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Weaving the Concepts of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion into the Fabric of Pediatric Rehabilitation: One Organization’s DEI Journey
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT; 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT;
10:00 am – 11:00 am MDT; 9:00 am – 10:00 am PDT
REGISTER
Penny Adams, MS-OTR/L
Speaker Bio:
Penny Adams is an Occupational Therapist and Inpatient Pediatric Therapy Team Lead on the Inpatient Pediatric Unit at the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Grand Valley State University in 2004 and has worked at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital for the past 17 years, treating children of all ages in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Penny drives her unit’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion efforts and skillfully engages her colleagues, patients, and their families in impactful learning activities.
Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will:
Audience: This webinar is intended for all members of the rehabilitation team, including medical staff, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, licensed psychologists, mental health professionals, and other interested professionals.
Level: Intermediate
Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.
Registration: Registration is complimentary for members of IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today. Multiple registrations per organization are permitted.
The DHS Licensing Administration wishes to provide important information about procedural updates related to the issuance of renewal Certificates of Compliance. In August 2022, the renewal process was updated to require the Civil Rights Compliance Attestation (HS2125) be submitted together with the renewal application to Licensing Administration. Feedback with this procedure change has been favorable.
In reviewing their procedure for issuing the renewal Certificates of Compliance, the Licensing Administration has found that a significant number of providers request changes to their licenses after a renewal has been issued but before the current license expired. This adds an increase in processing time, as the administration then must revise the unexpired license and reissue the renewed license. As a result, it slows down the process to issue the other renewals in queue. Therefore, the procedure has changed. The renewal Certificates of Compliance will not be issued until the current Certificate of Compliance is within 30 days of expiration. This procedural change will better facilitate the timely and accurate issuance of renewal Certificates of Compliance.
Below are a few reminders:
Message From the Department of Human Services
June 8, 2023
Harrisburg, PA — The Shapiro Administration today announced it has completely eliminated a backlog of Medicaid provider enrollment and revalidation applications, paving the way for more health care providers to become part of the Medicaid program, and giving Medicaid recipients more options for care. This announcement follows news in late April that the Department of Human Services (DHS) had already reduced the provider backlog by 75 percent within Governor Shapiro’s first 100 days in office.
As of January 2023, there was a backlog of more than 35,000 provider applications and revalidation applications that were more than 30 days old. Within the first 100 days of the Administration, the number of waiting applicants was reduced by 75 percent to under 8,500 applications, and that backlog has now been entirely eliminated.
“Pennsylvania is fortunate to have so many caring, high-quality health care providers and professionals who want to be part of the Medicaid program and care for some of our most vulnerable friends, neighbors, and loved ones,” said DHS Acting Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “I want to thank them and DHS staff who worked so diligently on this issue. They have helped to ensure that Medicaid recipients in the Commonwealth can continue to get the care they need and deserve.”
By federal law, organizations are not able to offer care to patients under the Medicaid program unless they are enrolled providers. In addition, DHS must revalidate Medicaid service providers every five years. Any backlogs in processing applications means that providers who want to offer services to Medicaid recipients cannot do so until their applications are approved.
The Medicaid program in Pennsylvania serves more than 3.7 million people, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Recognizing the scope of the backlog and its impact on Pennsylvanians, the Shapiro Administration and DHS staff and leadership acted quickly to address it, removing roadblocks to processing applications quickly and cutting red tape.
Read the full announcement here. If a member has not been notified of the status of a pending enrollment or revalidation, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has issued Health Alert – PAHAN – 702-06-07-ADV, Air Quality Alert — Wildfire Smoke. Wildfires in Canada and current weather conditions are bringing wildfire smoke into our region. Health effects from wildfire smoke, or PM2.5 exposure, include respiratory symptoms and effects, irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, and cardiovascular effects.
Poor air quality may increase visits and calls to doctor’s offices as well as visits to emergency departments, urgent care centers, and hospitalizations.
Please review the Pennsylvania Department of Health Alert for more detailed information. The website AirNow and the AirNow mobile app can provide additional information.
Our friends at Greenspace Health and the Yale Measurement-Based Care Collaborative (MBCC) have launched a new MBC knowledge hub.
The ongoing partnership between Greenspace and the Yale MBCC has been an exceptional opportunity for us to engage in insightful MBC discussions and education. In fact, the three-part MBC education series saw attendance from almost 1500 clinical leaders and clinicians.
Throughout the course of the series, Greenspace led engaging sessions with the Yale MBCC, shared insightful content, and delivered many Q&A style videos in order to support anyone looking to learn more about MBC. From research to implementation, its use in practice, and the overall impact MBC is having on the quality of care across North America — there were remarkable learnings and information shared by the experts at Yale.
Today, Greenspace and the Yale MBCC have launched a comprehensive educational hub where you can explore videos, articles, and insights shared from the Yale MBCC team, all in one place.
The Yale MBC Collaborative Knowledge Hub is now live for you to explore and learn from. Be sure to check it out.
The 2023 RCPA Conference will be here before you know it, so be sure to visit the RCPA Conference website for news regarding this event. New information is being added on a regular basis, and our program is shaping up with many thought-provoking workshops, keynote speakers, and some great networking events! This year, we are very excited to announce a special performance on the first day — Kirsten Michelle Cills will kick off the evening reception at 5:00 pm. Kirsten is a Philadelphia native comedian, actor, and writer, who has survived 9/11 and lives with cystic fibrosis. We are so happy to have her joining us in Hershey! You will also enjoy the return of some conference favorites like Michael Cohen, as well as new voices, including distinguished speaker and retired New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice John Broderick, Jr., who will share his personal and professional experiences with SUD and mental health challenges in his family.
We would also like to extend our thanks to those organizations that have already contributed and shown their support for our Conference! Sponsor and exhibitor spots are filling up quickly, so be sure to complete the brochure today! As a reminder, sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who wish to be listed on the website, the mobile app, and in the conference program must submit all materials by September 8. In order to be considered for booth self-selection, a completed contract with payment must be submitted, and no reservation is considered complete without payment. If questions remain, please contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator. Be sure to check out our current sponsors and exhibitors on the Conference website!