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Archive April 2025

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Enhance Your Expertise with Our May Training Lineup

Be sure to explore our upcoming May training's! Expert-led sessions designed to enhance your professional development. 

The VITAL 5 Pillars of Effective Dementia Care (virtual)

May 6th from 1:00 - 3:00 PM - 2 CEU’s - click here to view the full webpage

 

Most people know that good communication lies at the heart of effective dementia care, but many struggle to know how to make sense of the many techniques and strategies out there. The VITAL 5 Pillars cuts through the clutter of possibilities by focusing on the five over-arching principles that good dementia care techniques derive from. When family and professional care partners understand the VITAL 5 Pillars they are empowered to assess and understand challenging behavior and choose approaches that are truly individualized and person-centered.

 

 

Delivering Training's that Deliver Results (virtual)

May 21-22 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM - 6 CEU's - click here to view the full details

 

Whether you’re responsible for new employee orientation, compliance training, CNA classes, or other essential programs, your goal is to deliver training that is engaging, relevant, and results-driven. Well-designed training not only enhances job performance but also plays a vital role in employee onboarding, leadership development, and long-term retention. Effective training programs reduce turnover by making employees feel supported and valued from day one, leading to better patient care, increased job satisfaction, and significant cost savings. This program is designed to help employees build confidence and skills in creating and delivering impactful training, ultimately saving time and boosting satisfaction.

 

Click here to view the full schedule and register here to secure your spot!

 

We're here to support your growth every step of the way. Feel free to contact MHCA should you have any questions! 207.623.1146.

Staff Contact: mbooth@mehca.org

SNF Provider Preview Reports available in iQIES

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports in iQIES. These reports contain quality measure performance scores that will be published on Nursing Home Care Compare for the July 2025 refresh. 
Data contained within the Provider Preview Reports are based on: 
 
  • MDSs submitted by SNFs from Q4 2023 through Q3 2024.  
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Health Safety Network (NHSN) measures for: 
    • Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Healthcare Personnel (HCP) measure data from Q4 2023 through Q1 2024, and  
    • COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among HCP measure data from Q3 2024.  
  • The claims-based measures reflect data from Q4 2021 through Q3 2023 and the SNF Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) measure data from Q4 2022 through Q3 2023. 
 
Nursing home providers have until May 15, 2025, to review their performance data and make any necessary corrections. Only updates/corrections to the data before the final data submission deadline will be reflected on Nursing Home Care Compare. If a provider updates data after May 15,2025, the updates will only be reflected in iQIES QM reports.  
 
For questions related to accessing your facility’s Provider Preview Report, please contact the iQIES Service Center by email or call 1-800-339-9313. For questions about SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Public Reporting, please email?SNFQRPPRQuestions@cms.hhs.gov. 
 
Staff contact: mcarland@mehca.org

Annual Influenza HCP Vaccine Reporting Due May 15th.

The deadline for nursing homes to report health care personnel (HCP) influenza vaccination coverage in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Health Safety Network (NHSN) is fast approaching. 

This reporting is required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) and the submission deadline is May 15, 2025. Failure to report complete data in NHSN by 11:59pm on May 15th for the SNF QRP will result in a 2% reduction in the nursing home’s annual Medicare reimbursement rates.

The reporting period for the 2024-2025 influenza season is from October 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025.?Facilities are only required to submit one report that covers the entire reporting period by May 15, 2025.

Facilities are strongly advised not to wait until the deadline to report. Submitters are recommended to take a screen shot of submission verification in the event of a notice of noncompliance. Training materials  are available on the NHSN website. 
 
If your facility is having difficulty accessing the NHSN Healthcare Personnel Safety (HPS) Component to submit this data, email NHSN@cdc.gov with “HCP Flu Summary” in the subject line and specify that you are a LTC facility. 

Questions on CMS SNF QRP requirements can be sent to SNFQualityQuestions@cms.hhs.gov.
 
AHCA has several resources available to assist with NHSN reporting, including the NHSN Tip Sheet and NHSN Help Desk Job Aid. 
 
Questions regarding the above resources may be sent to regulatory@ahca.org
 
Staff contact: mcarland@mehca.org

Maine Health Care Association Seeking Nominations for AHCA/NCAL Future Leaders Program - Deadline is May 7th

The Maine Health Care Association is soliciting nominations for the AHCA/NCAL Future Leaders Program. This program is designed to enhance long term care leaders to be stronger contributors to the state affiliates and AHCA/NCAL. Candidates will be selected for this professional training program, which begins September 16 - 18 with a symposium in Washington, DC.  Each state may nominate one person.
 
The nominees for the 2025/2026 class should be long term care provider owners and/or operators who are up and coming leaders in your state.  Individuals best suited for the program will have at least three years’ experience in mid- (i.e. managers, directors, administrators, assistant administrators) to senior-level (i.e. vice president, and senior vice presidents) long-term care management positions or at least one year as a C-suite executive or owner. We encourage nominees who reflect the diversity of AHCA/NCAL membership in terms of race, ethnicity, gender identification, sexual orientation, disability and religion.
 
Candidates are expected to:
  • Attend a three-day leadership training session based on Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, which will be held in Washington, DC September 16 - 18;
  • Join and participate in a small team working group:
  • Participate in most of the scheduled quarterly conference calls;
  • Attend a graduation event at the AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention & Expo, October 11 – 14, 2026 in Boston, MA;
  • Demonstrate an interest in working on LTC issues at the national level, which may include participating on AHCA/NCAL workgroups or committees; and
  • Consider active participation in the AHCA/NCAL PAC and promoting its importance to other members.
 
AHCA does provide some financial support for attending the symposium.
 
To nominate yourself or a colleague, please send a letter of interest and a copy of your resume to: Angela Westhoff, MHCA President/CEO no later than May 7th, 2025. You can email those materials to: awesthoff@mehca.org.

Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org

Latest Update on Assisted Housing Regulations

Thank you to the 38 individuals who've sent messages to lawmakers through our advocacy tool. The work session has not been scheduled, so we encourage everyone to continue sending messages as soon as you can. 

Additionally, we've created a handout to share details on the impact of the proposed regulations. 

Staff contact: bhawkins@mehca.org

Building a Stronger Long Term Care Workforce: Tools for Attraction and Retention

MHCA invites members to join us for an interactive session on strengthening Maine’s long term care workforce. In partnership with Inclusion Maine, this one-hour Zoom event will explore practical strategies for attracting and retaining a more resilient and sustainable workforce—including older adults, new Mainers, and others looking to contribute to the long term care field.

Date
May 7, 2025
 
Venue
Web-Based Session
(via ZOOM)  
 
Time
1:00 – 2:00 PM
 
Fee
This is a free event
 
Total Contact Hours
CEU’s will not be issued for this session
 
Registration
To participate, please click here to register. 
 
Attendees will hear from Inclusion Maine about current labor trends, future workforce forecasts, and how innovative hiring approaches can help meet evolving needs. We’ll also introduce new member resources, including one-on-one technical assistance for employers and support in evaluating and improving hiring practices.
 
This session is part of MHCA’s new workforce initiative, Bridging Communities through Employment, funded by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development and will preview upcoming workshops and tools being developed through this effort.
 
Who should attend:
Administrators, HR staff, direct care workers, hiring managers, and anyone involved in workforce development or staff retention.
 
RSVP: 
Register Here
 
For questions or more information, contact Ben Hawkins at bhawkins@mehca.org.
 

In case You Missed It…. Letter to Editor on Senator Susan Collins

Last week, the Bangor Daily News ran MHCA President/ CEO’s Letter to the Editor expressing appreciation to Senator Collins for standing up for the most vulnerable and protecting Medicaid. A copy of the letter is included below.
 
Letter: Susan Collins stands up for most vulnerable
Earlier this month, Sen. Susan Collins stood up for Maine’s most vulnerable and opposed a budget resolution that would mean reductions in federal funding for Medicaid. On behalf of Maine’s seniors and other at-risk individuals who require long term care, thank you.

Medicaid is the backbone of healthcare in Maine, with two-thirds of all nursing home residents and nearly 40 percent of working-age adults with disabilities relying on the program. It also serves as a crucial source of funding for nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in rural parts of our state that would otherwise struggle to stay afloat.

Despite the program’s profound impact, some lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are proposing reductions to Medicaid that would jeopardize the health and well-being of tens of millions of low-income Americans, including older adults. Medicaid is already an underfunded program, leaving facilities throughout Maine to find millions of dollars every year to stay open. Slashing Medicaid would only exacerbate this issue, forcing more facilities to close and leaving thousands of our most vulnerable citizens without care.

Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org

Reminder to Register for Listening Session for Nursing Facility MaineCare Reimbursement for Specialty Care: Brain Injury and Medical-Psychiatric Care

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is inviting nursing facilities to participate in Phase II of NF rate reform. DHHS is developing a rate model for individuals with brain injury or medical-psychiatric needs in nursing facilities. As part of this work, they are seeking input from interested holders on serving these specialty populations. A listening session will be held on: Thursday, May 1, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM via Zoom.

Registration Link Register here for this listening session: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/VPO6NtwqQSKWdzn_4m5Kzw

Please submit questions or comments related to Phase II and specialty care for individuals with brain injury or medical-psychiatric needs to NFSpecialtyCare@maine.gov. 

Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org

Updated Nursing Facility Principles of Reimbursement Adopted

The Department of Health and Human Services, MaineCare Services’ Division of Policy recently announced that the 10-144 C.M.R. Ch. 101, MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter III, Section 67, Principles of Reimbursement for Nursing Facilities are now updated and be read here. The effective date is April 21, 2025. These changes establish a new reimbursement methodology for Nursing Facilities, which had been amended on February 1, 2025 via emergency rulemaking. The latest rulemaking process now makes those emergency changes permanent.

To read the updated NF Principles of Reimbursement and the Response to Comments received at the March 10th public hearing or in writing, click here.

Please note: Any references to MaineCare Section 45, Hospital Services, in the DHHS Announcement or the summary of rule changes are in error. The Department is aware and is working to correct.

Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org 

May MDS Forum Training Calls and NF Benefits Manual

The May 2025 MDS Forum Training Calls have been posted. 
These include: To register for any of the forum calls click on this registration link for the training you want to attend and fill out the required information.
 
 
Staff contact: mcarland@mehca.org
 
 
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