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Medical Rehab

Monday, March 4, 2024
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST; 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CST;
10:00 am – 11:00 am MST; 9:00 am – 10:00 am PST
Register Here

Kara Monnin, PhD
Kara Monnin, PhD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State University’s School of Medicine in Columbus, OH. Dr. Monnin provides clinical services across multiple inpatient units, including complex healthcare, inpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation, and acute care services (PICU, Trauma/Surgery/Neurosurgery), and operates on a consultative basis for Complex Care clinics. Dr. Monnin also serves as a member of the Advanced Illness Management/Palliative Care team at NCH and specializes in traumatic brain injury, rehabilitation populations, and children and adolescents with complex medical needs.

Kelsey E. Bakaletz, MSW, LISW
Kelsey E. Bakaletz, MSW, LISW, is most importantly, a mother to 2-year-old Ellis. Kelsey is a clinical medical social worker in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. Kelsey received both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Ohio State University. Prior to working at NCH, Kelsey spent two years in rapid re-housing of homeless military veterans, and before that, she spent almost two years in therapeutic rehabilitation of adjudicated juvenile sex offenders. Kelsey is a member of the Trauma-Informed Care Work Group at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, working to provide and teach the best trauma-informed practices. Kelsey is passionate about treating every patient interaction as though the caregiver and child are part of our family, to lead with empathy, compassion, and determination that we resist re-traumatization.

Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will:

  • Understand what secondary trauma is and who is at risk;
  • Discuss practical self-care strategies and ways to manage secondary trauma; and
  • Implement strategies to support colleagues who are experiencing secondary trauma.

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.

RCPA is delighted to share our 2023 Year in Review! We’re confident that this review will provide you with valuable insights, and inspire you as we highlight some of our significant achievements. This past year, we have embarked on groundbreaking initiatives and celebrated remarkable successes, all thanks to our collective efforts. As we step into 2024, we remain optimistic about reaching new heights together, and hope this review fuels your enthusiasm for what we can all accomplish in the coming year.

Information was issued on January 11, 2024, regarding a second virtual transportation summit that has been planned for February 7, 2024.

Due to the original webinar not being accessible to everyone, the decision was made to change the format of the summit to a Teams virtual meeting. The meeting is open to the public, transportation providers, and anyone interested in transportation issues in the Community HealthChoices (CHC) program.

The purpose of the meeting is to have a full and robust discussion about transportation concerns and needs. There will be staff from various programs on the call, including the CHC Managed Care Organizations (MCO) and transportation brokers, MATP, and PennDOT. They will be on the call to listen to the issues and answer questions as they can.

This is a follow-up to the meeting held on December 11, 2023. This meeting will not have any formal presentations but will allow for participants, providers, and attendees to discuss their transportation issues, difficulties, or positive experiences. Participants can also ask questions during the webinar by either raising their hand and waiting until they are unmuted or by asking their question in the chat.

Attendees are encouraged to send questions or requests to speak in advance of the meeting to Cortney Alvord via email.

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Microsoft Teams meeting
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Meeting ID: 218 762 770 115
Passcode: 7Hdkxm
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+1 267-332-8737,,881854265# tel:+12673328737,,881854265#
United States, Philadelphia
Phone Conference ID: 881 854 265#

The 2024 RCPA Conference Embracing Challenges, Empowering Success will be held September 24 – 27 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. The Conference Committee is seeking workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as the use of artificial intelligence, telehealth innovations, and employing people with disabilities;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices and suicide prevention;
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, performance-based contracting, acquisitions and mergers, and alternative payment models;
  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Offer concrete skills and tools to operate more efficient, effective businesses; and
  • Inspire ideas for organizations to be leaders in their field.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism.

Members are encouraged to consider submitting, and we highly encourage you to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically four weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Notification of inclusion for the conference will be made via email by Friday, May 17, 2024. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has introduced the Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model to enhance integration in behavioral health. This model is designed to improve care quality, access, and outcomes for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders under Medicaid and Medicare. Community-based behavioral health practices will form interprofessional care teams to address behavioral and physical health, including health-related social needs. The IBH Model uses a “no wrong door” approach, providing access to all services, and emphasizes building health information technology capacity. The model is scheduled to launch in Fall 2024 and will operate for eight years in up to eight select states. For more information, visit the IBH Model web page, where you can find frequently asked questions, access a fact sheet on the IBH Model, and explore a fact sheet on the accomplishments of the HHS Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration.

The PA Department of Health (DOH) will be publishing two notices in the Pennsylvania (PA) Bulletin on January 20, 2024, regarding the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Advisory Board.

The first notice announces the renaming of the TBI Advisory Board to the Brain Injury Advisory Board:
The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Advisory Board (Board) was instituted in August 2001 by the Secretary of Health as a requirement of section 1252 the Federal TBI Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. § 300d-52) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal TBI Planning Grant, presently known as the Administration for Community Living (ACL) TBI State Partnership Program Grant. There is no requirement for the Board to be specifically called the TBI Advisory Board. Until 2021, the grant stipulated that the Board must have 50% of its voting members exclusively represent individuals with a TBI. With this limited scope, individuals with a nontraumatic brain injury (nonTBI) could not be considered as voting members. It created gaps in representation and understanding, hindering the Board’s ability to address the diverse needs of the broader brain injury community. As awareness of nonTBI evolved and service needs increased for individuals with a nonTBI, ACL expanded the scope of the Board to allow all individuals with nonTBI brain injury to serve as voting members. On August 4, 2023, the Board convened and voted unanimously to change its name to the Brain Injury Advisory Board. This adjustment underscores a strategic initiative toward inclusivity. It acknowledges the various origins of brain injuries and aims to bridge the current gap in representation. The change also aligns the Board’s nomenclature with its commitment to comprehensive advocacy, facilitating a more nuanced understanding and responsive approach to the diverse challenges encountered by individuals affected by all forms of acquired brain injuries.

The second notice provides information about the next board meeting. The Brain Injury Advisory Board will hold their next public meeting on February 2, 2024, from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm in person at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), 6340 Flank Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17112, in the Cambria conference room.

Meeting materials will be sent out before the meeting and will also be available on their website and at the meeting location. Questions about the meeting should be directed to Nicole Johnson.

The DOH’s Head Injury Program (HIP) strives to ensure that eligible individuals who have a brain injury receive high quality rehabilitative services aimed at reducing functional limitations and improving quality of life. The Board assists the DOH in understanding and meeting the needs of persons living with acquired brain injuries, both traumatic and nontraumatic, and their families. This quarterly meeting will provide updates on a variety of topics including the number of people served by HIP. In addition, meeting participants will discuss budgetary and programmatic issues, community programs relating to traumatic and nontraumatic brain injuries, and available advocacy opportunities.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the calendar year (CY) 2024 therapy services KX Modifier threshold amounts. The CY 2024 amounts are as follows:

  • $2,330 for physical therapy (PT) and Speech-language Pathology (SLP) services combined; and
  • $2,330 for occupational therapy service.

Additional information can be found on the following web pages: