Pennsylvania Healthcare Summit to Be Held January 30, 2025
Information Released for LTSS Subcommittee Meeting on January 8, 2025
The information for the January 8, 2025, Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting has been released. The meeting will be held from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm in the Forest Room at the Commonwealth Keystone Building, which is located at 400 North Street in Harrisburg, PA. The option to participate virtually is also available. If attending virtually, please register here.
Public comments will be taken following each presentation. Questions can be entered into the chat box during the presentations, and these questions will be asked at the end of each presentation. There will be an additional period at the end of the meeting for any additional public comments.
You can submit questions electronically about alternative methods for submitting questions or comments during a subcommittee meeting, including options when no internet access is available.
If needed, the dial-in number is: +1 (631) 992-3221; Access Code: 713-772-925#
OMAP Pediatric Shift Care Stakeholder Update
The Pennsylvania Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP) Pediatric Shift Care Team held a Stakeholder Update Call on December 16, 2024. The presentation provided an overview of the Pediatric Shift Care Initiative Updates, implementation of the Pediatric Complex Care Resource Centers, and online training curriculum as well as content development.
Please send any questions electronically to the Pediatric Shift Care Team.
TBI Act Included in Congress’s Proposed Year-End Package: Contact Legislators to Support
RCPA received notification today from the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) that the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act was included in Congress’s proposed year-end package. Key provisions included in this bill include:
Administration for Community Living (ACL)
- Reauthorizes the State Partnership Program and Protection & Advocacy Program.
- Allows grants to be used to support systems of care for people of any type of acquired brain injury.
- Allows a state to request a waiver of the match requirement if they cannot meet the match to carry out the grant purposes. The match decrease can only be for that fiscal year, and states must maintain at least the match that they have had during the previous fiscal year.
- Requires ACL in awarding State Partnership Program grants to take into consideration populations that may be at higher risk for brain injury.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Reauthorizes the CDC’s TBI Programs, including the National Concussion Surveillance System.
- Renames the TBI Program to honor Congressman Bill Pascrell.
- Requires an examination of brain injury as a chronic condition that may impact someone across the lifespan. CDC plans to accomplish this through work with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
- Requires CDC to review those who may have higher impact of brain injury, including due to their occupation and from interpersonal violence.
RCPA encourages providers, staff, and families to reach out to their members of Congress through email or phone call by COB Thursday, December 19, 2024. The message can be simple. For example:
As a constituent, I encourage you to support the year-end continuing resolution, which includes the TBI Act. The TBI Act is pivotal to create systems of care for people of brain injury. [Feel free to share any personal impact] Thank you for your support of this important bill.
In Pennsylvania, our current state Senators are:
Casey, Robert P., Jr. and
Fetterman, John
Additional information for contacting your Senators can be found here.
CMS Approves Community HealthChoices Waiver Renewal
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the Office of Long-Term Living’s (OLTL) Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver renewal. The renewal will be effective on January 1, 2025.
The current approved CHC Waiver document is available here. Additional information about the CHC Waiver is located here.
Changes in the approved renewal include:
- Amend the following service definitions:
- Benefits Counseling
- Employment Skills Development Home Adaptations
- Telecare
- Add teleservices to the following services (details regarding teleservices can be found within each service definition as well as in the Main Module):
- Cognitive Rehabilitation
- Counseling Services
- Nutritional Consultation
- Add Chore Services as a new waiver service.
- Add language to reinforce that if a participant’s rights in a setting need to be modified due to an assessed need, it must be documented in the Person-Centered Service Plan (PCSP), and if a provider creates a treatment or service plan, that plan must be incorporated into the PCSP.
- Remove references to the Organized Health Care Delivery System (OHCDS) and the Participant Review Tool.
- Reduce timeframes for developing and implementing Person-Centered Service Plans from 30 days to 15 business days.
- Reduce the years of experience needed for Structured Day Habilitation Support Staff from five years to two years.
- Update Appendix C-5 to include information about the Home and Community-Based Settings Rule.
- Update Appendix E: Participant Direction of Services that Service Coordinators are responsible to inform the participant of the availability of the direct care worker referral and matching system.
- Update Appendix G: Participant Safeguards to the current process.
- Update the Quality Strategy to current process.
- Modify language throughout for better readability.
Questions about the 2025 CHC renewal can be submitted electronically.
Discover RCPA Membership Benefits on January 15
RCPA is excited to host a Membership Benefits webinar on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 1:00 pm, as an opportunity for members to orient themselves with all that RCPA membership includes. This is not just for new and future members. For current members, there may be benefits associated with our membership that you may not be aware of, including targeted meetings and groups that occur throughout the year.
Registration is required; please register here to attend the webinar. Items we will review include the below and much more:
- Virtually meet the dedicated RCPA Policy Staff and RCPA lobbyists;
- Discuss the 2025 Legislative and Administrative priorities;
- Preview RCPA divisional committee and subcommittee meetings and what they offer;
- View the RCPA member-only website;
- Review exclusive yearly educational and networking events; and
- Understand the value of the National Association memberships included with RCPA membership.
Visit the RCPA member benefits web page for more information, or contact Tieanna Lloyd for benefit details.
RCPA Member Pittsburgh Mercy Announces Two Appointments to 2025 Board of Directors
PITTSBURGH (December 17, 2024) – Pittsburgh Mercy, one of the region’s largest social service nonprofit organizations serving more than 18,000 vulnerable individuals annually, a member of Trinity Health, and serving in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, today announced two appointments to its 2025 Board of Directors: Denise R. Hughes, director of Public Relations at UPMC Health Plan, and Paul K. Rudoy, a tax partner at H2R CPA.
Each will serve a three-year term, effective January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2027.
Rudoy served for over 20 years and Hughes served for three years on the Bethlehem Haven Board of Directors. Bethlehem Haven became part of Pittsburgh Mercy and its award-winning homeless services continuum of care in 2016.
“We are thrilled to have Denise and Paul join the Pittsburgh Mercy Board. Having a strong, deeply committed, and diverse group of trustees who have hearts for our Sisters of Mercy legacy and tradition of service to the most vulnerable is core to our mission and who we are as an organization,” stated Tony Beltran, president and CEO of Pittsburgh Mercy. “In addition to bringing their own unique talents and expertise, as legacy members of the Bethlehem Haven Board of Directors, Denise and Paul also will bring valuable perspectives to help our Board ensure the continued growth and success of our health ministry, our revered mission, and our renowned tradition of service to the most vulnerable in our community.”
Hughes brings to the Pittsburgh Mercy Board more than 20 years of experience and expertise as an award-winning, senior-level marketing and public relations professional in nonprofit and for-profit corporate communications. She currently leads all facets of public relations strategy for UPMC Health Plan, one of the nation’s fastest growing health plans, including public and media relations, content creation, and crisis communications. Before joining UPMC Health Plan, Hughes previously held management-level marketing-communications positions at Westinghouse Electric Company and Peoples Natural Gas and served as a communications consultant to The McCreary Group.
In addition to her service to the Pittsburgh Mercy Board and her former service on the Bethlehem Haven Board, Hughes is a board member and treasurer of the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania and a member of the Public Relations Society of America.
Hughes is the recipient of numerous business and health care marketing communications industry awards, including PR Daily’s Nonprofit PR Awards (2021, 2024), a Ragan’s PR Daily’s Social Media & Digital Awardee (2023), and a graduate of The Advanced Leadership Institute’s Emerging Leaders Program (2023).
Hughes earned a Bachelor of Science degree in communications at Carlow University, founded by the Pittsburgh Sisters of Mercy, and a Master of Science degree in leadership with a concentration in business ethics at Duquesne University.
Hughes resides in Cranberry Township, Pa.
Rudoy, who is a certified public accountant (CPA), a personal financial specialist (PFS), and a licensed life insurance and annuities agent, has more than 30 years of experience in tax, strategic consulting, and estate and succession planning for individuals and closely held businesses. He spends most of his professional time devoted to growth strategies, succession planning, tax and investment matters, and business consulting services.
Rudoy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting at Pennsylvania State University.
He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), where he served as past president and a member of the State Taxation Committee.
In addition to his past service as treasurer and a board member on the Bethlehem Haven Board of Directors, Rudoy is also past president of the Pittsburgh Glass Center Board of Directors.
He also serves as treasurer of the Jewish Residential Foundation Board and a board member of the North American Board – MGI Association.
Rudoy and his family reside in Mt. Lebanon, Pa.
With the appointments of Hughes and Rudoy, the 2025 Pittsburgh Mercy Board of Directors and officers are:
Mark D. Gibbons, CPA (Chairperson)
Audit Partner, Assurance Service Practice Leader
Urish Popeck & Co., LLC
Tony Beltran, MBA (Secretary)
President & CEO
Pittsburgh Mercy
Rhonda N. Curry
Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
Gateway Health Plan
Jaime C. Dircksen
Vice President, Community Health & Well-Being
Trinity Health
Denise R. Hughes
Director of Public Relations
UPMC Health Plan
Robert A. James, JD, MBA, MHA
Chief Diversity & Strategic Growth Officer
CGT Staffing
Sister Diane Matje, RSM, RN, MSN
Pittsburgh Sisters of Mercy
Manzoor Mohideen, PhD
Director of Clinical Trial Operations, Academic Research Center for Hematology, Section of Benign Hematology, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Visala S. Muluk, MD
Director of Medicine
Pittsburgh Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center
Suresh C. Ramanathan
President & CEO
KORYAK
Paul K. Rudoy, CPA/PFS
Partner
H2R CPA
Jared S. Weiner
Chief Financial Officer, Western PA Hospital Division
UPMC
Olga Ziegler
Vice President, Revenue Program Management
Highmark Health Inc.
Editor’s note: Color headshots of Denise R. Hughes and Paul K. Rudoy accompany this release. Kindly credit: Photos courtesy of Pittsburgh Mercy.
About Pittsburgh Mercy
Pittsburgh Mercy is one of the largest community health and social service providers and employers in Southwestern Pennsylvania. We offer help – and hope – to 18,000 of our community’s most vulnerable in 60+ locations:
- People who have complex behavioral and physical health challenges.
- People who have intellectual and developmental disabilities
- People who are experiencing homelessness
- People who need wrap-around services to live safe, healthy, and well in the community.
We are the largest Integrated Community Wellness Center (ICWC) in Pennsylvania and the only one in Southwestern Pennsylvania. We are a five-time awardee of Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) expansion grants. Pittsburgh Mercy is a member of Trinity Health, serving in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy. Our mission is to be a compassionate and transforming, healing presence within our communities. To learn more about Pittsburgh Mercy or to donate in support of its important work in the community, please visit www.pittsburghmercy.org. Follow Pittsburgh Mercy on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
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Preview Rates for NatCon25 Registration End Today!
Pediatric POTS and Related Disorders — IPRC Webinar on Feb. 7
Friday, February 7, 2025
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST; 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CST;
11:00 am – 12:00 pm MST; 10:00 am – 11:00 am PST
Register Here
Christina Kokorelis, MD
Presenter Bio:
Christina Kokorelis, MD, is a rehabilitation physician specializing in pediatric and adult postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), orthostatic intolerance, and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. She takes a comprehensive, team-based approach to patient care. Dr. Kokorelis also treats children with concussions and chronic pain disorders. An assistant professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, where she completed her residency, Dr. Kokorelis followed the residency with a pediatric rehabilitation fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She currently works as an attending physician in the Johns Hopkins POTS clinic and is also the Medical Director of the Pediatric POTS clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore.
Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will:
- Define POTS;
- Discuss how to diagnose POTS;
- Describe treatment approach to POTS; and
- Discuss long-term outcomes of POTS.
Audience: This webinar is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team.
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.
Complimentary webinars are a benefit of membership in IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today.
Meeting With BI Providers and BI Caucus Co-chairs Scheduled on Jan. 13
As discussed during the RCPA Brain Injury (BI) Committee meeting held on December 5, 2024, a meeting has been scheduled with Representative Tim Briggs and Representative Ann Flood on January 13, 2025, at 11:00 am. Briggs and Flood are two of the co-chairs of Pennsylvania’s Brain Injury Caucus. An invitation was also extended to Senator Tim Kearney, another co-chair of the BI Caucus.
The primary goal for this meeting is for the BI providers and members of the BI Caucus to work in conjunction with one another. Specifically:
- BI Caucus members will be able to hear the concerns from the BI Providers, including budget requests and access to care issues that are resulting from inadequate rates/rate increases;
- BI providers will provide input to BI Caucus leaders on a legislative plan for the upcoming budget, such as amendments to the Safety in Youth Sports Act;
- BI Caucus leaders will share input on how to work with legislators to achieve a common goal; and
- Will share feedback on other issues impacting BI providers.
Members must register by sending an email to Melissa Dehoff by January 6, 2025. Registrants will receive the call information a few days prior to the scheduled call.
