On Thursday, July 28, Department of Health Services Interim Secretary Tom Engles announced that Family Care and IRIS Programs will expand the entirety of the state by the beginning of 2018. Famile Care and IRIS will extend to the remaining seven of Wisconsin's 72 counties; six counties - Adams, Florence, Forest, Oneida, Taylor, and Vilas - will have the programs implemented by the third quarter of 2017, and the final county, Dane, will top off the expansion by the first quarter of 2018.
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WHCA/WiCAL Executive Director John Vander Meer and Public Affairs Director Jim Stoa attended the meetings in Green Bay and Fond du Lac, in which members engaged in thoughtful discussion on many issues facing the long-term care provider community.
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WiCAL encourages and invites members to join the majority of our assisted living members and enroll in the WiCAL PEAL program - the DHS approved performance improvement program for assisted living providers! With our recent enhancements to the PEAL program, coupled with the upcoming WCCEAL enrollment period August 1-14, now is a perfect time for all members to enroll in our PEAL program.
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Wisconsin Health News hosted its “The Future of Healthcare” conference on Thursday, July 28 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison. The event included several panels featuring national and state health leaders. The themes of the day included the growing prevalence of partnerships, the intersection of healthcare and community population health, and the impact of data.
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In May, WHCA/WiCAL sent a standing invitation to legislators and their staff to tour a facility in their legislative district and gain a greater understanding of our member facilities’ ongoing efforts to offer the best skilled nursing care available. Most recently, State Senator Luther Olsen visited Wild Rose Manor in central Wisconsin to meet with staff and residents, observing and discussing facility needs.
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be implementing a new bundled payment model for certain cardiac episodes. CMS will launch the payment model in 98 metropolitan areas as an initial test, holding participating hospitals “accountable for the cost and quality of care provided to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries during the inpatient stay and for 90 days after discharge.”
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AHCA/NCAL just released a new resource for assisted living members on LTC Trend Tracker. This one-pager explains what LTC Trend Tracker is and how your assisted living community can utilize it as a tool for quality improvement.
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The state Commissioner of Insurance has approved a 3.19% rate reduction for worker's compensation rates effective October 1, 2016 for Wisconsin employers. In addition, manufacturing as an industry group will see a reduction of 5%.
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We are just three weeks away from an important educational offering that is bringing in state and national experts to address a critical issue facing Wisconsin's long-term care providers and their residents -- infection control.
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Wisconsin ranked high in both the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's latest nationwide health care rankings and CMS' new 5-star ranking system.
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Influenza is a serious health threat, especially for vulnerable populations like older adults and people living with chronic medical conditions. It’s especially important that people living with and caring for frail, disabled and/or aging persons—including those who work in long-term care (LTC)—get vaccinated for influenza.
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The Democratic National Committee released its party's official platform for 2016 on Thursday, July 21, and while community integration - which includes long-term care services - was initially absent from the platform, it has been integrated into the final document.
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New federal regulations and the 2012 Life Safety Code (LSC) can present some very real, yet solvable challenges for the long-term care industry. Will your physical environment be in compliance? What steps can you proactively take to address and avoid emerging LSC issues? The Wisconsin Division of Quality Assurance will highlight the most pressing issues and how these can be addressed.
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This year marks the 65th Annual WHCA/WiCAL Fall Convention, which will be held October 19-21 at the Radisson Hotel in Green Bay! The long-term care provider community is vastly different than it was at our first convention 65 years ago, and is continually evolving. It is imperative to understand this ever-changing landscape and the necessary steps to take in order to thrive in today’s healthcare community. Consequently, this year’s theme is “Change—What’s Your Game Plan?”
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Continuum contains legislative updates and information pertaining to the top products and service suppliers serving Wisconsin providers. As such, Continuum has a very broad scope and reaches a wide array of different people, businesses, and professionals; Continuum is read by all of the leaders in Wisconsin’s skilled nursing and therapy center provider community, most assisted living providers, hospital discharge planners, as well as state and federal legislators, regulators and policymakers.
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Members are encouraged to nominate worthy applicants for the WHCA/WiCAL Shining Star Awards, which will be presented during the 65th Annual Fall Convention, October 19-21, 2016. The no-exceptions deadline for nominations is September 9, 2016.
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The National Assisted Living Week (NALW) Planning Guide and Product Catalog is now available to download at www.NALW.org. This year’s Planning Guide and Product catalog contains innovative activity ideas and exciting products to highlight this year’s theme, “Keep Connected” recognizing the increasing opportunity technology can offer to enhance the care and overall experience in assisted living communities.
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By joining this exclusive group, you reach the most influential decision makers in Wisconsin's long-term care provider community. You will be visibly exposed to managers and department heads responsible for specifying, recommending, and approving purchases on behalf of their facilities. Make sure they know about your company! Don't miss this opportunity to be a partner with Wisconsin's long-term care provider community.
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