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Policy Areas

The Pennsylvania Senate has confirmed Dr. Latika Davis-Jones as Secretary of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP). As secretary, Davis-Jones leads the Commonwealth’s efforts to reduce substance use disorder (SUD) and problem gambling disorder, with a large focus on expanding access to and increasing the quality of SUD treatment.

Before serving in the Shapiro administration, Secretary Davis-Jones was Senior Director of Behavioral Health at Highmark Wholecare, a Medicaid managed care organization in Pittsburgh. Prior to that, she served as Allegheny County’s Single County Authority Administrator.

Read DDAP’s official press release.

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that they will conduct a special open door forum (ODF) that will focus on the Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs). The ODF is scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, 2023 from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm.

By utilizing the RCD, CMS indicates that this demonstration establishes a review choice process for IRF services to test whether such a process improves methods for the investigation and prosecution of fraud, and provides flexibility for IRFs, as well as a risk-based approach to reduce burden on providers demonstrating compliance with Medicare requirements for IRF services. Initial feedback shows that the RCD will have IRFs choose one of two tracks: 100 percent pre-claim review or 100 percent post-payment review, for the first cycle. Additional information has been requested from CMS on these tracks.

Beginning August 21, 2023, CMS will implement the RCD for IRF services in Alabama. The second phase, while no specific timeline has been released, will include Pennsylvania, California, and Texas. Because PA is included in the next phase of the demonstration, RCPA members are encouraged to participate in this ODF.

This ODF will be a Zoom webinar with registration and login instructions below:

Register here in advance for this webinar.
833-568-8864 (Toll Free)
Meeting ID: 160 359 5359
Passcode: 000436

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. The presentation will be available on the Review Choice Demonstration for IRF Services web page prior to the call. Feedback and questions on the Review Choice Demonstration for IRF services can be sent via email.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is sharing ODPANN 23-053, to inform all interested parties that a recorded webcast regarding incident management – Understanding, Recognizing, and Reporting Passive and Self-Neglect – is now available on MyODP. Please review the announcement for information on how to access the training webcast and additional details.

ODP shares that scheduled maintenance for MyODP.org will occur between 10:00 pm on June 25, 2023 and 12:00 pm on June 26, 2023.

During this time, the site may become unavailable for users. Please do not attempt any quizzes or tests during this timeframe, as the site may become unavailable at any time during this period. The site will become available to all users after 12:00 pm on June 26, 2023. Thank you for your patience while maintenance is in progress, and apologies for any inconvenience.

As a follow-up to the Alert released on June 15, 2023, regarding upcoming regional town hall events on the Department of Aging’s Master Plan on Aging in Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, an update was just received about the Harrisburg session. Due to scheduling challenges for panelists related to the budget development, the Department of Aging will be postponing the Harrisburg kickoff until July 2023.

A new invitation and meeting announcement will be sent to members once the new date has been set.

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:

  • Summarize the importance of incorporating DEI activities into the pediatric rehabilitation environment;
  • Discuss strategies to improve staff and patient engagement in formal DEI planned activities;
  • Describe three practical ways to improve equity and inclusivity within a pediatric rehab environment; and
  • Review one multi-disciplinary rehab unit’s approach to year-long DEI programming.

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 Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 23-052, which announces a new series of webinars by ODP’s Policy Division targeted towards individuals and families. ODP is asking and encouraging Supports Coordinators, Administrative Entities, Individual and Family Organizations, etc. to share this communication with any individual and family they support.

Please review the announcement for further information, including registration for the first webinar in the series, which is scheduled for Tuesday, July 25.