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Tags Posts tagged with "Staffing"

Staffing

Photo by Michael Schofield on Unsplash

The While House issued a press release announcing that the Access Final Rule will be released later today. These regulations include:

  • The Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule, which will require all nursing homes that receive federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid to have 3.48 hours per resident per day of total staffing, including a defined number from both registered nurses (0.55 hours per resident per day) and nurse aides (2.45 per resident per day);
  • Introducing the requirements of the rule in phases to make sure nursing homes have the time they need to hire staff, with longer timeframes for rural communities;
  • Ensuring adequate compensation for home care workers for HCBS operations of in-home care (both Personal Assistance Services and Community Habilitation) by “requiring that at least 80 percent of Medicaid payments for home care services go to workers’ wages. This policy would also allow states to take into account the unique experiences that small home care providers and providers in rural areas face while ensuring their employees receive their fair share of Medicaid payments and continued training as well as the delivery of quality care;”
  • The state requirement to be more transparent in how much they pay for home care services and how they set those rates, increasing the accountability for home care providers; and
  • The creation of a state home care rate-setting advisory group made up of beneficiaries, home care workers, and other key stakeholders to advise and consult on provider payment rates and direct compensation for direct care workers.

We will continue to monitor the details of these regulations and Pennsylvania’s plans to comply. If you have any questions, please contact Fady Sahhar.

Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

RCPA is pleased to announce the addition of a new Policy Analyst serving the IDD Division. Cathy Barrick will begin supporting members and the IDD Division Director, Carol Ferenz, this month. Cathy spent 15 years as Director of Practice Management in an outpatient rehab facility, followed by 6 years’ worth of experience as Administrative Support Manager at The Arc of Cumberland/Perry Counties (CPARC).

Her extensive experience includes human resources, policy development, management, accounting, contract negotiations, provider qualifications, and quality management team membership. Cathy served as a Certified Investigator for the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) mandated reportable incidents, oversaw Incident Management roles, and led a Peer Review team. She also completed waiver renewal and Department of Human Services (DHS) benefit applications.

Please feel free to reach out to Cathy with any issues related to IDD services, as well as to welcome her to the RCPA team.

The Office of Developmental Programs is pleased to announce TaWanda Jackson as the new Chief of Staff. TaWanda brings a wealth of experience and will begin her new role October 31, 2022.

TaWanda Jackson, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an energetic professional with a passion for helping others. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Robert Morris University and continued her education and received her master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

TaWanda began her career in public service at the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging. She then joined the Commonwealth as an Income Maintenance Caseworker, and for the past thirteen years, she’s been with ODP in various roles. Most recently, TaWanda served as a statewide lead for the Quality Assessment & Improvement Process. She has participated in the development and implementation of the QA&I process since its inception and provided her knowledge and expertise to ensure that stakeholders understand the overall processes and procedures and adhere to federal and state regulations and requirements.

TaWanda is an alumnus of the Office of Administration Emerging Leader Program and the Department of Human Services Leadership Development Institute. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with family playing games, cooking, reading, being active in her church, and watching the Pittsburgh Steelers. TaWanda lives in Lancaster County with her husband Bobby and two children.

Foothold Technology is hosting a series of webinars and podcasts related to staffing, social determinants of health, and DEI. Descriptions, times/dates, and registration details are below.


Webinar/Panel — Caring Companies: Shifting the Focus to Staff Retention and Well-Being
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
1:00 pm EST

In the disability field, when we talk about the care economy and specifically the workforce crisis, a lot of attention has been focused on recruitment, so we wanted to shift the focus to retention, staff well-being, and the unpaid workforce. Come join Elliot Massuda, the Strategic Partnerships Manager at Foothold Technology, as he engages in a live conversation with industry experts about the Care Economy. Visit here for more information and to register.

Webinar/Panel — Identifying Impact: How to Find Common Language Around SDoH
Thursday, March 31, 2022
1:00 pm EST

Social Determinants of Health have always been mission critical to our community. Now, it’s getting the much needed attention that it deserves. Although there’s a lot of buzz around SDoH, there are still many obstacles providers face when trying to get paid for SDoH services and demonstrating the impact of these services.

Come listen to a panel of industry experts talk about the landscape of SDoH, some initiatives to improve funding of these services, and where they see these efforts going. Visit here for more information and to register.

Sharing In Our Caring — Episode 4 | An Ongoing Journey in Committing to Do Better 

We just launched our next episode on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are so relevant in our world right now that we would be remiss not to discuss it. In this episode of “Sharing in Our Caring” (a platform for human services professionals, policy-makers, and thought leaders to shed light on the topics and trends impacting their industry), hosts Elliot Massuda and Natalie Wright-Umoh discuss the importance of DEI and how that work has become more prominent. They are joined by Cindy Joseph, the Founder and CEO of The Cee Suite, who shares her experience as a talent management consultant, with a specialized focus in DEI. Tune in to hear the insights Cindy shares with organizations that are making a commitment to this work. Visit here to listen. “Sharing In Our Caring” is available on most podcast platforms.

With the staffing crisis showing no signs of easing, the need for help supporting the Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled community has never been more acute. SafeinHome has numerous tools to help enhance independence and self-direction while helping to ease staffing shortages. David Thom, Account Executive in the Philadelphia Region, has scheduled drop-in hours for the next few weeks to discuss how Remote Supports (RS) and Assistive Technology (AT) can help the people we all serve.

SafeinHome invites you to learn about their Remote Supports and Assistive Technology during office hours at the following times via Zoom or Teams. Whether you’d like to talk about a specific individual, or just discuss Remote Supports and Assistive Technology in general, please feel free to join the office hours or reach out any time via the contact information below:

Tara Harmening, Southwestern PA, 724-433-9401
Every Tuesday 10:00 am–11:00 am through 3-15-22
Visit here to join the meeting.

Season Jackson, Northeastern PA, 570-840-2240
Every Thursday 9:00 am–10 am through 3-24-22
Visit here to join the meeting.

Christina Romel, Western PA, 412-779-3100
Every Tuesday 11:00 am–12:00 pm
Visit here to join the Zoom meeting.

Kristie Ondisco, Central PA, 570-640-0663
Every two weeks on Wednesdays 1:00 pm–2:00 pm, starting 3-23-22 to 4-20-22.
Visit here to join the meeting.

David Thom, Southeastern PA, 510-333-4909

Visit SafeinHome’s website for more details.