new and improved Employer Guide.  Inside you will find updated reimbursement instructions and new policies designed to help participating nursing homes get reimbursed for a wider set of potential trainees. Learn more at their Employer Webinar: November 9, 2023, 10am-11am
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