New Training Opportunity from Our Friends at the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities!

• By: Maureen Booth
• On: 02/19/2025 09:06:21
• In: Education

Utilizing In-Service Toolkits to Expand Behavioral Health Capacity
 
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
2-3 p.m.
 
 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 
 
Join the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF) team as they showcase their new in-service toolkits and demonstrate how to use them effectively to enhance team training in nursing facilities.
 
These toolkits address essential topics such as de-escalation, substance use disorder, and major depressive disorder. Designed to guide facility education leads, the toolkits provide comprehensive support for every step of the training process, from scheduling and promoting to hosting and facilitating behavioral health education sessions. 
 
Learning Objectives: 

• Discover how a multipronged training approach promotes engagement, increases competency, and reinforces different learning styles.
• Learn the purpose, and key features of the COE-NF Inservice Toolkits. 
• Understand how to utilize these innovative toolkits to simplify the behavioral health training process.  
• Who Should Attend: 
• This session is ideal for all nursing center staff. 

Contact us:
For more information, please call 1-844-314-1433 or email coeinfo@allianthealth.org.
To submit a request to inquire about substance use and/or mental health training options for your facility, complete the inquiry form. 

 

Don't forget to register for our upcoming training!

• By: Maureen Booth
• On: 02/18/2025 15:48:34
• In: Education

Just a quick reminder—our training session on Imminent Jeopardy is right around the corner, and there's still time to register! If you haven’t signed up, now’s your chance to secure your spot.

Risk, Response, and Resolution: Handling Imminent Jeopardy Citation in Long-Term Care

February 27, 2025 from 1:00 - 2:15 PM
*Virtual Training - Registration will close on February 26th @ 12:00 PM

Join us for an in-depth session designed to help long-term care professionals navigate the complexities of Imminent Jeopardy Citations. In this training, we'll explore the critical aspects of these citations, from statutory and regulatory requirements to the surveyor determination process and appeals.

This session is essential for administrators, directors of nursing, and all key long-term care stakeholders.

For more information on this training, including the registration link, please click here.


For a complete list of upcoming training's and events, visit our Education Calendar on our website.

Mike McNeil Winners So Far

• By: Angela Westhoff
• On: 02/13/2025 16:59:04
• In: Special Events

We are in week two of the Mike McNeil Cash Calendar Drawings! The highlight of this week was drawing a $300 ticket to Dave Laroche from Odd Fellows' and Rebekahs' Home of Maine! The winners so far: 
 

Maine’s Nursing Facility Quality Partnership Important Call February 19th

• By: Angela Westhoff
• On: 02/13/2025 16:52:27
• In: Legislative/Government Affairs

Join this call to hear an overview of Maine’s VBP program related to rate reform, criteria for the quality bonus pool, and some of the resources available to maximize your facility’s success. 

When: February 19th from 1:00-2:30pm
Where: click below to register for this Zoom call:
https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/JMsEp0f3ScGWsemfAuuI2A
Who: Administrators, DON’s, & Quality Champions of LTC Facilities

• Learn about “Making Sense of VBP,” a breakdown of the components of Value-Based Purchasing, including criteria for the 2025 quality bonus pool.
• Learn about other supports available in 2025, including:
  • The “Dementia Care Partnership,” aimed to help you reduce the overuse of antipsychotic medications in your nursing home community
  • The “Culture Change Coalition,” built upon the Leadership & Team Engagement domain of the Artifacts of Culture Change 2.0 to strategically reduce nursing staff turnover in your nursing home community

Staff contact: bhawkins@mehca.org 

Maine Legislature Continues to Work on Supplemental Budget

• By: Angela Westhoff
• On: 02/13/2025 16:46:33
• In: Legislative/Government Affairs

On February 11, 2025, Maine Democrats opted to continue negotiations with Republicans over a short-term state budget. The legislature voted to adjourn the Legislature until February 25 to allow for bipartisan discussions before another vote on the budget.

The proposed supplemental budget seeks to address a $118 million shortfall in MaineCare funding, attributed to increased enrollment and rising healthcare costs. Governor Janet Mills has stressed the importance of passing the budget with bipartisan support to ensure stability in provider payments. If the budget does not receive at least a two-thirds majority, some MaineCare provider rates could be adjusted as early as March. While it remains unclear which provider types might be affected, nursing homes and Private Non-Medical Institutions (PNMIs) have not been specifically named as providers facing reductions. However, until final decisions are made, the full impact on long term care remains uncertain.

The decision to adjourn provides lawmakers with additional time to reach a consensus that addresses funding needs while balancing policy priorities. MHCA will continue to advocate for the stability of long term care funding. Thank you to the members who've responded to our action alert. We encourage members to stay informed and engaged as discussions progress.

Staff contact: bhawkins@mehca.org

All Nursing Facility Providers Required to File Final Cost Reports Through 12/31/24 Regardless of Fiscal Year

• By: Angela Westhoff
• On: 02/13/2025 16:35:36
• In: Legislative/Government Affairs

The Division of Audit is requiring all Nursing Facility providers to file a final cost report from the start of their fiscal year in 2024 through December 31, 2024.  The cost report will be due on May 31, 2025.  Since May 31, 2025 is a Saturday, cost reports will be accepted through Monday, June 2, 2025. The cost report will require all supporting documentation.  Based on principle 13.2.3, the Director of the Division of Audit is authorizing cost reports for a lesser period than 12 months. 
Extensions will only be granted in accordance with principle 13.3.3. 

This change is necessitated by the conversion to a new reimbursement system which will make Direct Care and Routine cost a price, leaving only Capital cost to be settled.  While the specialty units’ (ABI and CBS) rates have not been reformed, the change in the cost report filing applies to the specialty units as well. We will develop a new cost report for the 12-month period ending December 31, 2025. This will allow for consistent reporting with all NF providers reporting on the December 31^st year end going forward. 

If you have any questions, please contact Trisha White at 207-287-2837 or trisha.white@maine.gov. 

Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org

Public reporting January 2025 Refresh of SNF QRP Data – Now Available

• By: Maureen Carland
• On: 02/12/2025 16:07:43
• In: Quality/Regulatory

The most recent  refresh of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) data is now available on the compare tool on Medicare.gov and Provider Data Catalog (PDC).
The data are based on quality assessment data submitted by SNFs to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from Quarter 2, 2023 through Quarter 1, 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) measures reflect data from Quarter 4, 2023 through Quarter 1, 2024 for the Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Healthcare Personnel measure, and Quarter 1, 2024 for the COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among Healthcare Personnel (HCP) measure. Claims-based measures display data from Quarter 4, 2021 through Quarter 3, 2023, and the SNF Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Requiring Hospitalization measure data is from Quarter 4, 2022 through Quarter 3, 2023.
Please visit the compare tool on Medicare.gov and PDC to view the updated quality data. For questions about SNF QRP Public Reporting, please email SNFQRPPRQuestions@cms.hhs.gov.
 
Staff contact: mcarland@mehca.org

MHCA Announces Remember ME Award Recipients!

• By: Dianne Chicoine
• On: 02/12/2025 12:21:13
• In: Special Events

MHCA is pleased to announce the recipients of this year's Remember ME Lifetime Achievement Award. We wish to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to this year's judges, who had the very difficult task of selecting the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients from a large and distinguished pool of applicants.
   
 
2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients: 

1. Richard Anzelc, The Landing at Cape Elizabeth
2. Eva Barnfather, The Wardwell
3. Jacqueline Bate, Schooner Estates Memory Care
4. Perley Beane, Northern Light Continuing Care, Lakewood
5. Jeanne Bilodeau, Pinnacle Health & Rehab at North Berwick
6. Linwood Leeland 'Woody' Carville, Dirigo Pines
7. Gary Chandler, Westgate Center of Rehabilitation and Alzheimer's care
8. Cecil Clark, Breakwater Commons
9. Howard H. Dana, Jr., Piper Shores
10. James Dennis, II, MaineGeneral Rehabilitation and Long Term Care at Gray Birch
11. Tom Dixon, Enclave of Scarborough
12. Rosemary Donovan, Maine Veterans' Homes - Bangor
13. Hilary Ervin, Sunset Home of Waterville
14. Melba Evans, Ross Manor
15. Patricia Eye, Bangor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
16. Charles Gill, Jr., Birch Bay Retirement Village
17. William Huntoon, Market Square Health Care Center
18. Steve King, Avita of Brunswick
19. Kathryn Maclary, Pinnacle Health & Rehab at South Portland
20. Harmon Maddocks, Maine Veterans' Homes - Scarborough
21. Rita Melendy, Schooner Estates Senior Living Community
22. Eunice Mercier, MaineGeneral Alzheimer Care Center
23. Fernande Pelletier, Forest Hill
24. Jim Pendleton, Scarborough Terrace
25. Karen Pennell, East Point Assisted Living
26. Brenda Reed, Barron Center
27. Marny Smith, 75 State Street
28. Susan St. Mary, Bay Square at Yarmouth
29. Robert Takach, Maine Veterans' Homes - Augusta
30. William Thomson, Sentry Hill at York Harbor
31. Brian Wren, Seal Rock Healthcare
32. Jim Young, Fallbrook Commons

 
2025 Honorable Mention Award Recipients: 

1. Daniel Berube, High View Manor
2. Sidney Boardman, Durgin Pines
3. Leroy Bragdon, Jr., Russell Park Rehab & Living Center
4. Richard Brann, Hibbard Skilled Nursing Center
5. Edward Fortier, Country Village Estates, LLC
6. Gilford Gagnon, St. Joseph's Memory Care
7. William Gorman, Mid Coast Senior Health - Thornton Hall
8. Harold Leino, Maine Veterans' Homes - South Paris
9. Richard Mardigian, Fallbrook Woods
10. Dennis Monroe, MaineGeneral Rehabilitation and LTC at Glenridge
11. Christine Morrison, Donahue Sandy River Center
12. Peter Oatway, Katahdin Health Care
13. Joseph Paquin, Maine Veterans' Homes - Caribou
14. Joseph Pluto, Pinnacle Health & Rehab at Canton
15. Wenona Small, Maine Veterans' Homes - Machias
16. Timothy Smith, Marshwood Center
17. Theresa Thibeault, Ridgewood Estates Assisted Living
18. Conrad Voisine, Crosswinds Residential Care
19. Hope White, Colonial Health Care
20. Robert Young, Marshall Healthcare

 
Next Steps
 
2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients:
Facility contacts for the Lifetime Achievement Award recipients will be emailed regarding their assigned photographer and scheduling the resident's photo shoot, as well as submitting a photo release and past photos of the resident. Recipients' photos and biographies will be featured in the program book. The award ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, May 22, at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta.
 
2025 Honorable Mention Award Recipients:
Honorable Mention recipient biographies will be featured in the program book and we will mail their Honorable Mention Certificates of Lifetime Achievement in May.
 
For more information on the event and/or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Dianne Chicoine,
Director of Business & Information Services.
 
For media inquiries on this event, please contact Ben Hawkins, Director of Public Affairs.
 
Staff contact: dchicoine@mehca.org

Now Online: MDS 3.0 Assessment Deletion Requestion Forms Available in iQIES

• By: Maureen Carland
• On: 02/10/2025 12:43:30
• In: Quality/Regulatory

The MDS 3.0 Manual Individual Correction/Deletion Request form is required under certain situations when a modification or inactivation is not appropriate. Previously, this was a manual process that required facilities to complete a paper form and send it via certified mail to the State Agency. 
?
This form is required to correct the following MDS error types:

• Unit Certification or Licensure Designation (Item A0410)?
• State-assigned facility submission ID (FAC_ID) or State Code (STATE_CD)?
• Test record submitted as a production record?? 
• ?Record submitted that was not for OBRA or Medicare Part A purposes (e.g., a 5-day PPS MDS is submitted for a managed care resident) in certain situations (see Chapter 5, Section 5.8 of the RAI Manual v1.19.1) 

 
This process now may be completed within iQIES online by persons with the following iQIES user roles: 

• Provider Security Official 
• Assessment Submitter 
• Provider Administrator 
• Assessment Coordinator 
• Assessment Viewer 

 
Additional documentation from CMS will be released in the near future. AHCA will monitor and provide an update when this occurs. 
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the iQIES Service Center by email at?iqies@cms.hhs.gov?or by phone at (800) 339-9313.?Or to create a new ticket online, track an existing ticket, or recover your HARP password account, please use the?CCSQ Support Central: Self-Service Portal.? 
 
 
Staff contact: mcarland@mehca.org
 

FDA Issues Oxygen Concentrator Recall due to Fire Risk

• By: Maureen Carland
• On: 02/10/2025 12:28:14
• In: Quality/Regulatory

FDA has issued the following recall: Oxygen Concentrator Recall: JIANGSU JUMAO X-CARE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT CO LTD Removes JMC5A Ni/TruAire-5 Oxygen Concentrator due to the devices spontaneously catching fire.
Product Names: TRUAIRE-5 02 CONCENTRATOR
Model: O2C5L
Serial Numbers: All units within serial number range: JA2311000001-JA2312000740
All units from the specified serial number range MUST be immediately discontinued from use and removed from service.
Customers in the U.S. with questions about this recall should?contact?Compass Health Brands Corp?at?1-800-376-7263 x444.
 
Staff contact: mcarland@mehca.org