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Feb. 12, 2007

This Week's Top News:

Three Days Left to Tell Your Story and Win a Chance For a Free AAHSA Conference
Do you have a story to share about your work for older adults? We want to make sure your policy makers, the media and your peers hear it. Contribute to AAHSA's story bank to help us tell your story. Send in your stories before Feb. 15 and you'll be entered in a raffle to win an all-expenses paid trip to AAHSA's Future of Aging Services Conference. The prize includes full conference registration, up to $500 in airfare and three nights of hotel. Send in your story or by fax to (202) 783-2255. Contact: Lauren Shaham, (202) 508-1219.
Send in your stories.
See how other AAHSA members tell their stories.

Nursing Home Regulatory Update Discusses Survey Reform, Quality Initiative
In the latest issue of our Nursing Home Regulatory Update, read about our new Survey and Certification Task Force's initial work, opportunities to participate in the Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes campaign, a reminder about obtaining your National Provider Identifier and the issue of Medicare payment updates for fiscal year 2008. Contact: Evvie Munley, (202) 508-9478.
Read the report.

CMS Releases Four New Nursing Home Survey and Certification Letters
From Dec. 21, 2006 through Jan. 12, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released four new survey and certification letters, including:

• Nursing Home Culture Change Regulatory Compliance Questions and Answers: This letter includes CMS' responses to state agency and regional office inquiries about culture change and compliance with health and life safety code requirements, responses to questions about the Green House project and information on the upcoming series of CMS culture change Webcasts.
• Solicitation of State Survey Agency Participation in Quality Indicator Survey (QIS) Implementation: This letter invites states not currently participating in the QIS demonstration to apply by March 1 to be considered for future statewide implementation of the QIS survey process.
• Medical Gas Storage and Usage Considerations: This letter is directed at multiple providers, including nursing homes, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly facilities and intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded, responds to questions about storage requirements for small quantities of medical gas and what is considered when determining if a medical gas container is "in use."
• New and Revised Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA): This letters highlights areas of CLIA policies and procedures that were clarified and emphasized during surveyor consistency training conducted last September.

2007 AAHSA Award Nominations Now Available
Has someone in your organization created an innovative program? Do you know an individual whose leadership in aging services merits special recognition? Now is the time to tell their story. AAHSA is now accepting applications for our 2007 Awards. The winners will receive free registration for AAHSA's 2007 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Orlando, where they will be recognized for their accomplishments. Applications are due by April 15. To apply, see the awards brochure mailed to AAHSA members this month, or find full details and nomination forms on AAHSA's web site. Contact: Deborah Cloud, (202) 508-9458.
Apply for an award.

Learn Ways to Improve Your Workforce Recruitment and Retention: Register by Feb. 16
Do your organization's workforce challenges keep you up at night? You aren't alone. A recent AAHSA survey found it's the number one issue affecting providers like you nationwide. That's why we're hosting an audio conference on Wed. Feb. 21, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Eastern Time designed to give you great tips and suggestions for improving your organization's retention rate and staff morale. You'll learn the critical components of staff motivation and recognition, discover best practices with new employee orientation and integration and understand the relationship between creative and recognition programs and recruitment rates. There's only four days left to register, so save yourself a spot today. Contact: meeting@aahsa.org, (888) 508-9441
Register online.
Download a form to register by fax or mail.

Missed a past AAHSA audio conference? See a list of available recordings and an order form.

AAHSA Shares Members' Stories with Policy Makers on Housing and Hurricane Katrina Recovery
Last week, AAHSA submitted testimony for a House Financial Services Committee hearing about our housing members’ challenges to recover and rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The testimony focused on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) inability to preserve existing housing stock and offer funding to cover reconstruction costs. AAHSA also urged legislators to ensure that HUD helps these members face exorbitant operational and insurance costs. Contact: Alayna Waldrum, (202)508-9476.
Read AAHSA's testimony.
See the panel of witnesses and read their testimony.

3,200 Covenant signers! Have you signed yet?

Two Ways to Assess Quality in Your Organization
Your organization's commitment to quality assessment is an essential part of becoming the provider of choice in your community. Using our Aging Services Providers' Checklist for AAHSA Quality First can help your organization make this goal a reality. The checklist is a list of characteristics of the ideal aging services organization. Nursing homes can also assess quality in their organization by participating in the Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes campaign. Nursing homes that register for the campaign focus on both clinical quality goals and organizational improvement goals. Bruce Rosenthal, (202) 508-9499.
See the Aging Services Providers' Checklist for AAHSA Quality First.
Visit the Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes campaign Web site.

2006-2007 AAHSA Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Reports Available
How does your assisted living facility compare with others across the country? Read the latest version of this annual report to find out. The report features salary and benefits information for 40 different positions in assisted living organizations and is categorized by for-profit and not-for-profit status, unit and revenue size and geographic region or state. AAHSA members can order this valuable resource at the discounted price of $225. Contact: (201) 405-0075.
Order the report.

Featured Group Purchasing Partner:

Dining and Culture Change: Direct Supply Helps You Make the Connection
From fostering independence to strengthening staff and resident relationships, making the dining program a central part of your culture change journey can improve quality in your work. But where do you start? That's where Direct Supply can help. This AAHSA Group Purchasing partner recently published an article that can help you jump start your work to bring culture change into dining programs culture efficiently and effectively. Contact: deardirect@DirectSupply.net, (800) 634-7328.
Learn more about dining and culture change.

Opportunities Available on AAHSA's Job Mart

Several career opportunities in aging services are now available and listed on Job Mart. Take a look. Pass along the news. If you have a job to post, consider using AAHSA Job Mart. Contact: Phillip Blackmon, (202) 508-9404.
Post a job.

Jobs posted in the past week (Feb. 2-8):

Administrator
Director of Health Services - Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Administrator - New York

CEO/President/Executive Director
Executive Director - Tulsa, Okla.
Executive Director/CEO - Williamsburg, Va.
Executive Director - Southwest Florida

Finance
Comptroller, VP - Goshen, N.Y.

Marketing/Sales/Business Office
Senior Living Sales - East Windsor, N.J.
Sales & Community Outreach Professionals - Westtown Township, Pa.
Sales & Community Outreach Professionals - Seattle, Wash.

Nursing/Health Care
Director of Nursing - Newtown, Conn.

Other
Director of Admissions - New York
Therapy Program Director - Winter Park, Fla.