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This webinar is for all interested stakeholders. Presentation topics from Dr. Rabea Khadimi and Dr. Antonie Auguste will include an overview of psychiatric, neurologic, and cognitive manifestations and side effects of some infectious diseases in medically complex adults. This webinar has been rescheduled from June 19 to June 21, 2024, from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm.

If you previously registered for this session, you have remained registered; however, your calendar invitation will not update automatically. Please be sure to reschedule this event on your calendar. This webinar will also be uploaded to the MyODP Webinars page after the event.

Register for the event here.

Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay

The 2024 PA LGBTQ+ Health Needs Assessment aims to enhance the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community. This survey intends to identify health disparities, barriers to care, and potential strategies for improvement as well as to understand the health care experiences and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians to inform future discussions and actions. It is available in English and Spanish and will remain open until August. Participation is open to LGBTQ+ residents of Pennsylvania who are 13 years or older. The survey maintains anonymity and confidentiality. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is sponsoring the survey, which is being conducted by Bradbury Sullivan LGBT Community Center and Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC).

The Pennsylvania Homecare Association (PHA), the Pennsylvania Association of Home and Community-Based Services, and the Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association (RCPA) provided feedback on House Bill 2372, sponsored by Reps. Jessica Benham and Jason Ortitay. The bill seeks to improve agency accountability and ensure livable wages for home care workers in Pennsylvania by increasing state funding for personal assistance services. The associations support the bill but recommended uniform wage increases across all care models and a standardized rate review process every three years. They also expressed concerns about burdensome funding allocations and reporting requirements as well as provisions that could disproportionately affect nonprofit agencies by linking enhanced rates to tax status.

The groups emphasized the need to focus on investments in workforce development and quality care rather than imposing arbitrary financial mandates. They advocated for collaborative efforts to create a sustainable future for home-based care, ensuring high-quality services for Pennsylvania’s aging population.

For more details, read the full letter here.

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has announced the launch of a Rate Study to be conducted by Mercer for Personal Assistance, Adult Day, Structured Adult Day, Residential Habilitation, and Employment Services. This study is intended to inform the 2025/26 budget process. You can view details for the Rate Study here. Key dates for this process include:

  • June 2024: The release of the Provider Survey. RCPA will share it with members as soon as it becomes available.
  • June Provider Meeting: A discussion of the Rate Study components.
  • July 2: The LTSS Subcommittee Meeting.
  • July 18 Provider Meeting: Details to come and will be shared once available.
  • September 4: LTSS Subcommittee Meeting to discuss the Rate Study results.

For more information, please contact Fady Sahhar.

Get ready to see both new speakers and fan favorites at the RCPA 2024 Conference this September! Attendees will be able to listen to and interact with these speakers and more in person at the Hershey Lodge September 24 – 27. With over sixty sessions, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn from and engage with those pushing the boundaries in health and human services! Our lineup of speakers will include:
  • Michael Cohen: Returning to share Part 2 of his “Be a Destination Employer,” Michael will present on the latest in HR and workforce issues;
  • Inspirational speaker Craig Dietz: Born without limbs, Craig will discuss finding one’s potential despite life’s obstacles;
  • CEO Lee Yaiva: Lee will take attendees on his journey from addiction and living on a reservation to becoming CEO of the Arizona Scottsdale Recovery Center;
  • President and CEO Amy Thurston: Amy will educate audiences on human trafficking and highlight how her organization Hope Inspire Love fights against human trafficking and exploitation; and
  • Natasha Nicolai: A leader in Data and Digital Transformation, Natasha will outline how companies can implement a modern data architecture utilizing Cloud data sharing technology.
Registration information will be coming in the near future, so be sure to save the dates!

If your organization is interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at our conference, you can complete our Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Advertisers Brochure or contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator. Spaces are filling up, so don’t delay!

We look forward to sharing more details in the near future and would like to extend a thank you to those organizations who have already pledged support for the conference! View our current sponsors and exhibitors on the RCPA Conference website!

As described in ODPANN 24-041, providers were to request the subject payments no later than May 15. As of June 4, 2024, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has processed the subject payments for all providers who have applied. These payments should be visible on the provider’s Remittance Advice on June 17, 2024, at the highest billing service location.

Wednesday, June 19, 2024
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

This webinar is for all interested stakeholders. Presentation topics from Dr. Rabea Khadimi and Dr. Antonie Auguste will include an overview of psychiatric, neurologic, and cognitive manifestations and side effects of some infectious diseases in medically complex adults.

Presenters

Khedimi, MD
Rabea Khedimi MD, is a faculty member and Infectious Disease Specialty physician with UPMC/ID Connect. Rabea served as the Chief of the Infection Prevention and Control at the NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has been involved in the management of patients with suspected infectious diseases since she joined the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Khedimi completed her internal medicine training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai/Elmhurst and her Infectious Diseases Fellowship training at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Her career as a Clinician-Educator and Clinician-Administrator includes Leadership roles at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine/Elmhurst Hospital in Queens and Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. She was an Assistant Professor of Medicine and an Infectious Disease Attending at Montefiore Medical Center, she also served as a Co-Director of Microbiology/Infectious Diseases courses at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Khedimi has experience in both teaching and providing clinical care to patient with HIV, hepatitis B and C, STDs and other infectious diseases. She also has expertise in Infection Control and was most recently the Chief of the Infection Prevention and Control Department at the NYC HHC/Elmhurst Hospital.

Antonie J. Auguste, MD, MPH
Dr Antonie J. Auguste has been recognized as an Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Fellow (FIDSA). Dr. Auguste serves the ID division at UPMC/ID Connect. Her primary role focuses on providing inpatient Infectious Diseases consultation services via the Infectious Diseases Telemedicine service to multiple additional sites across telemedicine sites and rounding on the in-person services at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. Additionally, she provides telemedicine Infection Prevention and Control consultation to various telemedicine sites. Antonie earned her medical degree from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University at Syracuse, completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Infectious Disease at the State University of New York at Stony Brook University Hospital and School of Medicine. She obtained her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Columbia University School of Public Health, and a BA degree in biology from Columbia University.

Kate Gass, RN, BSN, CIC
With a varied background in clinical nursing and nursing management, Kate has spent time working in intensive care, the emergency department and the cardiac cath lab. Earning her Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) from Butler County College, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, she is certified as a cardiac invasive specialist and is also certified by the Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology.

REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT

In order to continue providing residential services after December 31, 2024, residential service providers must complete and return the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Agreement for Provision of Residential Services. A copy of the agreement and accompanying cover letter will be sent to your agency within the next 24 hours. The documents will be emailed to your agency’s primary QA&I contact as listed on MyODP. Completed Agreements must be submitted no later than July 31, 2024. If your agency does not receive these materials, or if your QA&I contact has changed, please contact ODP Provider Enrollment.

RCPA has developed and submitted comments to ODP regarding the rate setting methodology and fee schedule rates proposed to take effect on July 1, 2024. These comments are based upon several member meetings, listening sessions, and member feedback.

The proposed rates are contingent upon the passage of the governor’s budget. We are grateful to the governor for the investment in ID/A services he has recommended. However, we are concerned about the inconsistent application of increases proposed by ODP across various services and the faulty rate assumptions utilized to develop those rates.

For more information, read the comments submitted here. Please contact Carol Ferenz with any questions.