AAHSA's Senior Housing Funding Update Now Available
In our update, you'll find the latest information from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Section 8 funding during the first quarter of the 2007 fiscal year and their progress with processing renewal policies. You can also find out how to check on the status of your project rental assistance contracts. Contact: Colleen Bloom, (202) 508-9483.
Read the update.

Updated Medicare Therapy Reimbursement Calculator Now Available
We recently updated our therapy reimbursement calculator to reflect the new law that keeps physicians' and therapists' Medicare payment at their current levels. This calculator will help you ensure proper reimbursement. Contact: Iara Woody, (202) 508-9429.
Use the calculator.

Does Your HUD Subsidy and Rental Income Cover Costs?
Help us tell legislators and HUD officials the answer. Please complete this survey by Jan. 8. We'll use the responses to help Congress and HUD evaluate affordable housing operators' operating costs versus their income and how well existing rent increase mechanisms and inflation factors cover these costs. This information can help make the case for additional funding. Contact: Colleen Bloom, (202) 508-9483
Share your answer.

Featured Member of the Month: Peter Kress Chief Information Officer ACTS Retirement Life Communities Ambler, Pa. AAHSA's January Member of the Month is Peter Kress from Pennsylvania's ACTS Retirement Life Communities. He is working with our Center for Aging Services Technologies. Contact: Sarah Mashburn, (202) 508-9492. Read about AAHSA's January member of the month. Nominate a colleague to be our member of the month. Learn about joining CAST.

2007 Leadership Summit to Help You Make Your Mark Through a Lasting Legacy
Join best-selling author Jim Kouzes at AAHSA's 2007 Leadership Summit, March 18, in Washington, D.C. There, you'll spend the day discovering evidence-based insights, analyzing case studies and participating in exercises designed to help you live your legacy through the practices of exemplary leadership. Extend your stay and attend our Future of Aging Services Conference. Look out for more details later this month. Contact: meeting@aahsa.org, (888) 508-9441.
Learn about the summit.

New Survey and Certification Letter on Unpaved Discharge Exit Paths
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently issued a Survey and Certification Letter, "Life Safety Code - Exit Discharge Requirements and the Fire Safety Evaluation." The letter clarifies that the Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES) for nursing facilities may be used to determine compliance with the Life Safety Code for unpaved exit discharge paths. Based on the FSES, a facility that passes the FSES and submits it as a Plan of Correction may be, and will continue to be, certified. Contact: Karyn Downie, (202) 508-9410.
Read the letter.

3,200 Covenant signers! Have you signed yet?

Month-to-Month Guide Helps AAHSA Members Plan Their Quality First Journeys
Are you wondering how your organization can implement Quality First in 2007? Our Month-to-Month Guide to AAHSA Quality First can help. This resource features a list of ideas that you can use to plan its Quality First activities for each month in the new year. Contact: Bruce Rosenthal, (202) 508-9499.
See the Month-to-Month Quality First Guide.
See our other Quality First planning guides.

Help Create Design Guidelines for Facility Building and Renovation
AAHSA has been asked to select two representatives to help experts revise the 2010 Edition of the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities. Providers and design professionals use these guidelines to plan facility construction or renovations. More important, officials in 42 states and representatives from Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Facilities also use the guidelines to approve construction and license health care facilities. If you are knowledgeable about design and construction and interested in participating, please let us know. Contact: Bob Lagoyda, (202) 508-9409.

Erickson School of Aging Studies
The Erickson School's executive education program offers executive-level courses on the topics of leadership, business and strategy, finance, development, customer service, and much more in the seniors housing and care profession. LTC administrator and accounting credits included as appropriate. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/erickson.

Featured Group Purchasing Partner:

How Can You Save Money in 2007?
Join AAHSA's free Group Purchasing and Shared Services programs. These programs are designed to offer you up to a 50 percent discount on more than 35,000 products that your organization needs to fulfill its mission. For example, working with Unemployment Services Trust saved AAHSA members $1.5 million last year. And the numbers keep growing. Don't leave your money on the table. Enroll today. Contact: grouppurchasing@aahsa.org, (800) 827-4771.
Enroll and start saving.
Read about the program.

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 (Dec. 22-28):

Administrator
Administrator - Norfolk, Va.

CEO/President/Executive Director
Executive Director - Orange Park, Fla.

Nursing/Health Care
Resident Care Manager (RCM) - Spokane, Wash.

Other
Director of Activities - Rockville, Md.
Manager, AAHSA Education Development - Washington, D.C.